# Outboard start with Electric motor?



## rcoles (Sep 16, 2010)

I don't know if it is feasible: Could we start an outboard motor with an electric drill instead of pulling the starting rope? Is there a problem with the "flywheel" once the engine starts ? ( I just got a bad bad shoulder this year ... )


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

Trade the OB in for a model with a built in starter or you will need a new shoulder trying to start it with a drill.

Or you could use the other arm.


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## dabnis (Jul 29, 2007)

Sounds like an interesting approach. Having to remove the hood everytime you want to start it may be somewhat inconvienent. Suggest you have the motor well secured and have a really tight grip on the drill in case the motor kicks back, goodby drill!!. An electric start motor would be simpler and safer? Good luck.

Paul T


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## jgeissinger (Feb 25, 2002)

Actually, yes. I have done it more than once, but that was when I was working on them and the cowling was already off. Like the prior posters said: Just bite the bullet and pay for an electric start motor, it's nicer anyway.


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## rcoles (Sep 16, 2010)

Thanks everyone! It was somewhat a "theoretical" question. I wanted to know if it was possible. Is there a 4HP with electric start?


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## Siamese (May 9, 2007)

It doesn't take much to start a 4 horse, but I understand how a sore shoulder can make it impossible. 

I'd ditch the electric drill idea.

If it was me, I'd look for a way to snap a longer pull rope on it when I wanted to start it. Try a loop in the pull rope that you could put around your foot, so if you face away from the motor, you can kick start it by pushing your foot away. I don't know how your motor is positioned on your boat. With luck, you'd get a pretty straight run with the rope and not have to use any blocks to direct the rope where you need it. 

I don't think you're going to be able to find an electric start motor in that horsepower range. You could get a Torqueedo electric outboard, but they're big bucks.


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## dabnis (Jul 29, 2007)

I looked at Tohatsu, Honda, & Yamaha websites. Tohatsu and Yamaha 4 & 6 HP motors both weigh about 60 lbs. Honda 5HP about the same. I recently bought a Tohatsu 6HP, fairly easy to turn over and runs perfectly. Looks like electric start starts at 8HP & up but with about a 25 lb weight gain.

Portable Specifications | Yamaha Outboards

Honda BF5 Outboard Engine - 5 hp boat motor specs and features

Discount Tohatsu Outboards and Nissan Outboard Motors

Paul T


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## melee401 (Jul 5, 2012)

Winches are no problem with my shoulders but pull starts sure are. I gave into an electric motor for my dinghy and having used it for about a year now would never go back to an OB. NEVER!


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## Bamazeb (Sep 13, 2011)

Ive seen electric starters for gas pull start edgers at Lowes. Perhaps this idea might work? Also a cool Youtube of a guy starting his OB by hand with no Cord.


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## melee401 (Jul 5, 2012)

Screw the OB's on dinks period.
Oars, sail. or electric. Freaking auxiliary drive for the boat is enough work I don't need another baby to tend. 
The batteries take a nipple once a week in most instances. The weight of the batteries to drive them is what it is. You can use smaller batteries or larger ones as you would larger fuel tanks or smaller for your engine depending on you needs. 
No gears, not injectors, no fuel purity issues, no mixing 2 stroke fuel, no keeping any gasoline aboard, no frayed pull start ropes, no allot of stuff. AND those batteries can supplement and backup electrical storage already aboard. 
Small OBs make great secondary anchors,,,,,,,,, they really do!


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## smallboatlover (May 11, 2011)

yes it can be done with a drill thats how i start my old snow blower you have to have a drill to start it only way.


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## Quickstep192 (Jan 6, 2001)

I would think that it's necessary to have a way for the connection between the drill and the motor to quickly release after the motor starts, or the motor could outpace the drill and rip it from your hand.


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## melee401 (Jul 5, 2012)

rip from his hand<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<his shoulders are already shot up enough how about dislocate his already weakened shoulders.
Man, I bought this drill once to "just" bore 1" holes into tree stumps.
Try that sometime. Even with the clamp on "T" handle it about through me.
Cranking a 4 HP motor is "easy" enough, until thing bites you back.
If he uses anything it won't matter when (not if) the engine fires backwards. Without the safety features included in the OEM to prevent backlash his SSSS will be DOA. At best he will be feeling around under water for a drill that went MIA and hopefully the cord will have detached. Another scene would be a cordless high powered drill gone. 
I mean c'mon,,,,, he needs to get an electric 12 or 24 V electric motor here for the sake of being safe. Let's stop the pretend here.


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## melee401 (Jul 5, 2012)

Heay,,you old geezer with shot shoulders who started this thread,,,,,,,go the hell out and get one of those new fangled electric motors for your dink affairs. Damn things can drive a fully loaded loaded 18' boat with a 160 HP outboard motor around year after year with no problem. 
Stop being a cheap old geezer, your children need you to live forever ya know.


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## cruisingdream (Feb 7, 2007)

No need to pull anything . Just flip a switch. Torqeedo, Ray Electric Outboards, Inc., E-Drive
Electric Outboard, aquawatt green power electric outboard motors,
or make your own Eska Electra | Sailnut
or Electric Outboard Drive for Small Boats


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## dnf777 (Jun 23, 2007)

Hey! Hows come we don't get a $1000 tax credit if we buy a Torqueedo electric motor?? Don't Priuses get a big tax break? I'd look into it at the state and fed level if I were buying one.

But that was going to be my suggestion, but was beat out above. Consider an electric motor.


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## CarbonSink62 (Sep 29, 2011)

My back up home generator has an 11hp motor that is very difficult to start; if I can't get it in 5 pulls, my efforts become greatly reduced. I start it with a 18V cordless driver/drill now:

1. Pull off the recoil starter cowl and access the big nut under it ( 1 - 3/16" in my case).
2. Put appropriate socket on the drill.
3. Duct tape the socket, adapter and drill together.
4. Put the drill on "1" (hi torque/low speed).
5. Using the proper rotation, fire up the drill.
6. Yank off the socket ASAP after the engine starts.

Step 3 is very important to making step 6 complete smoothly; leaving the socket on the engine to fly off later is bad.

I'm not saying this is a good thing to do (especially on a boat) but that's how I would do it. I pulled the cowl off my 5hp Merc this spring and found the top of the flywheel to be smooth and unbroken; no way to drill start that one!


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