I’m guessing the breather tube is plugged. runs great if I loosen the cap, if i don’t I cant keep it running. Any Ideas how these breather tubes work? The old one had a vent on the cap that I could loosen the new ones don’t. Any ideas how I can unplug.
Whatsa
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I’m guessing the breather tube is plugged. runs great if I loosen the cap, if i don’t I cant keep it running. Any Ideas how these breather tubes work? The old one had a vent on the cap that I could loosen the new ones don’t. Any ideas how I can unplug.
Whatsa
There is a vent tube with a white end cap under the air cleaner.
Try pulling the black plug out of the white end cap
and running it without the plug installed.
Depending on how it was set down you may have a vapor
lock issue.
Dandorn is spot on. I had this issue a few times last year and did precisely what he said. Cleared up the issue. Now this year I have left it in with no problem. My guess would be this might possibly get plugged sometimes which can lead to irregular behaviors.
Can I run it that way forever with no harm or do I need to put the plug back in.
That question might need to be directed to Heather at Strikemaster in the customer service department. She can likely talk to a lead mechanic to get official advise. I will say that I ran it last year without it. Didn’t notice any immediate issues.
Thanks DAN, and Chris I’ll give it a try.
Craig
Pull the breather tube out of the tank a bit and blow through it. It should unplug that little filter.
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I’m guessing the breather tube is plugged. runs great if I loosen the cap, if i don’t I cant keep it running. Any Ideas how these breather tubes work? The old one had a vent on the cap that I could loosen the new ones don’t. Any ideas how I can unplug.
Whatsa
Whatsa
If your solo was purchased last season you’ll want to call SM and ask for a replacement vent. Last season’s vents were a little “tight” on tolerances and if you got a little moisture in the vent it would restrict the airflow. Particularly if it was very cold and that moisture froze. At that point you basically had a complete plug and the motor would bog out about 1/3 of the way through the cutting of a hole. The good news? There’s a new vent cap on this year’s motors that seem to have solved this very isolated issue.
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Can I run it that way forever with no harm or do I need to put the plug back in.
You won’t cause any damage to the motor in any way but you will risk spilling fuel in storage or transit if the motor is tipped…. one drip-drip-drip at a time.
seems like ive read alot about problems with the strikemasters, more than any other brand anyway. my opinion, a $500 auger should work flawlessly for years and years, my eskimos have. and for that price i should get a happy ending after each outing!!
I believe you see Strikemaster issues posted on here because they are a site sponsor and people know they will get their questions answered quickly and correctly to get their problem fixed. Just last weekend my buddies throttle on his Eskimo fell off while he was drilling a hole But on Monday there wasn’t a post about it. With about 60% of the people on this site running Strikemasters you are more apt to see posts asking about them.
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seems like ive read alot about problems with the strikemasters, more than any other brand anyway. my opinion, a $500 auger should work flawlessly for years and years, my eskimos have. and for that price i should get a happy ending after each outing!!
Ever hear about issues with Furuno fishfinders here on IDO? No? Me neither. I guess that makes them reliable.
Strikemaster outsells all other brands by an incredible margin. I’ve never even seen an Eskimo on the ice. Not once. And I do get out a bit. More units in the field over a long period of time = opportunities for things to go wrong.
i would probably say/think the same if they were paying me. or they gave me a free auger or two every year.
Dont you think Mr Holst and the IDO website is big enough in the sport of fishing to pick the equipment they use? I feel they pick the best equipment for the job and select sponsers the same way. Maybe im off on my thinking, but when they Frabill and Otter as site sponsers and they use otter fish houses im guessing that is because its the best fish house on the market.
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i would probably say/think the same if they were paying me. or they gave me a free auger or two every year.
Brutha… If you knew half of what you THINK you know…
Free augers. 
Paid to say… Double
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Dont you think Mr Holst and the IDO website is big enough in the sport of fishing to pick the equipment they use? I feel they pick the best equipment for the job and select sponsers the same way. Maybe im off on my thinking, but when they Frabill and Otter as site sponsers and they use otter fish houses im guessing that is because its the best fish house on the market.
Not that this guy deserves much more of a response but… Damn right.
I’ve fought, kicked, clawed to earn the right to only use the best products available. Otter houses, Frabill’s Snosuit, MarCum flashers, Humminbird electronics for open water, Thorne Brothers ice rods and St. Croix open water. IF you’re not seeing the potential conflicts here… you’re not paying attention. So many of these companies compete heavily with each other and I’m one of the very, very few in the industry that can pick and choose products across competing product lines while nearly all others promote “families” of products.
I’ve invested years, turned down more offers that I’ve ever accepted and have never compromised my credibility to turn a buck.
So you might not agree with me on what I consider a top equipment choice for a particular job. You might use a different product that works great for the way you fish. But do know that anything I use or talk about I do consider that product to be the very best product for the job for the way I fish… and no amount of money or product could ever get me to say otherwise.
“I’ve fought, kicked, clawed to earn the right to only use the best products available. Otter houses, Frabill’s Snosuit, MarCum flashers, Humminbird electronics for open water, Thorne Brothers ice rods and St. Croix open water. IF you’re not seeing the potential conflicts here… you’re not paying attention. So many of these companies compete heavily with each other and I’m one of the very, very few in the industry that can pick and choose products across competing product lines while nearly all others promote “families” of products.”
One of my top reasons for my affiliation with James, Joel and the rest of our staff within “In Depth Outdoors” seemingly is a common desire to endorse products that set the bar for others in the industry.
