Strikemaster oil

found some regular 2 cycle oil in the garage and was curious if the new solo has to ran with their oil or is regular oil ok too?

Derrick

Get a good qualiuty synthetic, Opti 2 or Amsoil Saber Pro and mix 50-1, your auger will thank you. I run mine 80-1 but it’s not a strikemaster. Use the old Dyno oil to start a fire.

According to strikemaster you must mix at 40 to 1 so you dont void warranty. I,d stick to 40 to 1 until the warranty is up then go to 50 to 1.

Ajs

My old Strikemasters I ran 80-1, not sure why the new Solos can’t be run at the same ratio after break in. My Nils I broke in at 50-1 and after 1 tank I was able to go up to 100-1 according to the company. This was using Amsoil Saber Pro. BTW the old SM is still running great and still on a 80-1 diet, just has a new owner.

my POV…

I have had a jiffy since 00′ and I would be willing to bet I have drilled more holes than the average angler with it too. It is scheduled to run 24:1, techumseh engine. I have ran fuel from my dirtbike at 32:1 amsoil, I have ran valvoline, quicksilver, fleet farm brand, and my last tank was Sthil oil for my chain saw. I have never had starting issues, running issues nor even shanged the plug. I stick with the mfg oil ratio bc its a safe bet. Maybe you can get amsoil to run at 100:1, i run it in my yammi outboard but i dont fiddle with the oil injector mixture and crank it down cuz it says it is rated for that. Infact i have not herd one person mess with their boat motor, would you want to be in the middle of LOW or Superior with a blown mtr cuz you leaned it way out bc the bottle says it can run that lean? Is the oil really that expensive that you have to lean it out for an ice auger? I keep it safe, keep it rich and i am going strong. worst case, you foul a $5 spark plug, cheaper than a power head right? Afterall, these engines are not built to high tolerances by any means, like a snowmobile or dirtbike engine would be. If you dont belive me tear one down sometime and measure the clearances. We have done it when I taught small engines classes…

Thats just my system. -Mark

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would you want to be in the middle of LOW or Superior with a blown mtr cuz you leaned it way out bc the bottle says it can run that lean? Is the oil really that expensive that you have to lean it out for an ice auger? I keep it safe, keep it rich and i am going strong. worst case, you foul a $5 spark plug, cheaper than a power head right?

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Agreed

Yet on the flipside they can run so nice when properly lean. And a lot of guys like to run them that way.

If you run Sabre Professional i would not go past 80:1

I know a guy who just scored his piston pretty bad the first time (only time) using it. Still no way to know for sure he didnt make a mistake mixing it or something else was wrong but its enough to make me leary of going back to 100:1 but I also trust Amsoil.

At 80-1, no smoke, no residue,no fouled plugs and runs great. There is a big difference between a synthetic oil and the old Dyno oils. Plus with 1 80-1 mix will run all the small air cooled 2 strokes, no need for 3-4 different gas cans with different mixes. A friend of mine runs a tree service company, been doing it 20 years now and he has run Amsoil 80-1 in all his saws and has never blown one up.

I trust that it’s fine to run up to 100-1 in my auger since the auger company and oil company both say it’s ok to run it at those ratios, in fact the auger company recomended at least at 70-1 and up for best performance.

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I trust that it’s fine to run up to 100-1 in my auger since the auger company and oil company both say it’s ok to run it at those ratios, in fact the auger company recomended at least at 70-1 and up for best performance.

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Which company is recomending at least 70:1?

Nils Master with the Tanaka engine.

This was my reply from Nils when I asked about break in and gas/oil ratio using synthetics:

First tank 50:1 then 75:1 or 100:1 mix Synthetic oil

89 or above octane

Run with out the auger shaft on at first. Prime the ball twice, full choke, then half choke then no choke. Open up full throttle cycling the choke back and forth. Lubricates the diaprham.

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My old Strikemasters I ran 80-1, not sure why the new Solos can’t be run at the same ratio after break in. My Nils I broke in at 50-1 and after 1 tank I was able to go up to 100-1 according to the company. This was using Amsoil Saber Pro. BTW the old SM is still running great and still on a 80-1 diet, just has a new owner.

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FYI – The Solo warranty allows for a mixture of 50:1.

There’s no reason to run a hyper-lean ratio and risk a loss of warranty to save a couple ounces of oil. The solos are not comparable the Techumseh power heads that often benefitted from a very lean ratio which made for easier starts and less smoking. My Solo, and every solo I’ve been around which total in the dozens, don’t smoke at all and start / run beautifully on 40:1. Go 50:1 if it puts a smile on your face and know that you’re covered under warranty but it isn’t going to make for a smoother running, more powerful machine. I’ve tried. There’s no difference to be seen, felt or heard.

