Protection for your gas auger

[dewey123]

Hey guys I just got a new strikemaster magnum2 hp solo gas auger yesterday and had some questions about it. How do you guys protect your augers from getting banged up during transport? I saw cases for gas augers and figured Id pick one up to protect my investment. Also how many holes can I drill on a 24 oz tank of gas? What kind of 2 stroke oil do you guys use/prefer. I figured id get a small bottle of oil from gander moutain to get started and hang onto the bottle at least for measuring to oil if i decide on a different brand of oil.  When on the ice do you guys drill a half hole and leave the auger standing upright in the hole or lay it down? I cant wait to fire this up. I have 2 stroke oil for my boat but im not gonna mess around and f something up using marine oil (i highly doubt it would do anything) but i think the jiffy and strikemaster oil has stabilizer or something in it i thought i read. Anyways Id like to hear any tips any of you have about these things.

[adkRoy]

I have a strikemaster laser mag and that thing can drill a ton of holes on aone tank of gas.

[DaveSS1]

Congrats on the new purchase.  I have 2 HP strikemaster and love it.  I normally use the strikemaster oil that you can buy in the store and mix with premium gas.  Some guys use the amsoil, but it can harder to find.  For protection I would get a bag, it does help if you have it on a sled or vehicle and you can leave an extra wrench and plug in for emergencies.   Always put the blade cover on after each use and dont bang the blades on ice.  Good luck.

[lefty2053]

I will be using Pro Mix Oil this year. As for storing it I drain all the gas out of it at the end of the year and then start it up and let it run until it dies. I then take it apart and put it back in the original box. I don't just throw it in my truck or car,I make sure it is protected with either a piece of carpet or an old blanket.  Oh and I also put some oil on the screw when I take it apart.

[Idahogator]

Congrats on the new auger Dewey.

Never let your auger stand in half a hole, as that invites disaster.

The only lubricant, known to me with a warranty is made by Amsoil and called Sabre 100/1 2cycle .

I can't afford to use a lessor quality product in any type of engine I own.

You can find the dealer nearest you at this link.  Good luck this season.

Tom


                         http://www.amsoil.com/locator/dealerlocator.aspx

[pfscott]

Love the Amsoil, less smoke and my auger seems to have a bit more snap.

[lefty2053]

Congrats on the new auger Dewey.

Never let your auger stand in half a hole, as that invites disaster.

The only lubricant, known to me with a warranty is made by Amsoil and called Sabre 100/1 2cycle .

I can't afford to use a lessor quality product in any type of engine I own.

You can find the dealer nearest you at this link.  Good luck this season.

Tom


                         http://www.amsoil.com/locator/dealerlocator.aspx

I went to buy my Quick Flip II last year and the guy asked me if I wanted to buy his auger. He had left it in a half hole and it froze. He ended up breaking the auger bit in half at the end of it and since it was an Eskimo 2 blade auger he only got back 1 blade and one big chunk was missing. I suppose the power head was probably tweaked as well so I didn't offer him anything for it.  Leaving an auger in those holes do 2 things. 1. They can freeze. 2. They can put pressure on the blades and make it difficult to drill with.

[dewey123]

Thanks for the replies guys. Im gonna try to find some of that amsoil and give it a go. I dont mind spending the money on a good quality oil like amsoil because I know it maximize the life of the auger...theres no going back after the motor is messed up because of a lack of lubrication in the cylinders. I did pick up a 1 gallon gas can and 2 bottles of the strikemaster oil bottles for 1.99 each. I had to start it up. It started within the first 3 or 4 pulls. I only put a little bit of premix gas in and ran it out. Runs like a top.  I also sprayed the pull start recoil with wd-40 as instructed in my directions...apearantl y there has been recoil issues in the cold weather and the wd-40 breaks down the grease they used. I did get a 20 dollar off coupon with my paperwork and i plan to buy a case and a auger stand for at home and a metal strikemaster sign (6 bucks) for the man cave. Thanks for the tips I like the carpet idea to keep it from getting dinged up in the truck. also thanks for sharing about the auger in the hole storys. I always seen people doing that on the lake so i figured that was better than laying it down in the snow. i know im guilty of doing it with my hnd auger but them are alot cheaper to replace.

[lefty2053]

The hand auger isn't near as heavy and shouldn't be a problem leaving them stand in a hole.

[surflizard]

Otter outdoors makes an extruded  heavy plastic tube holder for ice augers too.

