I just flip it with my finger. I use a finger-snap motion with my flipping-off finger, and the engine usually starts right off.
It's really easy to know if it's going to start the right way, too -- if you flip it forward, it'll backfire and run backward; if you flip it backward, it'll go along with your wishes and run backward. You can make it run the other way by putting a "pusher" prop on it, though.
I can do all that also, Tim. I've been running these things since I was 12 years old (I'm on my way to 63 as of right now!) I worked part time at a local hobby shop for over 35 years and have an unbroken string of getting customer cox .049s started on the first flip using whatever they brought in with them. These were all disgruntled customers that informed me that they were "engineers", or some other type of professional, and they were certain that here was something defective with the engine. Almost to a man, when asked if they read the instructions, the answer was no, they didn't need to, they were an engineer, or what ever. I then proceeded to use the prescribed starting procedure as spelled out in the instructions, and using their fuel, battery, and clips, always got one flip starts. I would set the needle, run the tank out, wipe it off, then box everything up and hand it back to them. I don't believe we ever issued a refund to anyone on a Cox product. I tell you all of this because the newbie doesn't know what you or I know, and sometimes the electric fingers are the answer for them. At KidVenture, we had all types of people as volunteers, including the people who fueled, started and launched the airplanes. Quite frequently, when they were introduced to me, it might have been the first time they were ever that close to a model engine, much less ever start one. So before we started to fly kids, we have to teach the ground crew. Usually, within, 15 or 20 minutes and the use of the little starters, they were like old pros. But like any other tool, it can be miss used and abused, and cause some kind of damage, but in my mind, that is far to one extreme end of the spectrum.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee