Howdy.

I'd pull the spark plug and spray some fogging oil in there if it's been stting in storage for 9 years.  I'm surprised it turns over and isn't seized.

Vinegar (or varnish stew) in the tank.  I can only imagine what the inside of the carb looks like.

Good luck.  Keep us posted.

A battery Can spin it over, but Not have enough voltage to fire the plug.
Use the Prime setting on the petcock.
I'd have some ether handy.

The advantage of an automatic petcock is that once the engine stops, fuel flow to the carb is stopped.  That way only a small amount of fuel is in the fuel line and float bowl....once it evaporated there wasn't any more to go bad and clog things up.  (Manual petcocks work this way if you turn them off).

The fuel tank however had a bunch of fuel to go bad.

This is a clue on how to take care of your seasonal yard equipment.  When the season is over - drain or run it out of fuel.  If there is no fuel to go bad or corrode/clog things - chances are it will start and run just fine when you put fuel in it for the next season.  O-rings and gaskets don't dry out because there is no fuel in the tank - they dry out and go bad because of sun/heat/ozone and other atmospheric mayhem.  (Steel tanks can however get rusty if there is condensation forming in the tank as the temperature and humidity shift excessively - it is sometimes best to remove the vented cap and put a piece of tape over the filler neck to seal it off).

Walp, outside of a little grunge that still needs to get flushed out of the fuel tank she seems to be right.  She now moves under her own power and I rode it up and down the road a little bit.  Glad I have a bunch of 10 micron paper fuel filters.