My partner just got a Lazer Mag 8″ solo. Took it out sunday and it seemed to take forever to get a hole drilled thru 7 1/2″ of ice. The shavings looked almost to be finer than snow cone ice. Seriously could have drilled faster with the hand auger. Blades are sharp so that’s not the issue.
Could anyone have a remedy to fix this problem.
Did he remember to take the cover off first? 
Bought new or used? If it’s used, I’d say get the pitch adjusted. If it’s new, take it back!
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Bought new or used? If it’s used, I’d say get the pitch adjusted. If it’s new, take it back!
Good advice here. 8″ of ice should be chewed up in about 2 seconds. Sounds like misaligned blades.
Make sure the blades are tight before you take it back. Them little bolts holding the blades to the auger like to loosen up and when they do you could swear you have dual blades. I have learned to check mine before each outing.
If that isn’t the fix I agree with taking it back.
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Make sure the blades are tight before you take it back. Them little bolts holding the blades to the auger like to loosen up and when they do you could swear you have dual blades. I have learned to check mine before each outing.
If that isn’t the fix I agree with taking it back.
X2
Can a guy fix this alignment on his own? I have the same issue… way too much effort to drill, and blades are sharp.
Don’t know where your from but I had a 10″ lazer that caught at the bottom of the hole . went right 2 S-M at big lake. 10$ and 10 minn later they re pitch it all is good 
Cheap fix if it is the pitch.
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Can a guy fix this alignment on his own?
Not to my knowledge.
Screws are tight. Brand new.
About an 8 hour drive one way to Big Lake.
70 miles one way to the store he bought it from. I guess sometimes it actually sucks to not live in Minn.
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Screws are tight. Brand new.
About an 8 hour drive one way to Big Lake.
70 miles one way to the store he bought it from. I guess sometimes it actually sucks to not live in Minn.
Have him call SM in Big Lake and ask them to cover the shipping back to them. I have no idea if they’ll do it but it seems like a reasonable request on a new auger.
Seems to be a lot of posts lately about problems with Lazer augers…
-Rev
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Seems to be a lot of posts lately about problems with Lazer augers…
-Rev
Two posts out of the 15,000 – 20,000 we’ll log this month doesn’t seem like “a lot.”
100,000+ guys will roll through here in December. So if the thread is about problems with augers, electronics, heaters or whatever I think people need to remind themselves to keep things in perspective. We don’t very often hear from guys that have a “perfect, never given me any problems” story to tell.
I do not believe the Lazer blades are an improvement. I wish I had not bought them. Those older style chipper blades work fine for a long time and when they dull you can sharpen them yourself on a beltsander. Chipper blades open old holes just fine. I would not dare try it with the Lazer. Sharp, aligned and correctly pitched Lazer blades cut 30% (?) faster? So what, the chipper blades are plenty fast. The Lazer blades do not finish a hole well. Mine always hangs up on the bottom once it breaks thru. Darn nears twists out of my hands. Someone told me the pitch needs adjustment, but Strikemaster sez the pitch is perfect. My Lazer Mag starting it’s 3rd season is just out of the factory shop for the second time. To my knowledge the blades never touched anything but ice and now they are shot. Not to mention it needing a tune up and carb kit after only two seasons because it was taking 20-30 rope pulls for every hole I drilled. I am not using it hard, 40-60 holes a season.
My post only concerned the blades and how they cut. Motor and everything else is fine.
He doesn’t want to be without an auger for long so he will likely take it back to the store.
thanks.
I have had my Lazer auger 15 years. Never been sent in, drilled 10 holes in dirt for my deck 10 years ago, just replaced the blades after that. That did muk up paint job on flighting that I finally repainted this year. I probally average 1000 holes a year. My auger looks in tough shape because I have not taken good care of it. I believe I paid 270 new for it so that comes out to 18 dollars a year. Pretty good I think 
My last Strikemaster was good for a new recoil a year, carb kit or carb evey other year. Sold it to a buddy and got a Nils, he still puts a new recoil on almost yearly and a carb kit again this year. Glad mines never had a problem.
The guy called Strike Master and the lady he talked to seemed to know exactly what the problem is. New blades are being shipped. If that doesn’t fix it he will return it to the store where he bought it.
Either way, he’s happy.
If the blades don’t do it, I would send just the auger part back. Why send the powerhead?
Ive had my lazer mag express for 3 years now and I did have a problem with the recoil the first year. Called strike master got a new recoil. I’m not close enough to take it in for them to do it so a tech talked me through installing the new recoil over the phone. It works great and couldn’t ask for better service. Also found out from the tech that it was my own falt the recoil needed replaced because I was pulling it out to far. Mine still runs perfect and I run between 750 to 1000 holes a year with it. I run it completely empty befor I put it away for the summer and all I have to do is fill it with gas the next winter pull the rope a couple times to prime it and she coughs a little. Then push the comnpression release back in and push the choke to run and she fires up and is ready to drill. As far as the chipper blades being better My brother has a strike master with chipper blades and the lazer blades are twice as fast. My lazer blades also cut a very nice hole and as long as you are not pushing down on the auger it won’t hang up at the bottom.
