Foot Pedal Starter For Rope-Start Mowers

2004 - Volume #28, Issue #2, Page #18

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Rope-start lawn mowers can sometimes be hard to start, especially for people without a lot of upper body strength. This new foot pedal starter eliminates the need to ever pull a cord again.
  The EZ Foot Pedal Starter fits most walk-behind mowers without a rear bagger. Once attached to the mower, the cord is never pulled by hand.
  The attachment requires no tools to install and no modifications to the mower or engine. It attaches to the mower handle with four adjustable clamps. The pull cord is fed through a series of pulleys which provide the leverage to easily pull the cord.
  To start the mower, you turn a crank on the mower handle which drops the pedal starter down. Then you step on the pedal, which goes all the way to the ground.
  Once the engine has started, you turn the crank to retract the pedal back up under the mower handle.
  "It's not for everyone, but people who need it, really need it," says inventor Dave Lyon. "A lot of people don't have enough strength to pull an engine pull cord, or they have a medical problem like pulled tendons in a shoulder or a heart condition. Typically they can mow their lawn fine, but they just can't pull the cord. The alternative is to buy a new high priced electric starter mower, and then you have the added expense of battery chargers and replacement batteries.
  "Another advantage of the step start is that it improves your mower's balance which causes it to handle more like an expensive rear engine model. The attachment adds 10 lbs. of weight to the mower handle, which helps balance the weight of the mower and makes it easier to maneuver. The added weight on back makes it easier to push down on the handle and lift the mower for turning.
  The unit can easily be moved to your next mower, he adds.
  "Some people have asked if my pedal starter will work on snowblowers, but it's not designed to do that," says Lyon.
  Sells for about $70 at selected hardware stores.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dave Lyon, Step Start Corporation, 560 N. Mt. Pleasant Ave., Monroeville, Ala. 36460 (ph 334 356-4860; email: Dave@stepstart.com; website: www.stepstart.com).

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Foot Pedal Starter For Rope-Start Mowers MOWERS Mowers (31H) 28-2-18 Rope-start lawn mowers can sometimes be hard to start, especially for people without a lot of upper body strength. This new foot pedal starter eliminates the need to ever pull a cord again. The EZ Foot Pedal Starter fits most walk-behind mowers without a rear bagger. Once attached to the mower, the cord is never pulled by hand. The attachment requires no tools to install and no modifications to the mower or engine. It attaches to the mower handle with four adjustable clamps. The pull cord is fed through a series of pulleys which provide the leverage to easily pull the cord. To start the mower, you turn a crank on the mower handle which drops the pedal starter down. Then you step on the pedal, which goes all the way to the ground. Once the engine has started, you turn the crank to retract the pedal back up under the mower handle. "It's not for everyone, but people who need it, really need it," says inventor Dave Lyon. "A lot of people don't have enough strength to pull an engine pull cord, or they have a medical problem like pulled tendons in a shoulder or a heart condition. Typically they can mow their lawn fine, but they just can't pull the cord. The alternative is to buy a new high priced electric starter mower, and then you have the added expense of battery chargers and replacement batteries. "Another advantage of the step start is that it improves your mower's balance which causes it to handle more like an expensive rear engine model. The attachment adds 10 lbs. of weight to the mower handle, which helps balance the weight of the mower and makes it easier to maneuver. The added weight on back makes it easier to push down on the handle and lift the mower for turning. The unit can easily be moved to your next mower, he adds. "Some people have asked if my pedal starter will work on snowblowers, but it's not designed to do that," says Lyon. Sells for about $70 at selected hardware stores. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dave Lyon, Step Start Corporation, 560 N. Mt. Pleasant Ave., Monroeville, Ala. 36460 (ph 334 356-4860; email: Dave@stepstart.com; website: www.stepstart.com).

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