Easily Replace Your Lawnmower’s Broken Starter Cord

With the end of the grass cutting season in sight, your lawnmower may be suffering from wear and tear. Unfortunately, this can result in faults developing, and one particular fault you may experience is the starter cord snapping in your hand as you attempt to start your petrol lawnmower.

Whilst this may be frustrating, if you’re able to gain access to your lawnmower’s pulley, there is no reason why you cannot fix the pull cord yourself and get your lawnmower working again. Although it is worth noting that the specific process for replacing the starter pull cord is likely to vary depending on the make and model of your appliance. But with the pointers below, repairing the part should be relatively easy.

Safety advice: Remember, always make sure you switch off and/or plug an appliance before carrying out any work!

To remove the old pull cord, you will need to remove the pulley which is located on top of your lawnmower. To remove this, undo the screws which hold the pulley’s housing and pulley in place, the pulley should then simply lift off.

With the pulley off, use needle nose pliers to grip onto the pull cord – enabling you to pull it completely out of its position – you may also need to cut some of the old cord to free it. At this point you should also disconnect the cord which snapped in your hand from the T-Handle.

Before you can install the new lawnmower starter cord, you need to rewind the spring in the pulley. We recommend you do this by twisting the rope pulley in the same direction it goes when you pull on the starter cable.

You will be able to tell if you’re turning the pulley in the correct direction, as it should be hard to turn and the more you turn it the more resistance you should feel. Once you’re unable to turn the pulley any more, allow the pulley to unwind slightly so the hole in the pulley lines up with the hole in the rewind housing, then carefully wedge a flathead screwdriver into the pulley to prevent the spring from unwinding further.

With the holes lined up, you’re now almost ready to thread your new starter cord. But before you can do this, we recommend you use a lighter to carefully melt one end of the cable and whilst the plastic is still hot, give it a quick twist to create a point.

By creating the point, it will make it easier to thread the cable through the holes. Once it has been threaded through, tie a knot into the cable so it is unable to come back through the hole. With the knot tied, you’re ready to remove the screwdriver which you previously wedged in, then gradually allow the rope to wind onto the wheel.

If you’re left with excess rope once the starter cord has wrapped around the pulley, cut this off and then attach the T-Handle. With your T-Handle connected you need to make sure you tie a knot in this end of the cord, as this will stop the cord from coming free. Refit the pulley and you’re good to go

Once you’ve fitted your new starter cord to the pulley and the T-Handle to the starter cord, you’re ready to refit the pulley and its housing back onto the lawnmower. Before tightening the screws back into position, we recommend you make sure the rope handle is in its final position – this will help prevent any avoidable faults happening next time you attempt to start your lawnmower.

Taking the time to fix your lawnmower yourself when it develops a fault, no matter how small or big, can not only save you money, but it can also keep your appliance performing at its peak performance for longer. And at eSpares we not only stock an extensive selection of lawnmower spare parts and accessories, but we also have the advice to help you carry out the repairs yourself.