Troy-bilt is now made by MTD - a provider of low cost equipment. The basic push mower with adjustable wheels and no frills is probably ok and should last at least 10 years before falling apart. Skip the front wheel drive models with all the cable controls. Here is a MTD carried by walmart - http://www.yardman.com/wcsstore/pics/YardMan/11A-439Q755_prod_lg.jpg Here is a link that might be useful:

5/24/07 Hi Guys! Thanks for all the help. Sorry I used my Ebay handle here "RCS14420" instead of my handle and nick name Tbone123. Don't want to confuse anyone. I like this site and have contributed to others as well. I've learned a lot of great stuff on several issues and events from trial and errors over the years as well as posting from others here. I will follow up on the link correction and get back to you. Thanks to all. Have a great Memorial Day; let us not forget what it is for and why. God bless America and the Veterans who have given their lives to make us free! Tbone123 and/or RCS14420.

I'll drag this out again: From time to time the question is asked about why an engine will not run long, or smoothly, or will start with starting fluid and not continue to run. The problem is usually because of a blocked or constricted jet. The small ones are easy to miss. Shown are 3 of the typical jets and the small holes. All 3 are Tecumseh jets. Briggs jets are similar with the center-bottom hole and one on the side. All these holes need to be fully clean and open for the engine to run correctly. Some jets only have the center-bottom hole.

OK, first of all, let me say that fuel does not flow out of a carburetor into the engine because it is pressurized by a fuel pump, or by gravity. There is a form of pressure involve in how fuel gets from the carb to the engine, but not like you may have thought Lots of folks think that a fuel pump, or gravity pushes fuel out of the carb and into the engine. That ain't how it works with a carburetted fuel system. A carburetor operates like this: The carburetor Fuel Bowl is FILLED with fuel by a fuel pump or by gravity, but that is only for FILLING the bowl. The float then rises as the fuel fills the bowl and as the float rises, it operates a "needle valve" to close off the flow of fuel into the carb so that the flow of fuel INTO the bowl is stopped at a specified point, or "float level". Fuel is "withdrawn" from the carburetor bowl and into the engine induction system (intake) due to what is called "venturi generated vacuum", which is created when the air flow being inhaled by the engine causes a "vacuum" inside the carburetor throat. Because there is a vacuum inside the carburetor, atmospheric pressure is able to cause the fuel to flow out of the bowl through prescribed passages and into the carb throat. The strength of the venturi vacuum applied to the carb fuel passages is in direct proportion to how far the carburetor throttle plate is opened. Open the throttle plate, and you are "giving it the gas"......as in: "Here, take this gas, its a gift.". Not like the carb is force feeding gas to the engine, but only OFFERING the gas to the engine, venturi vacuum is actively drawing the gas out of the carb bowl, not simply receiving the gas fed to it. That is the basic outline of how carburetion works. Now, about that strange little solenoid on the bowl. That solenoid is included in the more recently manufactured engines to prevent what is known as "afterfire combustion" in the exhaust system. Afterfire is most commonly called "back fire" by people who have heard it. Afterfire happens AFTER the engine has been put into shut down mode (ignition system has been stopped) either by the operator turning off the key, or because a safety interlock switch has been activated (seat switch etc.) Afterfire is the loud bang that issues from the muffler/exhaust system as the engine finally winds to a halt after the ignition system has been turned off. Old school machines where there was not a fuel solenoid would almost always produce a loud bang or pop when shut down hot. That is because even though the ignition system has been "killed", the fuel system continues to carry fuel into the still spinning engine by venturi vacuum. The interior walls of the exhaust system are still hot enough to support combustion at all times during engine operation, but because there is little or no fuel in the exhaust stream, afterfire is not possible when the engine is running. But..........just as soon as you shut down the ignition system, fuel is no longer burned INSIDE the engine. Instead, the unburned fuel flows on into the exhaust system, where temperatures are still high enough to ignite the fuel. So long as the exhaust stream is rushing through the muffler while the engine winds down, the fuel does not ignite. But when the engine finally stops, the fuel heats up and detonates, and that is when the bang occurs. The fuel solenoid prevents (or minimizes) afterfire by stopping the flow of fuel out of the carb main jet as soon as the key switch is turned off. With the main jet now closed off by the solenoid valve, the fuel component is mostly absent from the air flowing into and out of the engine. This "air only" flow through the engine effectively purges all traces of residual fuel from the exhaust system, so there is no fuel to make the big bang. Now, back to your neighbor's carb. Installing a manual fuel shut off valve does work to prevent any small leakage past the needle valve from drowing an engine while the machine is stored between use cycles. But, the fact you see little movement in the float may be an indication that the float system is not working correctly, and is incapable of shutting off the fuel flow, or " maintaining optimum fuel level" during operation. During operation, the float keeps the needle valve ALMOST SHUT OFF, allowing only enough fuel into the bowl to maintain the correct fuel level. The fuel rate entering the carb exactly matches the rate at which the engine is withdrawing fuel from the carb........but only if everything about the float, needle valve, and its valve seat.....are in good order. If the float and needle valve are not operating properly to limit fuel entering the carb, the fuel level will rise and overflow the bowl and when that happens, the fuel mixture becomes too rich to burn efficiently, and the engine might not run at all. I think in the case of you and your neighbor, a new carb will be the best action to take. And replace those bolts with new also, vise grips are not the tools to use for installing bolts. Removing when necessary, yes. Installing.......never.