As for tractor, one thing to try is a Kerosene "salamander" type heater blowing under the tractor. You might well have water in fuel filters or fuel solanoid that is not allowing full amount of fuel thru. Doesn't take much gel to cause some problems. Also watch out for how long you crank over the engine. Think there are guidelines for this in the manual.
We used to keep a 100 watt light bulb(trouble light) under crankcases to keep them warm.
Are you running regular or synthetic oil? I switched to synthetic last fall and my tractor started right up yesterday at 20 below. I let it warm up for half an hour and the block was just barely warm!
Well it is -5 in Western Mass and the BX22 just started! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif As when I had my truck it makes some weirddddddd noises and alot of black smoke. Figure let it fun for 15 to 20 since it has not been running since the last 15" of snow we had.
The BX just has synthetic oil (non Mobil) and winter fuel from Mobil. Just waited about 15 seconds or after hearing 4 clicks. Maybe you have water (frozen) in your filters?
10-4 on the weird noises......at -20, there are rattles coming from places that I didn't know exist! Guess if I sat in a barn at -20 and had no heat I'd rattle too!
You may want to check the glow plugs. It may also help to remove the air filter and point a heat gun into the housing while cranking it to provide some warm air for ignition.
Very sorry to hear about your brother. My deepest sympathies to you & your family.
I put a block heater in my TC last spring while I was changing the antifreeze (supposed to every season per manual). I wasn't having trouble starting the tractor, but it would never warm up while I was plowing. Now if I plug her in overnight, before I start the temp guage is at the 1/4 mark. The install was very simple. If you do a search here there are a few threads on how to pull the freeze plug out.
I keep the tractor in an unheated & poorly insulated (doors are thin & don't seal well) attached garage. It stays pretty cold in there - the snow on the blower I just got melted a little then froze. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
Hazmat...you may have already thunk of this...but....when you get to blowing those spring snows, you know the wet ones, take the time to fully clean the auger and chute after you're done. In a cold garage, that stuff can easily become a block of ice and it really stinks when the next storm rolls through and you can get the auger free. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to thaw her out. They are saying Snow on Monday /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Haven't heard how much yet.
I was hoping that it would warm up a bit before the next snow. The garage is usually above freezing. If not, I'm armed with a space heater, heat gun, & a big chisel....