RE: starting with the choke on?
It's one thing I leaned here on RCU from lumberjacks who worked chain saws for years.
Not many of those in Holland i'm afraid.
I did the test of course, and results surpassed my expectations. The idle can be set much leaner, yet starting will be as if set richer, probably all due to the reduced oil viscosity as it is diluted by some fresh gas that is not used up as the engine is stopped.
For gas it is a blessing. For glow engines not. The methanol would attract moisture and thus ruin every corrodable metal part inside.