Probably some gook in another country didn't know what it meant, but put it in there anyway! As long as it charges the battery like it should--don't worry about it. If the battery started the car-you're home free, except for what the initial cost was!

There was another recent post about this same problem. That problem turned out to be the starter was running backward because the battery was hooked up backward. DC motors run backward if you reverse the poles. I guess the next thing I would want to know, if the poles are hooked up right, is if the starter gear is jumping out as it should to mate up with the flywheel. It should do this (extend out) even if it is laying on a bench when the power is hooked to it. If it is then the only other things it could be is the flywheel is missing some teeth (You could turn the engine by hand and get the flywheel to turn some and check this), or the shaft on the starter is not long enough the meet up with the flywheel gears. I replaced a starter on my old Ford truck, and the first one they gave me was to short to work. It fit fine, but the shaft was too short. Good luck.

***"not necessary to disconnect both cables when working on electrical, just the negative/black?"*** That is correct.....So long as the negative/black cable is in fact, the GROUND cable for the vehicle electrical system. And in most machines built in the last 40 years or so, the negative/black is the ground conductor. But you must "cling to" every word of the description. "Negative", "Black", "Ground"! Each word must be considered as a separate and individual criterion when you are preparing to "put a tool" to the battery terminals. (this is a lesson, listen up) There are currently (no pun) no laws governing the colors of wires and cables used in AUTOMOTIVE applications. There are "generally accepted and recognized practices", but no REGULATIONS. Black is nearly universally used as the color (by OEMs) of the negative battery cable, Red for positive cable, but some OEMs might decide to use black cables for BOTH positive and negative conductors leading from the battery posts. And, additionally, you must always consider that the original RED positive cable.....might have been replaced with a BLACK cable. Furthermore, the OEM, BLACK negative cable, might have been replaced with a RED one (you see all kinds of things in "used equipment". The odds of finding a BLACK cable for the positive conductor are actually pretty good, while the odds for finding a RED cable for the negative conductor are slim (but I have found them more than once). Nonetheless, since it only requires that you "look at" the markings on the battery (positive+, negative-), that is what you MUST DO,.... each and every time you prepare to "put a tool" on a battery terminal. ALSO, when you identify the negative post/cable of the battery......trace the cable to where it connects next. If the negative cable connects to the vehicle frame, chassis, or engine block....it is the GROUND conductor. This configuration is what you will find on just about every machine/vehicle of recent manufacture. But, it makes sense to understand the relationship of "color vs. polarity vs. function" in a vehicle electrical system. IF the black cable is connected to the negative battery post at one end, and to the "vehicle ground" at the other end.........that is the only cable you need to remove from the battery in order to render the electrical system "inert" and safe to work on. Even that statement will have "limitations" if the vehicle has advanced electronics and engine/cab controls, but for MOST L&G tractors, it is the best, safest, practice. ................................................... Getting back to your Huskee. Before doing the next test, disconnect the GROUND cable from the battery. Leave all wires connected to the solenoid "posts",.... connected for the test. The black/blue pair will be removed but reconnected in this procedure. To further test whether the solenoid is defective (shorting inside the solenoid), if the first series of tests point in that direction, remove the mounting bolts of the solenoid (where solenoid mtg bracket fastens to chassis/frame. Reconnect the black/blue pair of wires to their same chassis/frame bolt and secure with nut. Use some kind of non-metallic, electrically insulating material (suitable piece of cardboard, carpet, even an old sneaker will do) to set the solenoid on so it can't touch a grounded surface (chassis). Once you have the solenoid resting on the non-metallic material, reconnect the ground cable to the battery negative post. Now, operate the ignition switch to the start position. If the fuse does not "blow" now, it indicates the solenoid has an internal short to ground (fuse DID NOT blow because no ground was provided for the "short" to use). Don't expect the solenoid to operate during the test. Access to the solenoid on my Huskee is somewhat "difficult at best", but I find I can get a better view of it by going in from the right side floorboard/step area (front end of center console and backside of engine). I have to lock the brake/clutch pedal down to get more room for my head. In taking the photos, I went through the battery access under seat AND from the other end I described above.

First thing I would do is check valve clearances. If too wide, engine will be very hard to crank, as this defeats compression release. Valves are set just past TDC (Top Dead Center) on compression stroke, an additional 1/4" past TDC. Both intake and exhaust should be .004 - .006 as measured by a feeler gauge. Loosen nut on rocker, adjust screw to get a "soft" drag at .005 and then retighten nut, holding screw. Recheck clearances to make sure nothing has moved. Rotate engine several times by hand and recheck one last time at TDC + 1/4", and if you're in spec, put it back together. Could also be a bad solenoid, but I'd start with valve clearances.