1995 Craftsman Riding Mower

We have finally graduated to a riding lawn mower from a push mower. We were so excited to get this one from a customer in trade for work.

Yesterday the customer started it with a jump. We all knew it needed a battery. No problem. He ran it and mowed a large patch of grass on his property. Ran like a charm.

Today we brought it home and on the way stopped at Tractor Supply and got a battery. My adult son mowed the swale, the area around the fire pit and started on the dogs yard. He stopped the mower to pick up a bamboo stake the dog had dragged around. The mower stalled and wouldn't start back up.

Turn the key, nothing, no rrr, rrr, no clicking, no nothing. When I returned home he put the cables on the battery and found there was still power. But tried jumping it from the van, battery to battery. Turn the key, nothing.

When he put the jumper cable directly to the starter, it turned, but didn't start.

Well, he's off taking a nap now with a full complex, because every lawn mower he touches seems to take a dodo, new or old, doesn't matter.

Our first he seized up because he overfilled it with oil. The 2nd one, no explanation. The reality of that one is, after running for a time, it seems to want a rest to cool down, even when I am using it.

We really want to make this Craftsman rider work. Although we are only mowing about an acre of the five, this would save a lot of time and energy to pull weeds and such from the flower beds.

Any mower pros out here know the answer to this problem?

Oh yes, the specs that I know of are the following:

19.5 Turbo Twin Cylinder Briggs and Stratton, 42" deck. I don't know the horsepower.

Thanks for any help.
Molly