Matt from everything you described it sounds like you have a carb issue, been through it 2 times now. Bite the bullet and replace the carb, you'll be saving yourself the headache that will most likely still keep coming if you don't. Replaced a Honda string trimmer carb and a cub cadet (Kawasaki) carb, both run great now. A good small engine mechanic should tell you to not waste your time cleaning and repairing these small carbs, it's the ethanol causing most of these problems. The one carb was "fixed" and the other I told them to replace after the Honda carb still kept giving me fits, so both are now replaced and run and service like new. Most new carbs are about 60-90 bucks.
