Tecumseh vs. Solo

[gonehunting]

I found a Strikemaster Solo 3 hp 10" lazermag on sale for $399.00. Have been looking at these augers for 2 years but have held off because I have a 5 year old Lazermag with a Tecumseh motor that has been flawless. I could get at least $250 for the old auger this fall. Is the Solo well worth the money or stick with old reliable. I know it would be an increase in hp? Any problems with the solos? Thanks for help in advance.

[broman]

I made the same switch to the same auger. I miss the perfect starting of the Tecumseh. The Solo takes more than a few pulls. But my new SM cuts real nice.

[harvey lee]

If you have issues with the Solo not starting in a few pulls, try and prime the thing like 5-7 times and then start it.

I had the same issues and Strikemaster asked me how many times I was priming it. I said 2-3 and they said double it and it is a fast starter now.

I believe they also state this in their monthly newsletter via e-mail.

Gone, I would say go for the Solo. I have had mine for 2 seasons now and I have had zero issues and I am still on the same cutting blades. I am sure I will get 3 seasons out of the blades for sure.

The only thing one does not know is the longivity of the motor but the Solo is a good one. German enginering is hard to beat.

Strikemaster did have one issue with the recoil at the get go but that has been resolved. I believe it had to do with some grease in the recoil being to thick and when it got cold, it would not recoil all the way.

[PrairieLakeLogJam]

SOLO hands down! Have a 1 year old Jiffy 3hp Tecumseh and Not a Happy Camper.. You need ear plugs to run it, when it does run..Solo is as Smooth as a Babys ... Jiffy looks to be my Next boat anchor.

Thats my

[blue21]

I'd invest your money in the nils master.

[looneyducer]

If it performs flawlessly, why in the world would you get rid of it?

[Ice_Fishin07]

I have no issue with my Tecumesh and I like it, but Solo just felt better for some reason when I used one my friend had. I do not thing I have enough extra $$ to buy Solo like gonehunting.

[&JAG]

Had an 8 yr. old Strikemaster Lazer w/Tecumseh and it was just awesome! I sold it last winter for $225 and went to the Pro Lazer w/Solo... I really like the engine and the power it packs! At first it took a couple outings to find what the auger liked for perfect starting (1-2 pulls). All in all if you drill a lot of holes an upgrade to the Solo would be the way to go (faster).

[mn_bowhunter]

Is there a weight difference between the two? I only ask because I'm sick of the Jiffy boat anchor and will be changing it up next year.

[polarsusd81]

Mn_bow, you will notice a significant weight reduction going from a jiffy to a strikemaster. The weight difference between the Tecumseh and solo engines isn't much, but the solo has a slight edge. The real difference between the two engines is the power output and utilization of that power. The solo absolutely blows the Tecumseh away. I got a chance to try a lazier bit on all three solo engines last year and even comparing 2hp to 2hp there was a noticeable difference. Step up to the solo lazier 2.5.or the pro lazier 3 and it is an ice eating machine.

[harvey lee]

polarsusd81 said it all. They are that great.

[uptracker]

I know this is a bit off topic, but I just saw Glen's had an Eskimo Z51 Shark 8" on sale for $299.

[mccullen]

Jiffy doesn't use Tecumseh engines anymore. Feldmann engineering. I bought one last year and not too impressed. Throttle cable broke on the second hole returned that one and now my recoil broke. They sent out a new one but its the wrong style so yeah... Bad customer service only way to get ahold of them was by e-mail as no one would answer the phone. Go any other way but jiffy!!!

[Pooh]

i have never used a solo, but have a Mag 2000 with a tecumseh. its 3-4 years old and has been a good auger. just a typical 2 stroke tecumseh..cold blooded

[bobbymalone]

If it performs flawlessly, why in the world would you get rid of it?

no joke. maybe a new one will cut a bit faster or weigh a bit less or whatever, but is it worth spending another $X.XX to replace an auger that you don't even have complaints about?

To me this sounds like trading in your 08 with 20K because the '11 has a cd player.

[DavidMN]

I bought the 8" Solo at Dick's four weeks ago. My first gas auger. Decided to ice fish in earnest this year for the first time in about 20yrs.

Single blade but cuts ice very well. Primed, it starts on four of five easy pulls from dead cold. My only gripe is the plastic handle. It only lasted two outings. Slid off the tail gate of my pickup and it is now a two piece handle. My bait guy insisted they would take care of it. I called them today and told them what happened, hoping for a bit of "feel sorry", but to no avail. She didn't even sigh, just gave me the part number and price.

Well, time to find the super glue and plan to carry it in the glove box each winter. $37 for a new handle that is that flimsy isn't happening.

[brian6715]

I bought the 8" Solo at Dick's four weeks ago. My first gas auger. Decided to ice fish in earnest this year for the first time in about 20yrs.

Single blade but cuts ice very well. Primed, it starts on four of five easy pulls from dead cold. My only gripe is the plastic handle. It only lasted two outings. Slid off the tail gate of my pickup and it is now a two piece handle. My bait guy insisted they would take care of it. I called them today and told them what happened, hoping for a bit of "feel sorry", but to no avail. She didn't even sigh, just gave me the part number and price.

Well, time to find the super glue and plan to carry it in the glove box each winter. $37 for a new handle that is that flimsy isn't happening.

You can't blame SM for dropping it off your tailgate. If you want a handle that can take being dropped, get a jiffy. There is a reason why the SM weighs a fraction of what the jiffy does. IMO the SM is the best auger on the market right now

[tsande00]

I'm not sure how far from Big Lake you live but I bet if you just brought it in there they would fix it up at no charge. I wouldn't go out of my way to mention you let it fall off your tailgate.

I brought mine in after I broke my handle, I explained that I fell down and dropped the auger down a flight of stairs and it broke. They didn't even hesitate. Fixed it up right away and didn't charge a penny even though it was my fault.

The new plastic handles I have are different from the older ones that broke. I'm thinking they must have reworked the plastic material.

[gonehunting]

Ended up buying the Strikemaster 3hp Lazer Pro 8". It was a floor model and picked it up for $379.00 Just had a chance to fire it up in the garage and all I can say is that I am very impressed. Two pulls of the rope and it turned over. Idles very nicely and sounds like it will have alot of snort to cut through the ice fast. Not looking back on the old tecumseh but I think the upgrade was worth it. We'll see how the solo treats me on the ice.

[TravP]

brian6715

I'm a strikemaster guy myself, but the Nils uses all metal and they still weigh 4 lbs less then the solo...

[gquist]

StrikeMaster = Is based in Mn. At least you are helping a local company, Jiffy is also US based company. That is a important issue with me these days, Help out a fellow American if possible : )

[landscaper]

quick question

Strikemaster Magnum 8" for $319.00 good deal?

[TravP]

No

[Acemac]

hmm I drop, freeze, kick, and treat like [PoorWordUsage] my Jiffy and have never had a prob.... look at these boards for a while and all you will see is SM issues.

[bobbymalone]

hmm I drop, freeze, kick, and treat like [PoorWordUsage] my Jiffy and have never had a prob.... look at these boards for a while and all you will see is SM issues.

I don't drop, kick, or treat my SM like [PoorWordUsage] and I have never had a problem with it.