Not exactly, but kind of…
I see a lot of people just “grip it and rip it.” I like to at least pull the rope really slowly until the recoil mechanism catches the flywheel, then simultaneously lower the saw/trimmer/whatever while pulling up on the rope helps spin the engine faster without having to pull the rope harder, and is easier on the rope & recoil mechanism IMHO. For a lawn mower or single stage snowblower, I’ll do kind of the same thing except instead of “drop starting,” I roll the mower/snowblower forward before and while pulling on the rope. Thinking about it, that may be accomplishing the same thing as what you’re doing, just a slightly different method. Maybe there IS something to it after all.

Quid pro quod, “drop starting” may void the warranty on your brand new Stihl chainsaw if the dealer sees you do it.

 

Why would drop-starting a stihl chain saw void the warranty? Seems perfectly normal and wouldn't harm the machine?

 

Think it was something you were never taught. But we at some point are all guilty of the fast pull starts. With my old Gravely tractor all the fast pull will accomplish is wearing yourself out if it doesn't want to start.

 

My 1965 Giant Vac leaf blower with an 8 hp Kohler could easily be started with a small hand crank. I use the pull starter cord, with the choke on for one revolution, then just pull it through the next revolution, and it comes to life...every time.

There is steel blower blade on it so that mass helps a lot but it is not hard to pull at all. I am still amazed at the ease of which this thing just rolls over, slow and easy, and into life.

 

My 1965 Giant Vac leaf blower with an 8 hp Kohler could easily be started with a small hand crank. I use the pull starter cord, with the choke on for one revolution, then just pull it through the next revolution, and it comes to life...every time.

There is steel blower blade on it so that mass helps a lot but it is not hard to pull at all. I am still amazed at the ease of which this thing just rolls over, slow and easy, and into life.

I too have a Giant Vac, 1991 with an 8 hp Briggs and Stratton, and the recoil start does not catch all the time. Sometimes tapping it with a hammer gets it to catch. I also find when it does pull, it's getting harder due to my age. I'll try the trick above, but first I have to get the recoil pull start to work.

Before I tear it apart, can anyone tell me what I am up for? Am I better trying to locate a complete recoil kit or is this is a simple fix? Also, has anyone done a conversion to electric start on this motor? I saw one YouTube where someone used a battery drill on the center nut.

Or another alternative... has anyone replaced the motor with a new model like a Honda?

 

Some engines need a minimum RPM for the magneto to generate enough spark, so faster is often better. I have a mini-cultivator that has a drill attachment and the choice of drill makes a difference. I also have a couple of leaf blowers that are a bear to start if they sat a while so I chuck up an inline ratchet and socket in my drill to crank it and again, the choice of drill makes a difference.

My SOP for rope starting is to pull slowly until it is on the compression stroke and then recoil the rope so as to get the most length out of it and let it rip. Most times I use the "drop" method on hand-held OPE as you get more speed from dropping it while pulling.

 

I feel the pain of a rope start these days and I find my self giving a more gentle pull. My Stihl chain saw has the Easy Start system. I never liked it when I first got it. Felt like a kids toy pulling that rope and then the hesitation and it starting. But after several years of getting use to it and it being trouble free I am glad it has it. I have a DR walk behind trimmer and a John Deere self propelled push mower with electric start and love that no rope to pull feature. My old Troybilt horse tiller I now use both hands to pull the rope. Same with my pressure washer and gas water pumps I use both arms to pull the rope or else I feel it in the arm and shoulder.

 

Yeah pull lightly till the dogs kick in. Pull. I've replaced too many recoils

 

 

Back when recoil starter ropes were not standard, I was more or less taught to wrap the cord, pull enough to get partially into the compression stroke, re-wrap as needed to get the 'full-length' pull, and give it a good whirl.
Using a recoil, I pretty much do the same thing, pulling right to into part of the compression stroke, releasing the cord so it rewinds, and then give a good, strong slow pull. I do not yank. I do not do repetitive pulls without allowing the dogs to grab before applying torque. If you just pull on the cord as fast and as strong as you can, you will wear the dogs as they can't grab at higher pull rates, and will slip and round off their corners, leading to premature slippage.
Any way, a good, steady, pulling as long as you can type technique is the way I go.
If you have a kick starter, as on a cycle, do not let someone 'help' you who has more muscle than brains. Kicking as fast as you can will just wear out and round-off the dog clutch teeth on a motorcycle kick start assembly. It can be damaged forever by an overzealous and inept man with strong muscles, even when you tell them to stop. It still is a tentative kick today as fixing would require splitting the case. You must engage the teeth before kicking or your shin bone will get a good rap when the kick pedal slips.
tom

