Hard to believe that they put those primer bulb on equipment that's made to be in ice cold weather!! Is it the 'soft' bulb or those cheap clear looking ones? I have a very old Toro lawn mower and it uses a soft one that you can't see through. Had the mower since the mid/late 80's and have only had to replace it once.
Gas eats the inside and age ruins the outside. A small engine with a primer starts so much easier in cold weather. It's like an accelerator pump shot when we start our old cars.