My latest project- I have a cheapo generator and the recoil broke. The design is such that failure is pretty much guaranteed- the engine has no primer and needs to be pulled over quickly to start. The recoil is made of truly crappy plastic which tears like paper if the rope is pulled quickly. So I made a hub that I can wrap a rope around- just like the old days. Simple and reliable.
Here's how I made it:
-Carl