[StringTheory]

So I picked up a new 10" Strikemaster 40V on boxing day and on every hole I've drilled the auger binds at the bottom and gets stuck just as its about the break through the ice. It happens on every hole and on different lakes so its not just the ice conditions. At first I thought the blades were loose or mis-aligned, so I checked them and they seem good. Its a new auger and the blades are still factory sharp, no burs, dents or rollover of the edge.

The motor is designed to cut out when the flight gets stuck and that's not a bad safety feature, but when its stuck like that I have to restart it 2 or 3 times in order to break through. It has a lot of torque and its actually really hard on the wrists when trying to finish the cut. I've been bracing it on my body when restarting the cut because it comes on with so much torque.

Thinking its something I'm doing wrong I've let a few people try it out, all with the same comments. Obviously this is an isolated case, there are a lot of reviews out there and most people are really happy. I think that if their auger was determined to break their wrists every time you used it people would be talking about that.

I should also mention that I'm not leaning on it at all. If anything I am lifting slightly to take some weight off, otherwise it really jams up at the bottom.

I emailed Strikemaster but they seem unwilling to do anything at the consumer level. I have to send it to a service center (Lawnmower Hospital) in order for them to evaluate it.

I'm really turned off by this thing - to the point where I got the old jiffy propane out of the shed.

Has anyone else experienced this?