Adding a starter to generator

Rhon · Oct 6, 2011

I'm still stone age with my generator in that I have a pull starter on it. I have an old Craftsman mower that quit running and I was wondering if I could put the starter unit on the generator. Is it possible to retro fit it or a waste of energy?

Ken · Oct 6, 2011

Don't know the type or style of the generator. More information on brand and size would help.
But if the engine is a craftsman with flywheel it is possible to install a starter ring to flywheel then adapt the starter to spin the ring. Time consuming and needs to be in alignment correctly. then consider if the starter spin is the correct direction. Then install wiring and solinoid switch.
interested if you are able to do this.
ken

Rhon · Oct 6, 2011

The generator is a Troybilt and I think (I'm not home at the moment) the engine is Briggs & Stratton. I was kind of hoping I could just take the rope pull wheel off, mount the starter ring on then the rope pull and I'd have it but I'm sure it not that easy. I'm afraid to pull the generator apart and not get it back together. I may just have the wife do some weight training so she can start it.

JohninCT · Oct 8, 2011

There may be an easier way for you. Check out the video.

Pull Start Eliminator - YouTube

brokenot · Oct 8, 2011

Back in the good ol' days before electric starters, we managed. If everything is working properly the engine should start easily with two....maybe three pulls at the most. Electric starters are convenient and all, but in many cases they add a whole different set of potential problems. If you remove the manual-start components and put on a starter...what do you do when the battery/starter/switch/charging system fail when you need the generator the most?

(People say I'm weird, but if my motorcycle was equipped with a kicker AND electric start, I'd use the kicker every time. I like to be *involved* in the starting process.)

As an aside, daughter and I went to Rollag again this year, and she enjoys watching the old iron get fired up "by hand" as much as I do. And none of it is accomplished by folks with body-builder physiques.

Fresh clean fuel and maintaining the equipment in a proper state of tune should have it starting just like it did the day it was unboxed.

Rhon · Oct 8, 2011

JohninCT said:
There may be an easier way for you. Check out the video.

Pull Start Eliminator - YouTube

That's sweet. I think she can pull the trigger on the drill...

brokenot, it will start on the first pull for me. It gets used weekly for my air compressor, welder etc but the wife hardly weighs 100 pounds and even for me the pull on the generator is hard.