RG-59 and similar coaxial cables are intended for carrying low voltage, high frequency signals with minimum loss. They do this by maintaining a very constant capacitance over the length of the cable. They are not intended to be used at more than a few hundred volts, certainly not the tens of thousands of volts produced by an ignition system. The insulation is not up to the task, and the shielding provides a handy ground path for the ignition pulse when it overcomes the insulation.
There are shielded ignition wires used in aircraft, but these are totally different from coax.
As far as "everyone agrees copper wire is best", I have to take exception with that statement. If it were true, all the cars running down the road would have copper cored wires. Although 1000 ohms per foot sounds like a lot, the current through an ignition wire is very small, so that the voltage drop across the length of a resistance wire is only a few volts; insignificant compared to the peak spark voltage. The purpose of the resistance is to provide damping so that the current through the ignition wire doesn't "ring" and generate excessive RF energy. As long as it is in good condition, a resistance plug wire is just as good as a copper one. The only real problem with resistance wires is that they are likely to degrade over time; when the resistance gets high enough the spark will short through the insulation instead of going through the plug gap.
Of course, it doesn't make any difference on a tractor that doesn't have a radio. But your wife and neighbors might like to listen to their radios as you drive by.
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Today's Featured Article - Tuning-Up Your Tractor: Plugs & Compression Testing - by Curtis Von Fange. The engine seems to run rough. In the exhaust you can hear an occasion 'poofing' sound like somethings not firing on all cylinders. Under loaded conditions the tractor seems to lack power and it belches black smoke out of the exhaust. For some reason it just doesn't want to start up without cranking and cranking the starter. All these conditions can be signals that your unit is in need of a tune up. Ok, so what is involved in a tune up? You say, swap plugs and file the points....now tha
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