having worked for a while with a hand start tractor that kicked back a lot - I can tell you that the open grip IS important, but the proper body positioning and partial crank angle is MUCH more important.
Don't EVER crank all the way around. Put it around 7:00 - 9:00 - lift up to 11:00 - ish.
Then PULL THE CRANK OUT - and put back to 7/9 for each additional crank until it starts.
(some people make the mistake of thinking that if they just turn it slow it won't fire!)
I believe the open-hand/thumb-off concept is to cover people who decide to crank all the way around.
Drives me crazy to see people doing full cranks.
If you're in the wrong position - over 12:00 and it decides to kick there - it's very likely going to break your arm. If your thumb is in the way - it's going to be folded right back out of the way by the crank.
When they bite back at you - you gain a whole new appreciation for how much power is in even a small 15 horse motor. I don't care how big you are, you aint stopping it.
It's so hard and fast that it rattles your teeth, and that's when doing it properly.
Time it properly - crank it properly, then you'll be fine.
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Today's Featured Article - Third Brush Generators - by Chris Pratt. While I love straightening sheet metal, cleaning, and painting old tractors, I use every excuse to avoid working on the on the electrics. I find the whole process sheer mystery. I have picked up and attempted to read every auto and farm electrics book with no improvement in the situation. They all seem to start with a chapter entitled "Theory of Electricity". After a few paragraphs I usually close the book and go back to banging out dents. A good friend and I were recently discussing our tractor electrical systems when he stated "I figure it all comes back to applying Ohms Law". At this point
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