Petrol mowers - why do people tie the pull cord to the handle bars?

[Russel Sprout]

Hi all

I've been looking for a second hand petrol mower and I noticed in a lot of the adverts that people have the pull cord pulled out and tied (or hooked round) the handle, or some other bit of the machine. It's been a few years since I've had a mower, but I never used to do that when I did have one.

A quick google search has not been able satisfy my curiosity, so I wondered if anyone here could explain the reason for doing so?

Many thanks

[Nicos]

Mine came brand new with it threaded through a permanent attachment to the handle.
I’m guessing the handle is located there so you can pull it without having to bend right down to the engine?

[Snoop Puss]

Might it be safer? No hands or potentially trailing cords near blades?

Edited to add: Nope, looks like I'm wrong and Nicos is right. See the extended rope section here:
https://books.google.es/books?id=9AQ...dle%3F&f=false

[Russel Sprout]

That makes perfect sense. Thanks for explaining.

RE training cords, they retract so they would not be left trailing. But can see how it would be safer on the hands and kinder on the back! I don't know why but I just always presumed you had to pull it out all the way, with the handle in. Didn't occur that you could pull it from a half-way-out-already position.