Briggs and Stratton Wind Up Starter

[2manyrocks]

Later CPSC mandates resulted in moving the starter cord to the handle of walk behind mowers.

After that, B&S stopped making their totally reliable flat head mower engines that seemed to run forever so long as you changed the filter, plug, and oil regularly.

 

[groundcover]

My grandmother had one of those, she couldn't pull a recoil but used the windup one for years.

 

[Richard001]

Those foot start engines were B&S. They were used on some of the early powered clothes washing machines. A lot of rural areas did not have electricity so the gas powered washer was for them.

My parents had one. I never saw it used on the washer. By the time I was old enough to know what was going on, my dad had replaced the gas engine with an electric motor.

Richard

Here is a photo of this engine:

Briggs & Stratton Washing Machine Gasoline Engine

An old kick-start gas engine that was designed initially for use on washing machines when rural electricity was not available.

www.old-engine.com

Richard

 

[mapper]

There was an elderly lady whose lawn I mowed when I was about 14. She had a wind up start lawn mower.
It worked fairly well.
My dad had a Gibson garden tractor with rope and pulley starting, it got painful if it backfired.
My first car, a 1959 MGA, had a crank stored in the trunk that was inserted through a hole in the front bumper to start it if the battery was dead, with a Lucas electrical system it was needed fairly often!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Years ago I bought a local sales/service shops B&S NOS parts inventory and there are a couple of those wind up starters there.
Our go cart Dad built in late 50s had a B&S motor from a Maytag washer that was pedal kick start. Exhaust was a flexible steel hose with like a clam shell cast iron ball on end I guess so it would be placed outside. We just ran a straight pipe. Late 50s...it would probably go 15 mph.
Thanks for the memories.

 

[MossRoad]

Years ago I bought a local sales/service shops B&S NOS parts inventory and there are a couple of those wind up starters there.
Our go cart Dad built in late 50s had a B&S motor from a Maytag washer that was pedal kick start. Exhaust was a flexible steel hose with like a clam shell cast iron ball on end I guess so it would be placed outside. We just ran a straight pipe. Late 50s...it would probably go 15 mph.
Thanks for the memories.

If you look on ebay and such, they're selling those wind up starters for $90!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

If you look on ebay and such, they're selling those wind up starters for $90!

Good grief! This place my grandfather bought a new Yazoo and an Economy tractor from new and years ago bought their stock of old Briggs parts. I should list all that stuff, it's all new, 50s-60s.

 

[tom3]

A lot, maybe most, of those old Briggs parts seem to be pretty hot sellers if the price is decent. I keep an eye out for stuff I can use even if I don't need it today. You'd be surprised at the interest in old mowers, Lawn Boys and old JDs for sure.

 

[Willman]

My dad had a small horizontal shaft Briggs with a cast iron block that had a kick starter assembly on the output shaft. The engine was shot or had some problem. I never saw it run, but I remember that kick starter. I've never seen one again.

There were some military WWII small engines built with kick starters