nancyk, I have googled and yahooed over this subject and my findings are that "electric start" is featured only on some HUGE (relatively speaking...as compared to the typical home owner PW) commercial duty washers costing thousands of dollars. Maybe some other forum member will be able to refute this statement (to your benefit). I suspect that EVEN IF a smaller, IC powered washer with electric start is available, it will be very expensive (Because this feature is NOT popular in the low powered, home owner class of pressure washers, there are not enough requests/demands for it from consumers for all the manufacturers to build/sell/compete for marketshare. Therefore it would be a "niche market" or "custom item" where the OEM collects ALL the R&D expenses on the few units built instead of spreading them incrementally over thousands of units sold.) You will probably be better off exploring the idea of purchasing an electric powered pressure washer in order to eliminate the manual starting obstacle. From what I saw (in looking at the PWs that do have electric start), you could buy a pretty powerful electric powered PW for much less money. Even if you had to have a special electrical outlet receptacle and circuit installed (by professional electrician) and purchase a special, heavy duty extension cord (to reach out farther) you would still not spend as much money as in buying an electric start, IC power pressure washer. If you are going to use the washer just around your home for the ordinary tasks usually done with a pressure washer, electric powered is likely your best option (even if it requires special outlets, cords etc.). If your planned usage is for tasks away from your home (where there is no access to compatible electric outlets) then you may have little choice except to buy a big commercial type PW. It makes a person wish for the "wind up" recoil starter feature that was used (briefly) on some models of push mowers in the 1960s. I always thought that was a pretty good idea. In case nobody remembers them, there was a "fold out, winding lever" (kind of like crank handle on a manual boat trailer winch) on top of the engine (instead of a pull rope). You would "wind up" a recoil spring by folding out the lever and "winding" it til it would not turn any further. Then you either pushed a release lever or knob (depending on what brand it was) to allow the "wound up spring" to spin the engine. I don't know why this feature fell out of popularity unless it was just too expensive an option for most people to buy (and it is "what most people do" that sets the standards for what the OEMs will produce for the market).

You will probably not find a pressure washer with electric start from the factory. But, if you know someone that is mechanically inclined, you can probably add that feature. Let me explain. Suppose you buy a pressure washer that had the briggs quantum engine on it. That same engine was used on certain high-end lawn mowers and was equiped with electric start. All you would need for the quantum is a pn 69550 starter motor, and possibly a different flywheel depending on whether the flywheel has a ring gear on it or not. There were three different numbers: 691987, 696291, 691992. One probably has no ring gear and not charging magnet, one probably has a ring gear but no magnet, and one probably has both the ring gear and the magnet. After the starter and maybe flywheel is installed, just add a small motorcycle battery and a starter switch. You now have an electric start pressure washer.

This might prove to be a little expensive, but it should work. This also might not be the option for everyone, but if you can't find anything else that will do the job for you, it might be something to thing about.

I've never seen an electric start consumer-grade pressure washer, however...
Both my father-in-law and grandfather have Tecumseh-powered snowblowers (Craftsman and Toro respectively) which have aftermarket 120v (plug-in; no battery) starters. Now that my FIL can no longer do anything physical, my MIL has to run the snowblower (I'm 550 miles away). She can't start it with the recoil rope, but it's no problem at all with the electric start. Having the ability to plug in gives you the advantage of not having to deal with a battery, which means less weight, less maintenance costs, and more power in cold temperatures (which is probably why I've only seen them on snowblowers).
I tried to search Tecumseh's site to find some more info and came up dry. Here's a kit I found on eBay for $144. If I were you I'd look for a Tecumseh-powered pressure washer and see if one of these kits can be fitted to it. I'd imagine Briggs, Kohler, and Honda also have 120v starters available, but I haven't seen any.

I found this site which sells a few reconditioned Karcher PWs with Tecumseh engines.

http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=22_146_77&page=1&sort=4a

I haven't seen any new ones with Tecumseh engines. They're mostly Honda, Subaru or Briggs these days. I highly recommend Karcher washers. I have a 3000 psi Honda powered model and it is top-notch. There are a lot of accessories available for them, as well.

Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: 120v starter kit

The engine needs a mounting pad for an electric starter and a ring gear flywheel, most p/w engines do not have that. As has been mentioned, a 12V start system would be bulky, heavy, and expensive. Some manufacturers like Landa use the electric start Honda 13 hp on their top end models.

Just thought of something today. I was looking at a pressure washer that we have at work. It has the briggs engine. Only problem with that idea is that the pressure washer needs a heavy flywheel, and the lawn mower flywheel is probably too light. I couldn't tell if the pressure washer had the ring gear or not. I will try to get a better look just for curiositys sake.

