It should not be like that. My bet is it is something small like an electric choke that does not work or you are not pushing in the choke while cranking. You must push it in and keep it pushed in until the motor starts to choke out and then let off. You may need to bump it in a couple more times after that to keep it going good. Are you pumping the bulb til it's firm?

Those are great motors... I owned one for 4 years and never had an issue with cold starts in Michigan. I fish from ice off until ice on..

Sounds like you have an idot for a dealer...