Need Advise Sorry Long

I need some advise from you green blood friends. My FIL passed away a few months ago. He had a JD 1050 with a back blade, 5' bushog and 5'finish mower those Italian made jobs. Well my MIL asked me to come cut her grass and the 1050 ran for a minute then blew the pressure relief on the cap. I let it cool pulled the thermostat out which was broken and wasn't stopping water flow. Fired it up again and same thing. I looked in the rad and it looks bad rusted up. Thing is my wife's idiot nephew used it to cut so I don't know if he ran it hot or not. Anyway I hauled my tractor over there and cut. Well now my MIL has decided to sell the tractor and equipment I guess I'm going to continue to haul mine back and forth. Well she asked me what it was worth. I told her well first it runs hot second when I used it the lift won't raise and for years you've had to short the starter solenoid to start it so as is not much. My FIL told me years ago if he died to help her sell it. Well I'm trying to figure out what would be fair. I don't really need another tractor and now I'm stuck cutting hers so I thought I'd tell her if she bought the parts I'd fix everything and sell it for her if I could have the equipment and I'd cut her grass from now on. What is this stuff worth and what would you do? What would you offer for all of it and remember I'm cutting the grass from now on. Thanks for your advise my friends.

Forget MIL buying the parts .....

Offer to take the tractor and equipment and mow her grass for as long as she lives.

Thanks for the reply but that won't work she's money hungry. It's for sure going to be sold I'm just trying to figure out a way for me to get something out of cutting her grass for as long as she lives because I'm going to have to do it anyway no one else has a tractor but me. Unless I tell her to find someone else and pay them to do it. Kind of a bad situation I'm caught in. Another one of her son in laws was using that tractor and keeping it cut but she told her daughter he was a functioning drunk and she told him what she said and that was the end of that. I don't know what to do actually.

I'm wondering if they overheated it and blew a head gasket ? Or maybe it was bad before ? Is the hyd. oil up to level ? If so then maybe it has some problems with the pump or who knows ?

Though they were darned good tractors, the 1050 is getting to be a pretty old machine now. Sales in this country started maybe 40 some years ago. It will for sure take some pretty big bucks to diagnose it's problems and fix them, unless you have the capability, facility, interest, tools and time to do it yourself. Parts for those old girls are getting pretty pricey and lots are no longer available through Deere. As is, it probably won't bring much. Just a SWAG, but maybe in the $2,500 to $4,000 range. And you might have to throw in the implements to get that much. I sure hope someone else goes out on their limb and provides another SWAG.

Well I would bet that the engine is toast. At the least a blow head gasket and maybe a cracked head. I would NOT repair it for her. The parts are not cheap. IF you just do the head gasket and it turns out to have other problems your going to get the blame for the other failed parts/things.

Plus a JD 1050 is not a high demand tractor anyway. Unless it has a loader and MFWD with power steering. IF it is a 2wd without power steering and no live PTO it is worth even less.

I am assuming 2wd without Power steering. The whole package is only worth maybe $2000-2500 AS-IS. IF she thinks it is worth more then walk away from helping her sell it.

Just mow her stuff with your equipment. The cost doing that is less than divorce and or putting up with a MIL. LOL

Thanks for all of your replies and help. I'm going to see about getting the equipment maybe for cutting her grass from now on. It's worth a try being that I'm probably going to have to do it anyway to keep the peace although my wife does understand that I'm always busy and they would have to pay someone anyway and I've always done mechanic work and stuff for them at no charge. My FIL would probably give me everything for doing it if he hadn't passed away. I'm sure the good Lord will make it all work out he always does. Again thanks for all of your advise.