Starting up old rototiller

[ning]

My wife wanted a couple short tilling runs that are completely unsuitable for the 2m unit I can put on the back of the tractor -- which would be much less effort overall of course as while running a tractor tiller shakes you a bit it's nothing like the full-body workout you get wrestling a 2-wheel unit with no steering -- so I pulled the old tiller out of the garden shed and gave it a go (unsuitable because 1, she wants a few short runs that are just wide enough for the tiller and no need to till what's to be a path, and 2, it's in this kinda bizarre huge old raised bed which isn't nearly big enough to navigate with the tractor plus there's the whole raised bed has sides)

Now just so you know, the last time I tilled anything with this unit was six years ago, before I got the big tiller at auction ($1k out the door for the unused cat1/2 slip-clutched 54-tine beast); I did start it four years ago but it's been just sitting there inside the shed

Opened the fuel shutoff to admit that six year old pump gas, choke on, four pulls and putt-putt-putt-roar (ok maybe not a v8 roar but you get the drift). Say what you want about Briggs (stinky, smoky, weak, whatever) but they always seem to start. I do always turn off the gas and run let it run before putting it away, but not much beyond that.

 

[ruffdog]

You are in business! Git'er done.

 

[Jstpssng]

The older engines with bigger carb jets are more forgiving. I had an old JD snowblower and was almost done cleaning up after a major storm when it ran out of gas. My can was also empty but I did have a couple of quarts of last year's gas with a chunk of ice in it, which I had drained out of my snowsled. (For some reason the tank kept getting water in it.)
I dumped that in and although it was quite stale the engine started up. It didn't like the gas, coughing and sputtering, but I was able to finish my driveway without going for gas.

 

[oldballs]

Here is my over forty year old Sears front tine rototiller. It has been sitting out in the weather with a wash tub covering the engine. I use it most years in my 50 x 100 garden. I just add some fresh gasoline and it starts right up with several pulls. It is a 8 HP B/S engine....and the working parts of the Sears never have given be a problem....There has been some gear and motor oil changes

 

[ponytug]

Here is my over forty year old Sears front tine rototiller. It has been sitting out in the weather with a wash tub covering the engine. I use it most years in my 50 x 100 garden. I just add some fresh gasoline and it starts right up with several pulls. It is a 8 HP B/S engine....and the working parts of the Sears never have given be a problem....There has been some gear and motor oil changes View attachment 3548158

Wow that brings back memories. We had a sixty+ year old orange/red model. All I can say is you are a tougher person than I am. In our soil, ours was always lurching and popping itself out of the ground, and it took more than a few passes to get a seed bed ready.

After a couple of years being wrestled by the Sears front tiller, we gave in and bought a rear tine Troy-built that you could literally point down the row and hustle ahead of it to toss out frost heaved rocks. Meanwhile the tiller just went steadily and straight where it was pointed.

I couldn't believe the difference.

@ning don't you love it when an old engine starts up? I have an old Tecumseh powering a generator that starts first or second pull after years of just sitting. As loud as heck, and smokey, but very reliable, which is great for a backup generator.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ning]

Wow that brings back memories. We had a sixty+ year old orange/red model. All I can say is you are a tougher person than I am. In our soil, ours was always lurching and popping itself out of the ground, and it took more than a few passes to get a seed bed ready.

After a couple of years being wrestled by the Sears front tiller, we gave in and bought a rear tine Troy-built that you could literally point down the row and hustle ahead of it to toss out frost heaved rocks. Meanwhile the tiller just went steadily and straight where it was pointed.

I couldn't believe the difference.

@ning don't you love it when an old engine starts up? I have an old Tecumseh powering a generator that starts first or second pull after years of just sitting. As loud as heck, and smokey, but very reliable, which is great for a backup generator.

All the best,

Peter

I remember renting front-tine tillers way back when and it always felt like I had to lift up on the handles to get them to do anything at all. Way too much work.

Still, this guy on hard ground definitely bucks you around, and if one wheel is in softer stuff than the other then you're definitely wrestling it to keep it going straight. This particular spot we use it in (very rarely obviously) was once full of rocks so I have a package of bolts I use to shear pin the wheels as they often caught rocks and jammed them. Once we tilled it a few times though all the decent sized rocks were found and I don't recall having to replace a wheel bolt the last couple times.

My log splitter is similar (stinky and noisy and probably weaker than advertised) though I use it a lot more. Only takes more than two pulls to start if I forget to flip the switch... It doesn't have a fuel shutoff so I just keep splitting until it runs out of gas, which is actually probably better.

 

[metalbender]

Years ago I used to till gardens as a hobby/extra cash. Found and refurbished a 1946 Graham Paige B16RS. Large two stroke engine with a wire rope on the recoil. Had a Fairbanks magneto with the impulse start. Just barely needed to get it over tdc and it would fire up.

 

[Oaktree]

I have an old Tecumseh powering a generator that starts first or second pull after years of just sitting. As loud as heck, and smokey, but very reliable, which is great for a backup generator.

Never had very good experiences with Tecumseh engines. Run OK once you get them started, but don't like to start if not used regularly.
Got a wood chipper with a Tecumseh in it that had been my parents', mother kind of insisted I take it. Can't get that thing to start/stay running for the life of me. It'll kinda run on ether/starting fluid, but that's it. It gets fuel. I replaced the carb. Still no joy. Suppose I ought to work on it again one of these days, if for no reason other than to get it running to sell.

 

[Jstpssng]

I brought my father's woodsplitter home after he passed away. It hadn't been used for a few years as he had stopped burning wood. I thought I'd have to work to get it going but I turned the fuel on and it started first pull.
It wasn't until we started cleaning the house out this past winter that I found a receipt. He'd had a new engine put on it 3 years earlier and I doubt he ever used it.

 

[ponytug]

Never had very good experiences with Tecumseh engines. Run OK once you get them started, but don't like to start if not used regularly.
Got a wood chipper with a Tecumseh in it that had been my parents', mother kind of insisted I take it. Can't get that thing to start/stay running for the life of me. It'll kinda run on ether/starting fluid, but that's it. It gets fuel. I replaced the carb. Still no joy. Suppose I ought to work on it again one of these days, if for no reason other than to get it running to sell.

I'm no expert on Tecumseh engines, sorry.

If it gets fuel and the carb is new, that leaves spark and compression, right? How are the spark and compression?

When did it last get a new spark plug? If it were me I might start by checking the spark and the magneto alignment, and if that doesn't help, I'd check the valves.

All the best,

Peter