4 stroke augers?

[randallt]

Does anyone use a 4 stroke auger inside a house? I bought an electric this year because I didn't want the fumes, oily exhaust etc in my new wheelhouse, but I am not 100% satisfied with the electric. I still go outside and roam a bit and the electric just doesn't keep the charge long enough. So I was thinking of selling and getting a 4 stroke.

What is everyones experience?

[dmengel]

I bought a strike lite 2 years ago & to tell you the truth I was not all that happy it at first. This summer I stopped over at Strikemaster & they traded me the original platic auger for a new steel auger. Now it cuts & works great. If I was to buy one I would definatly find away to get rid of that plastic auger. Mine would build up with ice & not cut, Then I ended up breaking the flighting off of it when I pulled it out of the hole once. As far as smoke, I drill inside my house all the time& I never smell anything.

[Dan Brelje]

 Originally Posted By: dmengel

If I was to buy one I would definatly find away to get rid of that plastic auger. Mine would build up with ice & not cut.

I agree completly. My father ownes one and has nothing but trouble with the factory plastic auger, especially in cold weather. Above 20 degrees seems to be fine but once you start to dip colder she freezes up pretty darn quick

[randallt]

I guess I have never paid much attention, but are you saying that the auger is plastic on these? Do they sell a model with a steel auger to begin with?

[Kyle Sandberg]

You could always just buy the four stroke powerhead and just choose whice auger you'd want. The plastic one do break really easy. It just takes some practice to get used to it.

[Dan Brelje]

Yes. I believe it is actually carbon fiber (someone correct me if im wrong) but none the less it is plastic. Being of this material there is a 2" piece wrapped around the blades that tends to build up with snow/slush, which tends to freeze up and not allow the unit to cut.

[zamboni]

I have drilled 200+ holes with mine since I bought it last february and have had absolutely no problems with it, and that plastic flighting hasn't given me any problems whatsoever. After running mine, my dad sold his old Mag III and bought one, and our cousin has gone out a few times with him and wants one now. A couple guys were trying to drill some holes with a dull auger and weren't getting the job done and we borrowed them my auger and they were impressed with it.

[dmengel]

I do not think that you can buy them with out a auger but I am not sure. I am not sure if they are the same but if I ever had the chance I would like to try the Nils auger on the Strike Lite unit.

[grizzald]

Is it common to have oily exhaust in 4 strokes?

[rockman]

Light taps with a rubber mallet on the 2 inch ring, will break up the built up ice on the end of the auger bit.That is all I used on my Strikelite to clean it up, and have had no issues so far.

[Huey]

Knock on wood, I haven't had any issues either. Yes, it ices ups when the temps are in the single digits or below zero, but so did my old lazer mag with a metal auger.

Thanks for the rubber mallet tip.

[zamboni]

Yep, drill holes, auger gets wet, temps are below freezing and anything will ice up- even you ppl and your precious Nils

[slipperybob]

When it cuts it's really smooth, when it doesn't it just spins around. It starts very easy too.

[dmengel]

That is what mine would do & as a matter of fact It was weird, it would start cutting a hole fine but sometimes after you pulled it back to clean the loose ice out of the hole it would not finish the hole. It would not cut even after I had melted all of the ice off of it. One time I ended up taking the chisle & roughing up the ice in the bottom of the hole & then it cut fine? If you started a new hole it would work fine.

[sjburnt]

.

[pegleg]

Mine would just spin in the hole and then I would pull it out and go cut another hole. It would work fine in the next hole. I finally got tired of this happening and took it to Strikemaster and bought a metal auger to replace the plastic one. I haven't had a problem since. Actually, the guy at Strikemaster that worked on it told me he did this to his also. The thicker the ice, the more issues you will have with the plastic auger. It worked fine with 12" of ice and under in my opinion but over that it would be a problem.

[TimBuck2]

I also traded in the plastic bit for a 224 bit and love it. One other thing StrikeMaster should do is re-tune all their Strike-Lite power heads in the freezer. Those Robin engines are built in a warm climate and there have been some issues with the factory tuning when you try and run them in cold weather. I haven't had time to have mine re-tuned, but it is on my list. I'm sure it would move to the top if I start seeing the starting issues I dealt with last year, but so far it's been running good for me this year. I absolutely love not having to mix fuel, and little to no stinking up the permanent when opening holes.

TB2

[slipperybob]

The problem is that ring on the bottom, it get's caught on the side and you can't drill. That's why a new hole drills just fine but the partial hole is useless. Unlike the metal augers, the screw helps to drive the auger down. If you really want to use the same hole again, you have to chip out the sides so that cylinder ring don't just catch and hang.

Perhap an improvement is to put a edging blade on that ring. It'll be very dangerous for toes. LOL's but when you get a smoothed out wall in your hole, no more line snagging hole.

I still don't like how slush freeze in that cylinder ring area kills your hole drilling progress.

[iowathorn]

i drill inside my house with a 4-stroke & it does trip the co2 detector. but if you open a door for a couple minutes it is fine. i have to reset the detector every time, but i usually drill 6 holes.

i aqlso had lots of problems with the plastic blade & luckely it broke a flute in the third year. i calle & they offered me a new one or a new steel one at no charge. i chose the steel & could not be happier. i thought the service at strike-master was great.

[FrontenacPike]

 Originally Posted By: TimBuck2

Those Robin engines are built in a warm climate and there have been some issues with the factory tuning when you try and run them in cold weather.

TB2

TimBuck I am having the issues you are talking about. When it is 10 degrees or lower, it probably takes me 30 pulls to get her running and keep running. Is this just an adjustment I can make or is it something I need Strikemaster to do? I'm guessing it is either a carborator adjustment or I need different jets for cold weather.

How many times do you depress the primmer???

[Huey]

I never touch the primer and my strikelite starts on the first pull almost evry time. Even when temps are around zero. It's kind of embarassing, but I forgot about the primer all of this year until last sunday . I just use the choke.

One issue I've had is that if I drill 4 or 5 holes, one after another like when I'm setting up for spearing, the auger doesn't like to idle between hole so I have to work the throttle between holes. Anyone have that problem? Mayb I can fix it by adjusting carb setting? Hopefully.

[Kyle Sandberg]

Huey, sounds like your carb needs an adjusting. Try adjusting the screw and that should help.

[rockman]

The first trip I used mine, it was 0 degrees the entire day.I used the primer as needed on a cold start,and it started just fine.It ran like a top.Recent fishing trips, with cold air temperatures, have posed no problems with starting the Strikelite, or running at idle.

[FrontenacPike]

Huey I also had idle-ing issues. All I did was give the set screw on the carb, located directly behind the choke a little turn and whalla no more issues.

I just went out and tried starting my auger and she fired up first pull. The temp is 28 F, so it's obvious, it's the cold that is affecting the starting. I need to talk to strikemaster about cold starting and what I need can do.

[zamboni]

Aren't the Robins built in Japan? I spent 6 months there, including a couple in winter, and yes- it gets cold there, and I seen plenty of snow there as well.