Why didn't IH engineers think of this crank

[inairam]

Using a removable steering wheel to hand start the tractor on a Lanz Bulldog

small
https://youtu.be/IjhnoPwzEPg

full size
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfv1O0Rboiw

I have an old steering wheel I am going to make a crank.

[smallfarm]

Some old Bauer rain guns have a wheel that mounts on a PTO spline to crank the spool in a few feet without a tractor--some have a crank handle. Trusty me, you want a crank, not a wheel. Your grip is all wrong to turn it.

I guess if you had a steering wheel horn though......

[john2189]

didnt some of the older IH tractors start by turning the big flywheel?

[Urbish]

The Mogul did.

[Stanton]

Couldn't understand a word they said!

Glad he persevered and got it going. But what I really liked was the workshop he was in. Nice!

[Slim140]

John Deere had this option on some 2 cylinders. I had a 1942 electric start H that had a piece bolted to the flywheel and a short shaft you put the steering wheel on to hand crank it. I will see if I can find pictures in the parts book. Here is a couple I found on the internet. I know the early electric start B's also had this option.

[Matt Kirsch]

Both the Lanz and Deere engines only have one compression stroke per revolution, whereas the Farmall has two due to its 4-cylinder 4-stroke engine. The Lanz is a 2-stroke single-cylinder diesel, and the Deere only has two cylinders.

The hand start Deeres also have decompression petcocks on the cylinders. I believe the Lanz does also.

In either case this allows you to spin the flywheel and build up some momentum. This is why the steering wheel crank design works on these.

On a Farmall you only get 1/2 of a revolution before you hit the next compression stroke. The starting technique is very different, done by pulling the engine through a single compression stroke with the crank. The technique is not conducive to a wheel design.

[john2189]

Wasn't there a tractor that started with a shotgun or similar shell?

[torchred89]

Our old John Deer you started with a steering wheel. The steering wheel had all the hard rubber broke up on it. It would tear your hands up.

[Urbish]

Wasn't there a tractor that started with a shotgun or similar shell?

The Field Marshall used a coffman starter (shotgun cartridge). Many vintage aircraft used this as well.