Our world revolves around the outdoors and products that both make it more enjoyable and efficient. A few years ago I recall a conversation with James here at our home on Rainy lake. I told him I wouldn’t ever feel comfortable recommending a friend or customer to use something I don’t believe dominates the industry. I need to use the product within my guide service to understand the ins/outs of the products to comfortably give a 
What he replied to me has stuck with me to this day whether you care. “Chris…..You will NEVER need to support a sponsor of our site that isn’t a leader in the industry, because they will not be a sponsor of our site” We ONLY accept the best of the best within the fishing industry and $$ will not trump competence in the field I promise you”
Mr. Holst…….Your a man of your word. This more than everything else is why everyone wants a piece of you!! Both Good and Bad my friend!! 
i just got a strikemaster last year. had some problems with it. but thats what you have with any product. first power auger i have owned. lets just say at first it ran like a top. then i had some problems with it. just had to use a little know how to adjust some things on it and now i can say i’m impressed again. i will put my strikemaster solo against any auger on the market. fast! fast! fast! thanks! strikemaster auger users for making me a strikemaster owner. this site helped me get the right auger in my opinion. chris and james don’t worry about it you just keep doing what your doing. thanks for helping me out in my icefishing knowledge. i would have to say i’m a better icefishermen.
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I’ve never even seen an Eskimo on the ice. Not once. And I do get out a bit.
do you mean eskimo people or the augers? 
if the people i could see, but if the auger the quote contradicts itself. 
I saw a brand new Eskimo on the ice last weekend……the carb fell off of it!!!
Seems like there is an Eskimo problem for ya
James you sure said it 
i think icepro needs a dictionary for the word contradict 
I believe you use what you believe in. A lot of people use brand x and some use Y. I like the strikemaster augers and i like vexilar for certain ice applications. I also own a marcum and it is a good unit for some applications. When someone wants to tell me that a marcum is better in shallow water weeds, than i would like them to show me ,as for deep water applications the marcum is by far a supreme ice machine. As the hummingbird is also a nice unit for deep water.
I believe the people who spend any quantity of time fishing outside should be the judge of the clothing we should wear if we can afford it. I use the clam blue suit because it fits the way i fish, as it usaully never gets colder tehn 0 degrees for any extended amount of time where i reside. Just my nickels worth. I believe that this site promotes and endorses quality products.
I’m just wondering if I can get a deal on one of them free augers James???? 
fwiw I don’t know James very well, but I found him equally willing to talk about not only products he likes, but also those not on his sponsor list.
Something many “pros” are very hesitant to do.
Al
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i think icepro needs a dictionary for the word contradict
apparently you do too. you spelled the same way.
funny how some people think what any one person says is the end all. personally i will take advice from a “fishing pro” that has never seen an eskimo on the ice with a grain of salt. thats like being a truck driver and saying you have never seen a dodge pickup driving on the road, and yes i sincerely doubt any $$ spent on augers. you think kobe pays for his shoes. dont be IGNORANT. not to be a dick but money talks.
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not to be a dick but money talks.
And you also get what you pay for
Every Brand make and model has a post somewhere with a pissed off consumer report, that is a fact! Even your Eskimo
The internet has made it easy for people to complain about and bad mouth anything that they may have a problem with.
Back in the day before Gore invented the net, people use to take the product back for exchange/repair and move on with life. It seems the swing now days is to urine and moan while thinking this will solve an issue.
Just my .02 cents worth
I bought an Eskimo last year and had to replace the recoil and the carb. Now that it’s fixed it runs and cuts great. I’m just saying every brand has problems here and there.
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funny how some people think what any one person says is the end all. personally i will take advice from a “fishing pro” that has never seen an eskimo on the ice with a grain of salt. thats like being a truck driver and saying you have never seen a dodge pickup driving on the road, and yes i sincerely doubt any $$ spent on augers. you think kobe pays for his shoes. dont be IGNORANT. not to be a dick but money talks.
I would gladly take advice from someone who has run an auger threw the ringer and gave it a Rather than a self proclaimed “icepro” I would be willing to bet James fishes more in a couple weeks than you do all year 
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funny how some people think what any one person says is the end all. personally i will take advice from a “fishing pro” that has never seen an eskimo on the ice with a grain of salt. thats like being a truck driver and saying you have never seen a dodge pickup driving on the road, and yes i sincerely doubt any $$ spent on augers. you think kobe pays for his shoes. dont be IGNORANT. not to be a dick but money talks.
I have never, not once, seen an eskimo auger in use on the ice. Ever. Lots of Strikemaster and Jiffy. No Eskimo. Believe it or not. I couldn’t care less.
Now, in the interest of continuing to watch you dig that hole deeper…. here’s the deal. I’ll email you the invoice on those “free” augers that cost me $800.
Do note that each one of these augers, I bought two, cost me MORE than an eskimo. My choice is clear. As you put it “money talks.”
Once you’ve received that invoice, looked at over and let it all sink in, I’ll expect a follow up post from you where you offer your tidbits of wisdom and a further assessment of the way business works in the fishing industry.
Not that I give a hoot what you say or think but I’ve got a hunch that admitting your wrong is something you’ll find incredibly difficult.
So, let me know. I have that invoice for those “free” augers sitting right here next to me ready to go.
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So, let me know. I have that invoice for those “free” augers sitting right here next to me ready to go.
Well played James
Checkmate icepro
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