StrikeMaster Electra gets stuck

[Nisswaguy]

So I purchased a new StrikeMaster Electra auger this year. Every time I use it, it doesn't want to punch through the final 1/2 inch or so of ice. It drills just fine all the way down, but gets hung up right at the bottom before punching through. I've hand to work it real hard to get through that last little bit of ice. One time this weekend, it finally went through but then wouldn't come back up the hole. It would come about 1/4 of the way back up the hole but got stuck inside the hole. I finally had to take my buddies auger to drill all around it and work it free in order to get it out. I even tried a pipe wrench to try and free it but that didn't work. Has anyone else had the same or similar issues? Does anyone know what the problem might be, or better yet, what the solution is?

[Redlineracer12]

My Electra also gets stuck at the bottom of the hole occasionally. I find it better if I am lifting up on the handles right about when it's going to break through.

I've never had it where I couldn't get it back out though.

[Hoey]

NG you may have drilled a crooked hole and when cutting through the last 1 inch or so made the hole such that it bound up the auger really tight. And wow a pipe wrench would not reverse it out.

[Nisswaguy]

It gets bound up right before breakthrough on every single hole I drill. I even have had others drill the holes and it happens to them as well. It only got completely stuck in a hole once. I could back it out 1/4 of the way up and then it got stuck completely. It wouldn't "pull up" the 1/4 way, it would reverse itself but once it got to a certain point, it wouldn't budge. That's when we tried a pipe wrench and then resorted to drilling all around it with another auger. It was in my wheelhouse so I had to get it as low as I could, take the head off, tie a rope to it so it wouldn't go to the bottom of the lake and then pull the wheelhouse forward so I could then drill around it.

[BartmanMN]

Try the lifting up trick like Redliner explained. I've heard others mention this as well.

[Twisted]

Ditto. They are miserable at breakthrough.

Going through slow at the very end is the trick so the auger flighting doesn't "thread" the ice.

Did you try switching your leads to reverse it out?

[Nisswaguy]

No I didn't. I didn't even know that was doable. How do I do that on an Electra?

[BuschPilot]

its the china blades on it. get the swedish blades and it makes a big difference for some reason. mine did the same

[folke2000]

Bush Pilot

Where do you find the "sweedish" blades????

Thanks,

Folke

[walleyeman1]

Mine used to do that and then when you would pry up on it, the auger would bend trying to get it out and I would have to try to straighten the auger. Went thru 2 augers from Strikemaster, finally got fed up and bought the auger from Eskimo and put the power head of the Electra on it. Have not had a problem the last two years. Once the pitch is changed or bent the auger is worthless un less you can straighten it to the exact pitch of it.

[hockeybc69]

May seem like a dumb question..... Have you contacted Strikemaster about this issue???

If I get something new and it doesnt perform, the first place I am going is the manufacturer for thoughts on the problems....

[pushbutton]

Mine did the same thing. Brought it in twice. Finally got the problem solved by selling it and buying the ION.......

[Early Riser]

I brought my Electra auger into Strikemaster in Big Lake and they seemed to be surprised by the problem, which really surprised me. They took it back and adjusted the pitch. The problem of it binding at the bottom of the ice before breaking through was not as bad immediately after this, but gradually become an issue again.

I am about 100% certain that it has to do the with the poor quality drill unit made in China versus the Sweedish units that use a higher quality steel and more precise and standardized specifications in the fabrication process. I will not buy another Strikemaster auger with the drill from China. I just purchased a Solo and it does specify on the box where the drill was manufactured.

[walleyeman1]

I did contact strikemaster and also brought the auger back 3 times to the business where I bought it at. They replaced the powerhead and put a new auger on it, but it continued to get stuck. I agree that the auger is the problem and it was probably the blades, But they never replaced it with the different blades. I did the fix myself with replacing the auger with an eskimo and had to fit the auger to the powerhead. Like I said, once I changed it with the eskimo auger, I have not had a problem in 2 years and I probably have drilled over a 1000 holes with it. I ususally use it to reopen holes and that is where the problem was the worst.

[Surface Tension]

The blades aren't finishing the hole leaving a ridge. That would be from a bent mount or or blade that is dulled on the outside edge. If you lift up at the bottom of the hole and give it a slow feed with RPMs up the blade could break off the ridge. Otherwise the flighting will thread past that ridge an pull the auger head down to the ice or just bind up.

If this is happening with new blades then getting the mount realigned is what should be done.

To do that you'll have to bring it in.

[Early Riser]

I believe the poor quality of steel or some other manufacturing problem with the augers made in China are related to this common problem. The mora augers from Sweeden that I have drilled thousands of holes with over many years with have never had this problem.

[BLACKJACK]

I have a Strikemaster Electra and hate it, I have the same problem with it binding at the bottom of the hole. To me it almost seems like a 'lack of power' issue. I charge mine every time before I use it, first couple of holes I might get thru ok but then it binds on every hole. My auger is only two years old, so the battery should still be good. Guess I should hook it up to a big external battery and test my theory.

So what the answer guys? Sounds like Strikemaster hasn't been real helpful, buying a different head for a 2 year old auger seems like a waste, what should a person do?? How about different blades, as someone mentioned, what kind would be best?

Anybody want to buy and electric auger!!! Like the no fumes in the house but....