I've bought several of the Chinese knockoffs from Amazon and Ebay for chainsaws and weedeaters and go karts, they've all ran great. The two cycle carbs they even sent the tool to adjust the air screws. Just be careful to get the correct one, get the number off your carb and then compare the...
Check on Facebook Marketplace for a used deck. I found a 42" deck for my LT1000 for $75 in really good shape. An old deck is thin and hard to weld, and you'll be doing it again in a year or two.