Just got an old generator. Won’t start.

Chances are good any plastic hoses and fittings need to be replaced. Also good chance the fuel tank needs to be cleaned out. Take it off, put some gravel and some kind of degreaser in it and shake till you are tired. Rinse out good.

PITA but if the tank and hoses have sludge and trash, you are just pissing in the wind.

First do all you mentioned. Change the spark plug. See if it has an oil level sensor. It will be a white wire coming out of the crankcase. The fail and keep engine from starting. Disconnect it To bypass.

All the thing mentioned here plus I put an inline fuel filter between the tank and carb. Definitely bypass the oil level shut off.

Depending on the engine brand, you can probably buy a replacement carb for pretty cheap. If it's been sitting that long, it will probably be easier just to replace the carb rather than fight with the old one.

I have to agree with

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Boudreaux35

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I just went thru this very exact scenario actually. Except the one I was messing with sat for 4 years without a start.
Changed spark plug, changed fuel line, installed new in-line fuel filter, and changed oil.

I knew the carb would be trashed so I tore into it prior to attempting to start it.
I will just say this, it was not even worth messing with it was so bad. Every O-ring and gasket was dry rotted and tore; Every jet/passage was clogged to hell (ethanol). At this point I knew I required a carb kit; instead I found a complete carb on Amazon for $13. Ordered and installed it, and generator started right up.

Aside from those basics, the only other thing that may need checking from sitting that long would be the ignition coil. Pretty easy to diagnose; check YT if unsure.


FWIW......
If you a dealing with an "off brand" generator as I was; most every single one still uses an engine from a large/known manufacturer. IE: The generator I was dealing with was branded/called "power force" (or something like that) but the engine itself was a tecumseh.
If you happen to need a part or carb, look on the engine block itself for the original manufacture's sticker with model/serial/date #s. Mine was hidden behind the engine's front cover that houses the pull rope assembly. Unbolted that, slid it off, and there it was. I used the information from that, to find the carb I needed. Also ordered a spare ignition coil.


ETA:
Be sure to do what BigOTiger said. That oil level sensor failing will ruin you if you oversight it and its the problem.

Starter fluid (ether)...if it fires on ether the ignition circuit is good and you still have a fuel problem. If it doesn't it probably aint worth fooling with.

I’d order a new OEM carb and replace it, plus spark plug, air filter, fuel line and give in a whirl.

I rebuilt one in Deridder after Laura for a friends mom. Tire down carb at least 10 times (w/o a carb kit). Finally got to run, had setup since Hurricane Isaac in ‘12.

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Find the kit on amamzon with a carb, plug, hoses, and filters.

Most are in $50.

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like i said... mine was 20 bucks.

put some fuel in the cylinder itself, crank it, if it fires off for a second, its fuel delivery.

also detach the fuel like from the carb to see if fuel is flowing that far. sometimes the filters and tank, line itself can get clogged.