jiffy 3hp problems

[bulldog_fisher]

I thought it would be an intersting topic to find out how many of us are having the same problems with the jiffy 3hp auger.  Mine is always stalling, bogs out etc. are these common problems? has anyone ever contacted jiffy?

[slabcrab]

I dont have a Jiffy but a Strikemaster LazerMag Express with same probs.  After the first hole I'm off to the races but the first one aint so good.

[icemickey]

Wow had the same problems with my 3 horse strike master exactly the same. starts good let it warm up and start drilling gets under some load and kills messed with the fuel screws a little got better on any given day and turned around and did the same crap again sent it to the best small engine repair in this part of SD guess ill see what they can do and ill let you know what they did in the mean time i bought a new strike master 224 and its a running hole drilling machine  

[wallyboss]

IMy problem cleared up after i started letting it warm up for at least 2 minutes. But every 2 stroke engine are the same they each have there little tricks. I know that mine before I started making sure it was well warmed up I would have to run it with 1/4 choke on for the first hole.

[ice dawg]

There is a thread in the equipment section about 3 hp Jiffy Legends dying when being layed down on the ice that tells you how to adjust the 3 hp carburetor and includes pictures. I think this thread would make the adjustments pretty simple. 

[1977 Walleye Guy]

Two cycles and winter really don't go hand in hand.......LOL....

anyhoo....I have the same problem with mine, If I warm her up in the parking lot for a couple of min. then no prob. But If I don't, I'll play hell cutting the first hole, then I'll have to start her, cut hole....move, start her, cut hole...etc. until she warms up. Kind of like a wife.....LOL

[ice dawg]

I've heard that this is a problem with the newer engines. Thank the EPA. My Jiffy 3 hp is 16 years old now and it always started and ran great and I can't remember a time that it ever stalled or quit. I always let any engine warm for a minute or two also. I had not heard of this problem until they started coming with the new jets that can't be adjusted or whatever it is now. The one I have now is a 2 hp and it runs very well.

[Colli2]

I've been using a 10 inch 3 HP Jiffy for the last 28 years now. I just follow the instructions I was given when I bought it (run it for 45 secs or so before you start cutting your first hole). I have never had a problem with it bogging down. I have a buddy who uses an Eskimo and he has that problem as does another friend who uses a StrikeMaster. I store my Jiffy in the basement where it never drops below 55 degrees - I don't know if that makes a difference or not. I add Sta-Bil (fuel stabilizer) to the last tank of gas every season and my Jiffy starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull at first ice every year. I put a new set of blades on it every 3rd year and it cuts great. Would I buy another Jiffy? You bet I would. From what I have seen, I wouldn't have any other auger!

[ravinerat]

Sure have the problem with my 3hp Jiffy. Once and I mean once I get it strated I have to let it warm up. Once it's warm it seems to do ok but hell I'm only cutting two or three holes at a time. Mine has a choke and primer so it has taken awhile to figure out how to start. The spring on the throttle seems to freeze up on me a lot. It move the throttle to free it up and everything seems to go ok.

RR

[SPARKYICE]

me too. bogs down , stalls, won't restart, blows fuel through exhaust , pull, pull, pull pullpullpull
new plugs, new gas, turn screws pull pull pull.
i've got less than an hour on it since brand new.
wanna buy it?

[pembroke]

me too. bogs down , stalls, won't restart, blows fuel through exhaust , pull, pull, pull pullpullpull
new plugs, new gas, turn screws pull pull pull.
i've got less than an hour on it since brand new.
wanna buy it?

If it,s a teccumsen motor may be the oil. I had a customer who had the same problem, after I gave him a replacement and he had the same proplem, he took it to a guy who does service on those motors. the guy drained the gas & oil mixture and tried a different mix and now works fine call a service rep and ask as I can't remember the oil he gave him.
Pembroke
Larry

[IceBalls]

Everybody nowadays should keep a close eye on their plastic gas tanks, rubber hoses, and especially fuel filters.  Reason:  We in the boating community have been having serious problems in the above areas ever since the gasoline companies began adding Ethanol to the fuel.  It degrades rubber hoses, causes a "cleaning" effect on the inside of fuel tanks, releasing dirt from tank walls which clogs fuel filters, and carb. jets.  It's becoming a very serious problem for boaters, and I can see it happening easily to the small engines we have on our augers.  Is there a cure??  NO!!!!

[Oldfart]

I had the stall problem for two years. This year I switched to Stihl 2 stroke oil , same as my chainsaws, but I mixed it just a hair leaner than Jiffy wanted.  No more smoke and no more problems. A 3hp Jiffy that starts on one or two pulls. Nice!

[KingFisher1]

I just returned my Jiffy 3hp stealth to Gander. I couldn't even keep it running long enough to warm up. Pull, pull, pull, pull, pull run for 10 seconds quit....repeat....repe at....repeat...etc. I changed it out for a Strikemaster lazer Mag Xpress and saved 70 bucks.

