Foothills Antique
Tractor and Engine Club

Electric starting systems were optional on most tractors until the 1950's.  Batteries were not as reliable as now, and electrical systems were more a luxury than a necessity unless you needed to operate at night or were unable to hand crank the tractor (due to injuries, age, etc.).  Besides, a well tuned tractor was easy to start.  Farmers who relied on hand cranking probably kept their tractor tuned better than most of us with electric starters.

Hand starting two cylinder John Deere tractors was accomplished by turning or “rolling” the flywheel.  If the tractor has electric start, there is a ring gear on the flywheel covered by a shield.  In this case, a special crank pin is inserted in the hub of the flywheel to start the tractor.  The steering wheel is removed from the steering shaft and placed on the crank pin to turn it.

Tractors with inline engines have a crank sticking out the front of the tractor beneath the radiator.  Pushing the crank back into the front pulley or crankshaft engages the crank pin so you can spin the engine.  A spring holds the crank out from the engine during operation on many tractors, and the crank is removed from other tractors during operation.

As tractors got larger engines, and especially when diesel engines were introduced, electric starting became a requirement.  Some of these larger engines could be started hand, but a common practice was to use what my cousin calls “downhill batteries” (not a safety specialists preferred starting method).

The purpose of this article is to share basic safety practices for those of you who must start tractors and engines by hand (or just like to show off).
 

Safety first!
You will be very close to exposed rotating parts when hand starting any engine by hand, so safety is of the utmost importance.
 

• Wear close fitting clothes to prevent getting caught by the flywheel or crank -- tuck in your shirt, button the cuff if you have long sleeves and remove any drawstrings.
• Remove jewelry -- it could be caught and injure you.
• Secure long hair under a cap or jacket.

Your hand cranked tractor does not have any of the modern safety interlocks that prevent starting in gear. Runovers are the second leading cause of death related to farm machinery (overturns are the leading cause of farm work deaths).  Please make sure you don't make the headlines:

• Set the brakes and/or chock the wheels.
• Make sure the transmission is in neutral and the PTO is disengaged.
• Disengage the clutch if possible.

Getting ready:
Always follow the manufacturer's recommended starting procedure.  It should go something like this:

• Make sure the ignition system is excellent shape -- good points, clean spark plugs and no damp wires.
• Make sure the carburetor is tuned properly.
• Set the choke and throttle as recommended.
• Don't forget to turn the fuel on (don't laugh -- either you have done it or you will soon!).
• If you have an all-fuel engine, drain fuel other than gasoline from the carburetor bowl.
• Retard the spark timing to top dead center (TDC) or even a couple of degrees after top dead center (ATDC) if possible after to prevent kickback.
• Open the petcocks to relieve compression if possible.

Proper grip:
Always place your thumb over the crank, beside your index finger, and use a fairly loose grip that will allow the crank to pull from your hand easily if the engine kicks back.  Never use a full circle grip with your thumb opposite your fingers, because a kickback could break your thumb, hand or arm.
 

Pull the crank:
To keep from getting a broken arm or hand, I recommend you always pull the crank up.  That way, a kickback will pull the crank out of your hands and spin it around backwards a few times.  Do not start the engine by pushing the crank down - a kickback could cause serious injury!  I see people push the cranks fairly often, but my Oliver Hart Parr 18-27 will break them from that habit.
 

Stay out of the way:
Always make sure you stay completely out of the reach of the crank should it be spun backwards by engine kickback!