Not exactly a motoring question I know.
Dragged my suffolk punch out of the shed tried to start it and now the rope wont recoil.
Does anyone know if you can bumpstart a petrol lawnmower ?
If so then how ??
Mrs NGE wants the grass cut today !!!!
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If it's like mine, the recoil unit is held on with 3 nuts. Remove it and you can wind a lanyard round the end of the motor shaft (it's designed for it) and start it. Since you can wind a longer lanyard than the one in the recoil unit, it actually makes starting easier!
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Dragged my suffolk punch out of the shed
How old? Are we talking about the Suffolk Punch made by Suffolk with their own engine or the rebranded "Classic Petrol" by Qualcast.
If the former then even if you get the blades to spin you won't get past the centrifugal clutch, if the latter then I haven't a clue.
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No, the gearing is wrong and grip too low. Basically it would be like trying to bump start a car in first gear.
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You can hire one of my 3 rotaries if you're near Richmond, Yorks ...
Edited by Hawkeye {P} on 15/06/2008 at 12:26
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It's a lot less bother,with a hover.
What a catchphrase,I think it will catch on...........
Edited by helmet on 15/06/2008 at 13:09
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if you're planning on towing it with your car, make sure the tow rope is a bit longer than usual....:-)
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Apply copious quantities of WD40.
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Things don't change much do they? I have a book of articles, from the early 1960s, by the late great Paul Jennings which originally appeared in the Observer. One of them is subtitled 'Instructions that should have come with my motor mower' - here's a precis.
1 Take the plug out; watch that little tin thing sticking up which catches your knuckles.
2 Clean the plug - it will be smothered in oil.
3 Undo the nut at the bottom of the cylinder, and a lot more oil will dribble out - well, you shouldn't have it on the grass yet.
4 Put plug back, and watch out for your other knuckles - ah, sorry, the same knuckles.
5 Pull rope - again....again....full choke...again 27 times....
6 Switch the petrol on, you fool.
7 Repeat 5. Then repeat 1 to 4 - plug will be even wetter by now.
8 Repeat 5 again, then go and lie down for a bit.
9 Run like hell with it in gear.
(No, he didn't think that would work either.)
Edited by Avant on 15/06/2008 at 17:00
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I used to cut the lawns of a neighbour when I was a schoolboy, this guy lost a leg in the war and so devised a starter using the electric drill with a "T" piece in the chuck engaging into a part similar to that on the front pully of a car engine (that you got for a starting handle),the part was fixed on top of the magneto of a rotary mower. I later used a similar idea by using a socket in the chuck onto the crankshaft nut on a cylinder mower.
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I later used a similar idea by using a socket in the chuck onto the crankshaft nut on a cylinder mower.
You ought to patent the idea and then sell kits to suit various mowers. I'd buy one ~ my "Reliable Starting" Mountfield is far from "reliable starting".
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I have just fettled a 30yr old non-starting Mountfield with a Tecumseh engine [called something else, but basically a tecumseh made under licence in Italy].
Would only start if took plug out and squirted a few mls of petrol in the plughole - runs for a few revs then dies. Proves the electrics are OK!
The main jet in the central bit of the float chamber gets clogged up. Poke a length of 5a fuse wire up it ......miraculous recovery!
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I finally admitted defeat this year on my old petrol mower. After years of cursing, cajoling, kicking, fettling and constantly repairing the curmudgeonly old thing I have copped out and bought an electric one. It is very efficient but somehow less eventful than the old one. No sense of achievement on completion of task if you see what I mean ? Still have my petrol powered strimmer which goes some small way to satisfying my vengeful nature early of a Sunday morning. The young single bloke next door keeps us awake most weekends until dawn with his regular parties. So come 8.00 AM , I spark up the strimmer.......... ;-)
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I have copped out and bought an electric one. It is very efficient but somehow less eventful than the old one.
Wait until you ride over the power cable by mistake...
(yes, I did.)
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That must have been a shock Ian ?
I'll ..um.... go and do some work now shall I ?
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Actually , just before I do get down to doing something gainful.... your post has just answered a question for me Ian. I told about the guy next door ? Well he must have an electric mower because I can't see how he can get his hair to stay like that without connecting to the mains ! ( He's an Audi driving whizz kid type by the way, you know the sort, all big tie knot, unfeasably tight trousers and a bluetooth thing in his ear. )
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>> I later >> used a similar idea by using a socket in the chuck onto the crankshaft nut >> on a cylinder mower. >> You ought to patent the idea and then sell kits to suit various mowers. I'd buy one ~ my "Reliable Starting" Mountfield is far from "reliable starting".
>>
Traditional way of getting a dormant Seagull outboard to fire after long storage.
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I had a honda petrol mower (I think it used some Honda components in the engine, but was made in Italy) and several times the pull cord mechanism had done a wobbly. Which meant that I had to take it apart and carefully put it back together, not the easiest job with the spring and various other bits that had to all fit together. In a moment of frustration because it had played up again, I grabbed my air powered wrench and put a socket on the nut of the flywheel and let it have it!
It started and ran for about 10 seconds then stopped. What I had not realised was that that motor shaft was tapered and I had cracked the large ally flywheel neatly in two! Not recommended!!
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Didn't former arsenal star Charlie George lop off a couple of toes with a lawnmower once?
I also recall he is now a motor mechanci in London somewhere...
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 17/06/2008 at 12:20
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My lawnmower gets started only with a hefty kick up my rear end from SWMBO....:-)
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My cheap £99 B&S powered 'Sovereign' mower (made by Husqvarna according to the plate underneath it) will start first pull every time. Sometimes it runs for a second and stops, in which case, another push of the primer and one more pull gets it going again. Has never needed more than two pulls. My neighbour has an all singing, all dancing £400 job and he seems to spend more time fettling and tinkering to get it going than I spend mowing the entire lawn. Smug satisfaction. :-)
Edited by DP on 17/06/2008 at 16:34
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