Auger and gas consumption

[Adam Wolf]

I just bought a used Strikemaster Lazer Mag Xpress, was wondering how many holes one can drill on a tank of gas (say 12 inchs of ice). It cuts an 8 inch hole.

Do you need to bring extra gas out for an evening of fishing or should I be good to go if I fill it up before I leave.

Drilling 20 plus holes by hand last Sunday made the decision for me to invest.

Thanks!

[Northlander]

I would say you can go a day with 1 tank of gas easy. Most guys wont drill 100 holes in a day. Thats a lot of holes.

I have only had about half a dozen days where I had to fill my tank on my Nils again. That was a light to dark day just peppering spots that looked good on the gps. Glad I did it because I found some out of the way fish and caught them with nobody in sight.

I always carry a extra 1 gallon tank of gas though.

[Scott K]

A full tank should get you well over 100 holes, so it just depends on if you plan on making swiss cheese out of the ice, or if you plan on fishing!

[Adam Wolf]

Thanks, can't wait to take it out for a "spin"

[riverrat56]

Hold'on, let me check my notes....

Holes drilled per trip;

42

36

6

17

23

45

36

23

(my record is 137 btw....)

Thats 228 holes this year, anywhere from 5-11" of ice, and I have used just over a half gallon of gas. You wouldn't need to bring more gas with for an evening of fishing, but I always keep a tank in my truck, if I know I'll be pushing the 50+ hole mark it stays in the fish house. That fateful day last March when I drilled 137 holes, we were on about 30" of ice and I used just under 2 auger tanks, this is on a Jiffy 2hp 8"

[Team Otter]

I just bought a used Strikemaster Lazer Mag Xpress, was wondering how many holes one can drill on a tank of gas (say 12 inchs of ice). It cuts an 8 inch hole.

Do you need to bring extra gas out for an evening of fishing or should I be good to go if I fill it up before I leave.

Drilling 20 plus holes by hand last Sunday made the decision for me to invest.

Thanks!

Wow, talk about a "custom fit" post...

12" of ice and a full tank of gas = ~120 holes.

[stifler51]

my advice, always keep sharp blades. Last weekend there was 7" of ice and the guy next to me sounded like he was drilling a 30"+ hole. Sharp blades faster drilling less gas

[rainylakefisher]

Here's a tip for extra auger gas. I use a 20 oz. pop bottle as my extra gas supply. I only mix one bottle at a time and it is enough to fill the auger tank. I don't have a lot of other two cycle machines so I don't waste a whole gallon or two. I don't fish as much as some people, so I probably only go through two or three bottles a year. Easy to keep fresh and take more along for the trips where I'll be punching a lot of holes. Make sure you completely wash and dry the bottle before using.

[Northlander]

I dont thinks its legal though. Doesnt gas have to be transported in a marked "Gas" can?

[ozzie]

on average I would say I get 100 holes a tank.....I just top off my auger before I leave for the day and if I go for a weekend I bring some mixed up gas with but I have rarely had to refill and I love to cut holes in the ice

[stifler51]

push comes to shove, easiest way to deal with gas, go to wallfart and buy yourself a 1 us gallon can and leave it in ur truck, u run out u run out just fly back to the truck and fill up. thats what i do at least but then again i ALWAYS find a spot with fish before i even get close to needing gas

[Jim Almquist]

Go into the camping section of a decent outdoor store and they should have 1/2 and 1 liter gas cans made for backpacking stoves. They will have a loop on the top for a rope and they will vent if you open them up to let out the pressure. They are red in color. I will mix up a gallon and carry the 1/2 liter in a pail just in case I go nuts drilling holes.

[dan z]

I can drill a ton of holes maybe I should count the next time I fill her up. I remember drilling till I thought it wasnt fun ne more last year and I still had a bunch of gas left. I would prolly guess its over a couple hundred. I think I read last year that my auger could drill 500-600 per gallon with 12" of ice. the next time I go I will tally the number of holes and get back to ya...

[jwhjr]

I've never kept track, but I did notice a huge difference in the amount of gas I use when I switched to the Lazer blades from my chipper blade. The consumption has probably dropped by more than half. I'm also one who just brings a can along just in case I need it. I mix up a gallon at a time.