hard to crank

Ron, first make sure you have the correct weight oil in it, 5w-30 is recommended. Next make sure the adjustment for the belts are correct and your not having additional drag from the equipment. You could remove the belts to check if it turns over any easier. This would tell you if it’s just the engine that’s turning over hard. Many factors can make the engine turn over hard, oil consumption, valve clearance, a bad compression release and so on. If you cant figure it out take it to a qualified repair shop to have it looked at.