STEVE B - That's the same way I taught SON to run equipment, let him follow me around the yard mowing. As he got older & braver he'd pass me while I trimmed or whatever and continue on... Him on the 129, me on the 72. He'd catch me in a couple rounds. If he had some problem or question he'd just stop.
BRIAN - any time in the last 48 years that your 124 sat outside in the weather could cause the bottom threaded end of that lift lever release button to sieze on the 5/16" rod the button threads onto. You try to twist the button off and twist off the top of that rod. The parts books show the inner rod is "Not a serviceable part. Buy whole rockshaft assembly.". So you have to make an inner rod from scratch. I went through that whole ordeal about 20 years ago. It all works better when you remove the whole rockshaft from the tractor. Six easy to reach bolts and it drops down out of the tractor on your 124, eight bolts on my 72, and those extra two bolts are hard to get a wrench on, the front footrest bolts.