if you have a mixture control and use it for shut down, make sure that it is not just looking good with the lever in the right place but is good without a twist or kink in the cable at or near the carby. it may be still shut down thus not allowing the engine to run but your prime is still encouraging a short run.
I think I would stay away from the ether.
you are lucky that you are not in the boonies doing this with a flat battery but using the crank handle.
Did that one day for an hour forty five minutes, and was about to give up to walk about twenty K when the damm thing fired and ran and i nearly didn't have the energy to get to the starter vibrator option switch.