need help with 76 year old lady"s lawn mower,she is haveing a hard time pulling on the rope fast enough to start engine. Is there a way to add a compression release button to get around the compression stroke? or any other idea, she likes to cut her own grass herself,without haveing someone to pull the rope for her.
thanks
model number : LV195EA-362001B
model number : 12A-445E755
1699480

 

Nope. You might tell her to tie the kill handle down (for the purpose and duration of starting only), put the mower handle up to a tree or post, and then she can use both hands to pull the rope. If this has OHV, adjust the valves to help it start easier.

 

Thats dangerous. Not recommended at all.

There was some post going around on the cordless mowers. Very good I hear. This is one of the best from what I read.

Black & Decker Tools | 36V 19" Self-Propelled Rechargeable Mower with Removable Battery SPCM1936


Or get her one of these.

Fiskars Momentum 317736 Review


Or a electric start gas mower.


Mike NJ

 

Dangerous? I still see people using mowers manufactured with no deadman bar all the time. I'm not saying she should run the mower around the yard with it tied down, just to help get it started. Not so long ago, you didn't have to hold the handle down to start your mower... were those mowers dangerous to operate as well?

 

yes, and thats why they have the saftey device.

Not so long ago we did not have airbags in cars. Was that car safe to operate? If you say yes then if you disable your air bag in your car you will feel safe? Hey we did not need seatbelts either.

Its the point that its there for a reason.

You should not by-pass any saftey device.


Mike NJ

 

I hat to say it there is a piece of rope around the handle of my push mover...

Many small engines already have some sort of compression release built in. Often it's the shape of the cam that holds a valve cracked open to let some of the pressure escape. That bit of leakage makes it easier to pull at low rpm's but when the engine is running the bit of leakage is not enough to cause a problem. That said, the cord still has to be pulled fast. If it's pulled too slow the compression release works too well and there is not enough compression for starting and the slow speed does not generate a strong enough spark.

There used to be some generic refit kits you could bolt on top of the engine that would allow you to use a drill for starting. In recent years with a lawyer behind every tree these kits have become almost extinct. How about a new mower that has electric start or if it's a small yard a sexy new cordless electric model.

 

I too have a rope on my handle, all the safety devices in the world can't protect from stupidity. Have a good one. Geo

 

What's an airbag?

 

I tied mine down years ago on my push mower. The only time I untie it is to shut the thing off. I've been cutting grass for 55 years. I will say that I wear golf cleats when I cut my lawn because there is pretty good slope in some parts and grass can be slippery. I feel that I should be the one to make judgments about what is safe for me.

Much of this add-on safety junk is for stupid people. Much of it is created by nitwits in Washington trying to justify meaningless jobs that the rest of have to foot the bill for. We have to pay extra for the products plus pay their salaries for their unecessary rules and regulations. Some of this business may also be the result that there are too many lawyers in the country. There is no other country in the world that has as many lawyers per capita as the good old USA.

 

I have to admit there is a rope on mine as well when I am home. I've cut grass for more years before the safety bar than after and amazingly enough I still have all 10 fingers and 10 toes. If I'm cutting on a customer's lawn, all safety devices are used properly as I'm not as familiar with their lawn and locations of sprinkler heads, etc. As for what a 76 year old lady can use?, I'd recommend an electric start mower, or a cordless electric mower if the the lawn is smallish. And she must be quite a lady to be able to AND still want to cut her own lawn at that age. More power to her, may she continue to enjoy good health and enjoy working in her yard. My mom is 77 and her lawn cutting days are sadly over. I do it for her.

 

I slide a plastic tie over the dead man bar when I have to stop to move something, otherwise I operate more or less safely. As I need to be protected from myself.
Sid

 

If I removed the airbag, I consider the vehicle to be no more dangerous to operate than it ever was. It's the crashing that's not so safe . Besides, you are equating tying a safety handle down momentarily to assist starting to permanently disabling the airbag in a car? The airbag won't go off if you are hit when you are trying to start the car, so, just like the lawnmower scenario, that safety device is inoperable at the time of starting.

If the airbag WAS operational at the time of starting, then if I had to make the decision to spend $500 (the cost of the mower you linked to) or let the airbag be inoperable at only the time of starting the engine, then I'd keep my $500 and take my chances of crashing while starting the engine.

Anyway, this is going off topic. Hopefully there are useful suggestions here for the O.P.

 

I always have to wire tie off that darn handle when my neighbor and I lift the mower up to cut the hedge we share...

 

Lol... oh man... you know I actually heard of some people getting their fingers cut off doing that. Proof that survival of the fittest works better in theory than in reality.

 

I thoght you might get a chuckle out of that. (I've been selling mowers for over 40 years and somebody forwarded a news clipping to me detailing that little stunt) As I remember several fingers were lost at the time....

 

My 1952 REO doesen't have any safety switches on it & i've been using it for 40 years (bought it used) & still have all my didgets..I think the safety stuff on mowers is the same as on cars,, The more safety stuff, the worse driver you are because you think all the safety things will protect you..... Roger

 

This post is getting way off topic.

I started the saftey issue when the moderator suggested by-passing a saftey device.

I thought we were supposed to give safe advice here.

The OP needed help with a compression issue.

My opinion. The Mods come down on me if I give unsafe advice, but who is watching the Mods??????

Mike NJ

 

Mike, I'm not sure what your agenda is, or why, but if you have personal issues with me, take it up in a private message . I don't recall coming down on you for bad advice, but if you give some, I will try to catch and correct it... that's my job (for which I volunteer). I don't share your concerns about the safety issue, and we have both made our positions clear. Any reader who follows this knows both sides of this argument now, so it can rest as far as I'm concerned. My advice here is free. If you don't want it, think it's correct, appreciate it, or whatever, then don't take it. If you think I'm wrong, no problem, make your statement and I can handle it/correct it if need be. In this case, I don't think it needs correcting. If you think it needs further attention, bring it to the administrations' attention.

Clarkdsn, and all others for that matter, use your own judgement when reading the advice here and come to your own conclusion. We're not always right.

This has gotten off topic, as you said, and I don't anticipate improvement. The thread is closed. Clarkdsn, if you have further comment, please feel free. I will unlock and clean up this thread if you want, just send me a pm.