Have two 30 year old Redmax saws without a bulb that were fed nothing but cheap ethanol gas since day one. They both have started within a few pulls even after sitting for nearly a year. The first problem with either was just this week. Had to replace the fuel tank grommet on the G561AVS.
Since the Redmax saws were getting old and parts are nonexistent, I started shopping for replacements a couple months ago. My brother runs several Stihls and suggested the ms261c. However, I decided on Echo since the dealer is close to me.
Bought a CS620P 24" no bulb, CS3510 16" w/bulb and a slightly used CS352 w/bulb (didn't need another 35cc saw but for $100 with three new chains I couldn't not buy it).
All start within three pulls.
Fixed up and sold a few Craftsman/Poulan saws with and without a bulb. All started easily in a few pulls.
So, in my experience:
Bulb or no bulb makes no difference. Just one more component to go bad.
87 Ethanol gas makes no difference. However, I just filled all of our cans with nonethanol + Stabil and bought a bunch of overpriced True Fuel for SHTF storage.
Proper maintenance makes a big difference. Clean filter and saw after each use. New plug once per year.
Most important is keeping fuel clean and free of sawdust.
