[newellan]

Hi there,

I have decided to try and show my children where food actually comes from and am creating a vegetable patch  - sometimes with their help.

I have bought a small Qualcast B66 (which doesnt work!), the starter seems not to recoil. The previous owner has taken it apart and put it together again to no avail.
I have undone the screws holding the recoil starter on and rewound the spring about 4 or 5 turns - it works to a degree off the machine but when I try pulling whilst on the B66 it pulls and gets stuck - and fails to recoil again.
Do I need to wind it tighter? can I replace this with a lawnmower starter? oh yes and how do you work a cultivator...sad I know but we all have to start somewhere

thanks

Andrew

[Runwell-Steve]

Hi, I believe the Qualcast B66 is actually a rebadged Merry Tiller Cadet.

If you do a search you should find plenty of info about them on here and elsewhere.

[newellan]

Thank you...I will do a search and see where I get...

best regards

Andrew

[aardvark]

Andrew,

you could always try and start it with a drill (remove the starter and attach a drill with a sufficient sized socket and boom!)

Thats what I did when getting my Tiller running (I think it had been stood for about 7 years).

This video helped.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEtbHLHXHe4

I believe that if using a battery powered drill - it needs to be a minimum of 14.4v (although I don't know why - I'm not that technical) I used an 18v dewalt for about 100 starts and it still seems to be working OK.

All the best.

Aardvark

[dorimower]

The Qualcast B66 used a Merry Tiller Cadet chassis with a Qualcast/Atco A114 engine...more or less the same engine that was used on some Qualcast Punch 30S, 35S, 43S mowers and also used on Atco mowers from c.1983 to c.1994.  
Most good long established local mower agents should be very familiar with these engines...and will most like have any parts required for the starter too.  A correctly working recoil starter can often make all the difference to achieving a proper start up.  Many the time I have seen them with short ropes etc that only then give a short snatch of a turn of the engine..rather than a good pull though of a properly working unit.    Assuming here that the engine is fit and well and healthy.

I see that Richard T may be able to help with instructions.  http://merrytiller.co.uk/spares3.htm

"Dori"

[newellan]

Hi Dori & Aardvark

thank you for your replies, I will take the starter off and see whether it is possible to start with a drill but I would probably need to make a special tool I think.
Thanks for the info about the Merry Tiller Cadet, the rope is a good length but I think the spring is the problem.

thanks again

Andrew

[aardvark]

Andrew,

All I did was take a manual socket extention and cut the end that went on the socket handle (used a hack saw) - then attached a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter and then used a 22mm (I think) socket. The only other thing I did was use electrician tape to make sure it all stayed togther (didn't want it flying off when getting the engine running).

Cheers

Aardvark