Jiffy Ice Auger Question

[Smails]

This summer I bought a slightly used Jiffy Stealth 3 hp ice auger. I used it for the first time today and the blade locked up and stop turning several times as I tried to cut thru the ice.

It would start out OK then stop spinning when it had to work to cut thru the ice. Even slight pressue while drilling would cause the blade to lock up.

With other augers I've always pushed down hard while drilling but that didn't work with this Jiffy.

Has anyone had similar issues? How do I remedy this problem?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[LMITOUT]

Welcome to Fishing MN!

If the blade is in decent shape there shouldn't be much downward force needed to drill a hole. Only when my blade is pretty dull is when I have to lean on the auger a little to make it cut, otherwise it should make a hole pretty easy without pushing on it much. Look at the teeth and make sure they look halfway decent. They may be beat up or dull if it wasn't taken care of by the previous owner.

Also, take a look at the blade and make sure it's not bolted on upside down.

If everything looks good a carb adjustment may help too, believe it or not. It may just be plain running out of power because the carb settings are wrong. I've had this happen before and after adjusting the carb it would rip through the ice.

[MNMUSKIES]

Check your choke, if it's all the way open it will have a hard time cutting. The first time I had mine out it was doing the same thing untill I adjusted it, after that, good to go

[LMITOUT]

Good tip. Lever should be all the way to the right for starting, middle for warm-up, and all the way to the left for operation.

[Smails]

I'll make sure the choke is off and give it another try.

Also, there was OLD gas in it when I bought so a carb clean may be needed as well.

Thanks for the info guys - I appreciate it.

[Dozer]

I have a 3hp jiffy that has does the same thing as yours. Mine has done that since it was new 18 YEARS AGO!!!! I worked on it more than I care to admit. Ive taken it in 3 or 4 times with no results. It currenty in at the cycle shop in Forest Lake. If it doest run better when I get it back Im going to a strikemaster!

[walleye-]

If your augar stops spinning it might be the clutch slipping? I had that problem with mine.

[Down2Earth]

Seafoam might fix your problem also

[picksbigwagon]

is it stopping at the bottom of the ice hole? Mine does that, it just bites with that leading point blade. I lift it up hit the gas and down it goes.

[Smails]

picksbigwagon,

It will drill a couple inches then the auger appears to get hung up as it's biting thru the ice. The ice was ~ 6" on Prior yesterday so it hung up 2 or 3 times during every hole we drilled. It may be a power issue. I plan to try the suggestions mentioned above to see if that helps.

Thanks!

[morpho]

The aggressive stx teeth dislike this soft ice they dig in too deep and that's what causes the issue try holding it up a tad and see if that helps. I punch'd like 10 holes on prior today and had the same issue dang gummy ice.

[MnIceman]

I've had one for a few years now and if I push down the slightest little bit it will hang up. The trick is not to push or even lean on it while cutting . Once you start doing that they cut way faster than anything else . The weight of the auger itself is all that is needed . I love the STX over my old strikemaster . I hog out 8 holes in my house in half the time of the old one.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

If the blades are sharp you should not have to push down on the auger.

Sounds like you may need a carb. adjustment.

Also use Amsoil at 80:1 mixture with premium gas. No smoke and you auger will run better and have more power.

Cliff

[LMITOUT]

A few years ago mine would stop right before punching through. A carb adjustment let it finish the hole since it was running out of power. I believe I tweaked the high-speed screw on the carb a little and that's all it took. It doesn't hurt to have a fresh spark plug and fresh gas either.

[BIG DS]

sounds like your auger needs a slight carb adjustment on the high speed mixture screw. You may also need to increase the engine rpm slightly. The governor springs strech out and you will lose a couple hundred rpm and sometimes more. Not real noticeable but enough to affect how things go when you are finishing a hole. I have very seldom had to take a carb apart and do a rebuild on a 3hp. You can usually just pull the screws and spray carb cleaner through them and it does the job.

[Smails]

Thanks for the info and advice guys. I appreciate it!

[sikasoman]

Speaking from experience....check your blades to make sure they are installed correctly...not "upside down". Your description sounded very familiar to what happened to me a few years back. When I "reinstalled" the blades the way they were supposed to be, my auger ran like new again!

[Bigslugger]

I have the same problem with mine but mine is a Model 30. Its frustrating when it binds at the bottom and wont continuously run

[sparkydm]

Carb adjustment for sure. Mine did that until I cleaned the carb out fully, reassembled and then adjusted per instructions found on this site last year. Now it blazes thru w/o any hesitation.

[picksbigwagon]

would I turn the high speed screw clockwise or counter clockwise? or in other words, righty tighty or lefty loosey?

[LMITOUT]

counterclockwise.

[LMITOUT]

Basiclly theres 3 adjustments to a carb. Idle speed- is a simple stop screw on the external linkage to set idle speed.

Low Speed Adjustment- this will meter the gas/air mixture inside the carb.

High Speed- this will meter the gas/air mixture at high speeds.

Turning in - Clockwise = lean

Turning out - Counter Clockwise= Richen.

If the won't run without having to prime or without giving throttle you are too lean at Idle Speed. You want to richen that mixture.

At high speeds if the engine won't run without priming you'll need to richen that adjustment.

[BIG DS]

Counter clockwise. Take it out on the ice and take your screwdriver with you. Holding the auger off the ice, it should run a little rough wide open with no load. When you start drilling it should clean right up and have that nice Jiffy crackle you can hear accross the lake. If you turn the screw out and it runs smooth with no load, give it another 1/4 turn and try it again. From my experience, if you leave it running smooth with no load and start drilling holes, it will run lean and burn a hole in your piston!?

[Whoaru99]

Why do you guys think it's a carb problem when it seems to be that the auger screw is stopping? I haven't seen anything mentioned about a poorly running engine. I could see carb adjustment if the symptom was engine stalling or really bogging down, but if its got enough power to slip the clutch and not stall the engine, I'd think carb adjustment isn't the primary issue.

My Jiffy will do the same thing as it gets to breaking through. If you put too much down pressure, it bites, the screw stops, but then engine will labor away on the governor with the clutch slipping. Of course, I don't leave it that way, but there is definitely torque from the engine.

[BIG DS]

well...I've repaired thousands of small engines including hundreds of ice augers every winter. Experience is my playing card. If you read my earier post, I mentioned the ever present issue surrounding the week governor spring which causes a rpm loss. Just enough usually so the clutch is not properly "locked up" and slips but will not stall the enine. The engine will run with a carb in need of repair. Not well, but it will run.

[potknot]

With this paticular Model you can not push down on it use the weight of the auger and this model it will cut fine.