When a petrol lawn mower gets old, the cable pull is the first to show signs of fatigue by breaking. Resourceful home gardeners with a penchant for creative tinkering tricks have figured out how to start a lawn mower without a pulley. Read how the trick works here.
How do I start a lawn mower without a pulley?
To start a lawn mower without a cable, remove the defective cable and use a drill (€51.00 on Amazon) or a cordless screwdriver. Using an appropriate socket, set the throttle to half power and allow the drill to start the engine.
What function does a cable pull actually have?
Work devices with small combustion engines are usually started with a pulley, also known as a recoil starter. The purely mechanical starting function has the advantage that there is no need for complex components, such as an alternator or starter. The pull rope is wound on a rope drum that is located on a freewheel hub on the crankshaft stub of the lawnmower engine.
By pulling strongly on the rope, the engine is started by bringing the crankshaft to the appropriate speed. The rope is then automatically pulled back to its starting position using a spiral spring. If the cable on the petrol lawn mower breaks, an alternative must be found to start the crankshaft.
How to start a lawn mower without a pulley
First remove the broken cable as it has become unusable for starting. To proceed further, you will need a drill (€51.00 on Amazon) or a cordless screwdriver as well as a socket that fits on the crankshaft stub. How to start the engine:
- Attach the socket to the drill
- Set the throttle lever on the lawnmower to a maximum of half power
- Place the drill on the crankshaft stub
- Start drilling machine
As soon as the rotating drill starts the engine, remove the socket wrench. It is important to note that you use a drill with a speed higher than the speed of the lawnmower. Otherwise there is an increased risk of injury because the drill could be torn out of your hands or the socket wrench could be thrown around. For this reason, the throttle on the lawn mower must not be set to full throttle when you start it.
Tip
If the lawnmower doesn't start, it's usually not because the cable has broken. Lack of gasoline, dirty spark plugs or a clogged carburettor are among the most common causes of a broken lawn mower engine.
