That reminds me of the time when I was taking garbage to the dump.
Remember those, way back before "transfer stations", where you threw
your garbage over a bank at a local ravine!  A friend of mine drove up
with an almost-brand-new walk-behind lawn mower.  He tossed it out of
the truck, but before he could throw it over the bank, I asked him why
he was throwing it away.  He said he was disgusted with it and
couldn't get it started.  It was running fine until he hit a rock with
it.  It stalled and he yanked the cord a gazillion times and it
wouldn't run.  I said to throw it in my truck and I would look at it
for him.  He said he never wanted to see it again.  I took it home,
removed the shroud and flywheel, and sure enough, the flywheel key was
sheared.  I keep at least a dozen of them on hand for B&S engines, so
I put in a new one, reassembled it, and it started on the second
pull.  I called up my friend and told him to come over and pick up his
mower as I got it running for him, no charge at all.  He reiterated
that he never wanted to see it again and to keep it.  I used that
mower for quite a few seasons.
Larry D.