Clam edge Auger

I am just curious to see if anyone has one, how do you like it? From my understating it is the same auger as strikemaster, only the clam is made in China. Would love to hear some first hand feedback

Quote:

---

it is the same auger as strikemaster, only the clam is made in China.

---

You just answered your own question…it’s obviously not the same…

SM are made in china as well, just “engineered in USA”. So they drew up the plans in the USA and sent it to china to be made. They might even be assembled in the USA as well, for the power augers. I know the hand augers are completely made in china.

For sure, the solo engines are made in china. The solo are German engineered I believe, but made in china. Honda, probably japan or korea?

I know SM had some issues very early on with the solo with Chinese blades not working SM recognized the problem and switched to Mora a Swedish company…

China and Rapala-you gotta love it. Strikemaster is just a shell of what they were 2 years ago.

Quote:

---

I am just curious to see if anyone has one, how do you like it? From my understating it is the same auger as strikemaster, only the clam is made in China. Would love to hear some first hand feedback

---

The story I had heard at the ice show was that through some shady back door dealings Clam was able to come up with an almost an exact copy the SM 2-strokes; however, they do not have the same Mora auger bit or local assembly facility with a large parts inventory should you have any warrenty issues. I was also told that if you have problems they most likely will just refer you to a SM repair shop and tell you to purchase SM parts… In which case if you do have a problem you’ll be paying out of pocket to fix

Quote:

---

China and Rapala-you gotta love it. Strikemaster is just a shell of what they were 2 years ago.

---

Solo engines are from Germany, Mora auger bits are from Sweden, and everyone knows that Honda engines are as reliable as they come. On top of that every single auger is assembled and then load tested right here at Rapala headquarters in MN. Doesn’t sound very Chinese to me

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

China and Rapala-you gotta love it. Strikemaster is just a shell of what they were 2 years ago.

---

Solo engines are from Germany, Mora auger bits are from Sweden, and everyone knows that Honda engines are as reliable as they come. On top of that every single auger is assembled and then load tested right here at Rapala headquarters in MN. Doesn’t sound very Chinese to me

---

Where is the solo engine built, Will?
And where do the parts for that solo engine come from?

Good enough reason to run a thirty year old jiffy auger….buy american

As long as they don’t use Chinese metal I could care less where it was assembled/made. Chinese metals are way more porouse (spelling?) than anywhere else.

I have a clam edge auger and use it alot. This is a very powerful auger. Seems to have a very aggressive cutting angle on the blades and a lot of “grab” to the ice. It rips through at the bottom of the hole really hard as well. The one problem is they forgot to put gas line clips at the base of the gas bulb so they pop off once in awhile. Overall, tons of power, but not as smooth of cutting as a lazer mag.

I figured it had to be a shady deal to end up that close of a product. I bought a new 6 inch layer mag this year. So I was really looking for how the blades are holding up? Will they be like SM 4-5 years on original blades

If it wasn’t for the gas line thing. This auger would be perfect. An easy manufacturer fix for next year im sure.

It is a great auger. cuts very fast and has a lot of torque. it was not a shady deal. the solo motor is not exclusive to Strikemaster. they are a independent company and they can choose to sell anyone they want too. if I had enough money I could buy their motor and build a auger with it and put what ever name on it I want. as for the auger bit it self. it is as good as or better then the Mora auger bit. like I said before it cuts more agressively. Clam also changed the transmission case back to metal and the Strikemaster is still composite materials. I would take the Clam over a Strikemaster any day. I lost respect for Strikemaster when Rapala bought them out. before that I totally loved Strikemaster. I predict there will be good things to come from Clam in the area of augers in the coming years.

Agreed on the engine BUT aside from a few component changes the design is a little too identical… I was told by an employee of a retailer at the show that if you check out the owners manual they are actually using old strikemaster diagrams.

