Auger storage

[nige]

What should I do with my auger for the summer for storing? Do i just run it dry?

[remington 300]

i fill my auger with gas, with fuel stabilizer in it and store it up right,with the vent cap open, have had no problems doing it this way.

like any thing else on here youll get verying opinions,

mike.

[dairyman]

I dump the gas---run it dry and then fog the engine

[Northlander]

Dont run it dry. Fill with premium gas and put a good stabilizer in it and run for a while. Start it up a few times a month and your golden. You want to keep everything all lubed up not drying out.

[goose89]

Dont run it dry. Fill with premium gas and put a good stabilizer in it and run for a while. Start it up a few times a month and your golden. You want to keep everything all lubed up not drying out.

+1. I've got a Strikemaster that just finished it's 10th season. Fill it up with fresh gas, a bit of Stabil, run for 5 minutes (probably over-kill) and put away in shed next to lawnmower. and start it up every other time I mow the lawn. It starts and runs like it did the day I brought it home. Not saying it's the best / suggested way, but that's my experience.

[Ed Carlson]

I'm a wet storage guy too as I feel it keeps the carb gaskets well hydrated so they do not shrink or crack.

I use Sta-Bil Marine Blue and premium gas and and store it vertically.

I like to start it up every couple of months to keep it guessing if it's time to go play again.

I also like to prep for next season now, and put new blades on now or sharpen blades so they are ready at first ice. Often you can get late season deals on replacement blades before they are put away, take advantage of it.

[ozzie]

Strikemaster told me a few years ago to just put it away with gas and you should be good to go.....I have done just that for the last 6 years and it starts right up when I need to cut holes again.....I just vent the cap store upright and maybe start it a few times in the summer.....but I usually forget to start again after May

[suncruiser234]

I store mine hanging in the shed full of gas. I take her out once or twice during the summer and let it run for a couple of minutes. My auger is a 17 year old Lazer.

[pulleye16]

I store mine hanging in the shed full of gas. I take her out once or twice during the summer and let it run for a couple of minutes. My auger is a 17 year old Lazer.

Always take the advice from someone that has a 17 year old auger...(that's what I do also)

[Duffman]

Put me down in the keep it filled with gas and fire it up every once in a while camp. It's nice to smell that auger exhaust on a hot summer day, brings a guy back to the frozen world, if only momentarily.

[CJH]

Lots of "experts" have mixed feelings on this. Yes you want to keep everything lubricated, however you don't want ethanol doing damage either. I have manuals that tell me to store it both ways (wet and dry). The rule of thumb I read from one of the guys at Popular Mechanics and have gone by is if the fuel contains ethanol, run it out and fog. If your fuel doesn't contain ethanol, keep stabilized gas in it and run it once a month. My

[Ed Carlson]

Due to the ethanol in most everything that is why I use the Sta-Bil Marine Blue in all my fuels on my toys, augers, boats, snowblowers...all get a dose.

My fuel and carb problems have went to 0 since I started running it.

[BLACKJACK]

I've always ran my Stikemaster empty, its still going strong after 12 years. Unless I was tripping over it in my shed, I'd never get around to starting it every month or two in the off season.

[bobbymalone]

I tried the start it a few times in the summer way but felt like i was always in danger of forgetting. Now I just run it dry and let it sit. going on 4 year now, I think.

First time I fired it up in the summer it was amazed how loud it was - hadn't ever run it without a hat covering my ears before.

[gurkster]

Full of gas, stabilizer added, start a few times a year. 10 years old and runs great. You don't want the carb to dry out.

[MichaelSwan]

Quote:

First time I fired it up in the summer it was amazed how loud it was - hadn't ever run it without a hat covering my ears before.

I did that same thing. Funny!

[bobbymalone]

You don't want the carb to dry out.

my understanding was that you don't want to the carb to dry out with gas in it, because you'll be left with oil sludge. if you burn all the gas out of it and it sits dry you're fine.

[wishing for walleyes]

I have 2 augers.I have an old strikemaster from the eighties that i use to drill post holes in the ground.I have always run mine dry and have never had a problem doing that.

[croix walleye 6]

stable is bad news in my eye's. work for a rental store for 10 year's, use to swear by stable in the past year's!!!I do put it in my fuel tank's to stable the remaining gas in the tank's but i alway's drain the carbs.you wouldn't believe the carb. problems ive had on small engines leaving them full. I have 150 pieces of equip. with small engine's on them and 8 out of 10 have carb. issues with them by leaving stable in them. best result's are draining fuel tank and carb. completely empty. all the new solo auger's say that right in the owner's manual drain gas completely. gasket's will not dry up in 6 month's you take more of a risk gumming up the carb. using stable in them then u do leaving it dry and taking a risk of the gasket's drying up. everyone has there own view's on this subject, but with the new additevs in fuel thing's r changing.

[lispeej]

I have a jiffy pro4 and they say there isn't much to do as far as storage. Maybe at the most, drain and refill the gear oil.

[Rippinlip]

Last year I just left it full and started it a couple of times. It ran like crud first couple of times out last year.

I will go back to stabilizing it, storing it upright in the garage, starting it and then replacing the fuel when the season starts.

I did that with my old auger and that thing ran awesome for years.

Have to agree with it being loud in the summer, that is funny. My wife made the comment last year when I fired it up....hahaha. I even told her to go put here hat on, it was like 85 out.

I can see a picture coming out of this topic this summer.

[Maverick]

At least you guys are paying attention to your equipment. I'm not sure I understand the comment about Stabil gumming up the carb, but I'm not a mechanic, so who knows. My only point for those that run it dry, make sure you still put some stabil in before you run it dry as the carb will still have a little gas left in it after it kills. Ignore this comment if you take the time to actually drain the carb.

BTW, my dad bought his Eskimo in 1968 and always ran it dry. It was the best running auger on the lake and I used it up until a couple of years ago when I bought my Jiffy STX.

[SFC]

Shouldn't you just go by what the owners manual says to do, on my nils it says to run it out of gas put a few drops of 2 cycle oil in the cylinder and pull it over a few times. Is the owners manual wrong.

[Dave]

I dry stored my Strikemaster once and never again (same with lawnmowers). Gas leaked out the carb gasket the next season for a day until it swelled tight again. Since then, I always store it with gas and stabil and run it once in awhile during summer. Starts and runs fine each season.

[LittleHuck]

A few years back after graduating alexandria tech's marine and small engine program, my first job was at a local Yamaha dealership. 90% of my job was fixing the problem that ALL fuel stabilizers claim to alleviate...gummed up carbs. If at all possible in my most honest opinion and experience, drain all fuel from the system & generously fog through the carb while turning the motor over. A little fogging oil in the fuel inlet of the carb keeps all the gaskets/seals/needle in prestine shape as well. Worked for me on every piece of equipment I've ever used, and you know what they say, gotta stick with what works.