Hi, I am looking for a starter that can start large glow engines like a saito 180 with ease. My regular 12v starter doesnt cut any ice with my saito 180. Can someone suggest a particular brand or model that is suitable for large glow engines?

Rags,

I have only a Sullivan Deluxe (aluminium cone) starter, which is about 23 years old. Despite having to exchange nuts and add washers, this thing never wears out. If you buy one, make sure you get a white silicone insert and your grandchildren will eventually inherit it from you...

Ragz,

I to have the sullivan starter and it sure is a good one.
There is one other thing you have to take care of, buy a decent 12V battery. A fellow clubmember started his 3W 45 with my starter. It isnt just the starter that counts. We started that gasser using one of the two batteries that are in my dad's toyota Landcruiser, they give 80 amps. So if you want to start that saito, get a good car

If you want one starter for everything, the Sullivan DynaTron is it. The more battery you put on it the stronger it is. I use a 275 AMP garden tractor battery, about $21.00 and on its fourth year.

After a few "cheap" starters I bought a Sullivan Dynatron.

Rock solid quality and strong as a bull.

Flyby

Ditto on the Dynatron! The main reason I like it is it will go either 12 or 24 volts! It will turn over a small Chevy block engine at 24v!

Lee

I have had my DyanTron (# S603) for over 10 years - always work. Try it with 24V and you may need both hand to hang onto it! Better yet, get the optional add on handle!

I'll bet someone at your field has one you could try before getting one of your own. Let us know if a 24V setup will bump the 180 over.

If you want to start a TOC engine, you could try the Megatron
(# S651)

Sullivan starters

thanks for the info guys..unfortunately, no one at the field has hi tork starters...I will probably end up getting a dynatron or a megatron...Im thinking megatron as I have recently purchased a 34% extra 300L...so I will be buying a DA100 in a few months...would the dynatron turn over a 100cc engine? or the megatron is the ticket?

Try a DeWalt 18Volt cordless drill. It has more than enough power, useable for other "stuff" at the field, useable at home, a torque setting to keep from cranking over a flooded crankcase and comes with 2 batteries and a charger. You will need to get a cone attachment which are easy to come by at your lhs.

It's not the cheapest solution, but it certainly can be justified based on the other uses.

Kavan planetary gear starter.

If I were putting together a $4k rig to be pulled by a DA-100 I'd budget in the cost of a Megatron and two gel cell batteries. That'd get the FA-180 popin right now.

I'd probably figure a way of just doing 12 volts with a Dyantron for the "normal" glow engines which are lower compression and generally smaller than gas burners.

...interesting... a parallel setup for smaller engines, in series for bigger stuff, dependant on where you put the red plug into the cutom made panel ....

geez, I wish I had time/money to do stuff like that...

btw - another nice thing about the Sullivan products is the are made in the USA !

Ragz

Why not try making one out of car starters. It will be very cheap and easy to do at your place.

Saitos start so well by the back flip method that I rarely use the starter anymore.

One of the guys at the field brought out a Saito-150 and was having a bit of trouble starting it. First, the low-end was too lean, but they were having a heak of a time troubleshooting because the Sullivan 601 was not enough to crank it. -" FLIP-STALL....back off, FLIP-STALL, back off ......" over and over again.

I got out the Dyantron and handed it to the guy on the nose. he hooks it up to the same battery as the 601 was hooked to and ... "BRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

That was on 12 volts, of course. I'm now convinced that a 24V setup would flip a 50cc engine just fine - and would like to see what it'd do with a 100cc+ engine..

The only gas motor I have ever needed a starter on was a G-62. The DA 100 is an easy motor to flip by hand.
The Saito 180 stars much easier now that it has a few gallons of fuel in it but I use a 15 year old Tower Hobbies starter on 14.4 volts which is 2 6 cell 1500 mah car batteries and it starts a cold 180 very easily because the little bit of extra volts from the 2 6 cell packs gives it a faster spin up and a faster start. I also have a Sullivan starter and if I hook it up to the same battery pack it will not start the 180 where the 15 year old Tower Hobbies starter will...go figure.