Small engine replacement

I was given a TroyBilt Tomahawk lawn chipper/shredder earlier this year. I ran it a few times and the engine is terrible. It is a 5HP Tecumseh that looks really old, as all Tecumseh's do. Anyhow, I got it running Sunday but not very well and it ran for about 30 min before it just died and won't restart without starting fluid and then will die quickly. I know I can mess with the carb for an afternoon to get it going for a while. I also know that I can spend the same amount of time and for $100 get a brand new Predator 212cc engine at HF. From some reading, they are pretty nice and reliable.

So, are they really pretty decent motors right out of the box? Do I need to do anything to setup the governor?

We raced the Predator out of the box. I had to turn the Idle Screw in the first time to crank it. They are good engines for the price.

I've bought 3 Predators. 2 have run perfectly since new. One had a bolt on the oil sensor come loose and bend the cam. I straightened the cam with a sledge, and it has been running fine ever since. They are my go to for a cheap engine.

small engines that start and die after running for awhile are worn out.

Sometimes a hone and new rings will keep It running for awhile