hot solenoid = bad starter ?

[Trudy Fair]

Tractor dead solenoid hot when trying to start it

 

[old]

What brand and model is the tractor?? That could be a number of things. Starter could be locked up in the ring gear. Or the solenoid it self could be bad. Or the engine could be locked up

 

[Trudy Fair]

Sorry - it's a '51 8N, 12v. New solenoid, I can turn the motor over with a crank, so it's not locked up. I suspect the starter as it was pretty funky in there a couple of years ago when I had a peek inside. It's been firing right up and running great, then it'll be deader 'n a hammer.
New battery - and I just replaced the fan belt because it was shot as well.

 

[old]

You might try hooking the battery cable to the starter it self to see if it will turn over. But be 1000$ sure it is out of gear. If it turns over that way it isn't the starter but instead a bad or the wrong type of solenoid