My Bernina 440 QE has never eaten fabric at the beginning of a seam, whether or not I'm using a leader (or "spider" as F&P call them), and I don't use a straight stitch plate. When I first got my Singer (in 1971), I would have a problem until I realized I was starting the stitching off the fabric. If I moved the fabric so that the needle would go into the fabric, I rarely had problems.
I won't use a straight stitch plate, because I not only piece, but I do crafts with my machine, and I switch back and forth between straight stitching and decorative stitching frequently. Changing out the plate would be a pain in the patoot and I would probably forget and break needles.