Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Craftsman Lawn Tractor starts sporadically, craftsman lawn tractor, side checks

Question
QUESTION: Tom,
I have a Craftsman 18.5 HP, 42 inch mower electric start automatic transmission lawn tractor. It has gotten to where it will hardly start. I have put in a new battery, spark plug, and cleaned the air filter.  Sometimes it will start and sometimes it won't.  When it doesn't it makes a high pitched sound from the right side down low and I have even seen smoke come from the right side down low.  There is a red cable that runs down the right side to ? and the cable gets very hot. It seems that is where the problem is.
Can you help?

ANSWER: I need a few basics. When you say won't start, will the engine turn over? I am sensing it won't by what your saying about the red positive+ wire being hot, meaning it is experiencing high resistance. Is this in fact the cable going to the starter? If this is the case we must do some trouble shooting as many conditions may cause this. First, remove  spark plugs and try cranking it over, sometimes a badly flooded engine has so much gas in the cylinder the piston can't travel, it becomes hydro locked, acts as if the engine is seized or the starter is bad. Removing the plugs and cranking it frees the cylinder of fuel. Are all connections from the battery clean and tight, all connections both positive and negative side?........checks these and let me know we will go from there........Tom

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QUESTION: I did as you said. I took the spark plug out, cranked it several times put the spark plug back in and it started like a gem.  I rode it for a few minutes and then stopped it.  It wouldn't start.  I took the spark plug out again, cranked it, put the spark plug back in and it started up again. What do I do now?  Thanks for helping me. I am learning! hopefully on the right track to fixing it.  Dwayne

Answer
Sounds as if you have a carb thats flooding the engine. Was the spark plug wet with fuel each time you removed it? Did fuel spray out of the cylinder when you cranked it over with the plug removed? If the answer to these are yes, and assuming the choke is not closed and in the open position, your carb is in need of rebuilding, as it seems the float needle valve and seat is allowing too much fuel in to the cylinder flooding it.....Tom