Clogged fuel filter.
Clogged vent in gas cap. loosen cap for a few seconds and try again. If it repeats....

Not the fuel filter, changed months ago as first fix try.
Not fuel cap, loosened with no change in mower status.

Any other ideas, only ran about 4 minutes before entering crippled mode today

next time it quits like that, be ready with an assistant to quickly shoot several shots of rattlecan carb cleaner directly down into carb throat (take air cleaner off) while starting engine normally with no choke and 1/2 throttle. If engine pops or tries to start, you have a fuel delivery problem. If not, you have an ignition or mechanical prob.
Report back w/results and we can go from there to help you.

RCBE, Will try that next week, But here is some more info on the problem.

Before I found out that I could Throttle down and limp back to the mower shed, I used starter fluid to get it back to the shed
( Its up hill to the shed, hard to push the mower) To me that seems to maybe indicate that it is not an ignition problem? .

Did you use the correct filter?
If you used a filter for an engine with a fuel pump and yours is gravity feed, that could at least "partially" explain the problem.
Fuel simply doesn't flow fast enough.
It shouldn't take till the next day to restart though. More like 1/2 hour?
Unless you have a clogged vent AND the wrong filter.

BTW, a "months old filter" could have become gummed up from gasoline deteriorating over the winter.

This post was edited by bill_kapaun on Sun, Jul 28, 13 at 16:19