Don’t get me wrong I’m sure it is a pretty darn good auger because it is basically a Strikemaster with a few small changes

sorry to take this a little off topic but heres a thought for everyone when it comes to this debate. if you look at the total number of augers sold by each company the numbers are amazing. the order of the companies would go like this :

remember this is in all on North America (Canada & the USA)

#1 is Jiffy

#2 is Strikemaster

Clam is giving both of these companies a run for their money and I fore see Clam taking a greater market share in time. as for Nils they only have like 1 to 5 % of the current North American market share. don’t forget companies like huskavarna (spelling??). they are currently only sold up in Canada. The problem with people in Minnesota is that all they have known is Strikemaster as the major name/seller and the others as lesser sellers. times change and other companies come along and produce stuff as good as or better then the same stuff produced by the “well known” company but people are resistant to changes. Have a open mind and be willing to try something new once and awhile and maybe you will be surprised.

Where did you find the #’s for augers sold in north america? I’d like to read up on that and see who was where for the other brands as well.

Quote:

---

China and Rapala-you gotta love it. Strikemaster is just a shell of what they were 2 years ago.

---

I honestly think Rapala’s purchase of Strikemaster was a much needed tonic and has brought that brand back to a position of growth and momentum it was not experiencing prior. Allow me to elaborate…

Several years before Strikemaster was purchased by Rapala the owners at the time were having a hard time dealing with pricing increases on components coming from Mora of Sweden. The augers were getting more expensive. The cost of Lazer blades was really taking a bite out of profit margins.

The owners at the time, before Rapala bought the company, made the decision to test the waters with substituting components made in China for the Swedish-made counterparts.

The company contracted to provide the parts from China was Vista International.

The china-made components started to show up on SOME augers and problems started to show up. Note – not all Strikemaster augers used these components but a good number did. Call it a “test run” that last several years, if you will.

Some blades dulled much quicker than loyalists were used to. Some augers no longer pulled themselves through the ice… owners had to apply pressure on them to get them to cut. At times, it was a lot of pressure. Welds ripped out of blade mounting pads and blades broke. And who can forget all the problems with the augers that locked up at the bottom of the ice just before breaking through? Of course that was due to faulty angles on the blade mounting pads.

2 years ago Rapala steps in and buys Strikemaster. They’re hit with the quality control issue and they make the decision to stop all component purchases from China. All Strikemaster Solo augers being released for sale this winter by Rapala have Mora augers and blades. The issues mentioned above… all but gone. Nothing made by man’s hands will ever achieve perfection but things are back to where they should be.

Currently the Strikemaster Solo augers have a transmission made here locally in MN, and all Mora augers and blades. They’re definitely NOT made in China as asserted by some.

Now, I personally don’t feel there was anything underhanded about Clam using Vista International to access auger parts. That’s business.

As for the OP’s question, if you’re interested in a Solo powered Edge auger you better get one quick. My understanding is there will NOT be a second year of production of the Edge powered by Solo.

So James, where are the engines made? That’s where the majority of the problems lie in a powered anything… The expensive mora bit doesn’t turn without the Solo power.

So we have established that the bites are now Mora of sweden, as well as the blades.
The gear box is made in USA but we don’t know what the parts are.
The engine is “German”, but we don’t know where they are made. I know they keep boasting “German Engineered”. One would think if they were indeed made in Germany they would be saying “German Made” instead.

I don’t mean any offense, but I see some pro staff easing around on this topic. A couple things were highlighted and some left out, but I’m sure not on purpose.

Quote:

---

I don’t mean any offense, but I see some pro staff easing around on this topic. A couple things were highlighted and some left out, but I’m sure not on purpose.

---

No offense taken here. To be honest I was really responding to the idea that somehow Rapala’s purchase of Strikemaster had somehow led to a reduction in quality or damage to the Strikemaster brand. I’ve seen the opposite and wanted to provide some background on why I think that notion is off the mark.

As to your question, Strikemaster gears are machined by the same MN company making the transmission. Where’s a Solo made? Beats me. My guess is there’s a point of origin tag somewhere on each powerhead but I don’t have my auger handy to check. I know it isn’t in the US… of course since both augers use the same motor it hardly seemed worth investigating it.

If all strikemaster augers sold currently by Rapala have mora augers and blades why does the box say made in china and on the auger itself says made in china. The only thing that says mora of sweden is the blades. I have looked at them but this is all I can find. Would love to find one made by mora of sweden completely.

My laser mag says Big Lake MN. I must of got a good one…FTW!!!

Quote:

---

If all strikemaster augers sold currently by Rapala have mora augers and blades why does the box say made in china and on the auger itself says made in china. The only thing that says mora of sweden is the blades. I have looked at them but this is all I can find. Would love to find one made by mora of sweden completely.

