Rapala Augers or Strikemaster 4 stroke

[stubblejumper01]

So my 15 year old Strikemaster died today. I was at Canadian Tire and saw a 10" Rapala reg $699 on for $419.
Anyone know anything about these? Do they have all the plastic parts the other brands seem to have now? I imagine they would. Just wondering about durability etc.
I'm also considering the 4 stroke Strikemaster with the Honda engine. Heard some good reviews about them. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thinking about staying with Strikemaster as I think my 8 and 10 inch flights should work.
I'm going auger shopping tomorrow.
Thanks guys.

[npauls]

Rapala now owns strikemaster but i do believe the strikemaster branded augers are better than the rapala ones.

My buddy has the honda 4 stroke strikemaster and it seems very nice. Myself and a few buddies all run strikemasters with almost no problems since new. We punch a ton of holes.

Last trip out we had one of the kids with us and he counted 178 holes punched.

[sureshot]

I just bought the eskimo stingray for 299 at the fishing hole. Can't beat the price

[stubblejumper01]

Originally Posted by sureshot

I just bought the eskimo stingray for 299 at the fishing hole. Can't beat the price

That is a good price!! You can buy 2 of those for the cost of the 4 stroke!!
Definitely going to check that out tomorrow. Thanks.

[snowman160]

Jiffy pro 4 propane...can't beat it.no more stinky mixing gas or fumes in the tent!!!love mine!!!

[stubblejumper01]

Originally Posted by npauls

Rapala now owns strikemaster but i do believe the strikemaster branded augers are better than the rapala ones.

My buddy has the honda 4 stroke strikemaster and it seems very nice. Myself and a few buddies all run strikemasters with almost no problems since new. We punch a ton of holes.

Last trip out we had one of the kids with us and he counted 178 holes punched.

I always liked mine too. It started draining all the fuel down through the engine.
Pretty sure the carb needs a rebuild. The old 3hp Tecumseh never let me down before. Hopefully carb kits are still available. It's treated me well for 15 years.
I convinced the wife it's time for a new one. I'll probably fix the old one for a spare. The recoil exploded too so I'll need a new one to go fishing Sunday.

[stubblejumper01]

Originally Posted by snowman160

Jiffy pro 4 propane...can't beat it.no more stinky mixing gas or fumes in the tent!!!love mine!!!

You ever have any issues in the cold? I don't go out past about -25 anymore anyway. Also I have lots of those little 1 lb bottles kicking around. I guess you just bring an extra 1 in case the bottle gets too cold.

[kcward]

I love my Strikemaster 4 stroke. It is so light (23 lbs I think) starts nice everytime and just purrs. I've been out 4 times this year and still have 3/4 tank of fuel - haven't had to fill it yet. The only thing you will notice is when you get close to the end of the hole if you are putting pressure it will suck you to the ground. I am used to it now and just don't put much pressure on it, cuts fast without. I've rigged mine up with the quick release eskimo attachment and just use a 3/8" pin instead of a bolt. Once you put that on it makes the auger a little longer. I had the strikemaster auger bag and it was too short after I put the quick release on, so I bought the Eskimo Auger bag and it works great.
I also got the stikemaster Auger head back, so when I do undo the head I have a bag for it.

You can get some of the accessories from Bay Distributors: http://www.bwmarineproducts.com/baydist.htm

Great customer service.

Good luck with your decision.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by snowman160

Jiffy pro 4 propane...can't beat it.no more stinky mixing gas or fumes in the tent!!!love mine!!!

Sounds good. How is the weight? A little lighter? My only complaint about my Pro 3 is how heavy that sucker is.

[stubblejumper01]

Kcward, thanks for your reply. I am really leaning that way as the Honda engine should last a long time. I like the weight too. Usually when comparing 2 stroke and 4 the 4 are usually heavier, so that's a great feature.

[Mayhem]

Myself and two fishing buds all picked up Honda powered 4 stks at CT a while back when they were clearing them out. It's the second Strikemaster auger I have owned. The first auger had the 2.5 hp German made Solo motor. It was fairly lightweight, lots of power and the engine bullet proof. Not one bit of trouble in 3 or 4 years, but I was tired of mixing fuel. The Honda is like the best of both worlds, very light, quiet and sips fuel. Not quite as fast as a 2 stk but makes up for it with low-end torque.
I have drilled a couple holes inside the tent and did not find the fumes excessive, fairly clean burning engine. These engines are so tight you need to run premium fuel for best performance.

Similar to boat motors, I believe the 4 stks will eventually become the norm for reliable, long term use.

[Landlocked_Newfie]

Originally Posted by stubblejumper01

I always liked mine too. It started draining all the fuel down through the engine.
Pretty sure the carb needs a rebuild. The old 3hp Tecumseh never let me down before. Hopefully carb kits are still available. It's treated me well for 15 years.
I convinced the wife it's time for a new one. I'll probably fix the old one for a spare. The recoil exploded too so I'll need a new one to go fishing Sunday.

My 15 yr old SM leak was a cheap fix. My neighbor had a spare SM and told me to use it for any parts I needed. The same fitting was cracked same place. I ordered two at Lawnmower Hospital. Now works great. Little white elbow. I had thought gaskets were leaking so I changed all them first. Then I noticed it never helped. I would send a picture if I could. I have the part number.

[Landlocked_Newfie]

[/QUOTE]

[stubblejumper01]

Originally Posted by Landlocked_Newfie

My 15 yr old SM leak was a cheap fix. My neighbor had a spare SM and told me to use it for any parts I needed. The same fitting was cracked same place. I ordered two at Lawnmower Hospital. Now works great. Little white elbow. I had thought gaskets were leaking so I changed all them first. Then I noticed it never helped. I would send a picture if I could. I have the part number.

Thanks man. I called BJs Fix It Shop in St. Albert and told him what was happening. He put in a new carb kit and replaced the recoil mechanism and with labor it was $160. Works good now. I looked at new ones at The Fishin Hole and didn't like the way they are now built compared to the old ones. I'm going to keep this one running as long as I can