Thanks Dave! I've already looked into that in case I can't find another way. However, online I discovered this was identified as a problem with this same model, and at one time Craftsman (or Sears) was doing free repairs or replacement. I'm trying to find out if possibly MTD or Lowe's is honoring that same fix since they took over. I was hoping to learn if anyone had the similar problem and got to a reliable source for an answer, instead of having to explain my issue to a dozen part-time employees who probably don't care, or make as many phone calls/leave unanswered messages. Any help is appreciated, and thanks again for your reply Dave. Bob