Troy Bilt won't start

If it has an in-line fuel filter. has that been changed in ten years?

-- Oren

"I don't have anything against work. I just figure, why deprive somebody who really loves it."

Starting fluid "didn't work" means what, specifically? If it didn't even fire, you clearly have no spark. Start checking the shutoff ground shunt isn't still on and work from there...

If it fired but wouldn't run, means a fuel problem--may have gotten dirt in bottom of tank in carb jets or as Oren mentioned filter finally completely clogged...

--

Try another plug before you do anything else.

If you ran out of gas, then you need to assure that the fuel is now getting to the chamber. Look for gas fumes coming out the exhaust as you pull. You should smell it too. If not, choke the hell out of it. That may require you to place your hand over the intake filter while pulling.

Once you get gas spray coming out the exhaust, replace the plug with a new one because you have most likely fouled the old one and it won't fire until it dries. .

My mower doesn't have a shutoff ground. One day I was mowing damp grass (I know..I know) and the mower suddenly died. Pulled the cord a few times and nothing. I started looking around. A piece of wet grass had landed in such a way that one end was on the plug terminal and one end was touching the cylinder head. Not really thinking this was the cause for the engine to stop, I removed it and pulled the cord. She fired right up. I figured the wet grass acted as a shutoff ground...

-- Oren

"I don't have anything against work. I just figure, why deprive somebody who really loves it."

Electric start? Key? Built into the throttle control not the old manual "push against the plug" type? I've seen very few small (as in

I mentioned it to OP as it might just be a DOH! moment... :)

--

I have a lever handle that needs to held down for the engine to run. When released the engine shuts off.

It was a good point - you made.

-- Oren

"I don't have anything against work. I just figure, why deprive somebody who really loves it."

...

Oh, yeah, the new crap... :(

I'm fortunate to not have anything new enough to have required those. If I did own one, it would have promptly been "fixed"... :)

--

Circa '91

I have a rag tied on the handle and slip it into place. I'm not going to stop and start a mower just to pick up something in the cutting path. The red shop rag keeps here running. :)

-- Oren

"I don't have anything against work. I just figure, why deprive somebody who really loves it."

...

That would be "new" in my lawnmower stable... :)

But I don't have a push-type, either...

--

That gas you put in was new fresh gas with Stabil or such in it I hope. Surely you didn't uselast years gas.

Starting fluid didn't

Last year's gas, other than being just a little harder starting initially, is just fine...

He said he ran it empty so certainly wasn't the issue...

--

When it ran out of gas, it either sucked up water or sediment from the bottom of the tank. Time to pull the carb and clean it.

Undetermined...he said it wouldn't start on starter fluid which would strongly indicate no spark. But, of course, he could have also plugged up the jets so badly as to not get any into the engine, but that's getting really hard...

Not enough info...

--

The engine which seemed to be running okay ceased to work after running the tank dry. Old proverb: When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you look for zebras.

psssst "starting fluid didn't work"

Yeahbut we don't even know these events were closely connected in time...

--

"Saturday I mowed my front yard, then then Sunday it started fine, but I ran out of gas. Filled it up and it won't start now. "

Old proverb: When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you look for zebras.

I'd forgotten he actually said that and not disagreeing other than the starter fluid is a puzzle to me even tho the first assumption would be fuel...

Second proverb -- "stuff happens".

--