The starter is about 4 years old. It's a NAPA starter and the last one I put on was good for 12 years. It has no problem spinning the motor over without the glow plugs hooked up. Truth be told, since I cleaned up all the battery clamps, engine grounds, starter connections, etc. it turns the engine over quicker than before. Without the GP energized it really shines, that's why I'm eliminating them with the on demand rocker switch. As others have said it should put a lot less strain on the components involved in the starting process.

 

I'm still running the original starter and it's a strong as the day it was made. Good batteries and cables make a huge difference.