[Scientist]

I have had the same problems as everyone else until I got the right procedure down. The first thing is replace the spark plug every season if used heavily, or every other if only used a few times.  Make sure the plug has the proper gap a lot of times even a new plug has the wrong gap. I switched from the champion plug to the E3 plug because it fouled less, in my opinion. In my area the gasoline is supplemented with up to 10 percent ethanol and 87octane was acceptable for performance in the past but for 2 cycle engines 89 octane is the minimum I use. I prefer 93 octane, after all I spent 300+ on an auger 3 bucks n gas is peanuts. The oil I found that works the best for me is made by Strikemaster “smokeless two cycle oil” it is a 1:24 mixture ratio in one gallon of gasoline.  Vent the gas cap because if sealed tightly you will create a vacuum in the line and never start it.
My auger does not have a primer but I still can start it with usually two pulls. Start the engine in full choke and move lever to half choke slowly and start drilling in half choke. Depending how cold it is ,after first or second hole is drilled, move lever to run  If you place the lever in “full run”  mode and the motor is still cold the motor will sputter and foul the plug and make starting and running difficult.  Oh yeah, make sure you put the switch in the “On” position. My father always forgets to do that. One more thing I had to replace the gas cap because the old one was clogging and not venting properly, best ten bucks I spent because they are plastic and do not leak.
 

[-ADKIceman]

There is a thread in the equipment section about 3 hp Jiffy Legends dying when being layed down on the ice that tells you how to adjust the 3 hp carburetor and includes pictures. I think this thread would make the adjustments pretty simple. 

thanks Icedog!!!

think I met you on Lake George this past weekend

[bullheaded]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is a thread in the equipment section about 3 hp Jiffy Legends dying when being laid down on the ice that tells you how to adjust the 3 hp carburetor and includes pictures. I think this thread would make the adjustments pretty simple.   

I have searched for this thread using all the key words and i can't find it, I even looked at all 22 pages in the equipment forum!  Is there anyone that can provide a link to this?  Mine has always stalled when it is laid over to one side and not the other.  I would like to know what causes this.[

[ice dawg]

thanks Icedog!!!

think I met you on Lake George this past weekend

I'm in South Dakota. Wish I could have been there though.

[ice dawg]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have searched for this thread using all the key words and i can't find it, I even looked at all 22 pages in the equipment forum!  Is there anyone that can provide a link to this?  Mine has always stalled when it is laid over to one side and not the other.  I would like to know what causes this.[

I brought it to the top in the equipment section under augers today and it should still be close to the top.

[putback]

Brand new Jiffy legend 3hp Tecumseh. Absolutely useless, all the same problems. Called jiffy cust. service, they referred me to Tecumseh. Tecumseh was good, referred me to a service ctr. Still the same. If my wife hadn't given it to me for Christmas I'd take a splitting mall to it. My advice, if you have a choice between a new Jiffy and a dull chisel, buy the chisel you can sharpen it!

[icemickey]

dont think it matters guys 3hp jiffy or 3hp strike master its still the same piece of crap engine made by techumse and the reason the way it runs the way it does is because of exhaust emmisions regulated by the EPA and theres nothing we can do about it except hope they ice fish and wind up with one of these pieces of crap thats right ice auger exhaust spewing out green house gas and theres not enough exhaust gas there drilling a hole to get a piss ant high 

[John_BZ]

I get calls daily from people complaining that their 3hp jiffy will not idle after cutting a couple holes. i have even received some back as returns. we contacted jiffy about the problem and they said that tecumseh is tuning the carburators to reduce the engines emissions. the problem only lies with the new motors.

[KingFisher1]

It's a shame that they don't work out the bugs before putting them on the market. Don't they realize how bad it makes them look for selling a product that has so many problems? I have already told several friends about the trouble I had with mine, and at least one of them has already bought a different brand when he was looking to buy a Jiffy before I talked to him.

[John_BZ]

i have been telling everybody that they will have to re-tune their carb or take it to a small engine shop before i sell them the auger. some dont care at the time, and end up pissed that the auger didnt run right. nobody likes it when you say i told you so but its not my fault that they run the way they do. again the the problem is confined to the new 3hp. older 3hp and all 2 hp are okay.

[doggbiter]

 Jiffy Sucks!!!........nuf said

[JAZII]

First off, get rid of all those 24:1 PRE MIX OILS. Use a name brand Marine TCW-3 or synthetic oil and lean out the mixture. My Jiffy 3HP is 14 yrs old, I run a 50:1 mix ratio and have no problems. Two of my buddies have newer Jiffys and had all kinds of problems till they switched oils and leaned out the oil mix ratio. The one guy used the manufacturer recommended oil at the 24:1 ratio and had two trips on it and it seized. He had it replaced under warranty and switched to the outboard oil and has had three yrs of no problems.

All newer motors, 2-cycle or 4-cycle are set to idle and run too lean due to EPA regs. You need to richen the idle and high end settings.
JAZII

[bullheaded]

Thanks, Ice Dawg.  I found it now!  So it looks like the stalling on one side is a common problem with no fix.  OK I can accept that, but it's been making me wonder for the last 15 years!  Other than that, it has been a GREAT auger.  Thanks again, what a great site here!

[ice dawg]

Jiffy Sucks!!!........nuf said

Opinions vary. 

[Oldfart]

Augers vary, too.

[ice dawg]

If we didn't have the EPA shoving California emissions standards down our throats we shouldn't have this problem. Truthfully, I don't know if the EPA applies it to areas other than California or the engine manufacturers don't want to produce an engine specifically for California. Maybe we need to email the manufacturers of ice augers, outboards, lawnmowers and other motorized equipment and tell them we don't want products that are built for California. I don't know any simple answers, but as long as we put up with it, they will keep shoving these standards down our throats. Find a place to get a 10 year old carburetor for your 3 hp and I think your problems would dissapear. Just my .02.