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. An annular plate is secured to the starter housing to prevent the cam and rope reel from being detached from the reel support shaft.