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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Drill starting a lawnmower

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Fritz Campbell

07-21-2006 09:48:26

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My wife says that I amaze her with some of my methods. I have an older lawnboy 2 cycle mower that runs and mows excellent. Several years ago the cable that shuts the mower off when releasing the handle broke - so I shut it down by pulling the spark plug boot. The inner spring that coils the starting rope broke right in half the other night - so I cut a small hole in the plastic flywheel cover and started it with my DeWalt cordless drill/driver w/an 11/16" socket and short extention on the top of the flywheel nut (really spins her good too). In short this is mower that is basically worthless in resell value, but mows alot of grass for me. No one else runs it but me - I know that I have disabled the safety features and would never sell the mower to anyone or let anyone else run it. It isn't worth putting money into it to keep it original. What are the opinions on drill starting a mower and how many of you guys/gals do it? I remember seeing an advertisement a few years back that you could buy an attachment that would allow you to use a drill/driver to start any lawnmower. Other than not being able to start the mower in the middle of my yard without the drill - I don't see any disadvantages and it sure starts faster with the drill. My father and I were laughing about me and my cheap ways and we recounted his old Speedex tractor with the "coil your own" rope start and how simple and efficient that method was. I appreciate the feedback.

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CaptRon

07-22-2006 14:10:34

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

I did the old "wring the crankshaft off with an impact" starter trick too.
I pulled the Briggs and Scrap-iron off and mounted a starter-generator with the blade on it and mowed my yard all summer with a deep cycle battery. My neighbors thought that I was nuts, and they were right. But it worked better than I thought it would and saved me a ton of gas. Plus it always started with just a flip of the switch.

CaptRon

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tcwinkc

07-21-2006 15:29:47

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

Reminds me of the genius with an old lawnboy that also failed to take care of machine, he brought unit into shop complaining of how hard it was to start.Mechanic drained stale fuel, put in fresh and started on first pull.Genius huffs and puffs and stated" Ill never get it to start again" and reached down to pickup mower at the deck.Missing all four fingers on both hands now, but he sure thought he was smart before the accident happened.Ever wonder why todays machines have so many safetys on them. Read some of these posts and youll answer the question.Why spend $2.95 and half an hour ,when you can spend $30,000 and the rest of your life without fingers..... .

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Too Far Gone

07-21-2006 15:33:54

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to tcwinkc, 07-21-2006 15:29:47

Comes from a fellow that doesnt like people who use cheaper ways, instead of paying him to fix it.

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tcwinkc

07-21-2006 18:42:18

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Too Far Gone, 07-21-2006 15:33:54

NOPE, Comes from a fellow who can list two to one, disabled or dead people who were to cheap or lazy to do it the right way, and ultimately paid the highest price.I am all for bailing wire to get machine to the shop, but to be too lazy, or cheap once its there and repair it is unexcusable.My comment was to point out how much easier and cheaper it is to fix it, than too be dead. I was a maintenance manager for a large company and had to help fireman disassembled a machine because contractor new so much he figured he would bypass mercury switch.His face and hands were fused to the machine to such a degree machine had to be disassmebled to remove his dead, stinking body.The wooden floor where his feet used to be, was gone, and he fused to the mezanine.I couldnt disassemble structure so fireman cut his legs with a saw.The material stacked behind him being styrofaom in base material, melted at a radius of four feet behind this wonderfully toasted "engineer". Like I said I can give you two to every one of your so called repairs... if you want pictures of some of these dismembered bodies I will gladly post them so maybe you will think about the consequences of your actions. If you do want pictures posted please do not eat dinner while viewing.If I can keep even one of you from being injured I would do it in a heartbeat. I no longer work in the repair field after one of my managers of the John Deere repair facilty I worked at buried his grandfather, a farmer for some fifty years. It seems he tried to rig the old square baler, he got it working probably the last thing that went throught his mind was as the baler twined him up and spit him out baled....so keep your money genius just be safe, not cheap and dead..

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Fritz Campbell

07-22-2006 03:10:26

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to tcwinkc, 07-21-2006 18:42:18

Well boys lets close this one down. I was afraid it would end up in a "safety first" battle - I hesitated to post anything because of it. I'll leave it at this. When I post something its to tell what I've done and maybe learn a trick or two from others. It has never been my intention to give someone an idea they make their own and they end up getting hurt over it.

I'll keep doing what I'm doing, when I want, whenever I want and pay for my mistakes. Thanks for All the replies.

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Mark - IN.

07-23-2006 05:08:31

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-22-2006 03:10:26

Trouble maker. Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Ever see what those guys use to start an Indy car? Looks an awful lot like a big drill to me, except that I'm thinking has a different mounting. A cordless turns fast enough, eh? Well, I don't have a lawnboy, but will keep in mind. I've been known to use the truck to pull start a tractor or two...but for safety reasons, its best to have someone drive the truck and someone on the tractor at the same time. That bailing out of the truck cab and running back to pull the tractor out of gear before it crashes into the back of the truck is probably pretty dangerous. No...I haven't tried that, I'm too old and fat. Ha Ha Ha Ha.

