Reed wrote:
ChrisCoaster wrote:
When I was between the ages of 3 and 9, I recall my Dad using a lawn
mower that you had to "wind" to start. It was a typical-looking push
gasoline mower, but it had this wind-up handle that you (1)unfolded
from the top of the engine, then (2) wound up several times clockwise
and folded up again, and finally (3) threw a pair of levers up ontop
near the handle you pushed the mower with.
....

did it look anything like this ?

http://www.vintagemowers.net/main_files/envoy.jpg

I remember those mowers being the rage in the sixties. The idea was
that, rather than pulling a rope to spin the crankshaft, you would wind
up a big spring, release the ratchet, and the mower would start. It
turned out that cranking took just as much (if not more) manual effort
that pulling the rope. In addition, the cranking led to lots of broken
arms and dislocated shoulders, so the E-Z Spin Starter didn't last very
long.