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I've always heard that a push mower with a Briggs engine will not start with the blade removed. I suppose I could go out, pull the blade, and try it myself, but it's too darn hot. Is this a tall tale, or is there some truth in it?

Bagster said:

I've always heard that a push mower with a Briggs engine will not start with the blade removed. I suppose I could go out, pull the blade, and try it myself, but it's too darn hot. Is this a tall tale, or is there some truth in it?

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Well in general, any push mower would be hard to start. Push mower engine's have an aluminum flywheel, and they employ the blade for the
extra weight.

Bagster said:

I've always heard that a push mower with a Briggs engine will not start with the blade removed. I suppose I could go out, pull the blade, and try it myself, but it's too darn hot. Is this a tall tale, or is there some truth in it?

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It's a tall tale, There's no truth to it. I just started mine today without a blade. I had heard the same thing and I was changing blades and tried it and they will start.

Ric said:

It's a tall tale, There's no truth to it. I just started mine today without a blade. I had heard the same thing and I was changing blades and tried it and they will start.

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Yeah, you caught me! I was lying....

Fish said:

Yeah, you caught me! I was lying....

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Oh, I don't think I caught anyone lying. I had the mower tipped on its side and was removing a blade adapter because it broke in the process of removing the blade, I put the mower back on its wheels long enough to go to the shop for the new adapter so before I replaced the adapter I decided to run the mower to lubricate things so with that I know the Briggs will run without the blade. So apparently like I said it's a tall tale.

I've started one after someone hit something bent blade and sheared flywheel key. Replaced key but was waiting on blade. I started it to make sure it ran after new key. It did run but sounded like it needed the blade to run 100%

If that is the case how does one run that is a horizontal shaft that has no blade? Depending on the application it is used many times these motors will sit and run under no load for long periods of time.

jekjr said:

If that is the case how does one run that is a horizontal shaft that has no blade? Depending on the application it is used many times these motors will sit and run under no load for long periods of time.

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They have a heavier flywheel.

Some of the newer mowers that's got an aluminum flywheel and a self-propelled system driving off the crankshaft might be hard to start without a blade. The older mowers that had a cast iron flywheel didn't matter if it had a blade attached or not.

We started every single one of them in shop class in high school on the bench after they were gone through. Briggs starts all their engines to test them. How do they do it?

possum said:

We started every single one of them in shop class in high school on the bench after they were gone through. Briggs starts all their engines to test them. How do they do it?

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They do not pull start them. They have a machine that spins the flywheel to start the engine.

Can you imagine what the production engineer's arms would be like if they pull started 5000 engines a day. :laughing:

Below is the end of a Briggs & Stratton engine production line where they test the engines.

I said that the engine would be harder to start, and may rip the rope out of your hand etc.

But horizontal shafts come with cast iron flywheels, as they never have a blade bolted on them. But on pushmowers, the blade's weight is
combined with the aluminum flywheel's weight for smooth running and starting.

Fish

Like the factory, my father in law installed an electric motor in his garage used a long fan belt and started his lawnmowers by using the motor with the fan belt around the old wrap the rope and pull, pulley pull back on the mower they all started soon or later. When you get old you have to think outside the box.

jimrs said:

Like the factory, my father in law installed an electric motor in his garage used a long fan belt and started his lawnmowers by using the motor with the fan belt around the old wrap the rope and pull, pulley pull back on the mower they all started soon or later. When you get old you have to think outside the box.

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In South Africa we have a saying for ideas like the "Boere maak n plan" (Farmer makes a plan).

Pretty ingenious of him but could prove to be a bit dangerous.

Bagster said:

I've always heard that a push mower with a Briggs engine will not start with the blade removed. I suppose I could go out, pull the blade, and try it myself, but it's too darn hot. Is this a tall tale, or is there some truth in it?

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They'll start and run, but can jerk the hide off your fingers trying to start it and have a strong kickback. And they vibrate in a rough fashion once they start. I've seen blades not torqued enough and spin loose and cause the engine start that rough running. All said and done, I'd rather have the blades sharp and tight before starting a mower!

The Briggs I started yesterday morning was a Cub Cadet 999 ES with the 775 series 175 cc engine. I started it with the electric start and it ran perfectly fine. The only thing I noticed was the fact it didn't make but about half the noise without the blade.