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Here's my dumb question of the evening

ToughBowtieTruck

ToughBowtieTruck

Nothing like owning the same truck twice.
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Member Number
2583
Messages
214
Loc
Michigan
Why aren't gas walk behind snowblowers equipped with a self-contained electric start? My dad had issues using snowblowers a few years ago because being in his 70s it gets difficult for him to pull start them when he gets too far away from an extension cord (i.e. chute plugs up and he has to shut it off to clear it). Right now his idea is to use a Simplicity walk behind with a Harbor Freight engine and a front push blade but I know it's going to suck as a blade and without any way of having electric start at all.

The main issue is sidewalk clearing especially after the Snow Plow Man comes. He plays around with a 446 Case for the driveway or a friend or myself takes care of it at which point we do the sidewalks but he likes his independence still.

He still likes to tinker on things anyhow but I don't want him to keep setting himself up for a hard time with winter. He's been turned off to blowers because of the pull starting and the last one he had rotted out. I figured there was a model with self-contained electric start besides the ev ones but I may be wrong.
 
My father has a honda or something with tracks on it. I know it is a key start. My dad is over 80 and still likes to clean up after the plow guy does his thing. The tracks ensure it wont get away from him on the incline. I know it was pricey.

Maybe your dad needs to step up and quit buying bottom market junk?:flipoff2:

To be honest, I dont think I have ever seen a blower you plugged in to start. All pull rope or had a battery.
 
Put a shut off valve on the fuel line, run the carb dry every time its done being used, should start fine. If not, rig it to start with an impact driver. :flipoff2:
 
Filthy McChevy said:
Put a shut off valve on the fuel line, run the carb dry every time its done being used, should start fine. If not, rig it to start with an impact driver. :flipoff2:
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That doesn't change the strength it requires to pull the cord.

He really likes my 318 and the 54 blade but hasn't bothered to make garage space to get one.
 
I’ve seen them where they have a 110 volt plug. That’s cool, but now a cordless drill can start that kind of stuff. I just bought a push lawn mower for my other property. I immediately removed the whole pull cord and just left the nut exposed. Now I just put a 3/4” socket in a drill and crank it up. No more braking ropes and swearing. I need to do the same to a chainsaw, but my Still keeps starting easy. I had three other chainsaws I took to the dump cause they were so hard to start.
 
WaterH said:
I’ve seen them where they have a 110 volt plug. That’s cool, but now a cordless drill can start that kind of stuff. I just bought a push lawn mower for my other property. I immediately removed the whole pull cord and just left the nut exposed. Now I just put a 3/4” socket in a drill and crank it up. No more braking ropes and swearing. I need to do the same to a chainsaw, but my Still keeps starting easy. I had three other chainsaws I took to the dump cause they were so hard to start.
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You do a lot of snow blowing in Florida?
 
clodhopper said:
To be honest, I dont think I have ever seen a blower you plugged in to start. All pull rope or had a battery.
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Pretty normal. Every 2 stage Ive had are plug ins, and my dad's single stage toro was as well.

Some of the new super fancy ones are battery start, but I'm not spending that kind of money.

I like the idea of ditching the pull start for a drill though! Could get kinda annoying to go get the drill when you kill it in the plow pile though
 
My in-laws have a snow blower and I'm pretty sure it has an electric start on it with a battery. I don't recall it being any high-end snow blower either...like a Toro or something like that.
 
clodhopper said:
My father has a honda or something with tracks on it. I know it is a key start. My dad is over 80 and still likes to clean up after the plow guy does his thing. The tracks ensure it wont get away from him on the incline. I know it was pricey.

Maybe your dad needs to step up and quit buying bottom market junk?:flipoff2:

To be honest, I dont think I have ever seen a blower you plugged in to start. All pull rope or had a battery.
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I've never seen one with a battery.

Usually the small batteries suck in the cold and they would go dead super quick. My Grandpa kept a set of jumper cables hard wired to his lawn tractor with a blower as it wouldn't start below 20* on just the battery.

