mine is an sob to start. always has been. I loaned it to a guy who took it hunting and he could not get it started so he took it to town to a honda shop, he said the guy put in a new spark plug, which already was one in the genny, and turned a screw a little bit and pulled the rope, it started right up. strange thing happened that day, the genny has been starting right up ever since. I did read on a web site to not turn the gen off with the switch but let it run until it runs out of gas, this of course is if you are going to store it. A friend of mine cleaned his carb out and could never get it to start easy, so in frustration he shook the gen and pulled the rope, it started. so now when out hunting and he needs the gen he shakes the unit and it starts right up every time.