New Strikemaster Solo - Re-coil.

[kitchy]

A buddy of mine just bought a new 3HP Strikemaster. Watched the video, filled with gas, gave it a pull, and presto....recoil broke.

I've been a Stikemaster fan for quite some time but wanted to put this out there and see if anybody else is having issues. The sad thing is that he has owned Jiffy's all his life and this is his first SM.

[leech~~]

A buddy of mine just bought a new 3HP Strikemaster. Watched the video, filled with gas, gave it a pull, and presto....recoil broke.

I've been a Stikemaster fan for quite some time but wanted to put this out there and see if anybody else is having issues. The sad thing is that he has owned Jiffy's all his life and this is his first SM.

Sad deal. I hate to see SM get a black eye like this since I have two of their older units which I have never had one issue with!

[Ice Monster]

I just bought a sm lazer pro 3 hp. The recoil busted on me to. Tore it apart and wound the spring tighter and now it works fine. Ya not real happy about that though. I must say that it cuts ice like crazy. I do just wont to say that I have always been a jiffy guy but this year jiffy went to a china made engine. I looked at them and they look cheep. plastic gear case, the exhaust comes out the top of the engine.

[Scott Wpg]

My buddy Steve just picked up a Stikemaster 3hp on Friday. Got it out of the box, assembled and fueled. Pulled the recoil, the rope wouldn't go back in. Took the shroud off, wound it in manually and tried again... same result.

He's taking it back to exchange tomorrow.

This seems to be a bit of a trend? That's a little concerning!

[river rat316]

First year of something new, it seems like there is alwaysx something. At least with strike master you know you will always be taken care of. I just used a strikelight 4stroke for the first time last night and that is a impressive little unit, quiet, and very fast! I will stick with strikemaster as long as they back there product like they always have!

[bogeyman1]

Happened to me about the 10th start. Rewound it and got it going again and it seems to be fine again. I won't bash SM because I know these things happen. It's frustrating anytime you spend good money on stuff and it fails, I just hope it's a fluke thing because I still think SM is a great company.

[Esox_Magnum]

Strikemaster has issued a service announcement on the new recoils, something about grease in them??

[fishgutz77]

The nice thing is Randy and the guys will take care of you.

They have always had top notch service when I needed them.

Good luck,

[harvey lee]

With all companies, there are times when a product could have an issue or two.

Strikemaster is a quality auger and their customer service will take care of its customers.

I would call Strikemaster if you have any issues as they will work it out with the customer.

[TWISTERSOCK]

Yes I purchased my new 3hp lazer pro also and the recoil after the first couple pulls wouldn't go back in. I called SM on the lake and they were more then willing to fix it. When I brought it in I guess it had the wrong grease and a extra washer. The thing is, now it works awesome. I'm actually glad I took it into there Big Lake shop instead of just returning it for a new one, cause chances are it could have happened again and now I know it is good to go for years!

[zamboni]

To me, this sounds like a Solo problem, not a SM problem and SM is awfully good to fix it. SM's customer service is second to none in the auger biz. Kudos to a Minnesota company, and believe me, they will rectify these problems

[Phred52]

Ya, It's just too bad that SM has to be the one that gets the "kick in the pants" for Solo's giving their whole Q.C. crew time off. You would think that with an issue as common as this appears to be, Q.C. would've caught at least 1 or 2 with similar issues and investigated. Phred52

[caughtacase73]

Recoil issue happened to a buddy last Friday. He took it to SM in Big Lake that afternoon. They said is was the wrong lubricant used. The lube would freeze and cause the problem. They were very appologetic and fixed the problem in 10 minutes for him. I think he may have walked away with a free extension for his trouble. Sometimes it takes some time to work out the bugs with new products but it helps to have good costumer service to back it up.

[aanderud]

Ya, It's just too bad that SM has to be the one that gets the "kick in the pants" for Solo's giving their whole Q.C. crew time off. You would think that with an issue as common as this appears to be, Q.C. would've caught at least 1 or 2 with similar issues and investigated. Phred52

I know nothing about "solo" engines, but maybe they aren't really designed for running in freezing temperatures. For all I know, SM could be the first company to use them in a cold-weather application.

No matter what, it's not just solo's QC that is to blame, they are merely a supplier to SM, who is selling the engines as part of a larger system and would obviously need QC of their own. Sounds to me like SM never tested these under FREEZING conditions. Probably just tested it a bit in the summer (when it was warm) and shipped em hoping they'd work in the winter.