---

I have no idea how the “origin of manufacturer” rules work. Percentage of components? Honestly, I have no idea. With the powerheads made by Solo you’ll never have an auger made “by Mora of Sweden completely.”

As for the “made in china” on the auger, this is just a guess, I suppose it is similar to how guys that buy a “new” digital series MarCum get one with a software version 4 releases old. There’s lot of product floating around out in the distribution pipeline. If Strikemaster makes a change this year you’ll still see non-current inventory floating around for some time.

My concern over the Clam auger is the dimensions of the bit. Strikemaster and Eskimo (not sure about Jiffy) list theirs at 42.5″, while Clam lists theirs at 34.5″. If their bit is indeed a fully 8″ shorter, they won’t be selling a lot of augers up here in Canada.

You would have needed an extension on the Clam a few weeks ago already to get through the ice on Lake Winnipeg.

So is that a typo on Clam’s part? Or is there bit actually that much shorter than their competitors? It seems foolish to make a bit that short.

Quote:

---

So James, where are the engines made? That’s where the majority of the problems lie in a powered anything… The expensive mora bit doesn’t turn without the Solo power.

So we have established that the bites are now Mora of sweden, as well as the blades.
The gear box is made in USA but we don’t know what the parts are.
The engine is “German”, but we don’t know where they are made. I know they keep boasting “German Engineered”. One would think if they were indeed made in Germany they would be saying “German Made” instead.

I don’t mean any offense, but I see some pro staff easing around on this topic. A couple things were highlighted and some left out, but I’m sure not on purpose.

---

Hey Kevin – I’m not dodging the question either, as I truly don’t know. As already mentioned, it comes from a variety of sources foreign and local.

Alot of folks have shown interest in the powerhead, and what I can tell you about it comes from meeting with Master Technician and lead wrench at Strikemaster, Jason Culp, who is a technical guru regarding ice augers and all things mechanical for that matter.

Few people know what goes on behind the scenes at Strikemaster before an auger ever gets boxed, let alone put together in the shop, so I thought it would be useful to describe the process. Prior to every ice auger being shipped out the door, Strikemaster goes through a detailed assembly and rigorous testing procedure to assure that the auger you buy is fine-tuned from top to bottom. With a little insight into the process, I know you’ll be as amazed as I was at the quality of craftsmanship and exhaustive protocol they expect these augers to meet. Follow each step with the pictures to get an idea of what’s going on when, and in what order.

STEP 1 – Attention is first given to the Solo or Honda Engines that come in to be attached to drill units. Every engine is different, and each one goes through the following adjustments:

• Choke lever extender added
• Carb adjusted
• Hi/Low jet speed adjusted
• Kill switch re-routed
• Gas tank re-vented

STEP 2 – Throttle linkage is hooked up, and travel of the throttle is adjusted accordingly.

STEP 3 – Upper transmission is attached to motor and torque to spec.

STEP 4 – Lower gear is greased and dropped into upper transmission.

MORE STEPS CONTINUED IN NEXT POST!!!











<img src="/wp-content/uploads/bbu

Continued from above….

STEP 5 – Handle is set in place, and connected to lower transmission and torque to spec.

STEP 6 – Gears are tested to ensure proper alignment.

STEP 7 – Kill switch wires attached and connected to throttle linkage. Check throttle return.

STEP 8 – Compression is checked by pulling on the handle, decompression valve should pop back.

STEP 9 – Attach decals and box to ship!

From this point, a select set of augers are further and more comprehensively tested to ensure of both proper assembly and exceptional performance. For every different model that’s being assembled, the first 5 engines per day, and one of every 10 per crate are thoroughly checked in the following manner:
• The auger is documented by S/N, date, and model, and a file with notes is started for each tested auger.
• Auger is given gas, then load tested.
• Idle is checked and performance is tested via a digital tachometer to test resistance and measure key statistics.
• Torque, clutch engage, clutch disengage, and RPM’s both under load and no-load are measured and checked against spec.
• If augers do not meet these measurements, a troubleshooting process ensues, triggering a full check of each engine in the entire case.











