What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

[scanman]

Just wondering, really. I've been doing research on antique motors, & the question came to mind.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bassman284]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

The first I ever saw was somewhere in the early to mid 50s and they were considered fairly new at that point in time. I don't know an exact year.

 

[seahorse5]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

For Johnson motors it was around 1946 or 47.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

My 1947 Mercury KD-4S had a recoil starter. I think the 1946 KD-4 did not.

 

[JimS123]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

My 1940 Johnson AT-10 has one. If you check models of that year, it was an option. My 1937 Evinrude Sportwin has bolt holes in the gas tank, so I believe it had an optional recoil as well.

 

[scanman]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

Very interesting! It sounds kinda like automatic transmissions & FM radios in cars.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

I've seen them on late 30's OMC motors and, as said, Mercs in the mid-40's. First ones weren't real durable...lots of little springs and stuff to go wrong.

 

[scanman]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

Do yall think this "option" would increase the value of a vintage motor, or are they worth about the same, with or without?

 

[steelespike]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

My guess is that the older the motor the more valuable a working recoil.
Some early motors were available with both manual start like the Johnson TS15 manual and the TD15 recoil start of 41.When recoil was new and didn't appear often
I would think more valuable its possible as time went by that manual start might be rare and possibly more valuable.
Of course the more comeplete a motor the more valuable.

 

[JimS123]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

As already pointed out, a lot of the early recoils weren't too reliable. Thus, many were removed. There was always a rope sheave underneath. The other common part to remove was the lower shroud to get access to the sparkplugs. A lot were never put back on and got lost.

A motor with these parts intact will command a higher price for a collector, but only for less common motors. A 3 or 5 HP Johnson, for example, has more value as a runner because its not collectable just because of the sheer numbers manufactured.

Where motors were available with or without a recoil, I doubt that the collectors value would be significantly different.

 

[scanman]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

Great opinions, guys! Thanks! Guess it really depends on the buyer & what he/she wants it for, huh?

 

[SeaKaye12]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

My Dad's 1947 Scott Atwater "Deluxe" 7.5.HP had a recoil....that was what the "Deluxe" referred to.

His worked OK; although it started scraping on the flywheel after a few years and needed to be shimmed a bit.

As hard as that motor was to start at times; that recoil got a good workout.

Chuck

 

[scanman]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

My Dad's 1947 Scott Atwater "Deluxe" 7.5.HP had a recoil....that was what the "Deluxe" referred to.

His worked OK; although it started scraping on the flywheel after a few years and needed to be shimmed a bit.

As hard as that motor was to start at times; that recoil got a good workout.

Chuck

ROFL! Thanks for the warning! I've got my girlfriend's dad's 1946 Scott Atwater 3.6hp single in the shop now! She just brought it home from his cabin in northern Michigan. I haven't had the time to get to it yet! I don't even know, yet, how to work the carb! TOO FUNNY!

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

Caille outboards had them all beat with a recoil on some models from the early 1920s.

 

[scanman]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

That's cool, Chinewalker. Were they as much a PITA as the others mentioned here?

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

I would assume as much - never actually seen a working one now-a-days, 90 years after the fact... The one we have in our collection has the flywheel catch bits but the rewind bits are long gone...

 

[scanman]

Re: What year did the first "recoil" type starter appear?

I'll bet they ARE hard to find!