Anyone use a drill to start a mower?

truckemup97 · Apr 22, 2009

There is a myth that has been going around for years about a kit that lets you start a small engine with a drill. I did a web search, and found people referring to this myth, and one who made his own setup, but no kit. Does this exist? Anyone know where to get one?

truckemup97 · Apr 22, 2009

There is a myth that has been going around for years about a kit that lets you start a small engine with a drill. I did a web search, and found people referring to this myth, and one who made his own setup, but no kit. Does this exist? Anyone know where to get one?

cusingeorge · Apr 22, 2009

Have you tried JC Whitney?

I remember there being one for sale through Otasco (that's how long ago it was), Maybe try Harbor Freight or Northern Tools.

silvercorvette · Apr 22, 2009

I think I saw the kits a long time ago, I even tried it once but the drill didn't have the speed and power to do it.

About 30 years ago I remember seeing mowers with a wing up spring. You cranked up the spring then released the catch holding the spring and the mower would spin over. They worked but not that good

rburg · Apr 22, 2009

Years ago they discovered electricity. Briggs motors and some Honda's have electric start kits. Yes, they can be expensive to purchase. Some start with line current, others with 12v. My snow blower even uses line current. You plug it in and push the start button. When its zero outside and hasn't been started in months. It fires and runs.

Just last weekend I bought a Chinese copy of a Honda side shaft 6.5 horse engine (for my chipper.) The Briggs motor is the most upsetting piece of junk ever. We started counting how many pulls till we got it started. The total was over 200 pulls to get it started, including ether and a new plug. I'm done with Briggs. Even to the extent I'm willing to try a priated Chinese copy of a Honda. And it cost me less than an electric start kit for the Briggs!

Anyway.... don't try an impact wrench, either. It'll shear the bolt off the flywheel. Don't ask how I know that (lawnboy). You're better off buying a kit and running a real starter motor.

ChuckS1 · Apr 22, 2009

My lawn mower starter's about ready to turn 16...He's harder to get started than the mower.

pinduck · Apr 22, 2009

I use to start an old mower I had with a 1/2 hp electric drill, not politically correct but cut the end drive portion off of the appropriate sized socket that fit the retaining nut on the motor chucked it in the drill and cranked it up. you do have to time it so the motor doesn't fling the socket at you though. You may need a reversible drill to achieve correct rotation.

Ohio Outdoorsman · Apr 22, 2009

I had an uncle that ran a mower repair business out of his garage. He used a ratchet extension with the end cut off so it would fit his drill then put what ever size socket he needed on it and used it to start mowers. I watched him use it several times. It was great for the stubborn ones.

Stubborn Dutchman · Apr 22, 2009

Here's really showing my age. When I was little, our gas mowers didn't have recoil starters, just a notch and grouve on top to catch and coil the starter rope. Sometimes I used a fan belt and an old washing machine motor to turn her over till she caught!

Spotteddog · Apr 22, 2009

More than one in my lifetime has succumbed to an Ingersol-Rand 1/2" impact gun! The advantage is, they're reversible. Disadvantage, every engine has it's own peculiar quirk of dimension and construction on the crankshaft end?

sar4937 · Apr 22, 2009

Go-karts and those Jr Dragsters use a motor that spins the engine over, similar to a drill. This is a high dollar version http://www.jegs.com/p/Pure+Power/752491/10002/-1 It looks like they've all gone high tech, but 15 years ago they were homemade, and some did use big 1/2 drills with a reduction. The drawback however is that the rope start mechanism gets removed and the drill runs a socket on the crankshaft nut. When it starts you pull it off the nut so it doesn't ruin the drill or rip it out of your hands. As a kid, my Dad had a Toro that you would up a spring and pushed the crank in. The spring tension would crank the engine over. I still have a garden tractor (Bolens)that uses a Delco generator that runs as a motor during starting using a fan belt.

dkizer22 · Apr 22, 2009

About 20 years ago, I had a shooting buddy that started his mower with a drill. I do not know where he got the device and he has pass on to the next range so I can not ask him. The old Briggs and Stratton engines had a rachett drive the recoil rope work from. It had a square end that fit in to the rope rewind. Any mower that does not start by the 5th pull of the starter rope needs some repair.

BruceHMX · Apr 22, 2009

Screw all mowers. Get a divorce. Move to the country and have a guy bush hog your front yard

n4zov · Apr 22, 2009

Here you go:

http://findarticles.com/p/arti...2/is_v29/ai_3956398/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-aWlGedtUM

mtb1bkr · Apr 22, 2009

Originally posted by BruceHMX:
Screw all mowers. Get a divorce. Move to the country and have a guy bush hog your front yard

Better yet, move to the desert and God, by way of the sun, will take care of your grass.

Bill

Bandersnatch · Apr 23, 2009

I've got a riding mower and when we moved out here, I thought, "I'll get me one of those John Deere mowers". THe JD mowers use a Briggs engine, the Cub Cadet uses a Kohler.....Hmmmmm Cub Cadet it is. saved money too. Green pain must be pretty damn expensive.

CAJUNLAWYER · Apr 23, 2009

Originally posted by ChuckS1:
My lawn mower starter's about ready to turn 16...He's harder to get started than the mower.

Get a water gun-it used to work for me

truckemup97 · Apr 23, 2009

Well, water guns, divorce and moving are out of the question, as the mower is for Mom.

She wants to mow her own lawn this year, and is perfectly capable except for that pesky starting the mower business. Electric mowers are unreliable, at best, and electric start push mowers start around $400 and come with a self propulsion system, which neither of us wants. Besides, I have a mower I will give her if we can find some way for her to be able to start it.

"Spin Start" is just exactly what I was looking for, but no one has it. I don't know if that's because it's no longer made or not. I'm not sure if I want to make my own system and take a chance on Mom getting hurt. I guess we'll just buy the electric start mower.

Thanks for all the replies.

tomf52 · Apr 23, 2009

rburg - Did you ever try tuning that thing up? Any motor with decent compression can be made to start with a reasonable effort by paying attention to the carb and ignition. Usually a change of spark plug and fresh gas with some good carb cleaner added will do the trick.

tacotime · Apr 23, 2009

No but I did see some guys mount and inflate a truck tire with a BIC lighter. Probably also on youtube.

Anyone use a drill to start a mower?

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