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This is what I posted on a different website the other day....it applies here.
This is the reason I can buy old tillers, and mowers for next to no money, some patience, and understanding of what the problems actually are usually get it running in short order. There is definitely a trick to rewinding a small engine recoil, and the knot has to be at least a double. On a machine that has sat for a long period with gas in the tank, dump it out, and use fresh gas (gasoline loses at least 1 point of octane per month) which makes it much harder to take a spark.
The spark plug should be cleaned on a grinder brush wheel, and re-gapped (or buy a new one). While the plug is out, I hook it up to the plug wire and as long as the plug is resting on the steel shrouding around the motor, it should visibly spark when you pull on the recoil/ If it sparks, your plug and electrical is good.
I then spray a shot of gasoline in the plug hole, tighten up the plug, and try to start it. If it starts then wonderful, but if it starts for a few seconds and dies, then it isn't getting fuel. I then remove the carb, and completely disassemble it (only about 15 parts) on a clean work bench. With a can of carb cleaner, and a motorcycle jet cleaner tool, I clean all of the tiny metering holes, jets, and needles to no more gunk is present, and re-assemble. 90% of the time, doing these few things will get a non-running small engine started and running (carb might need adjusted which is usually 2 full turns out on both adjustments).
Doing all of this to a Cub Cadet 129 I just picked up took me about an hour with no trips to town, or any new parts.
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