Fix a Primer Bulb Not Getting Hard on Your Mower

If you're out in the yard tugging on the starter cord and noticing the primer bulb not getting hard, you're probably looking at a frustrating afternoon of yard work that just isn't happening. It's one of those small mechanical annoyances that can keep a perfectly good engine from starting. You press the little rubber button, expecting to feel that familiar resistance as it gulps down fuel, but instead, it just squishes flat or pops back up with nothing but air inside. ...

February 12, 2026 · 7 min · Fowler Eyser