Ok, I just did a little more research. Still have not found an electric start pressure washer for you. I did however find the parts to make one. This engine has the electric start and the heavy flywheel. It lists for $150. The shaft will probably not fit a pressure washer pump though. I did figure out which flywheel is needed. You need pn691992 flywheel which lists for $57.70 and pn695559 starter which lists for $93.15. At those prices, you'd be better off buying the engine listed above and just swaping the parts onto a quantum powered pressure washer. That, a starter switch from a snapper RER for $15, a few #10 wires, and a small battery and you'd be set. There are a few problems, however. I must admit that the whole thing would be heavy and bulky. Also, unless you are mechanically inclined or know someone who is, the labor cost could get quite high also. I wish you luck in you search, and mayby I have given you something to go on.

I mentioned the electric powered pressure washer to my husband, he said it will not give enough pressure. And just yesterday the rope on the starter broke as he has to yank it and yank it start it and the poor rope just wore out. So now he has this very short rope on the recoil, which will play havoc on his back. He is very mechanically oriented and doesn't mind tinkering with things but a few years ago the engine on my Ariens rototiller died, we bought a used engine which he installed and the darn thing never did run right after that. So I believe he'd rather start with a new pressure washer, rather than altering the one he has.

nancyk, how about posting the vital stats of the PW you now own. Brand and model of the pressure washer AND the brand, model number a & type number of the engine it has. Your options for acquiring an electric start, ICE powered pressure washer have come down to: Purchase an expensive, commercial duty pressure washer (costly but "turn key" easy) OR try to obtain the components necessary to convert the existing engine to electric start. OR Try to obtain a new, electric start engine that will bolt up to the pump and the frame of your current pressure washer. Both of the last 2 options will require varying amounts of fabrication to the frame or cart if you plan to equip the pressure washer with it's own self charging/self starting battery (this would be the most convenient set-up). It would also be possible to outfit the cart with a pair of electrically insulated terminal posts to connect booster cables to a suitable donor battery (in a lawn mower, personal vehicle, etc.). While that plan would eliminate the need for a dedicated battery on the cart, it would still require heavy duty hook up posts to connect the booster cables and ALL the hassle that you go through when jump starting a dead battery. (I know some people who use this technique that have commercial ICE powered welders and air compressors because they got fed up with having the dedicated batteries stolen off them repeatedly).

I have empyyzema pretty bad,and if 3 pulls doesn't start the engine concerned,I am done for anyway.Electric start,or pull start,I always "prime" the carb with starting fluid.Easier on me,and/or the battery.No,I don't flood the cylinder walls.tbk

"how about posting the vital stats of the PW you now own"

From what I can find, the pressure washer is a NorthStar, 157170D. The engine is a Honda 5.5, GX 160, electronic ignition.

As my husband has had 4 backsurgeries, he says the recoil start just kills his back. He's tinkered with the starting mechanism but it did not help much. He can weld and alter this pw as needed if you come up with some strange idea to make starting easier.

You are in luck. That engine was produced with the electric start option. It seems to have been used on generators mainly, but the electric start parts should be readily available from the honda engine dealer (not the honda automobile dealer). Just take my previous briggs suggestions and apply them to the honda.

Pull the flywheel shroud off of the engine and see if the flywheel has the ring gear on it for the starter. If it does, you are in luck. If not you will need to get a flywheel that does. Now go down to the dealer and tell them that you want the 12 volt starter motor and flywheel (if yours doesn't have a ring gear) for the electric start version of the GX160. Once you have the parts installed on the motor, weld up a battery tray and a bracket for the starter switch. Use a lawn mower or motorcycle battery. The morotcycle battery is smaller and easier to mount, but will be more expensive. Go to the Snapper dealer and get a push button starter switch for a snapper rear engine rider. Hook it all up with #10 wire. Now you have made your pressure washer electric start. Sorry, but I can't get the honda parts page to let me see the part numbers. The dealer should be able to figure it out, though. Only problem it that this won't be cheap. But if you need it, this is probably the only way you are going to get it.

That sounds do-able. I am printing out your advice and we will definitely follow up on it. I just read the post to my husband, he says he believes there is "no" ring gear but he will doublecheck. Thank you so much. I will post back on how this all works out. It may be a while before I post back as we also have other projects in the works, and we need to find a honda engine dealer.

Nancy

If you havent found one already by now, Sears makes one. 2700 psi with a Keystart Briggs engine. Model # 75222

Sears Craftsman club member price $399.00