Well, I just ordered a new $17.88 carb from Amazon for my Troy Bilt with Briggs 550EX "no start" engine. We'll see what happens! Also, I switched over to ethanol-free fuel after the last trip to the small engine guy & that did not fix my yearly spring no-start problem, AND I do use Sea Foam every fall. (I hardly ever use the mower)

This thing has been nothing but a POS ever since it was new. I maybe have 6 hours on it.

Seafoam is for use during the summer season not winter prep. Stabile fuel treatment is for winter storage.

I mow with a 14 year old Craftsman. I've been through the carb once or twice. It stared running rough a few weeks ago. I was towards the bottom of the gas in my gas can so I thought it was that. New gas didn't help. The wife tried mowing last week and it died on her. I started it back up and it sounded like it was on its last legs...barely ran. I started removing plastic covers to access the carb. For some reason I tried starting it again with the air filter off. What do you know...it ran perfectly. Put the air filter back in place and it barely ran. I had a look at the plug and it needs replacing too. 14 years isn't bad for an air filter and a plug...

The plugged air filter would sure be an easy fix. I fixed mine a couple years ago with a few holes punched through it until I could buy one at store. I think that Feets guy would have checked that by now....

This and the only thing you really changed is the fuel filter. It may be staving the bowl. Also clean the carb again with some compressed air and carb cleaner. Did you change any of the air bleed screw settings?

Why would you store a lawnmower for the winter with gas in it?

Because this system works well for me and always has.

Because in Texas grass only stops growing about 60 days a year.

I have a 15 + year old style Briggs 3 1/2 hp push mower. The kind with the metal with foam air filter and metal gas tank below the carb. I never had any issues with it. Never cleaned the carb and I only change the spark plug every couple years. The newer mowers have nothing but issues. I`ll just keep my old one.

i have a probably a 20yo craftsman lt100 rider. bought it used 11 years ago so i really don't know how old it really is. 17hp 42" cut. i have never changed the plugs or the air filter. only the belts, blades, and battery. i just changed the oil last year for the first time. i don't winterize it, just park it for the winter and remove the battery. throw the battery in in spring and it's runs after a couple of turns of the motor.

If you don't have a shop ultrasonic parts cleaner then head over to Harbor Freight and get a cheapy $79 one and sink the B&S carb in it with some cleaning solution like Simple Green for five to ten minutes. Then hit it with the air blow gun but watch that you don't blow out and lose the float needle seat......DAMHIK that.

On those carbs there's an external vent passage that gets blocked and you end up with a droning engine that is starving for fuel. I think I have a photo of it as in the past year I've worked on lots of them. After you get it running grab an inductive tach and check the running speed and adjust the governor to run between 3,400 - 3,600 rpm. 3,800 if you're daring

My zero turn mower sucks down almost a gallon of gas with every mowing, and that happens every week. It always gets fresh gas every 3 weeks, when the 2 1/2 gal can is dry.

The Craftsman 42" cut tractor before the zero turn lasted 14 years with never an issue (after I fixed the anti backfire thing in the float bowl). I ended up replacing it because the brakes were shot and the deck was showing signs of issues. My grandson turned it into a yard runner. Gene

I bought my Sears craftsman 42 inch cut tractor in 1999. She’s getting old.

feets I don't know if your carb has a black plastic cap, cover or screw on the left top side of the carb (white arrows area) that will have that vent passage when removed? That's what causes symptoms as you describe when it gets even a little blocked. If it does cleaning it with some carb cleaner and air pressure and best with an ultrasonic parts cleaner should fix it............ Sure sounds like a float bowl venting issue to me as the float bowl holds about 1-2 minutes of running time fuel.......or less.

You mean like the new one I installed when I did the rest of the work?

That sounds like it might be the issue.

Thanks!

feets, does this look like the carb you have on your mower?

That is not what I have.

Well, I just had time to install the new Chinee carb & first pull it started right up, but it runs at a low-ish RPM & it surges. There is some kind of solenoid & I'ma wondering if this is the cause of the surge? You can watch the linkage moving which causes the surge. There is no throttle control with this mower - it's either full on or off. This thing is SUCH a piece of crap!