Hey There. I might be able to help. I currently own 4 CEN MT2 Fun Factor's, All with various setup's. First, to answer your questions. The CEN MT2 with the factory pull start, usually starts up on the first few pulls. The factory pull setup is very durable, and I have yet to break one. Personally, I prefer the Tiger Drive Kit, using an electric 12v drill motor with the adapter shaft made for the Tiger Drive Kit. The Tiger Kit does take away most of the stress in starting up the MT2. In my experience of working with RC trucks, I have found the MT2 Fun Factor the best deal on the market. With top speeds up to 45mph, even faster with the installation of a OS .18 engine, the MT2 has much of the cat like reflex's and is mostly bottom heavy, which means after most small jumps and leaps, the MT2 almost always lands on its wheels.... amost always, :-). I highly recommend this vehicle. The Factory Pull Start works great, I have just found that during colder weather, you will need to be a little more patient, as it takes longer and more pulls to get it started. Hence, the Tiger Drive kit by sullivan products is my personal preference for most of my RC trucks. Sullivan also makes tiger drive start kits for XTM Mammoth, Traxxas Jato, HPI MT2, HPI Savage..... Most kits are around $20 to $30 dollars. You will need to purchase a $9 dollar HEX adapter shaft for your kit, that works on all tiger drives, except for the HPI models, which use's a different type of HEX shaft to start their engines. Basically the HPI engines rotate in the other direction, than most engines. Hey, hope all this info helps ... Good Luck on your purchase.....and welcome to the world of RC trucks....