Rope start

This reel assembly is in contact with one end of the crankshaft through a ratcheting mechanism (specifically, a freewheel clutch).

When the rope's grip is pulled, the rope uncoils, tensions the spring, engages the clutch and turns the crankshaft, spinning it to crank or start the engine before the end of the pull stroke.

[citation needed] A reel connected to the crankshaft has a notch in it to put a rope through.

[citation needed] A number of features are labelled by manufacturers as "easy start," such as the presence of a primer bulb, an additional elastic/spring element between the starter rope and the crankshaft, a decompression release, or simply an engine which the manufacturer contends is easy to start.

[1] A compression release feature, found on many modern engines and especially larger 2-strokes, is a valve in the combustion chamber which can be held open while the rope is being pulled, avoiding the need to overcome compression while imparting enough angular momentum for the engine to continue.