Recent photos I took
Few more
I had a Cat Auto patrol just like the one in the 3rd and 4th picture for a while, I would say those were pretty revolutionary machines when they came out compared to the competition. Rubber tires, self propelled and power controled blade. It was fun to run but hurt when it kicked the hand crank back if the magneto was not adjusted right.
The Auto Patrol like many old gas Cats only fires on impulse on a couple of crank positions. Proper starting procedure is cranking slow until the engine is at compression, put the crank at 10 to 11 o-clock and give it a short pull over the top to about 2 o-clock. This is where the mag will trip. When trying to crank full circle you are pulling thru a lot of dead space and you are at a awkward angle at the top of your spin when it fires. A old timer showed me this a number of years ago and I crank much more efficiently since with no broken fingers or wrists.
I did figure it out eventually which was exactly how you describe it, where were you with all that sage advice the first 7 or 8 times???
Yeah exactly this. I had a couple of Lincoln hand crank welders and the best way to start them was full choke and spin it over 4 times with the mag off, pull it up to compression and turn the mag switch "on". give it a jerk and off it would go.
There was one like that old galion at an old farm near me. I tried to buy it from the old fella but he wouldn't sell. He died, and his kids sold it for scrap
Sad.
Great pictures, love to see those nice old graders
Are they still under warranty Very cool