The year was 1978 and the month was Feburary--a Saturday. The day started out cloudy with a "low ceiling" which turned into a misty noonhour. The temps started to drop and then it started to rain some. Below freezing and the rain had picked up quite a lot by sundown. Freezing of that rain started coverin all the trees, power lines and whatever else was out in the elements. Before mornin we would see just how devestating this whole mess would be. At about 2 A.M. the power went off out where we lived[same place we live now] in the country. No power-- no heat or water! By 9am, Jim-an older brother, called and asked me who the man was that had signed me up for an Onan dealership the week before. I told'm and then hung up. He called back a few minutes later and asked if I could go get a load of gensets. I said I would. He said --here's what I want!

I had a new GMC pickup and left quickly to go after an entire truck load. I even had'm tied down on the tailgait. When I came back we'd divide'm up and go deliver, set up and fire'm up for those folks. This started on a Sunday and continued throughout Thursday. Seemed that bunches of "fly-by-night'rs" were all into the business of rippin the public. Some prices were raised a THOUSAND PERCENT above regular retail. We didn't raise ours even a dime!

I still have the one I bought [3-KW] way back then-and it's in running condition. The only drawback I have with it is a "rope start". I HATE rope starters!!! Pulled my breastbone [the incision for the heart bypass's] apart last year from "rope startin" a 5 h.p. briggs engine. It's still not healed properly. I've told Lil Dumplin that she orta learn how to start that dude so's I don't haveta! I hated goin out in the snow/ice and cold--in my undershort just to fuel it up---every hour! One good thing--I learned to fuel it up quickly!! Now, I'm old, fat, lazy but a whole lot smarter! Hooked up to a 25 gallon L.P. tank--it will run our house a couple days on that amount of fuel.

As for me and my house we will serve the Lord! Folks, Jesus Christ will be calling very shortly---"Come up hither"! Are ya'll listenin for His call? old hoot gibson. Matt.24:44

-- old hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), December 09, 2001

Answers

Genget=generator??????

-- Ardie /WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), December 09, 2001.

Glad you are Ok, Hoot. Winter will be here before we know it.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 09, 2001.

hey Hoot maybe you could make one of these to stop pulling that rope. I made one to use with a 3/8" drill. Assuming your 115v power is out, I'd think a decent rechargable drill would have enough power to turn it over. If you have any 12v starters laying around you could weld one of these on the shaft and jumper it to a car battery. Mine came in handy working on engines, much easier than pulling the rope 20 times to get one started. Sorry about my drawing, not much of a drafter but I figure you'll get the idea. If it has a cover or one of those rope/springs in the cover you'll have to take it off to be able to get to the nut on the end of the crank. I don't know if this would help you any but I know you like messing with stuff so figured I'd give you an idea.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), December 09, 2001.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), December 09, 2001.

Glad to 'see' you Hoot. In His Grace, Sissy

-- Sissy Sylvester-Barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), December 09, 2001.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), December 09, 2001.

Hey Dave. Thanks for the info. While doin some think'n it occured to me that starters were available from manufacturers. All I need to do is get a flywheel with a ringgear and then the starter! Duh! A local man repairs mowers etc and is locating some used ones for me.

I was study'n your diagram and decided that I could use part of that info on another generator set. A 4 cylinder Kohler older'n dirt, that never had a starter [other than the interneal "start" windings which are shorted] ,or a place to mount one or a ringgear. It does have a crank. With your design I could cut the crank end off and attatch it to an auto starter, build two "slides" to hold the starter. Simple, easy and cheep to build. It'll work too!

Thanks for the info. old hoot. Matt.24:44

-- old hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), December 11, 2001.

yep Hoot, probably not too hard to find one of those starters for a b&s engine. I found one a few years back on a push lawnmower. The rechargable battery(plugged into house current to charge it) it used was shot but everything else was an easy swap on to another b&s engine.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), December 11, 2001.

I just use a socket with adapter,(www.harborfeight.com #342191-2ava) in a drill,although I did once weld a particularly loose socket to prevent it from whizzing by my head. The 9v makita works as well as the 18v.DeWalt

-- swamprat (swamp@rat.com), February 08, 2002.