Last year my brothers lazer mag would act like it was jumping a tooth or somthing, now it won’t turn at all with the engine running at full throtle. Thru the grape vine I heard that what caused it was loose blades. Any ideas what happened in the gear box? Is there a shear pin or is the gear box shelled out. We are planning to pull it apart this weekend but don’t know what to be looking for.
Hey James, I’m not trying to stir it up. This is a great site with a lot of good people always willing to help a total stranger out. I’m just still a little burned up about the purchase of two new Strikemaster products this winter and still find myself hoping a neighborly IDOer takes pity on me and helps me get a few holes cut.
I get that there’s a ton of guys on here who’ll defend their augers to the death; I don’t blame them, I do the same for certain products. Just a little sour grapes on my part, coupled with an increased sensitivity to shelling out good money for all kinds of products these days that don’t quite work as well as hoped. So, sorry if I offended.
Could be I’m sliding into the old man phase of life where things aren’t as good as they used to be back in “the good old days”; that’s what my wife says anyway.
Good luck to you all with all your various toys, may your lines be tight and your holes never freeze! 
-Rev
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My last Strikemaster was good for a new recoil a year, carb kit or carb evey other year. Sold it to a buddy and got a Nils, he still puts a new recoil on almost yearly and a carb kit again this year. Glad mines never had a problem.
Sounds to me like you may not know how to care for your auger… I have a SM Lazer Mag going on my6th year with it… one spark plug and one set of blades… I would guess that I have 1500 to 2000 holes a season…
I have been a SM fan since my first Lazer hand auger… I have showed and sold more hand and power augers that I can remember. I have loaned my power auger out and when the buddies come back they have been sold !!!
Oh and the Ice GTG here in Prairie…all the holes we bored for those… 
the number of flawless hours on that machine
I’m no newbie been in the game along time, I know how to take care of things. I had that auger 2 years and all those problems, my current one 3 years with not 1 problem. And those I owned before not a problem. I have gear I bought 25 years ago as a teen that I still use every time out on the ice. I don’t buy things to fix them I buy quality gear that lasts.
Herb, did you happen to notice if the bolts that hold the blades on the auger extend well past the blades. Some of the hand augers have had this issue. Also, check to see where the blades were made at, some of the blades that were made in China were quite frankly “junk”. SM is pretty good at standing behind the blades and will get some made in Sweden blades coming back at ya.
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My last Strikemaster was good for a new recoil a year, carb kit or carb evey other year. Sold it to a buddy and got a Nils, he still puts a new recoil on almost yearly and a carb kit again this year. Glad mines never had a problem.
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I had that auger 2 years and all those problems, my current one 3 years with not 1 problem. And those I owned before not a problem.
You owned it for 2 years and had to do a carb kit or carb every other year.
Come on…………… 
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Hey James, I’m not trying to stir it up. This is a great site with a lot of good people always willing to help a total stranger out.
Trust me when I say there’s nothing wrong with your post at all. And we do try and help as much as we’re able.
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I’m just still a little burned up about the purchase of two new Strikemaster products this winter
I know I would be steamed too. I do like to take the time once in awhile to remind everyone that a thread or three about problems with Brand X doesn’t mean the product is a bad product or prone to issues. It just means people turn to this forum for help… and in this case specifically, Strikemaster sells so many augers and has so many in the field that it is amazing that we hear of as few issues as we do.
But that doesn’t change the fact that you got two bum augers and you deserve better than that.
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Last year my brothers lazer mag would act like it was jumping a tooth or somthing, now it won’t turn at all with the engine running at full throtle. Thru the grape vine I heard that what caused it was loose blades. Any ideas what happened in the gear box? Is there a shear pin or is the gear box shelled out. We are planning to pull it apart this weekend but don’t know what to be looking for.
Sounds like you had a gear going bad and now it is toast. Look for a stripped gear.
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My last Strikemaster was good for a new recoil a year, carb kit or carb evey other year. Sold it to a buddy and got a Nils, he still puts a new recoil on almost yearly and a carb kit again this year. Glad mines never had a problem.
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I had that auger 2 years and all those problems, my current one 3 years with not 1 problem. And those I owned before not a problem.
You owned it for 2 years and had to do a carb kit or carb every other year.
Come on……………
My fishing partner owns it now that how I know, just got it back from the shop, recoil and carb kit. I put a kit and a carb on it the last season I ran it.
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