Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Toro pull cord doesnt pull smoothly-binds, fule, gas tank

Question
Toro 6.5, 4-cycle about 8 years old -- rope binds when pulled and does not pull soothly enough to start the engine. This problem started last season.      The gas from last year is still in the mower and the spark plug is from last year.  I turned the mower on it's side.  The spark plug looks oily.  When the spark plug is out it pulls smoothly..when put back in it binds.

Answer
It sounds like the mower was tipped on the wrong side and allowed oil to run through the case breather through the carb and into the cylinder. its very hard to compress the oil which is why its harder to pull when the plug is in and wont start because the plug is fouled. allways tip your mower carb side up when working under the deck to avoid this problem.
 pull out the plug and spray some carb cleaner in the cylinder to thin out the oil. give the pull cord a few good sharp pulls to blow out the cylinder. You may want to throw a rag over the front of it to avoid making a mess. clean the plug real good while you have it out. you should probably drain tha gas tank and put some fresh gas in it too. if it starts for you it may smoke and blow oil out of the muffler this is ok let it run till it burns off the excess oil. if it pulls better but doesnt start probably due to the stale fule in the carb you may need to clean the carb and give it another try.