When I do think I need tobuse a starter, I keep it to short bursts, 2 or e seconds at the most.i go though the same motions to prepare for start and sometimes even feel for a bump, and then if it won't flip start after a half dozen flips, and I get impatient, then I'll hit it with the starter. Cold, damp mornings usually present challenges on a cold start. On ANY plain bearing engine especially keep the burst short. You can choke it by hand to draw fuel up to the needle and get a prime. Four stroke are still a bit of a mystery to me and I use the starter the most on those. I'm not sure if I get it too much prime or not enough, but the same short burst rule applies for me. On small engines like Norvel, I find that the first cold start usually requires the starter, so I just use it anyway , but keep with the short burst routine. If it won't start in the first 3 to 5 seconds, you are not doing something correctly.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

I like to use a stationary starter and plug the engine into the RUNNING starter.  This is very handy for a one-man operation.

Electric motors use A LOT of power to start and almost nothing when they are up to speed.  If I forget to turn it off it can run for ten minutes and not hurt anything. 

I have an electric starter, but rarely need to use it. I just hand flip to start.

If there are no fuel delivery issues, and the engine has proper compression, fuel prime and a healthy and proper heat range glow plug, it should easily hand flip start.

The only engine I have (an older high-time Fox 35) that has low compression needs the electric to start. But I also have other low-time Fox and McCoy 35's that start fine just hand flipping.

Was refering to the OP.