The pro saws do.

I sent my ms362 to mastermind work saws for port work. Compression was increased, even with the relief... it’s a bear. But man it’s a monster!

 

We're gonna get tagged for going off topic, but what the heck.

Almost went with an MS 362, but ended up with a 562XP. Am interested in getting it ported and muffler modded. Sounds like you are happy with the modding.

 

Well lets see I'm a great grandfather, I've had my right shoulder operated on twice and it sounds like gears grinding when moved certain ways, I've had two operations on my right hand. My left shoulder just had two more cortisone shots on Monday, that hand has had four operations to include thumb replacement surgery.
If that's not enough for you I've fractured my spine seven times, have six bulged disk, bone spurs and a pinched sciatic nerve that needs surgery and have arthritis in everything I've just wrote about.

Now the good part, I always start mine with the pull rope with one or two pulls. My buddies since new has needed the electric start when cold and it takes several minutes turning over to start.

 

Well, first, congrats on making it to great grandfather, second for surviving all the surgeries_and_being able to yank a starter rope and third, maybe you should change your name to Bear Claw Chris Lapp (from Jeremiah Johnson) – one of his more famous quotes: "I am Bear Claw Chris Lapp; bloodkin to the grizzer that bit Jim Bridger's ass! YOU are molesting my hunt!".

My dad (gone on now), myself, my son, a nephew and one of my grandsons just love that movie. We quote it all the time. (Well I quote it all the time).

Good going there bearman.

 

both my sthil and husky saws have compression releases, blower wise like a few other old timers, a bad back thanks to wreak racing a top fuel drag boat lead to being fused at c 2-3 to t 1 and t10 to s1, a torn non repairable left biceps tendon, worn out rotator cuff in the right,worn out knees, means the shed housing the blower has 120 in it, choke, 2 primes and push the button.

trick to pull cold starting is really simple 0w30 or 5w30 oil. the thinner oil makes for easier pulling .choke, a few pushes of the primer, 1 or 2 pulls

 

We ought to be calling you The Six Million Dollar Man (Bionic Man?). You survived a lot there.

Some people don't know how hard you can hit waves at speed.

I do like the compression release on one of my Husky saws.

 

It sounds like most of us around here should join the old-farts club. I'll hit 67 soon, I prefer to use the push button start method, but sometimes I just want to be a tough guy and pull the rope.lain:

 

Got to laugh about the old-fart club. I'm there according to anyone under 40 and not there to anyone over 70. :devil:

I pull my HS828 about 99% of the time and use the key on my 1332 about 95% of the time. I find there is a difference between a well used 7-8hp and a newer 11-13hp engine. I still do pull the 13 from time to time, but it does require a bit more effort on my part.

 

Thanks and very interesting thoughts everyone!

If I learned anything it's to push my primer bulb twice rather than 3-4 times.

Also--Maybe rig a setup so I have easy access to a retractable extension cord. The main time I see them being super helpful is when it's very cold and the carburetor engines are being finicky about starting. Alternatively, I think I just need to leave my choke open longer when it's below freezing...

Either way, some great insight and ideas in this thread.

 

I'm sure this topic was debated a lot at Ford during Model T production. "If you follow start procedures correctly no one needs an electric starter - a crank is good enough.'

 

make me wonder about that crank adapter on the front of the 33 ford wagon i'm working on, how hard would it be to turn over a v8 flathead filled with 30w oil at 0 degs

 

I will never buy a snowblower without electric start and actually prefer a 2 cycle + electric start since it cranks over really fast (no cold oil in the crankcase). When you pass 60 years old you'll understand lol.
On all my 4 stroke machines I use 5/30 Mobil 1. Even in summer.

