Strokemaster Solo 2.5 hp vs Pro

[gill man]

I had the pleasure of trying out a Solo Pro 8" last weekend. I cut about 8 holes and had a smile on my face when I was done. After using nothing but a Jiffy model 30 for the last 12+ years this thing was a dream to use - fast and lightweight.

I'm wondering if there are any reasons to pick the Solo 2.5 hp over the 3 hp Pro. The Pro does seem like it could make your ears ring if cutting lots of holes at once. Is the 2.5 much quieter?

I don't typically drill just a few holes and stop. I'm either drilling out areas known to hold fish or on the hunt for fish and drill a fair number of holes while moving. Either auger would have an 8" bit. Does the 2.5 catch or struggle at the bottom of the hole at all? How about with ice over 2 feet thick? The Pro burned right through it with almost no indication it was breaking through in about 20 inches of ice.

I may have an opportunity at a (new) 2.5hp with free set of extra blades for $399 where so far all the Pros I've found are still regular price at $499. With that said, if I'm spending that much money I'd rather do it right the first time rather than try to save a little and compromise.

For those that have used both how do the 2.5 and the Pro compare?

Thank you,

Tucker

[fisherman-andy]

I dont think you'll be dissapointed in the Solo Lazer Mag. Its as good as the Solo Lazer Pro. The biggest difference is minimal and that is a small speed increase. The Lazer Mag felt plenty powerful to me and is as loud as my Lazer Pro. No weight difference either other then price.

[CaptainMusky]

I have the lazer mag and its a great auger. Cuts through 2 foot ice without any strain. The key with the solos is hold it wide open and just keep drilling. Make sure the blades are tight and you will never have hangups on the bottom of the hole.

When I first bought it I was having some issues, but it was because the blades were slightly lose (check them often) and I wasnt going wide open throttle.

It didnt seem necessary to run the motor at those rpms because it was cutting so fast, but I talked to a guy at the factory and he said it was designed to run WOT. Ever since never an issue.

[harvey lee]

I have the Solo Lazer mag and I honestly do not know what Strikemaster could have improved on this auger.

I also own a Nils and I thought noone would ever make a auger as well as Nils.

The Solo is as good.

[quickfish6]

Yes sir Solo is the BEST!

[tsande00]

For $100 savings I'd go with the 2.5. I'm going on my 3rd or 4th season with the 2.5 Lazer Mag and I still love it.

[aanderud]

I have to think they're both decent engines. You might find that internet pricing is a much better deal than the $499 price you're finding locally.

I bought my 3 hp pro from an e-tailer at the beginning of last season (it arrived in the mail the day I made my first outing, actually) at a price of $439. Considering I got free shipping and paid no sales tax, it was almost a wash versus paying $399 plus tax on a 2.5 hp locally. Though, to be fair, internet shopping has some disadvantages. There was an issue in that they shipped me the wrong auger and had to re-ship the correct one (also at their expense) and give me a return shipping label to mail the wrong one back (at their expense)...so there was some hassle there to deal with for that cost savings.

Also keep in mind that you might find a good deal on one or the other on clearance at a local shop, since it is getting toward the end of the season here. I'd expect to see discounts anywhere from 10-30% soon on augers, if they haven't started already.

[tsande00]

Just re-read the title..."stroke master"

[Lusid]

strokemaster 2000. Yeah buddy!

I just noticed that as well

[gill man]

Awww man! I proof read everything else but the title I guess. Why did they have to put the o next to the i anyway!?!?

Thanks for the advice everyone. The 399 for the 2.5 is online, and even online I haven't found much for deals on the Pro. There can be some advantages to buying local though also. When I bought my Jiffy years ago it was the 1st year they came out with sealed carbs. I think I tried 4 different augers and none worked right. They eventually gave me a prior year model with regular carb which has worked well ever since.

If I had bought that online it would have been a major hassle.

Haven't made up my mind yet but I feel like there aren't any downsides to the Pro, and an auger can never be too fast. I'm sure I'd be happy with the Lazer Mag but if just a little more money will buy me some more speed and power, why not?

Tucker

[TravP]

I've had both the 2.5 and the 3 horse. You don't notice how much faster the 3hp is until drilling next to a 2.5. Reliability sucked with both of them. I switched to the Honda this season and it's been really good to me so far.

[gonehunting]

TravP, what kind of reliability issues did you have with the Solo augers?

[aanderud]

I've only had my solo for 2 seasons, so can't say anything about reliability yet. Seems good so far, but that's like my cousin who leased 5 oldsmobiles in a row saying GM makes reliable cars. They're all reliable with under 36k miles. Lol.

[gill man]

I've had both the 2.5 and the 3 horse. You don't notice how much faster the 3hp is until drilling next to a 2.5. Reliability sucked with both of them. I switched to the Honda this season and it's been really good to me so far.

