have you made sure your reeds are not broke I sounds like it mite have broken reeds

I've got a couple sets of reeds/cages on hand and this set was in the best condition.  They appear to be for this machine (the other set clearly isn't - they're too long and have gaps on the side) and looked like they sealed well.  I can pull them and snap some pics though if that would be helpful. 

It's strange because it sounds kind of weak to me when it's running - hard to explain, but I've also never had a 2-stroke before.  Other videos I see online have the motors firing and zinging away where this one sounds like it's just popping along. 

Has anyone had a situation happen like this where it bogs and dies under load?