Anyone here in to the old hit and miss engines? They were used mostly on farms, powering washing machines and other things, such as in mining to provide fresh air for the miners. They'd fire only when power was needed and/or to keep up the minimum RPMs.
They came in all sizes, from those being housed in their own shed (like the one at the mines in Jerome, AZ) to the small ones used for washing machines, log splitters, etc. I saw one near here that's shown at many fairs in the summer; it powers a home-made can crusher.
I'd really like to get a small one, fix it up, and get it running. I know they're on EBay, but the cost there is not reasonable. Maybe up to 3HP.
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sExJ7awlL0[/youtube]
Selections of old hit and miss engines running (I want a small one to play with):
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOCBHa0UIsI&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2E78C0BA2E7C04E9[/youtube]