You can get a Hobbico Torqmaster for $30 and a battery for $20, unless you have a lawn mower/motorcycle battery laying around. I started with a chicken stick but after using a buddy's starter I was sold. The engine starts right up if primed in warm weather. In the cold you can keep the engine spinning while it sucks up enough fuel and heats up. Chicken sticks in the cold are not fun at all. So yeah, cold weather or not, it's definitely worth it.