I'd also be interested to hear what issues you had with your Solos. For the most part they seem to be working well. I also considered the Honda - the light weight would be great, though for some reason I'm hesistant to move to a 4 stroke power auger. I imagine the Honda is slower than either of your Solos were?

Tucker

[Love2Cabin]

Just got my lazer pro from reeds. $420 with free shipping. I had a 4 year old lazer mag that I thought was good but this is 10 times better. I was in the same boat as you but got to thinking that I don't want to ever have to say I wish I had gone for the best. This thing is great. I was the one that was stroked after the first hole.

[gill man]

Love2Cabin, Reeds is where they are seeling the 2.5hp for $399. That's a great deal on the Pro but it looks like they only have it in the 10" now and that's more than I need.

I'm thinking the same as you. I probably won't buy another auger for 10+ years so I don't want to 2nd guess "what if" the whole time I own it. I think I'll plan to get the Pro. I'm not in a terrible hurry to buy it and will likely wait till they go on sale or right away next season.

Tucker

[bassinboy3]

I have a lazer pro. I have put a recoil in mine and the diaphram was bad on the carb, and they are very cold blooded, it cuts like a dream and is really fast but there are minor things that go bad on them. Use your blue button when starting and you could avoid the recoil issue.

[gill man]

When you say cold blooded: are they hard to start, need a long warm up, etc?

The one I fished with last weekend started in about 5 pulls on a low single digit morning and after that would start in 5 or less. Once started it seemed to run well.

I can usually get my Jiffy to start in 1-3 pulls if I prime it correctly but usually let it warm up a minute or two and the first few holes it drills a little slower till it warms up.

[bassinboy3]

Its hard (3-4 pulls) to start that first time of the day or if it hasnt been used in hours, needs about a minute to warm up. I was fishing with a friend that had a nills and by the time mine was warmed up he had 3 holes drilled.

[gill man]

Thanks for the info bassinboy. I could deal with 3-5 pulls starting up, though having them start on the 1st pull is pretty satisfying! Seems like most newer augers take a few pulls to start for some reason though. I am glad the Solos have a primer as I always felt it was easier to dial in the amount of gas for the given temp to make starting a bit easier.

I'd let any motor I own warm up for a minute or two before giving throttle so that's not a major downside for me.

I appreciate the info and would be interested to hear any other positives or negatives anybody has to add.

Thanks,

Tucker

[BoxMN]

I got a Lazer PRo this year, and used it quite a bit. I psoted in another thread more about it, but it started hard the first couple trips, then got much better. Now about 4 pulls should start it cold, 1 or 2 when not cold. It doesn't start as good as my older SM does (2 pulls EVERY time). Maybe I still need to dial in the primer counts.

Cuts awesome, better than my jiffy or chipper SM, and effortless. Just using mine is has caused 2 purchases of it from friends so far

The only downside that I found, since this is first year I have had a perm house, is that the Lzaer won't reopen holes that have closed in a little. It just sits in there and bounces around. So if you plan to reopen holes it is worthless IMO. Glad I kept my older SM chipper for that But for fresh holes, awesome!

[gonehunting]

It is very important to follow the starting sequence printed in the Solo instruction manual. It goes something like:

Turn the on/off switch to on position

Compress primer bulb 5-7 times

Place choke lever to full choke

Press blue decompression button

Pull a half stroke with the starter rope

Take choke off

Press blue decompression button again

Pull Starter Rope - Should start

It may seem like a long process but it is not. Just important so that they start correctly. Read the manual.

Mine would start on the 1.5 pulls the first year. I now have compress the primer bulb once more after taking the choke off. The solo is the best starting and smooth running auger I have ever owned. I have the Lazer Pro and was also one that never wanted to look back if purchasing the 2.5 hp.

[JSK76]

Are the cold blooded and hard starting issues related more to the 2.5 and 3 hp? My 2hp has been nothing short of awesome for starting. I even drain my carb at the end of the season and have had it start 1st pull the next season. It almost always fires first pull and then I take the choke off give it another pull and it runs.

[CaptainMusky]

If you follow the instructions listed above for any of the solo engines they start perfect. They key is determining when and how much to prime. If it fires up and shuts off when you pull it over, turn off the choke and pull again it will start right up.

[CrewJones]

I have had zero cold start issues even when it sits out side in -20 temps. I do notice the gear box makes some noise on mine when its very very cold.

I run the non oxy gas with strikemaster oil and some sea foam. At the end of the year I dump all the gas out and run it dry.

2 years and I am very happy I still have my Model 30 that I lugged around for years so far I have never needed it, but I do drill some holes every year to remind me how easy life is now