Regardless of which brand you buy, ALWAYS check the valve adjustments prior to first running it then again after about the first hour of running as they will wear and change settings. After initial breaking, you should check the valve settings at least once for every season of flying. I have no trouble starting mine with a starter. However I always remove the mechanical choke and do not choke on start up. Just turning it over with the starter draws plenty of fuel to get things going.