2 thing you can do get sea foam its gas additive with solvent for gasoline try run engine at what speed it will run so solvent clean as goes through carburetor jetting like Idle and main jets. After run 15 to 30 minutes let set so solvent soften what in jet this take more time setting like over night. Crank up next day if run good after 15 minutes the sea foam worked if don't step 2 take carburetor apart clean jet with small wire that less size of holes in jets after wire air blow jets to get crumbs out fresh gas and add sea foam to new gas and twice year there after. Adding sea foam twice year will keep jetting system so this event want happen again. I always use B 12 carb cleaner with straw and wear safety Glass as carb. apart see that all passage are open this keep from repeating carb. clean over and over.

thanks gator. so i've heard that the carb is very difficult to clean because the jets are very small. i think this is an MTD engine made in china.
i've tried the sea foam with no luck. i will take the carb apart this morning. interesting that if i wanted to order a new carb from troy-bilt there is a 2 week backorder. must be a common problem.