[MowHoward2210]

Does anybody remember the spring loaded wind-up starters on small engines. I remember them when I was growing up, and going with my dad to the Kansas City Sears store to get replacement parts for the starter assembly. Why did they fall out of favor?

 

[Live Oak]

I remember having a couple of wind up spring start push mowers years ago as a young boy. They always seemed to work well for me as i recall. I am not sure why they fell out of favor. My guess would be due to added cost. They were pretty kool though weren' they?

 

[farmallmaniac]

anyone have a picture of one?
Ryan

 

[memmurphy]

My grandfather and neighbor both had them on their Toros back in the early 70's. They were neat in that they did not require a battery but could be started with little effort. But if the engine became hard to start for some reason they could be a real pain while troubleshooting. I think they where discontinued for safety reasons due to people getting hurt trying to disassemble them before releasing the spring or forgeting they wound them and having it release unexpectedly with their hands in the blade path. I think I read that somewhere anyway.

Here's a company sellling modern spring starters for diesels. I found them while looking for a picture of the old ones.

Diesel Spring Starters

Mark

 

[MowHoward2210]

Originally posted by Chief
I remember having a couple of wind up spring start push mowers years ago as a young boy. They always seemed to work well for me as i recall. I am not sure why they fell out of favor. My guess would be due to added cost. They were pretty kool though weren' they?

I still remember the ratcheting sound on wind-up and the ker-thunk after releasing the catch lever. Just like a pull starter it wasn't very fun if it wouldn't start!

 

[MowHoward2210]

Originally posted by memmurphy
My grandfather and neighbor both had them on their Toros back in the early 70's. They were neat in that they did not require a battery but could be started with little effort. But if the engine bacame hard to start for some reason they could be a real pain while troubleshooting. I think they where discontinued for safety reasons due to people getting hurt trying to disassemble them before releasing the spring or forgeting they wound them and having it release unexpectedly with their hands in the blade path. I think I read that somewhere anyway.

Mark

Good points on the safety factors, Mark. Both points spell "lawsuit" in the hands of the brain-dead!

 

[Greg]

I remember a not that long ago news release from Briggs that stated they had a new "easy start", or something like that, their were introducing. It seemed to be a spring loader type system that was activated when you first started the engine. When you stop the engine, the "easy start" would turn the engine over the next time you wanted to use it, instead of pulling the cord. They said you only needed to pull the cord once a season.

I looked over their site, but couldn't find any mention of it. Either I didn't search well enough or they dropped it.

Greg

 

[MowHoward2210]

Probably a good idea in theory, Greg. I would imagine they are either still perfecting it, or it turned out to be too complex and/or costly.

 

[Rodster]

I put one on a minibike years ago. I would start it and then wind it back up while it was running. I would go somewhere and turn it off. when I got ready to go I would hit the release and really impress the kids with it. When i was in my middle 20s i had a mini bike and rode in the fields with the neighbor hood kids. I also had a 1950 harley pan head chopper that I rode with my friends.
Now I have two old Indians that I just look at. I must be getting old HA HA
Rodster

 

[Ingersoll444]

Those were the ones you would flip the handle over crank crank, then flip the handle over back over and the motor would spin right? A frend had a few, always seemed more work then just pulling a string to me.


As for the EZstart. I did see something somewere that had it at some store. I did not try to start it, but saw it. Big stickers on it saying "do not yank cord""pull handle slowly" etc etc.

 

[jodyand]

I remember those we never had it but my Friends mower did they were neat.
Jody

 

[servicewriter]

It's called "Touch-n-Mow"

Check it out here: http://www.briggsandstratton.com/display/router.asp?DocID=70158

 

[memmurphy]

Thanks for the link Servicewriter!:thumbsup:

It appears the modern version combines engine braking and winding the spring. Along with the safety lock, should be safer to use. Be kind of nice to have that on my Toro Super Recyler. I don't suppose they will ever make a retrofit kit though. They probably would prefer to sell me a new engine.

Mark

 

[Neil_nassau]

The old style windups by Briggs and Tecumseh ( I think Clinton even had one) were legislated out of existance when cpsc rules required the zone start or blade brake clutch on walkmowers in 1981. As mentioned.....they were a b*tch to repair as the springs in them were enormous.........and expensive. People usually replaced with a regular recoil starter.

The version introduced by Briggs 2 years ago was exclusive to MTD products first. Its loaded by engine flywheel when shutdown and has a recoil backup if engine fails to start when released. It takes two motions to do it as a safety feature. Also has a lock out key to prevent accidental release of mechanism.

Over all a nice idea and better to me than Ni-Cad electric starts on 21" walk mowers............but they haven't really caught on with consumer.
Mowers start pretty easy these days.....except Tecumseh engines............LOL. Primer problems. Once we got a bulletin that said for consumers to use their thumbs rather than fingers when pushing primer bulbs on their engines. Shoulda seen the looks on frustrated Sears customers' faces when we told them that !
Always kept a copy handy to give them........or else just sold them a mower that would start!

Guess we can send them to Termys Small Engine Repair,unless he's too backed up.... :furious:

 

[jodyand]

Originally posted by Neil_nassau
Guess we can send them to Termys Small Engine Repair,unless he's too backed up.... :furious:

Good one Neil:furious: :furious: :lmao:
Jody

 

[farmallmaniac]

Originally posted by jodyand
Good one Neil:furious: :furious: :lmao:
Jody

:ditto: