Discovered this Wheel Horse 212-H for sale locally, which was posted as having an engine that will not start with no explanation relating to the severity of the failure. It appears after speaking with the owner that the unit was running normally,
started to backfire and ultimately shutdown. When attempting a re-start it appeared the engine was spinning free with little or no compression available to limit the crank speed and would not start. Having limited mechanical ability the owner felt the problem was more severe than he was comfortable undertaking suggesting the problem may very well be associated with a major internal component failure. It appears the owner made no attempt to troubleshoot any further to verify the integrity of the Crankshaft/Connecting Rod Assembly or Camshaft by at least removing the spark plug or valve spring cover just to check for piston or valve movement, so from this point forward any suggested possibility for the no start condition is pure conjecture. The Engine in question is a 12HP Briggs and Stratton Model 284707 Power Built.
If further troubleshooting reveals the engine has a major problem that requires tear down or replacement to resolve, what would be a fair price for the unit as is considering its condition? Additionally, what are the more common problems or component failures associated with this specific model or type engine?