I wish lawnmower engines had

[charles p]

I've always thought it would be nice if small engines could be started with a portable 120V starter.  If you've ever watched an Indy race, they have a portagle starter that they connect to the engine to start it.  I think a splined shaft and a lockup connection to keep the starter motor from twisting in your hands would be a great idea.  If the industry adopted a standard, then one hand held starter motor could be used on all small engines.

Any thoughts.

[Empty Quiver]

Liability lawyers would eat this up. However it would be a nice feature.

[PowPow]

If the engine stalled in the middle of the yard, would you roll the starter out to it, or would you roll the mower back to the starter?
Seems like it would limit the portability of the mower to somewhere near a plug.

I remember those mowers that had a crank that tightened a spring that was released to start the mower. Do they still have those??

[Old Syko]

Why you would want a 120 volt starter I have no idea.  I've seen 24 volt d/c starters fire off 8,000HP race motors.     Try one of these. 
Although they were designed for R/C engines they have many other uses.  Mine has started engines up to 8 HP with only a lawn mower battery for power and the starter being held in only one hand.   I have another made from an old Ford starter I mounted bars similar to bicycle handlebars to and added a cone adapter similar to the one pictured that will easily start anything you own.  I used it on a 16HP model plane engine among other things.  It will start a lawn mower with no sweat but does use a larger battery.

[Rex in OTZ]

Its common to see AC electric starters on Snow Blowers.

[gypsyman]

Use to fool around with go-carts back in the '60's. Took the recoil starter off of a McCullough 2 stroke chain saw motor that had been converted to a cart. A 12volt battery with a generator on a hand cart. And a v-belt on the engine shaft. Lean back on the hand cart to tighten up the belt, toggle switch to connect the battery to the generator, and bingo. No more pulling. No reason why you couldn't do it to a lawn mower. gypsyman

[Glanceblamm]

If the engine stalled in the middle of the yard, would you roll the starter out to it, or would you roll the mower back to the starter?

  something I think about when I run out of gas. Usually will push the mower back cause it will take it'self back out there and I dont have to worry bout burning the grass.

I remember those mowers that had a crank that tightened a spring that was released to start the mower. Do they still have those??

Thanks for bringing back bad memories PowPow we had one of those at one time but there was always a surplus of junk mowers around so Dad got a common recoil starter for free.
Was very helpfull in the spring when the 3-1/2 HP engine could not keep up with the rain and tall grass which would constantly kill the engine.

[PowPow]

Thanks for bringing back bad memories PowPow we had one of those at one time but there was always a surplus of junk mowers around so Dad got a common recoil starter for free.
Was very helpfull in the spring when the 3-1/2 HP engine could not keep up with the rain and tall grass which would constantly kill the engine.

You, my friend, were living the high life.
My dad thought it would be a good idea to buy an 18" wide Black & Decker electric mower with dual belt drive blades, only one of the belts was stretched so if the gras was wet it was a 9" mower, and the extension cord was 3' shorter than our yard.
It took 4 hours to cut our yard with it. When we finally got a 3-1/2 hp gas mower, it only took 45 minutes.

Now that little Black & Decker electric mower might have been good for converting to the starter we are talking about here, if you had a big enough driven pulley.

[Drilling Man]

  They use to make a cone shaped thing you put on your motor to replace the recoil +starter.  Then you chucked up in an electric drill, a "reverse cone" and used the drill to start the motor.  I'd think it would work pretty good with a good cordless drill.

  I've got a long adapter i made to chuck in my HD drill.  I used it to start the pony motor on my CAT.  It worked very good, but you better have a GOOD drill to power it.

  I made one to power the hand winch that turns the logs on my sawmill too.

  I've made a few others for spl. purposes, over the years too...

  DM

[Bugflipper]

  They use to make a cone shaped thing you put on your motor to replace the recoil +starter.  Then you chucked up in an electric drill, a "reverse cone" and used the drill to start the motor.  I'd think it would work pretty good with a good cordless drill.

  I've got a long adapter i made to chuck in my HD drill.  I used it to start the pony motor on my CAT.  It worked very good, but you better have a GOOD drill to power it.

  I made one to power the hand winch that turns the logs on my sawmill too.

  I've made a few others for spl. purposes, over the years too...

  DM

They still make them as well as dedicated portable starter similar to the rc one linked above.

[eye shot]

The recoil broke on my 6.5 hp. generator. I used an 18 volt cordless drill and a deep well impact socket on the crank nut. It started.

[Rex in OTZ]

I pretty much have the lawn mower thing licked...... I can cover several bases this way
#1 Bordome is no longer a problem.
#2 yard grass gets cut.
#3 The mower is gassed, oil'd and started without me touching it .
#4 I know where my kids are and what there doing.
#5 this can possibly be profitable if I were to hire out.
 I have 2 teen age kids and a tween in training, they trade off to share the fun (FUN for ME) teenage work fasinates me I could sit and watch them for Hours but get free time to spend doing fun stuff like restoring my old 110 Sthil chainsaw or have a parts .22 project (Rem 552) or the single shot 12ga I found that needs a stock.

[Rex in OTZ]

 
 
http://youtu.be/a6BJ03cOnGE
 
http://youtu.be/a6BJ03cOnGE
 
http://youtu.be/KsxwHnc7GFs
 
http://youtu.be/a6BJ03cOnGE

[Steelbanger]

Last summer my son surprised me with a new mower. This mower is self-propelled and has electric start, a feature I didn't appreciate until I began to use the mower. Only thing it needs is a yellow jacket nest detector and then I'll be set. One feature I miss from my old mowers is a throttle that I can control rather that running at full rpm's all the time.

[gcrank1]

Friend of mine had asthma pretty bad and had to wear a mask to mow his yard. His neighbor was a poor young guy with a family and a junk mower. Young guy got a newish mower for free and all he had to do was mow my friends yard whenever he did his. He got to start the mower and do oil changes, etc. too.
Seemed to work out really well.

[hillbill]

my older brother had a oddball garden tiller with a 110 volt starter.dont remember the brand or nuttin but i kinda liked it.

[hillbill]

oh re read yur post, a universal starter? ha good luck with that!so you would not have to buy a seperate starter  for every engine?ha that will never happen.how would they sell more starters and parts? thats like saying every 1/2 ton truck shud have the same inexpensive fuel pump.get a grip.

[Lon371]

HillBill "oh re read yur post, a universal starter? ha good luck with that!"

  They use to make a cone shaped thing you put on your motor to replace the recoil +starter.  Then you chucked up in an electric drill, a "reverse cone" and used the drill to start the motor.  I'd think it would work pretty good with a good cordless drill.

  I've got a long adapter i made to chuck in my HD drill.  I used it to start the pony motor on my CAT.  It worked very good, but you better have a GOOD drill to power it.

  I made one to power the hand winch that turns the logs on my sawmill too.

  I've made a few others for spl. purposes, over the years too...

  DM

They still make them as well as dedicated portable starter similar to the rc one linked above.

 
 

[hillbill]

ok i hope yur right! ill look for them at lowes or home depot!