Thanks for your reply.
Definitely leading to more questions haha.
Everything is where it should be re: oil and fuel. and I just asked my partner how he started it and what he left it running on, and he said he started it in the run/choke position and then moved it to midway until the revs sounded right.
It's so frustrating seeing a shiney new lawn mower just sit there. I told him it'd be easier to get the pet sheep in from the paddock
