In my limited PERSONAL experience, a Diesel tractor that needs ether to start is usually on its last legs, and needs ether to start because it has BAD COMPRESSION, which doesn't get the air/fuel charge hot enough to fire in a cold engine anymore. There ARE lesser, more easily fixed problems, like fuel system problems, that can also cause the tractor to need ether. You need to KNOW which you are looking at here to know if this tractor is worth buying (unless you want a rebuild project). For some people, a tractor is just another toy, an acquisition that comes at that point in life when several thousand dollars isn't that big a deal anymore and anyway, you need to make that several thousand dollar purchase to protect an investment worth several hundred thousand (your new country place). My family's background, however, is such that I don't know if I'll EVER be able to purchase a vehicle of any kind without viewing it as a major purchase. And, a major purchase means learning EVERYTHING I POSSIIBLY CAN before making the purchase. You say the motor "seems to be in good shape." You don't sound very sure! Have you done a compression test? I get ridiculed by some for suggesting it, but I've never bought a vehicle from a stranger without either making a compression test myself or having someone else do it. A compression test can be as simple as pointing the vehicle down hill in a lower gear and seeing how quickly it gains momentum, or as complex as doing a thourough and systemactic compression and leakdown test. If you don't know how to do these tests yourself, you can hire a mechanic to do them for you. It's done all the time; and sometimes a seller who understandably doesn't want Joe Tirekicker to start taking a wrench to the tractor will happily let a professional mechanic do the tests. I consider an hour or two of labor by a professional mechanic a SMALL price to pay for the peace of mind of knowing I didn't get rooked; but I am sure we'll hear from others who feel differently.
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