[Phred52]

I agree with you, but it still boils down to SM getting slammed, (not Solo) as SM does otherwise have a QUALITY product and top notch customer service dept (I never had ANY problems with my old one either). Now, look at the posts...some 'the 1st pull', others a 'few pulls' later. Not a very good "out of the gate" showing, is it? SM is the one that will be ultimately responsible for customer satisfaction. I would be curious to know under what conditions they were tested. Then possibly, it's not even a cold weather issue, not enough pre-tension on the recoil spring, too much, plastic parts in the recoil, could be anything. Let's see how they remedy the problem. Phred52

[Esox_Magnum]

My understanding is guys had them to test all last winter, something changed between testing and production. Part of my reason to get away from Stikemaster and to a Nils last year was the questions on a good quality motor. I'm sure SM will solve this and things will be good again soon.

[DTro]

I don't think anyone is "slamming" SM.

It is ultimately a StrikeMaster auger, not a Solo.

If the recoils are indeed not working correctly, that would be a big concern of not only the company that sells it, but more importantly the people who buy it.

I'm quite sure that if there is a problem, SM will do what it needs to do to rectify it.

In the meantime it really is a bummer that people are having issues.

[harvey lee]

It's an issue that Strikemaster is resolving and I'm sure will correct. Strikemaster is a stand up company. Please be sure to to call Strikemaster and they will take care of you.

I used this Solo auger last winter and I can assure all, Its an ice cutting machine.

[kitchy]

OK, I have an update to my original post. My buddy returned it to GM and they swapped it no problem. Of course he started his new unit in the parking lot before he left. Started like a champ. Out on the ice he had nothing but rave reviews for the performance. He is now happy with the SM. I told him about the lube issue posted here and that concerned him a little. Nobody at GM mentioned this so he's wondering if it is going to happen again on the new unit. I am going to drop him a note and make sure he calls SM to discuss.

[SlavetodaBox]

Just took my new solo out today for its inaugural season. Runs outstanding, while my recoil didn't break it does seem to leave a little to desire. I don't believe you would want to rear back and put all your weight into a pull. I'm sure they will work this out.

[Phred52]

dtro, okay, 'slamming' may be too strong a word, at this point. Let's say that the SM Company will be 'taking the rap' for the Solo motors flaws. I agree, SM IS a Stand up Company that doesn't deserve that kind of 'rap'. What is the Solo motor going to do for SM's reputation? Please understand, I AM on SM's side, I'm NOT in any way putting them down. My concern is, the Quality augers SM has built their reputation with, the high quality customer service, the quality people that work for (and ARE) the company are regulated to use a motor that has yet to be proven on SM augers. Tecumseh stops building motors and SM has to search for another supplier. Sure, bottom line is profit, but if the motor issues mean that SM augers drop in sales, it could be the difference of life or death to another Minnesota company. And none of us want to see that! Harvey Lee, No I'm not having any issues with my auger, just concerns as above. I have faith in SM that they'll bend over backwards to take care of their customers. Phred52

[DTro]

Understood Phred

Really the easiest thing for those folks having issues is to call StrikeMaster directly and not go by hearsay.

It's very easy for anyone to whip up a claim on the internet. I'm not saying anyone is being dishonest in this case, but it wouldn't be the first time and won't be the last that things are blown out of proportion.

Best Advice is to contact SM.

[DrKen]

They had problems at the NAIFC with solo recoils breaking also. Strikemaster has recommended shooting the recoil area with WD40 to loosen up the grease in that area. They tested this engine extensively last winter and I suspect they had diffrent grease in those motors. As usual, Strikemaster, has been backing up the product and has quickly diagnosed the problem and has a solution out. They do have great customer service.

[McGurk]

... I don't believe you would want to rear back and put all your weight into a pull. ...

No, you don't. Not for any brand, unless you want to constantly replace recoils. That's not a SM-only issue.

You'd think with the availability of winter-use reel lube and tip-up lube, they would have thought to make a specification in all of their powerhead lubes to the manufacturer. Germany has a winter, too.

[TWISTERSOCK]

All I can say is that after I had my recoil lube fixed, this Solo engine is much better then the Tecumsen motors. It really does start on the 2nd or 3rd pull. The primer bulb is a plus, and the compression is so strong you actually need to press the decompression button. This is all on top of the fact that it cuts ice like a knife in butter. Last thing is that its warmup time is way less then the Tecumsen brand, although they recommend the same time. It never has even bogged down on me at all.

So really I believe just cause Tecumsen quit building motors, and forcing SM to change, they really did not set out just for a replacement. They did a lot of research and it ended up being a great upgrade. Also the 2 cycle smoke is by far less in the Solo engine. I know in my previous model that was only 2 years old before I traded up to this engine that It would spew smoke right in my face as I drilled! Overall I would give these a 9 out of 10 stars. As with everything new there is always something to work out, and that's just the process of purchasing something totally new to market.

[Ice Monster]

I live a long way from big lake but I have had this recoil apart to know it has a lot of grease it and if its wrong like im hearing from all of you does any one no a good lubricant to use that i could get at lowes or Menards.