<img src="/wp-content/uploads/bbu

Joel,

Thank you very much for the step by step and pictures. I enjoy seeing that stuff and how things are made. Maybe sometime you guys can film a tour of the Strikemaster facility and the Otter facility to see how things are built. That would be really neat.

Thanks again for taking the time.

Great info Joel. Maybe more than needed to justify or defend SM, but I see the point.

I believe SM has had such a great name from years past that the “experiment” with China that James spoke of has left a lot of people wondering. Take that with the frequent change in powerhead engines and people start to talk. I’m sure many are not aware of the EPA regs that put an end to Tecumseh’s reign. Many just saw it as “why another new engine?” “Has SM lost their way?”

I bought mine and it came with the China blades. After a short time of actual use, I heard from a guy on the ice that if I contacted SM they would replace them, and sure enough, they did. This was not advertised; however, and I think that is another strike that many see against SM. “If they know about an issue and are willing to replace at no cost, why don’t they advertise it?” We hear this all the time with many different products. It all comes down to cost and if there is a true issue or not. My Chinese blades cut fine for the first couple months, then just went to $#!+.

I see both sides of the coin. Obviously SM went through a lull and now they are doing their best to get out of it. On that note, I look forward to innovation from them. After using a Jiffy with propane power, I asked myself why something new hasn’t happened with SM. Patents, I’m sure.

Time will tell…

Quote:

---

Great info Joel. Maybe more than needed to justify or defend SM, but I see the point.

I believe SM has had such a great name from years past that the “experiment” with China that James spoke of has left a lot of people wondering. Take that with the frequent change in powerhead engines and people start to talk. I’m sure many are not aware of the EPA regs that put an end to Tecumseh’s reign. Many just saw it as “why another new engine?” “Has SM lost their way?”

I bought mine and it came with the China blades. After a short time of actual use, I heard from a guy on the ice that if I contacted SM they would replace them, and sure enough, they did. This was not advertised; however, and I think that is another strike that many see against SM. “If they know about an issue and are willing to replace at no cost, why don’t they advertise it?” We hear this all the time with many different products. It all comes down to cost and if there is a true issue or not. My Chinese blades cut fine for the first couple months, then just went to $#!+.

I see both sides of the coin. Obviously SM went through a lull and now they are doing their best to get out of it. On that note, I look forward to innovation from them. After using a Jiffy with propane power, I asked myself why something new hasn’t happened with SM. Patents, I’m sure.

Time will tell…

---

Hey Old Mil – Thanks for the reply. All that verbiage and pics were from November, and I’d meant to post it earlier as an FYI. I didn’t mean for it to come across as in-defense of anything they’ve done; more as a means of letting folks know exactly what went into assembly and engine tuning. Jiffy has china motors in their lineup, and at one time, had little but. So has about every major mfr. of auger. I think the difference is how it’s put together and what level of detail is gone to in order to make sure that issues are as few/far-between as possible.

In regards to not publicizing the blades issue, I see how that lack of transparency makes it seem like they’re hiding something. At the same time, from their perspective, they were protecting their business and existence from consumer fraud and abuse. Publicize something like that, and you have people crawling out of the woodwork for free blades, whether warranted or not. Once you get done with the shipping, checking, and man-hours involved in processing an order, the price of the blades becomes inconsequential.

For example, more than a decade ago, Marcum had a limited run of bad transducers. They were supplied these transducers by a company in California that did not use the appropriate expoxy, and it failed in cold weather. This is the same company that still supplies transducers to other sonar mfrs. by the way. Marcum replaced those transducers, and unfortunately, many, many more. Now, they pour their own and have complete control over the quality of them, but internet rumors ran rampant. Customer service at Marcum still takes calls saying “I got this LX-3 about 3 years ago, and I’ve been reading online about these bad batches of ducers you guys have – my unit is doing the exact same thing.” It’s easy now to decipher those who are making it up as they go along, but definitely not at the time.

Joel

I hear that. I, myself am in the design/manufacturing business and as a Technician, I understand. I understand that things like this happen. I also understand what it means to stand behind a product and thus far, SM has. This is why I stay with them and root for their future innovation.

It is very costly to make a perfect product that NEVER fails. Costly for the maker as well as the consumer. Standing behind your product with great customer service is what counts in my book.

Thanks!