A human being makes a sixth of a horsepower, or 125 watts.
Sure, top athletes can hammer that for a while, but we're talking one arm and back here.
Cold starting performance is by far the simplest indication of overall engine condition.
Yes, I can't imagine that I'm putting much more than 1/3HP into that crank handle. I can wing it over just fine for a few revolutions, but I have an endurance problem (and fear of a back blow-out) that an electric motor doesn't have.
I don't mind having to use the decompression lever along with the starter if necessary. I'm not after "auto start". I still need to go out there and check oil, turn on the fuel, flip the appropriate breakers and switches to direct the power to the house, and all that. I just need to take the "grunt work" out of starting it so that either the wife or I can get it going under "adverse conditions", which may include sub-freezing temperatures.
I had NO problem getting it started several times at temps in the 35-40F range, but at 25F it ain't gonna happen without help. (although the propane torch down the intake sure helped this morning!)
FWIW, here's a snippet from wikipedia about human HP:
"Put into perspective, a healthy human can produce about 1.2 hp briefly and sustain about 0.1 hp indefinitely, and trained athletes can manage up to about 0.3 horsepower for a period of several hours."