Strikemaster Extreme Cold Frustration

[jerkin'm]

After years of lugging around my old Jiffy I decided on a Strikemaster Lazer Mag Express last year-Bought a demo and it seemed to run OK in average winter temps-took it to Canada last January and it wouldn't start without 100+ pulls, wouldn't idle and never stayed running without constant choke fiddling-Brought it to Strikemaster and they sprayed some carb cleaner in it while I waited and said everything was fine-Ran OK rest of the season-Stabiled gas over summer and it wouldn't run at the start of this season-took it in and had carbs gone through and it ran and started fine the only outing I had it on before leaving for Canada two weekends ago-Up there back to the 100+ pulls to start,constant choke fiddling, forever period before it would run good enough to cut a hole-A buddy had a brand new Solo with as well that locked up after the second series of holes it had drilled-Thankfully we had a Nils with as well so we could fish-Are these augers not capable of running right at well below zero temps? I'm about done with mine....

[GotALunker]

this is the first i'm hearing of it.

just bought a new lazer pro, and i'm hoping that I dont start having issues like this

i've been getting the sense that even though SM is clearly the leader in quality, it seems like they are prone to incidental kind of junk like this happening.

for example, I haven't had my new drill for 3 weeks and already the on/off switch broke so SM has to send me a new one.

i'm starting to hear more about the handles breaking, or the drill wont break thru the bottom, or the thing wont start in very cold temps or recoil wont work etc...

also, for the stinking money you pay for one of these things...why the heck dont they toss in a 3.2oz bottle of oil in the box so you can mix your first gallon of fuel?

I'm still happy w/ it and hopefully will be for years.

[CatholicConis]

I've got my first power auger this year, a 3 year old 3HP StrikeMaster like you are describing. It doesn't run perfectly smooth, but does the job. Yeah in the really cold weather I learned to enrich the mixture a little, and this really helps. There is a little flat-head crew next to the carb. Turn it counterclockwise to enrich...just a little, like one or two hands on a clock position. Also, you can run with the choke 1/2 on in the really cold weather.

Let me know if that helps!

[pegleg]

Sounds like a frozen gas line... Did you try putting a little Heet in the gas? I do this pretty much with every tank full on my auger and 4 wheeler. Doesn't need much. If you have a heated garage you get some condensation in the tank occasionally.

[DeeJ]

Perhaps you flooded it? Sounds like what mine was doing the first time I fired it up and I am fairly confident that was my issue. Wasn't any 100 pulls, but 25-30 anyway. </.02>

[NoWiser]

My dad bought the Lazer Pro last year and used it in Canada in some pretty extreme cold while lake trout fishing. He loved it so much that I bought one of my own this year. I used it for 3 full days of fishing last week in Northwest Ontario and, while it wasn't as cold as it usually is, it was still well below zero. When the auger was completely cold such as first thing in the morning, it would take me an average of 5 pulls to start. 3 on full choke and two with no choke. Once I got it started, though, it idled like a dream. If I wanted to start drilling immediately I'd have to move it to 1/2 choke, otherwise I could let it warm up 30 seconds and let her rip. So, yes, they are capable of running in the cold. Sounds like something must be wrong with yours. Did you try changing the plug at all?

[jerkin'm]

I just put a brand new gas tank and line on it...(Thanks to the plastic choke lever attached to the tank snapping off) Not flooded, it wouldn't even fire at all. More like starved for gas, was thinking of trying a primer bulb in the line before I launch it into orbit....It ran fine Sunday at 10 degrees..

[harvey lee]

I used mine last winter in -35 for 3 days on Rainy Lake. Yes, it took a few pulls to start, maybe 5 but it worked just fine under brutal conditions. I do not use any gas line deicer at all. Maybe a little stabil.

Next to no issues here at all.

In these extreme temps, about everything is a bit slower.

On Mille lac a few weeks ago there was a fellow that set up pretty close to us. His auger would not start and when it did, it was terribly dull. I grabbed my Strikemaster and went over to cut him a hole or two.

I pulled about 20 times and it would not start. I figured I flooded it. I went back to the wheel house and pulled the plug and dried it off. I then realized that when I was trying to start it the first time, I did not move the red button to on.

Boy, that was dumb and I thought that it was the fault of my auger.