 

Back when recoil starter ropes were not standard, I was more or less taught to wrap the cord, pull enough to get partially into the compression stroke, re-wrap as needed to get the 'full-length' pull, and give it a good whirl.
Using a recoil, I pretty much do the same thing, pulling right to into part of the compression stroke, releasing the cord so it rewinds, and then give a good, strong slow pull. I do not yank. I do not do repetitive pulls without allowing the dogs to grab before applying torque. If you just pull on the cord as fast and as strong as you can, you will wear the dogs as they can't grab at higher pull rates, and will slip and round off their corners, leading to premature slippage.
Any way, a good, steady, pulling as long as you can type technique is the way I go.
If you have a kick starter, as on a cycle, do not let someone 'help' you who has more muscle than brains. Kicking as fast as you can will just wear out and round-off the dog clutch teeth on a motorcycle kick start assembly. It can be damaged forever by an overzealous and inept man with strong muscles, even when you tell them to stop. It still is a tentative kick today as fixing would require splitting the case. You must engage the teeth before kicking or your shin bone will get a good rap when the kick pedal slips.
tom

This is what I found as well. Especially on my long pull 11.5hp Briggs. Man that thing hit off fast like that with little effort.

 

I also thought that with a slow full pull you are priming the fuel and pulling oil up on the cylinder wall. Probably makes it easier to pull on the second pull as well.

My chainsaw is a bear without a compression release but this makes it manageable.

 

I have had good results by leaving the 'kill' switch OFF for one pull to fuel load the cylinder.

 

Yohawhn;"I have had good results by leaving the 'kill' switch OFF for one pull to fuel load the cylinder. "

Yeah, but, you are definitely sure than that it will take at least TWO pulls to get the thing going. If you pull over slowly, finding the start of compression, you will get fuel and spark available on the 1st pull through the compression stroke.
Motorcycles being kicked, many recommend to apply choke, kick through a couple turns, then turn on the sparker... I find that does make it easier to start in some cases.
Just pullin' your leg about the ONE-TWO pulls, either way works, and whatever works best for your machinery is good. I have two Command 14-15 engines, and they start SOOOO different. The one does not want let the starter take it through the first compression stroke, as if the CR is dysfunctional, but then it will fire right off. The second has a CR that seems to allow the starter(same size batt) to spin the crank over for (seemingly) minutes before it eventually starts to cough and splutter, and then fire off and zoom the rpms. The crank seems effortless....??? The other, not so effortless, but fires off within a turn or maybe a bit more. Both same oil, filter, etc. One Sears one Snapper. Like they were made by two different manufacturers. Made me wonder if one had a dysfunctional CR. It has ALWAYS been a hard crankover.
BUT you can hand-crank it, and it will just fire off from a Sloooowww pull. It is hard to use the pull cord, and will almost tip over the Snapper if I pull very hard. Seems to me it has a lazy CR.
tom

 

I have to do that on my BR800X Stihl backpack blower. That first pull past compression requires a slow steady pull otherwise I think the rope would break. Took it back to the dealer, thinking something was wrong, and they told me it was because it was a high compression engine.

 

My generator has an 11 horse Briggs. The governor holds the throttle open. I used to pull and pull with both hands to get it running. A buddy of mine told me to hold the throttle closed with one hand so as that more vacuum pulls fuel through the carb. It usually fires up on 1 or 2 pulls

 

Thaaaaaat’s “choking” an engine that doesn’t have a “choke.” Good idea to get it running, actually.

 

Very interesting post. I have found all engines are different as many of the posts have alluded to due to lube systems, fuel systems (chokes, diesels), compressions releases (lawn and garden, some old outboards), number of cylinders (one, two), etc. Old Detroit 2 strokes recommended you crank during cold weather with the stop lever pulled to warm the cylinders, wait, then crank with it pushed in for fueling. It worked better, much less white smoke and you allowed the heat to work its way around the combustion chamber a bit, especially if you had no ether or block heater to help.

Also helps to read the manuals. My log splitter with a single cylinder Briggs is a bear if you just pull away. But if you do what the manual says and pull up to resistance, stop, then give it a pull, easy success. I'm sure it has to do with the compression release. I've found with most engines just engaging the starter (manual rewind type) and a gentle pull, you don't wear out the rope, pawls, or yourself. It doesn't even take a lot of speed on a flywheel to get enough speed to fire a magneto.

