A recoil starter enabling a power-driven device to be coupled to a crankshaft of an engine in a state where the recoil starter is mounted to the crankshaft on the same side of the engine as the crankshaft is disposed on. A starter housing is provided on an inside thereof with a reel support shaft which projects coaxially with the crankshaft. A rope reel having a recoil rope wound thereon and a cam, which transmits rotation via centrifugal ratchets to the crankshaft, are rotatably mounted on the reel support shaft while they are rotatingly coupled to each other via a damper spring. An opening is formed in the reel support shaft so as to extend from a distal end thereof near the crankshaft to the outside of the starter housing. A drive shaft of the device is coupled to the crankshaft inside the opening.