It starts right up with the choke on, and when I turn off the choke it revs up a little higher, then dies out after a little bit. Any ideas?

Carb is cleaned out btw

 

"Carb is cleaned out btw"

Not well enough. If it runs on choke but won't without, it is running lean, partly blocked jet or float level wrong are probable causes. An air leak into the inlet manifold is another possibility.

 

Thanks for the ideas, I did run wire through every hole and jet possible in the carb within the last week. I bought the carb new less than a year ago and it never really got dirty inside. I just tried adjusting the float but I may try that again. Any more and I may have gas free flowing out of it, but I'll try. I put a new gasket on where the carb meets up to the intake so there shouldn't be an air leak there.

 

tried adjusting the float a tiny bit more and as expected, gas started draining on the garage floor. So i have the float set decently. when i sprayed starting fluid at the air filter it would keep running btw