Ether or Starting Fluid?

I use WD40 on my small gas engines in lieu of the cheaper starting fluid as it works well and lubricates better than the starting fluid. Know I can't use WD40 in the diesel but what about the cheaper starting fluids?

Also I've heard bad things about using either in small engines. We always used to use WD-40, and it worked great, but not long ago, a fellow told me to use carb cleaner to start the small gas engines with. the idea is that it will start it, and the cleaner will break up the gunk that is likely keeping it from starting w/o help.

Ether properly metered and it shouldn't go through the air filter. Direct spray into the manifold only way to go, but it takes a Deere spray, all other manifold spray systems I've seen are much like a garden hose nozzel. One of many items Deere had right.

Another good parctice with ether is keep the can warm. I never liked those injection systems with ether can mounted under hood. Warm ether is 3 times as effective, this is why I liked the John Deere system. You go to the tractor with can of ether from a warm building, keep it under your coat as you go. I once had a bet with a non Deere believer, he got up at 5am, -35F just to see me start the Deere with jumper cables or so he believed. Deere was a power shift so I pulled the disconnect lever for transmission. In the dark and back on I pulled the ether can from my coat, gave it a jab as it started cranking, it fired up, and I had to give it 3 more jabs to keep it running. Two days later, I heard at the coffee shop, my Deere started without ether at -35F, and without jumper cables. He never did see the ether, and I never said I used it.

Warm ether, almost as important as warm feet when you hop in bed to start the Mxxx.

Had a neighbor once, named Frank. He had to turn his steers out of warm barn for watering. When he was putting them in at dusk, two steers decided to give him the runaround. Frank went to the house, cold, cold night. At bedtime Mrs. Frank noticed the two steers in the moonlight. Frank assured her he hadn't forgotten and they would be ready to go in by now. Frank's feet got very cold on the trip to the barn. When he got back, jumped in bed hooked the toes from his size 14 feet under Mrs. Frank's night dress and planked his bare feet right in the middle of her back. She told that to the neighbors and was quite good natured about it. Bear in mind I'll not be trying that stunt.

Just a little shot will work. Too much will cause "ether lock". This causes the engine to completely stop when you are starting it. Could possibly bend rods.

Just give a quick, light shot in the air cleaner. Doug N

A buddy of mine went to some Cat school or something, and they demonstrated how an engine can be blown apart with ether. They had this engine behind bulletproof glass, shot ether in it, hit the glow plug switch, and BOOM. The glow plugs ignited the ether and blew the heads off a V-8 diesel. Very dangerous combonation, ether and glow plugs. Doug N

Does an 1100 have glow plugs?

I have long purchased/used the cheapest stuff I can find and have never had any problems.