[dairyman]

Yeah they do start better when the "ON" switch is turned on-----I've done stuff like that too

[CaptainMusky]

I used mine last winter in -35 for 3 days on Rainy Lake. Yes, it took a few pulls to start, maybe 5 but it worked just fine under brutal conditions. I do not use any gas line deicer at all. Maybe a little stabil.

Next to no issues here at all.

In these extreme temps, about everything is a bit slower.

On Mille lac a few weeks ago there was a fellow that set up pretty close to us. His auger would not start and when it did, it was terribly dull. I grabbed my Strikemaster and went over to cut him a hole or two.

I pulled about 20 times and it would not start. I figured I flooded it. I went back to the wheel house and pulled the plug and dried it off. I then realized that when I was trying to start it the first time, I did not move the red button to on.

Boy, that was dumb and I thought that it was the fault of my auger.

Had the same thing happen to me. I was ready to do some chest pounding as I screamed through the ice with my new Solo powered Strikemaster, but what ended up happening is I pulled like 30 times while my buddy with his 30 year old Jiffy drilled like 3 holes. Once I figured it out though I drilled 5 holes in less time than it took him to drill 2.

The Solo is unreal.

[Hawg]

Gas clean? No crud in the bottom of your can? Metal cans are great for screwing things up. Oil/gas mixture right? That's unusual for a Strikemaster.

[jwmiller33]

We got a new strikemaster magnum last winter and struggled thru the recoil issues. Finally brought it into strikemaster and they replaced the recoil and did a tune up on the machine, all in under 10 minutes. Since then, the auger has been running flawlessly and cuts thru the ice like its butter. However, I did have troubles starting it at times until I went on strikemasters HSOforum and read their tips for starting their augers.

I was always afraid of priming the auger too much and flooding it, so I was a little conservative on priming it. After reading on strikemasters HSOforum that you are supposed to prime it 5 to 8 times and now that is what I do. Now, I rarely have to pull more than 3 times to get my auger to start, and it idles like a champ. Was using it in below 0 temps last weekend and it still took no more than 4 pulls to get her started.

Make sure you are pressing the blue decompression button in!!! Also, once the engine fires for the first time, move the choke lever from "start" to "run" for the next pull, and the auger almost always fires up on the next pull after doing this.

[TooTallTom]

I then realized that when I was trying to start it the first time, I did not move the red button to on.

Boy, that was dumb and I thought that it was the fault of my auger.

I'm right there with you Harvey Lee. My dad's standard trouble shooting questions start with "Is it turned on?" and "Is there gas (batteries, etc.) in it?" When I was a kid, it used to really bug me, and when I ask people those two questions I know it bugs them. But it's suprising how often one of those two is the solution. Plus, they're generally pretty easy to fix.

Tom.

[bikeoutback]

I have a SM Lazer Mag 8" with the Tecumseh engine that's going on it's 4th year. Never broke a handle but I'm careful to set it down and I don't lean it against anything for fear it will fall over. I had idle trouble the past 2 years when it was cold however my switch over to using AMSOil on it has straightened that right up. I have no idea why but it's all I run now in it and it runs better than it ever did with 24:1 SM oil mix in it. Starts better, idles better (my difficulty with it prior), and drills better so it seems. I do however let it warm up for 1-2 minutes before drilling and that also seems to help and now that it will actually idle without me feathering the throttle I can let it just idle and then it's off to drilling. Also stays running between holes now, used to die before.

I think I'm due for a tune up next year but maybe switching to AMSOil could help in the colder temps? It helped me at least.

[herefish101]

My techumseh powered strikemaster has been awesome, even in the extreme cold. Everything starts harder when it's below zero. That said, your auger should be running better than you explain, especially it being the new motor, those things really rip. If I were you I'd keep bringing it back to strikemaster eventually they'll get sick of you and hand you a new auger. I have herd of them doing that before when there is a lemon.

[TravP]

I had this same problem with my solo this morning. I brought it to strikemaster and they turned that screw to make it richer. They also said that gas gets plugged in that white filter and the pressure builds up in the tank. Try unscrewing your gas cap and then start it. Thats what was wrong with mine. I guess this is one of the downfalls of not having a vented cap...

[tsande00]

My buddy was having trouble starting my Solo the other day. I asked if he turned the switch on and he said "yea". Finally I put down my rod during prime time to go investigate...he had the choke turned "on", not the switch...fool.

I was surprised it started on the first pull. I woudl have thought it would have been flooded after seeing him pull it 30 times.

Probably cost me a walleye, they were biting like crazy.