New Engine To Replace 3.5 Briggs?

Check the valve guides on the old briggs, if they are shot they won't seat the valves properly resulting in hard or impossible starts. Your small engine shop should have checked them.
For a little more than a repair, the Harbor Freight engine can't be beat , be sure to put a shutoff in the gas line & run the carb dry every time it's not going to be used for a while
 
Just an update, I picked the tug up from the shop, declared fixed. They did a bunch of carb, fuel, primer, & other work, even including a new boot & wire to plug.

I started it twice, let it run some. I'll at least start it every two weeks, letting it run some. Yes, I use 100 LL fuel, with some non-ethanol regular mixed in.

The $100 was better than $2k for a new tug, especially with how often it's called into action
Just use 100LL, no need to mix with any other lower octane gas or stabilizer.
 
Unfortunately, if you take something to the shop for a particular thing, many, many shops will fix that one thing and ignore everything else, so you end up coming back. Once saw a rider that had the entire deck rebuilt without the shop noticing (or caring) that the engine was hopelessly worn out and wouldn't start. A bit cynical? Yes, but that's just me.
 
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The small engine shop failed you. If it's solid otherwise and runs ok after a difficult start it's most likely a minor carb issue. Dirty or gummed up.
Maybe another shop or just drop the float bowl and go to town with a $2 can of carb cleaner.
It would be a crime against nature, considering you're in the great state of Wisconsin, to replace that sturdy old Briggs with a harbor fail engine.
Yeah, solid engines.Just fix the carb.
 
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