Here’s the officially released statement from from Solo’s Technical Director, Richard Costa, regarding oiling ratios and oil requirements in a Solo auger.

http://www.idofishing.com/forum/showflat.php/Number/830634

There’s not another auger made that can drill with a solo. Stick with the suggested oil ratio, keep the warranty intact, and enjoy an auger that represents a significant advancement in performance over the techumseh-powered augers of the past.

I’ll put my 1.5 hp auger up against a 2 or 3 hp Solo.

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I’ll put my 1.5 hp auger up against a 2 or 3 hp Solo.

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Deal. First guy to 10 – 8″ holes? I’ll give you a 1 hole head start.

I also will gladly put my solo up against any other auger with the same sized bit. earlier this season i almost beat a Nils master with a 5″ bit and i have an 8!!

you are on!!! And I’m running stock

Sounds good, been wanting to see how the Solos stack up to a Nils. Win loose or draw it will be fun. Question now is when and where, I’m not planning any MN trips till April.

I listen to everyone and beleive their experience’s. I’m going to continue to go 80:1 with Saber and see for myself.
I’ll report any issues.

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I listen to everyone and beleive their experience’s. I’m going to continue to go 80:1 with Saber and see for myself.
I’ll report any issues.

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Are you running a Solo, Mike?

No James. An obsolete 2 hp Jif Stealth.

The reason I ask is this thread was about the oil to use in a Solo and I haven’t talked to anyone, yet, that has run a solo on 80:1 for any length of time. I thought you might be that guy.

I honestly don’t have an opinion on the brand of oil to use in a Solo. The only reason I poke my nose in on these threads is to make sure people follow the manufacturer’s specs regarding ratio versus going with what worked for them with their previous non-solo auger. The Solo motors run nearly twice as many RPM’s as the tecumseh motors and the compression is much higher and the demands placed on the oil are likely much greater.

An oiling ratio of 80:1 might be fine in the slow turning and lower compression tecumseh. But my gut tells me you’re walking a very fine line doing so in the Solo. My involvement in this thread is not to discredit Saber or any of the synthetics. Heck, run ’em if you believe in them. But do it at a ratio no leaner than 50:1. The difference in the two power heads (tecumseh / solo) is night and day.

James:

I’m currently running the AMSOIL Saber at 50:1 per mfrs. specs, along with a few ounces of seafoam per gas can. I’ve put about 5 tankfuls of gas through that 3hp SOLO, and no performance issues to speak of. As you know, she’s a hot one!

Joel

So then why does Strikemaster have written in the manual”DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC OIL”?Written in bold red.I just got it last week,maybe a change?I just used the SM oil I got with it.

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So then why does Strikemaster have written in the manual”DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC OIL”?Written in bold red.I just got it last week,maybe a change?I just used the SM oil I got with it.

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There’s been a change since the manual was published. That’s why SM made a point to get the info about the oil out to the public through outlets like IDO. One thing guys should remember is that the oiling requirements to stay within warranty guidelines comes from the manufacturer of the power head… Solo. Strikemaster merely relays those guidelines in their product brochures and manuals.

James, I have actually been running my solo at approximately 80:1, I ran the first tank at 50:1 and after that i went to a leaner mixture and have had nor problems with it yet.

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James, I have actually been running my solo at approximately 80:1, I ran the first tank at 50:1 and after that i went to a leaner mixture and have had nor problems with it yet.

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She’s your baby. Run it as you see fit. I’m just trying to keep everyone up to speed on the warranty requirements.

yeah i definitely recommend running it according to warranty requirements, i have not noticed it running any better on 80:1 than it did on 50:1 so i may go back just to be safe. I know my old lazer mag ran so much better on 90:1 than it did on anything else

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yeah i definitely recommend running it according to warranty requirements, i have not noticed it running any better on 80:1 than it did on 50:1 so i may go back just to be safe. I know my old lazer mag ran so much better on 90:1 than it did on anything else

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Thanks for the follow-up. You’re one of the first I’ve talked to that ran it significantly leaner than 50:1 so the feedback is appreciated.

I agree James,

Take your chances, right? I say the same to all my buddies when this question comes up. I run ALL my small stuff (weed whacker-auger-toro snowblower-chainsaw) everything on Sabre 70:1. Havent had one problem, however, if they feel sqeamish, run them with a bit more oil…it’s their unit. I love not having 3-4 tanks of different gas!!!

Tuna