If it works, and you're comfortable with its safety, have at it.

Mark

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Bus Driver

07-21-2006 13:56:26

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

Just don't try to use an impact wrench. I had a hard starting Tecumseh. The impact wrench broke the crankshaft right below the flywheel nut.

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rhouston

07-21-2006 12:09:26

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

My stepfathers old Toro push mower was started with a drill. He had a peice welded to a nut with an angled slot that a T shaped bit went into on the mower. This way when the engine went faster than the drill the drill was forced out. It was similar to the way a hand crank on a tractor worked.

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buckva

07-21-2006 12:08:45

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

nice tricks you got goin there. On the value of your mower? I think lawnboy has moved that mower to their commercial group and get a preminum for it.

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IH2444

07-21-2006 11:34:16

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

A thought. I have seen old one way clutches on old sickle bardrivelines and such. They have a spring that holds them together. A bit of welding and I am sure one part could be made to thread on the end of the crankshaft holding the flywheel on. and fit the other part on the drill, of course using a pin if needed to keep things centered. grease and use it.

Did this make any sense ?

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Bryan in Iowa

07-21-2006 11:11:53

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

I'd be carefull doing this. eventually ,,the nut will come loose from the engine over running the drill,,also ,,you will tear the gears out of the drill ..How do i know this ?/ Killed two drills doing it ,,lol

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TimV

07-21-2006 10:48:25

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

Don't know if the Safety Nazis would approve, but I do this all the time on mowers and other hard-to-start engines. It's particularly useful when a mower that has sat for a long time needs a long session of prime-crank-prime-crank etc. in order to get the old crud flushed out of the carb and fresh gas pulled through. Also, a drill starter gives a longer spin-over time than a rope, which helps get old, tired engines started quicker than pull-pull-pull until your shoulder hurts. What I did was turn down as piece of 1/2" square stock in my lathe so that it fits in a drill. By peening the square end over, and then sticking this piece through the socket and chucking it up, I don't have to worry about the socket falling off and going somewhere I don't want it to.

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4010guy

07-21-2006 10:44:58

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

Hows the saying go....You could be a redneck if----:o)

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IH2444

07-21-2006 10:30:11

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Fritz Campbell, 07-21-2006 09:48:26

Yep the old coil your own rope engines had less to break. I vaugely remember the drill starter attachments, but not where or who had them.
Remember the old lawnmowers that had the crank and wind up spring to get them going ?

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Pooh Bear

07-21-2006 13:13:41

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to IH2444, 07-21-2006 10:30:11

I believe I saw a drill starter attachment
in one of this year's issue of Northern Tool catalog.

It was only good up to a certain amount of horsepower.

I prefer air wrenches so I don't burn up drill motors.

Pooh Bear

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john d

07-21-2006 11:00:51

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to IH2444, 07-21-2006 10:30:11

I'd like to FORGET those wind-up spring starters!

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IH2444

07-21-2006 11:01:52

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to john d, 07-21-2006 11:00:51

LOL, Yeah, they did not hang around long did they.

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onefarmer

07-21-2006 13:06:01

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to IH2444, 07-21-2006 11:01:52

Hey now!! I was about 6 when I started mowing lawn. The windup spring was the only way I could start the mower with out help.

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IH2444

07-21-2006 15:32:20

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to onefarmer, 07-21-2006 13:06:01

Yes and I was about 8 when I started using the old Simplicity 2 wheeled gas mule.
wind the rope up and get on the tire and jump backwards off the tire to start it.

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onefarmer

07-21-2006 16:53:45

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to IH2444, 07-21-2006 15:32:20

Yes sir, I was almost able to pull the rope by about 8. By then the windup spring broke. I always thought the windup was fun. Crank "er up and let it go. May not have been so fun if the motor didn"t start so easy.

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rustyj14

07-21-2006 16:08:11

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to IH2444, 07-21-2006 15:32:20

The drill motor starter had a cone shaped piece that bolted to the flywheel nut, and a rubber cone with a round stud that went into the drill chuck. the idea was to press down with the drill, with the rubber cone in the tin one, and turn on the drill motor, until it started. that way, you didn't have much chance of breaking the crankshaft end off. I have one somewhere, but never used it--came to me in a box of free stuff. A "smart" mechanic at one place i worked broke the crankshaft end off the company lawn tractor that way, with an impact wrench! It ran for several months, and the flywheel did just that---it flew! Made an awful noise, too, as did the boss!

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Loren

07-23-2006 11:41:27

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to rustyj14, 07-21-2006 16:08:11

Well, I know "drilling" a Wisconsin baler engine doesn't work so well. The Hole Hawg turns it, but that overcenter/snapping ignition doesn't provide spark very well.....

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JoeK(WI)

07-24-2006 19:43:50

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Re: Drill starting a lawnmower in reply to Loren, 07-23-2006 11:41:27

The commercial"drill starting system,is branded "Spin Start" and is still on the market.

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