 

Always been taught to grip the rope, pull gently until you feel resistance then quickly pull the rope. As a tech I learned that make for a long lasting starter and rope. You could always tell the "jerk" starter folks as you were always repairing their starters. Then the "easy pull" starters came along---"My rope won't go back in, that's warranty, right? No you were jerk starting it. Leave me see how you try to start it. NO NO you are jerk starting it, you just need to give it a gentle continuous pull. See this spring it is not supposed to be twisted like that, you are pulling too fast not giving the spring to do its job. I hate that starter can you put one of the old ones on instead of that thing? No they don't make any to fit. Customer now unhappy because he thinks jerk starting works better. And will be back when the new spring is destroyed. At least on the old style they would just destroy the dogs.

 

Well, I learned something new and useful today! Thanks to all who have posted!!!! I remember the first mower we had when I was a kid. Had to wrap a rope with a knot in it around the flywheel and pull as hard as I could about 15 times to start it. That knot would whistle thru the air and leave welts across my back. If anyone had seen all of those marks on me when I was 9 or 10 years old, my folks would have been in prison and I would have ended up in foster care. I'm gonna try this slow and easy method from now on.

 

I’m happy you learned something new! I’ve learned a lot from the guys here and really enjoy the experience of the others!

 

There was no problem with speed on the old crank and release starters. Older brother and I would take turns winding the spring up. Then turning the release lever hoping it would start. We also took turns shorting the spark plug out to kill it. That was many, many years ago.

 

The first power equipment we ever had was a Toro with a burgundy painted Clinton/Lauson. It had the 'wind-up' starter, the first I had ever seen. It worked pretty well, and lasted longer than the engine, but was then transferred to the replacement where it worked until someone wanted the mower more.
I have not seen a wind-up starter since on any piece of equipment. I thought it was a great idea for those of smaller physique or with less arm strength. I suppose battery-electric became more affordable to manufacture, and could be sold for more retail, so the wind-up was lost to history. Too bad.
tom

Added: This would have been around 1960-61, FWIW.

 

This reminds me of the type of wind-up starter on my Stijl chain saw. I bought this saw new even though I don’t buy too many things new. There were two versions, one with a typical rewind starter and one with the easy-start mechanism. Since it was a single cylinder, and everything including me just gets older, I liked the idea of something that made starting easier. I figured someone would make fun of me for being a whimp but who cares. And now that I have a back injury, I’m especially happy I decided on that model. I had to go look and it’s a MS250CBE with the Easy-2-Start system. You pull the starter rope at any speed and you can feel it winding up a spring as it slowly gets a harder to pull, but not early as hard as it is to turn over an engine. Then after about the 3rd pull the spring releases and turns over the engine. Cold it takes two spins of the engine and it’s running.

 

I remember about 55-60 years ago my uncle had a push mower that had a crank on top that would load a spring or something. After he would load it up he would push a button and....it would hardly ever start. The only one I ever saw....

 

My mom eventually replaced the rope mower with a new Sears with the wind up crank mower. What a huge improvement that was! We didn't often get new stuff, but maybe mom was feeling guilty about my whip marks.

 

I just have newer equipment, Echo mostly with manual chokes, but the best advice I got from my repair shop guy is to open the choke wide, pull once or twice until it almost starts, then half choke, starts next pull every time.

 

OK I did 3 engines like this today. My 11.5hp Briggs started as below. My Poulan chainsaw hated it and I think it flooded it. It's always been really picky. My Stihl FS90 brushcutter started with 1 slow pull and 1/4 easy pull--the best it's ever started.

 

Revisiting this for those of you who may have missed it first time around. My Poulan 2150 hasn't been started in months. If you know Poulans you know the following is all but a miracle. After slow cycling a few times she popped after 1 pull on full choke followed by 1 on half choke.

 

Ha, those wind up starters remind me of ford's model T.
From experience with 500cc motocross bikes (One lung 2 strokes) I used to bring everything to compression, then recoil, engage, and pull/kick. Then I got chronic Lyme. Trying to pullstart my pressure washer with a Honda gx390 seemed impossible till I tried going just past compression,. Recoil, then pull, using the inertia of the rotating mass to get it started. Works great for me, especially on larger displacement engines.

 

Maybe kinda what's being said since the OP