captinjack:
You don't need a better reed valve. If you havn't opened it yet then try it, you can always close it back to stock.
When I first tried my Ryobi, it was stock except for the carb. (the throat had been opened (easier to get a bigger carb).
I couldn't keep the engine running without choking it. After bending the valve stop, so it would open wider, the engine came alive and ran great.