Anyone have issues with their Lite Flite Auger?

[jerryfishing]

I bought 2 Strikemaster Lite Flite augers on sale at the end of last season. I never got to use them last season. I have had great success with  8 inch Lazer with Milwaukee M18 paired with Clamplate for several years, but was interested in a lighter option. My first holes with Lite Flite cut pretty good using just with drill attached, but the more I drilled the worse it got. I haven't pulled out the second Lite Flite out of the box yet, but will probably look at selling them both now. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[GBguy]

What kind of issues were you having? I've had mine for 4 seasons and it still cuts fine with the original blades. I've used it with a Ridgid and Milwaukee and just added the clam plate last season.

[hardwater diehard]

There were some blade issues with some production models . You may have bought some old stock contact  StrikeMaster with the serial number(s).

[FishingPhotographer]

What kind of issues were you having? I've had mine for 4 seasons and it still cuts fine with the original blades. I've used it with a Ridgid and Milwaukee and just added the clam plate last season.

First time user here, but not on the ice yet. I’ve connected mine to a universal extender to a clam plate it has the slightest of the slightest little wobble. Is that normal?

[hardwater diehard]

First time user here, but not on the ice yet. I’ve connected mine to a universal extender to a clam plate it has the slightest of the slightest little wobble. Is that normal?

Yes ..it will cut/work just fine ...adding some BLUE Loctite on the bolts will help . also getting into the habit of checking the tightness each outing will help as well.

[jrjach75]

Like mentioned earlier, check with your serial number to see if yours have been recalled for bad blades. That wouldn’t explain why your first holes were cutting well though.
When I had a 24v with the lite flite, I had issues more than once with ice buildup on the cutting head and blades. Usually on really cold days, slush would build up on the blades/head and freeze hard if I set it down between holes. Or sometimes just while drilling; I had to make a habit of spinning the auger in the water after going through and setting the auger cutting end up out of any snow or slush.
Don’t know if that’s any help or even what’s going on, but what you are describing with the first holes being ok, and the next holes being hard to cut is a exactly how mine would act with buildup. I never had the buildup problem on any other auger besides the lite flite

[mountana]

I had issues with same setup initially, with slow cutting and binding. For me it turned out to be the drill setting. Adjusted the speed setting to 1, and the clutch setting to the drill bit position. It’s worked flawlessly since.

[hardwater diehard]

I had issues with same setup initially, with slow cutting and binding. For me it turned out to be the drill setting. Adjusted the speed setting to 1, and the clutch setting to the drill bit position. It’s worked flawlessly since.

This is very important ...hammer mode can destroy blades .

Also jerryfishing  what model Milwaukee and amp hour battery do you use ?

[SLAYERFISH]

Fuel 2904 with both 6" and 8" Lite-Flites. for 3 years now.  I am using an 8AH battery for 1.5 seasons now. I can and do drill a bunch of holes per day.  They cut like butter!  Until you hit a rock, then they don't.

[62&done]

4 years now with a lite flight and NO issues,  yes you will have a little freeze on your blades on cold days  I don't consider that an issue as water tends to freeze on any metal if it's frigid  As said earlier , there were a couple years that the company used imported blades of low quality and the company is good about working with you on that issue.
  I just changed my blades for the first time and had the old ones resharpened for spares.
I've been using a rigid drill with 4 amp batteries   I can cut 45- 55 holes thru 6-8'' on a battery   I am switching to an 8 amp battery to try this year as I'm a guy who likes lots of power  Can't say it's really necessary considering the weather lately but that's just me

     Mine is a 6"

[FishingPhotographer]

Yes ..it will cut/work just fine ...adding some BLUE Loctite on the bolts will help . also getting into the habit of checking the tightness each outing will help as well.

So the bolt itself is locked solid. The slight wiggle is between the clam’s mounting rod and the sleeve it fits into in the universal extender.

[HardH20Fishin]

Third season with mine with no issues, cuts clean and fast with my M18 Milwaukee with 5ah xc battery.

[kb]

Hope this helps

[SLAYERFISH]

Hope this helps

Hey Good Info!

[jerryfishing]

Awesome guys! I will check serial number and contact Strikemaster. I am using Milwaukee 2904-20 drill on drill setting and #1 speed. This is the same drill setting and speed that I have been using with Lazer and drillplate setup. Thank you all for the feedback! I love this site

[SLAYERFISH]

I went to that recall site but it's dead. Called rapala customer service haven't heard back.  My blades are fine but its worth a shot for $55 blades!