How to know if i'm going to need a carburetor repair kit for my 9hp engine?

I'm not the most mechanically inclined but i've come to the conclusion that i need to clean my small engine's carburetor (Honda 9hp gx270) to get it running. So my question is: how do i know if i'm going to need a carburetor repair kit (ie the ones on ebay ect.). What i'm hoping for is to clean it without needing the repair kit.

Try to use carberator cleaner through all the ports and before you make the grand leap of taking it apart in pieces

Cleaning a carb without doing a kit is just plain stupid. Once you clean it and it still doesn't work, you have to do it all over again. A carb kit is $15. Be a sport… Do it right the first time.

Or, since you're not mechanically inclined, buy a new carb. These guys are the cheapest for complete carbs

If the carburetor is very old, the gaskets will be damaged by taking the carburetor apart or not seal when re-assembled. Also, the needle valve will have some wear on it, and if it still works properly, it may fail in the near future. If you are going to the trouble of taking the carburetor apart and cleaning it, you might as well install a new kit and do it correctly.