[dewey123]

im gonna head over to the otter website to check that now. thanks for the heads up

[kasilofchrisn]

I would definetly say don't leave your auger in a half drilled hole. I had to chisel mine out once.
I like to use a mix mizer when mixing  my oil.
http://www.hopkinsmfg.com/10111.html
That way you always get the right mix ratio. I always have trouble reading the side of the quart jugs with the oil level viewing strip.
A gallon of gas lasts me several trips so don't buy a lot of oil whatever brand you decide.
I also like to carry a spare set of blades and the wrench to change them.
You never know when you might damage your blades due to something stuck in the ice or a fishing buddy being stupid with your metal ice scooper. Also that means you have a spare set if your local store is out of stock or closed when you are in need of them.
Depending on where you live an extension is nice to have if the ice gets real thick. Last season we had 4' of ice and the 1' extension was nice to have. Some taller guys leave the 6" extension on all the time so they don't end up bending over so much when drilling.
I have always had an auger extension but last year when our ice got thick the local store sold out quickly.Getting one early if you think you may need it will help ensure you are prepared. Leave it at home until you really need it.
 A spare plug is nice and so is a scrench so you can change it and adjust your carbs if the need ever arises.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=7&gs_id=k&xhr=t&q=scrench&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=843&wrapid=tljp1320080561313012&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=17246918142911635390&sa=X&ei=tdSuTuyRJ5SNigKKsaGiCw&sqi=2&ved=0CCUQ8gIwAg#

[xjma]

If you're unfortunate enough to be like me and live in an area where they don't sell ethanol-free gas, check out trufuel, it's pre-mixed to 40:1 and has zero ethanol!!  Way easy!  Just bought some and have started using it in the chainsaw and will use it in all my 2strokes. 

Keep the auger strapped down and it will be fine (whether in the bed of the truck or in a sled), put that blade guard on right when you're done, and be a Nazi about it! 

[dewey123]

well I do know of 2 places that sell it here in the buffalo area but i have to make it out to get a few gallons because i have a new 2011 kicker motor on my boat I would like to run ethanol free gas in as well. but i will check out that trufuel. I remember lat year I went out with my brother in law and some of his friends and his 1 buddy just got a new jiffy auger for christmas and this was his 1st time using it and it bounced around in the sled and something broke and it would not start. I did not even look at it to help figure it out because there was 3 guys on it and at the time i never laid my hands on an auger like this but i assume the choke broke or something because it sometimes would sputter and run long enough for a hole to be drilled and die out and i dont want that to happen to me... so how do you guys secure them in the sled? just pack gear around it or something? i figure i can secure it in the truck ok but wondering about my sled I have a medium otter sport sled and a clam voyager tc to transport on the ice.

[surflizard]

I used to pack mine inside my Otter like your thinking about and using the other gear to secure it. I have switched to auger racks on both the wheeler and the sled for ease of use, no more having to pull off the sled cover and unpack half the sled to get the auger out to punch a hole to check the ice or pinpoint my location over structure ! Good luck with the new auger and with routine preventative maintenance and reasonable care, that auger will last a long, long time ! No matter what gas you choose to run in it, an additional Fuel Stabilizer like Startron or Seafoam will keep it running at peak performance for years to come !

[NNYIceangler]

I use the Stihl premix oil for everything.  I even run it in my auger which takes 40:1 rather than the 50.  It seems to run better on the 50 and not foul as much, I run it in a 1000 dollar saw that turns 13,000 rpms so I figure it should be ok for my strikemaster auger.  Its a high quality oil and low smoke and I only have one can so it gets used up fast.  You can go a long time on a gallon of gas in that auger, I can drill all day on one tank so dont mix too much if your not going to use it in anything else.  Also marine Stabil or other ethanol treatment is a must when you buy the gas.

[Fish Idaho]

Dewey - Take care when loading/unloading in your vehicle.  I have a lazer mag and use the otter tube to protect it.  The tube does a great job protecting the auger bit but does nothing to protect the head unit.  I broke my throttle mechanism last year when I slid the auger out of the truck and the handle fell down between the truck bed and tail gate.  The otter tube works really well in the sled and you don't have to worry about putting on the blade protector all the time.

[fishville]

I'll second the Stihl oil. I use the Stihl HP premix, figured I run it all year in my trimmers, blowers, and saws. I use the 1 gal mix to 8/10 of a gal of gas.

[CrappieGuy]

If you want an auger bag here is a really good deal.  I also like to replace the junky Strikemaster blade cover with a snap cover.

http://www.glensoutdoors.com/Glen-s-Elite-Outdoor-Series-Auger-Bag-p/geoab.htm

http://www.coldsnapcover.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=95/category_id=59/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd95.htm