There is a throttle control. Goes from Very Fast to Super Fast. Mows grass quite well at its lowest speed. No separate choke control. Push throttle control to fastest setting, and hold on.
Just a side note. When Lowe's sold it and there was no way for me to test it, I was told they'd put some gas in it, and make sure everything worked. 1st lie. Delivered on a lift gate truck far too small for the mower. As they lowered it, both had to hold one side up so it would not fall off. When I said I wanted to see it run before they left, I found it had not been gassed nor tested. I put in some gas, and it would not start for a long time, as all lines were bone dry. Then it would not move. After reading the manual, I found the "free to push" levers were engaged. The delivery guys tried, but I don't think they had ever seen a mower before. I only hope the warranty people are not Lowe's. Thanks for the help.