 

I'm 70 years old with a bad back. I have three ruptured discs and spinal stenosis. My current snow blower is an 11.5 hp Ariens and its my first with electric start. I used it once when I first got the machine.. It hasn't been used in 5 years, even on the first start of the year. I use stabilizer all winter long. At the end of the season I run the tank dry and change the oil. At the start of the next season I fill the tank with fresh stabilized gas, hit the primer button a few times, put the choke on one click short of full and pull the cord. She never takes more than two pulls. You're right. I don't need an electric starter but it's sure nice to have.
For those that are wondering, auto turn is a lifesaver for anyone with back problems. Plowing my 75ft two car driveway is little more than a cold weather stroll. I can control the machine easily with one hand.

 

Well, I tried reducing my priming method from 4-6 pushes, to 2. And even with having run the carb bowl dry during the last use, it started in 1 pull! It's fairly typical for it to need 2 pulls. This is hardly exhaustive evidence, but I'll stick with 2 primes for now, thanks!

 

Wow, never thought all you guys were so broken down and can't pull an engine string, how do you lace up your boots to make it outside?:smile2: I think that a lot of money could be made by designing a draw bar between a snowblower and Lark scooter, would that be with or without chains?:wink2:

 

I think that a lot of money could be made by designing a draw bar between a snowblower and Lark scooter, would that be with or without chains?:wink2:

A jokingly-suggested snowblower / Lark hybrid, would that then be a Snark?

 

Briggs 1550 snow series, never. Choke, prime 3-4 times, always starts one pull and when I say pull, I am not by any means over exerting myself putting my whole body into it and throwing out my shoulder. Thing is an absolute dream to start. By the time I pull out a cord, plug it in and try to use the electric start, I could have started/shut it off at least a handful of times.

 

My Briggs 21m214 15.5 is a dream to pull start. 2-4 primes and one pull also. It is like being a lumber jack and sawing a log in half. :grin: It is way... easier than (the old pain in the back side) H-70 Tecumseh was. So when the electric start went on her back in... 1985 I think it was, I never pulled started her again until somewhere around 2008 or 2009 maybe... when I got a little daring to try and pull start her.

So I always pull start the Briggs, but it is nice to know that the electric start is there if I need it.

 

Yup, I use the electric starter on my new machine, because of my bad back. I have an outlet just 2 feet from the machine, in the un heated basement where I store the machine. I plug the cord in, turn on the fuel, set the choke, Prime two pumps, hit the starter, unplug cord, hang it on the hook, and am out the door in less than 30 seconds. NO, I don’t wait minutes to warm up the machine, never did it on my old one, and it still runs fine, even after 40 years, it was just time to upgrade to a new machine, as parts were starting to wear out and break. I learned a long time ago to work smarter, not harder.

 

I'd love a starter for my PowerShift 824 or Powershift 828, but I just can't bring myself to spend the money. Best starting improvement I made to my snowblowers was discovering 0W-30 synthetic oil. Stored in an open shed in Chicago area weather, mine spins quickly by hand and starts first pull most every time. Pulls like it's summer, and the engine gets good oil flow from the first revolutions. Once warmed to operating temperature, 10W-30 and even straight 30 are still thinner than 0W is cold, so the engine does NOT suffer from thin oil.

 

I made to my snowblowers was discovering 0W-30 synthetic oil. Stored in an open shed in Chicago area weather, mine spins quickly by hand and starts first pull most every time. Pulls like it's summer, and the engine gets good oil flow from the first revolutions. Once warmed to operating temperature, 10W-30 and even straight 30 are still thinner than 0W is cold, so the engine does NOT suffer from thin oil.

Interesting ! This is a fact, or you are guessing. I am just very surprised.

 

It is fact. Well noted and documented. Google it! 0w-30 synthethic is the best in exteremely cold weather

 

0w oil is thinner than the other grades, too thin for warm weather use.

 

0w oil is thinner than the other grades, too thin for warm weather use.


Those charts DO NOT show 0W-30, just straight 0W, which itself indeed thins out when warmed. The key is the multiviscosity additives - viscosity index improvers - which maintain that 0 weight when the engine is warmer. Look at the chart for 5W-30, which you did include. 0W-30 would be very similar though a slight bit thinner.

