MF what I do in this situation is remove the carb, bring the piston up to TDC, with the mower tipped on its side I pour in a few teaspoons of fuel in through the inlet, rotate the mower so a bit of fuel gets to the top and bottom bearings and a bit gets on the bore. Depending on how much fuel you put in through the inlet controls how long it will take you to get the crank cleared. Pull the plug out and pull it over a few times, put the plug back in and give it a try. As for the blades it sounds like they need new plastic washers fitted
