# 12v Inverter for 120v starter.



## MRiderLeon (Dec 3, 2010)

Has anyone been able to use an inverter to start a snowblower engine? 

I've got a couple of Craftsman walk-behinds and used them last year on a contract to clear bank parking lots. With the 10 minute or so drive between banks, the engine is always cold when I try to start it. Often one or both of them wouldn't start when we got there. 

I wired up a 700w inverter to the truck last year and even that wasn't enough, it would spin the engine until the compression stroke and then pop the breaker. I found a 1200w inverter at Advance Auto, but before I spend that kind of money, I'd like to be sure it will work.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Does the 120V starter have an amperage or wattage listed on the sticker?

You could try looking for a 12v starter and either rigging up something to your truck's battery or adding a small lawn tractor battery right to the blower.


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## MRiderLeon (Dec 3, 2010)

Thanks, Shryp, 
I should have thought about reading the label on it. I'll check and see if I can find any power requirement on the starter tomorrow.

But I like the 12v starter answer as well. I've also got the remains of a vertical shaft tractor engine in the shed. With Briggs and Stratton being so common it might just fit and then I could use jumper cables or set up some other kind of power cable to start it.

I'll go study this some more.


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## MRiderLeon (Dec 3, 2010)

*Starters draw a LOT of power*

I looked at three different 110v starters, two of them were labeled 13a, the other at 11a. 
11x120=1320watts. 13x120=1560watts.

It appears that to be even close to getting an inverter that will start a snowblower, I need to get one that's rated at 1500watts. 

It seems converting the engine to 12v starting might be a much cheaper way to accomplish this task. I remember reading somewhere that there are at least two different kinds of starters (large and small?) I need to start looking around for guys with blown lawntractor engines that are similar to the engines on my snowblowers. Then I can convert the blowers to a 12v starting system. I should be able to use a connection similar to what is used for a truck mounted snowplow to make a connection for my snowblowers. That way, if I can't get it to start with the pull cord, I can use a truck to jump start it.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Maybe look into getting a cheap car battery and tossing it in the back of your truck. Would need to make sure to charge it every night, but at least then you wouldn't have to worry about shorting something out on your truck.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

Starters are handy but I'd be more looking at why there so hard to start personally, Might just be a little gunked up in the carbs, even in the coldest weather I just prime them with choke and they fire up first or second pull. Have yet to actually use the electric starter on any of my machines except to see if they work, Haven't even tried it on the Ariens yet.


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

The time it takes to set up everything each time you want to electric start you should be able to pull start. I'd clean the carb, change the sparkplug this summer and you should be able to one pull start every time next winter.


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## evh (Jun 22, 2015)

You say there is only ~10 minutes between banks? How about leaving them running while you haul them. 10 minutes idling is not much. It will likely depend on how you haul them (back of a truck, trailer, etc.). Maybe put your efforts into securing them safely while hauling (auger's don't accidentally engage, etc.), rather then going the electric starter solution route. Just a thought.


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Folks, this is a six year old thread and the originator has not made any posts in ANY thread since 2011. It's not very likely that he's going to see this.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

LOL gotta love zombie threads, Didn't see the original date.


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## Mena (Nov 24, 2017)

I used a 40V small starter. For you, I think the inverter should be 1000W or even higher like 1500W to 2000W. The start voltage or current is higher than that it has when working. I have a bestek 



power inverter for my truck but I mainly use it for TV, computer, mini blender, etc. But I think it is also suitable for my snowblower.


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