Many newer cars use 0W-30 all year. Most other newer cars use 5W-30. I too used to think I knew better till I spent some time with petroleum engineers and then did some study.

 

I've avoided needing the electric start so far. So far. The hand starting ritual offers insight into the condition of carburetor and ignition. If it takes more than one pull I'm interested. More than two I'm concerned. More than that I need to make sure I didn't run it out of fuel or leave the fuel valve closed. I haven't lived the hard broken-bones and arthritis lives that some report. Nothing has been torn, ripped or bitten off. So far. In my sixties I can still pull on the rope. But that could change in a heartbeat. The electric start is there for that moment. I should probably try it once just to make sure it actually works. For that moment.

 

Yup! In the storm this week, a coworker had the pull-start cord come right out of his machine. Then he found that the starter pawls had broken as well. So he tried the electric starter, and off he went.

But if the electric one had rusted up from disuse, that could be a problem, even if you don't normally need it. I'd run the electric at least once a season, just to give it some exercise, and help keep it functional.

 

Yup! In the storm this week, a coworker had the pull-start cord come right out of his machine. Then he found that the starter pawls had broken as well. So he tried the electric starter, and off he went.

But if the electric one had rusted up from disuse, that could be a problem, even if you don't normally need it. I'd run the electric at least once a season, just to give it some exercise, and help keep it functional.

:iagree:

 

That's pretty much my thought as well. In my space, the electric is easy, and save the pull for backup . . . harder to go wrong than the other way around.

 

Electric starters are awesome for fogging at the end of the season (fuel source removed & ignition grounded) as well as checking spark & compression.

 

i was responding to the post stating that 0w was not the thinnest, but by its definition it is. im not arguing that 0w30 is thinner than 5w30, its by its grade of 0w.

edit. but 0w30 seems to be the best oil for motors, cars and alike, especially in cold weather climate

 

i was responding to the post stating that 0w was not the thinnest, but by its definition it is. im not arguing that 0w30 is thinner than 5w30, its by its grade of 0w.

edit. but 0w30 seems to be the best oil for motors, cars and alike, especially in cold weather climate

and here i am running 15W40 in my truck lol. it is a bit slow turning at -20*C and whines a bit but always starts. my truck also has great compression which likely doesn't help things any. 170psi accross all 8 cylinders.

I find it hard to pull start my Tecumseh 10HP when it's really cold. After a few tried, that's when I plug in the electric start. Anyone else find these engines hard to get going in the cold?

have you done an oil change on it? i got a 10.5hp on my 1 machine and it really don't seem that bad to start even at -20C(4*F). i think the oil has a huge effect on it at those temps especially if the oil has not been changed in a while.

 

0w30
5w30
10w30
30w
They are all 30w when the engine is hot.
The 0w, 5w, 10w, comes into play when you are freezing your fingers off getting the blower started.:smile_big:

 

Uh oh an oil discussion, this could get heated.

 

Yeah, but it will still be 30w once the "discussion gets heated".:icon_whistling:

 

I got an plug-in starter on my single stage Honda because my wife wanted it. She's never used it and neither have I. In fact, I re-purposed the starter bracket for an LED headlight ( http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/honda-snowblowers/130714-pic-led-light-added-hs520.html ).

Hondas start so easy, I never needed it. But I get some people with shoulder issues worse than mine might.

On my bigger Honda I do love the battery start though.

 

I have various pieces of equipment (mostly Honda and Yamaha) with electric start.

If it is 120v I'd only use it to make sure it works, for checking compression or if it has a problem starting.

If it is a 12v turn key starting system is a no brainer and I'll use that feature 99% of the time......

 

I'll confess that if it has an electric starter and I'm near the outlet, I use the electric start, and I have convinced myself that snow blowing the drive is exercise enough. My machine usually starts first or second pull, so if it's not near a plug...pull I do, but most times it is parked in a dry covered area by an outlet.