It very well could be the drive belt is stretched, or grease on the pulley or belt. I don't think it has a drive disc, but that would be another thing to check.

My best guess would be the belt is bad or the spring that pulls the idler pulley over broke. Look underneath it while you have someone operate the clutch pedal ENGINE OFF and I think you'll see the problem.

Thanks guys, I'll check it out this weekend.

As for offering some guidance.......sure........never lend your gas powered machinery or tools to an inexperienced operator..........or even a friend for that matter. Nobody is gonna respect and take care of your stuff the way you do. I learned the hard way with my Husqvarna chain saw.

I guess I've joined the "hard lessons learned club"
Point well taken herringboned28.

There is a little more to this "life lesson":

If you borrow something, it'll be broken when you get it and must be repaired, at your expense, before you can use it OR it breaks while you are using it and must be repaired at your expense, before you can finish your project and take it back.

If you lend something: If you get it back, it will either be dull, broken, or both, or not even the same one you lent out.

If you feel that strong about allowing somebody to use your equipment, you might as well give it to them and go buy yourself a new one. You'll spend days looking for this item, never remembering, if you loaned it out, to who, or misplaced it.

I lent out my Troy-Bilt pressure washer to my son-in-law. It's a homeowner quality product. I heard he used it for 20 hours blasting the paint off his deck.

It was almost new and now it's probably at its half-life.

Next time, he buys his own.