The 120v ones start awesome. We just kept a 15' 10ga cord by the door specifically to start them. Never shut them off until they're back.

Just can't run them like an idiot and plug them up:flipoff2::laughing:
 
My Honda has a 12v battery and starter 🤷‍♂️
Every other chinesium chinko special I 've ever had were pull and 220v start.
 
Medium size generators can have a DC starter. I don't know how the mounts are though. Many snow blowers are Tecumseh and most other things are not. I can take a couple pics later.
 
ToughBowtieTruck said:
Why aren't gas walk behind snowblowers equipped with a self-contained electric start? My dad had issues using snowblowers a few years ago because being in his 70s it gets difficult for him to pull start them when he gets too far away from an extension cord (i.e. chute plugs up and he has to shut it off to clear it). Right now his idea is to use a Simplicity walk behind with a Harbor Freight engine and a front push blade but I know it's going to suck as a blade and without any way of having electric start at all.

The main issue is sidewalk clearing especially after the Snow Plow Man comes. He plays around with a 446 Case for the driveway or a friend or myself takes care of it at which point we do the sidewalks but he likes his independence still.

He still likes to tinker on things anyhow but I don't want him to keep setting himself up for a hard time with winter. He's been turned off to blowers because of the pull starting and the last one he had rotted out. I figured there was a model with self-contained electric start besides the ev ones but I may be wrong.
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Back when I messed with them in the 80’s they offered an electric starter option but it was 110v setup. They worked great and no battery to deal with. Isn’t this an option anymore?
 
Don’t they just make electric snowblowers for all you pussies now?

No offense to op’s father
 
BUCKLAND said:
I’ll bite, what is a medium size generator?
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The ones that are about the same physical size as a snowblower:homer:. Not the little 2kw handle on top and not the 25kw that are towed with a vehicle or big enough to power an industrial building. If you're trying to be slick catching me in some kind of mistake because obviously gensets can be any size you will have to get in line behind my wife:flipoff2:

I have 7500 generac with electric start. Some of the ones in boats and rvs would also probably have an electric start. I think my gen is a Briggs though and there's lots of Onans. Bolt pattern is probably wrong but might be able to figure something out.
 
WHATAHEEP said:
The ones that are about the same physical size as a snowblower:homer:. Not the little 2kw handle on top and not the 25kw that are towed with a vehicle or big enough to power an industrial building. If you're trying to be slick catching me in some kind of mistake because obviously gensets can be any size you will have to get in line behind my wife:flipoff2:

I have 7500 generac with electric start. Some of the ones in boats and rvs would also probably have an electric start. I think my gen is a Briggs though and there's lots of Onans. Bolt pattern is probably wrong but might be able to figure something out.
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So something the size of a fat pumpkin, pump kin?

I’ll be all slick telling you don’t know fuck about generators if 25kw is a big industrial generator :lmao::lmao:
 
Jesus, every fucktard in here knew he was talking about homeowner gensets. Almost all of the 5k and up have an electric start option with a battery. Even the harbor freight ones have them.

OP figure out what engine is on the blower and order the appropriate 12v starter and swap it for the 110v starter almost guarantee there is a direct replacement. Then make a bracket to hang the battery between the bars. Shouldnt be difficult.
 
"Not the little 2kw handle on top and not the 25kw that are towed with a vehicle OR big enough to power an industrial building. "

Ok so you showed me you fucking tard. I hoped you were trying to be funny. :shaking:
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Yeah im just going to get him like a 100' extension cord or something to start it. He just talked to me yesterday about buying a rototiller for $8 and got it running then proceeded to go back to the garage sale and give her 12 more dollars because she sold it too cheap.

I was more curious about why they're still all 110v start but it makes sense for the average use of one. Apparently he still has his snowblower too so that makes the fleet consist of a Case 446, a walk behind with a blade, and a snowblower not counting us helping.

I'd love to get him one really nice snowblower but that won't stop his hoarding tendencies :laughing:
 
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