David Bradley's hate cold weather? Please help

Hi I have a David Bradley super 5.6 garden tractor. I have all original parts for it. I have been using it to plow the snow on my massive long driveway and it has worked great. However the other day it was really late and I was plowing and I ran out of gas and couldn't get it into the barn( which by the way really is just 3 walls and a roof) so I left if outside. I wrapped it up with a tarp really well and left it sit for the night. The next day I got gas, filled it up and tried to start it. No luck. This isn't uncommon for it it usually takes a while to draw fuel anyway so I shot some starting fluid in it. It fired a couple times then died. That usually happens. I went inside for about 5 minutes to get my gloves. (Mind u it's about -30 degrees with the wind chill probably like -6 Actual temp.) when I came back out I tried to start it and nearly threw out my shoulder trying to pull the starter rope. It was super stiff and sluggish and it was hard to turn the crank. Now I can't get it started. Any ideas tips pointers or miracles? I have nearly a foot of snow all the way up to like three feet of snow ( drifts) covering my driveway that needs to be cleared.

mabe the oil is to thick, or your transaxle is in gear and it is making it hard to pull over.

I think u could be right about the oil but it hasn't been a problem all winter it has worked fine up till now and the transaxle is disengaged. Also I have another question, it has a locking differential and it usually works fine but lately only one tire spins and it keeps getting stuck. Also I might have put gasoline contaminated with water in it but I daring the fuel line and the gas tank and put fresh fuel in.

-30, your oil is probably the consistency of a melted marshmallow. -1 this morning and my truck didnt wanna crank. If you have an enclosed garage, bring it in and warm it up. You can also try drawing fuel through the lines to the pump.

I don't have an enclosed area I can put it in to warm up. Do u think if I wrapped some pipe Warner's, the kind you plug into the wall around it that would help?

That's a good idea. You would want to cover up the motor with some old comforters or blankets or something if it's windy out. Keep the small amount of heat in! Also, maybe a hair dryer will help if applied to the cylinder / block area. Warm up the carb too. It could have iced up during your last run.   

Hey i got it started but now the stupid locking differential wont lock and its just spinning one tire not going anywhere fast. Anyone know what might be wrong? the cable ios fine and is working the way it should.

Well, if it's related to the cold, then I'd suggest just doing some high speed runs up and down the driveway to loosen up whatever grease or oil is in the tranny. Or get out the hair dryer.   

Depending on what the transaxle is using for lubricant, it could be the same thing... gear oil is sluggish at room temperature.

ok thanks. the only problem is its getting stuck every 3 feet because of the snow and the fact the diff dosent lock.

It's either broken or frozen. In hopes that it's just frozen, you should be able to warm it up by putting some horsepower through it. Is there any way to get a run up and down the driveway? Sometimes they just need a good old fashioned beating.   

Yeah warm up the engine the oil is to thick so it won't turn over or makes it hard to start

I spent 2 hours under my buick when it was 90 below with a blow torch... the engine heater kept the engine warm, but the auto tranny fluid had frozen solid.

That's why they say it's better to warm up your car / truck by driving slowly instead of letting it just sit running. It warms up everything instead of just the motor.   

Where did you find -90 degrees?!!!   

Hey I got it working. My torch ran out and it's a level 3 out so I legally can't go get more propane so I said what the heck and sprayed starting fluid on the transaxle and pulled out the old zippo and lit it on fire. It works now.

You read my mind! That's a very cool tractor btw...