Seegull

I've used this mower maybe 10 times and after going through last winter I tried to start up to no avail, so went out got a new air filter, spark plug (learned this from my landscaping days) - mowed my lawn maybe 3 times this summer.  Its fall now and I go start it up, and same issues - so I have to go out and buy a spark plug and filter every time I let the mower sit for a couple months?  Why does this keep happening - is it because there is no choke on the mower?  Why wouldn't you build that into the mower? This sucks, I spent like $250 on this thing.