Nils Master vs New Strikemaster Solo

[gill man]

This might be a topic that needs to be re-opened later in the year as more guys buy and use the new Strikemaster with Solo engines, but I'll ask your opinions now.

I am considering getting a new gas auger this winter. Last year, I thought it sounded like the Nils Master was THE top auger. Now the Strikemasters with solo engines sound like a pretty good package too. I would probably be looking into the Lazer Pro since there's no weight penalty for going up to the 3hp, and the price isn't all that much more than the 2.5 hp.

Anyway, the price difference isn't really big enough between the Nils and the Lazer Pro to make much of a difference, so it comes down to other factors.

Which auger would generally perform better? I HATE augers that don't start quickly in all different icefishing conditions. I want the auger to be fast also, but a couple 10ths of a second in 2 feet of ice won't make a huge difference. Still, which would be faster in 8 inch drills between the 3hp Lazer and the Nils? The Nils has less than half the horsepower the Lazer Pro has. Is the blade configuration really so superior on the Nils that it can keep up with an auger having 2x more hp?

Another consideration is warranty issues/work/customer service. If I do have a problem, which company would be likely to get the unit fixed and back to me on time?

Durability: I'm not hard on stuff, but sometimes things just happen. I've heard some people have broken the handles on Strikemasters. The Nils appears to be maybe a little more durable on the exterior???

One thing that does appeal to me is blade availability. If a hit a rock with the Lazer, I can go into most any shop and get replacements. With the Nils, I'd be out a while (unless I spend $60 on a spare for safety).

I have also heard the Nils blades stay sharp pretty much forever compared to other augers...

Oh yeah - weight is an important consideration. It sounds like the Lazer would be 26 pounds with the 8 inch drill, which is quite a bit less than my Jiffy 30. That would be light ENOUGH, but lighter is always better. I hear 22 pounds for the Nils. Is that with an 8 inch drill?

Finally, I would probably order the 42" Nils. VERY rarely have I needed all of the 36" Jiffy drill. Which auger would be shorter overall? Will either of them fit inside the sled of a Fishtrap Guide?

Sorry for all the questions... thought I think I could think of more. If I get closer to a decision, I'll probably have other nitpicky questions, but for now, in general, which one would you buy?

Thanks for any advice!

gill man

[Deitz Dittrich]

Here is the deal..

I have owned a Nils for quite a few years. It has done nothing but make me happy.. Great auger, starts easy, cuts like a mad man, I have never needed an extension. it flat out cuts holes in the ice. And I am one of those freaks who is not happy till they burn up a half tank of gas.

I got a chance to use the Solo late last winter. I was impressed, to say the least. Threw ice everywhere, and cut quick. Maybe, even quicker than the nils?.. MAYBE.. I am only slightly skeptical of anything in its first year. I have head good things about the German eng, but I rarely buy anything in its first year out.

Either way, you are going to be more than happy.. Both I think are quality products.. As of this year I still give a slight nod to the Nils, but if the Solo proves to hold up over this ice season, I may look at the solo in years to come?

[Esox_Magnum]

Heres another thought to ponder, while the $60 for an extra head sounds spendy, the can be resharpened for less than half the price of a new set of SM blades. With the Nils you also can use the same bit as a hand auger for thinner ice ( included when you buy the auger) Most areas have a Tanaka repair center close. The 48" bit sounds long but not really an issue. With the 48" bit your at 22 pounds. A Nils also is handy in tight corners in a house due too its sleek design.

We have a Tanka power head on a Vibra Screet at work, boss said hes had it at least 25 years and never had it to a shop.

I haven't used the new Solo yet or even seen one but SM has always been quality, I'm sure you will be happy either direction you decide to go. I'm with Dietz though be tough to get me to buy anything first year out.

[bigred1974]

I purchased a solo powerhead yesterday, and I can tell you this thing screams! I bought the 2.5 hp one, I have the tecumseh 2 hp on it now which I am selling tomorrow. I like the features on this one much better than the tecumseh (primer bulb for cold starts and no vent on the gas cap)

[splakeshaker]

BigRed, How many pulls does it take from cold start?

[bigred1974]

3 tonight but I didnt have a great hold of it either

prime it choke it pull and release choke and it runs

[fisherdog19]

Both augers cut well and have shown to be reliable. I like the shorter auger as I don't ever need an extension, and that fact that I can easily get parts. The 4lbs isn't much of a difference for me so the weight doesn't matter. The one thing I didn't like about the Nils is that the flighting is narrower than the blade head so pulling shavings out of the hole is harder. I like the Strikemaster myself, and with the new Solo, it's now even better. Either way, you would be happy.

[Northlander]

Myself I never buy anything the 1st year they come out. I let them work the bugs out. Especially on a big ticket item.

With that said both are good augers.

As far as shavings with a Nils I just give it gas and most come out. I never had a auger that I didnt have to scoop shavings out of the hole when done.

[larryz]

You guys never buying anything the first year. Do you really think that with Strikemasters customer service there would ever be a problem? Just wondering!!!

[Deitz Dittrich]

you bring up a very good point larryz. They do have a great cust service.

[gill man]

Thanks for the opinions so far. It's going to be a tough choice for sure, since both sound like excellent products. I am also weary about buying something in the first year out.

When I bought my Jiffy, I went through I think 2 model 31's and a model 30. The year I bought them, they were just switching to the new sealed carbs. I bought at Scheels, and thank god they were GREAT about exchanging augers (especially since I was about 12 years old back then). Some wouldn't hardly start, some wouldn't cut without bogging down, some did both. They managed to find a year old model that had the old style adjustable carbs, which I bought, and have been happy with ever since.

It does make me a little nervous about the Strikemaster in the first year out, but it does sound like a few people have had their hands on them already. We'll have to see. If I do buy, it won't be until after mid January or after.

By the way, the handle configuration on the Nils is different than I am used to. Is it akward to get used to? Does it add much to the overall length of the auger? I'm only about 5'9" and don't want to have to reach "up" at the start of the hole. I'd also like them to fit inside the sled of a Trap Guide, but the Jiffy doesn't fit with much room, so I have a feeling that neither will fit.

Thanks for the help so far. I'd love to hear more from any others that might have opinions, and especially experience with one or both of these units.

gill man

[IL Res]

I was w/ Brian "Bro" Brosdahl on Leech last year in Feb. The ice was 3'+ thick. He was using the new 4 stroke [non- Techumseh ]Strikemaster which was a prototype back then. He also showed me an upgrade he made to the the unit which was that he ditched the original-supplied 8" auger and replaced it w/ a 4". Man, that thing cut the ice like it was butter. What a phenomenal unit!Remember that this guy fishes EVERY DAY and cuts well over 150 holes a day. He explained to me that just about any fish can fit through a 4" hole no problem. I checked w/ Reed's in Walker and they had 4" augers that fit all Strikemasters so I bought one on my way home. I paid $90.00 for it and replaced my 8" auger on my 2000 w/ the new 4". What a difference! Not only is my original 2000 a few pounds lighter, but the cut is much faster w/ a lot less torque. Just thought I'd pass this along...

[Chode2235]

Myself I never buy anything the 1st year they come out. I let them work the bugs out. Especially on a big ticket item.

Correct, because Solo just started making motors, and strikemaster just started making augers. ???

Both companies have been making awesome products for many years now.

If you dont believe me check out the reviews of Solo engines that are all over the internet. They are a well manufactured and practically bullet proof engine. I dont think Strikemaster could have found a better engine.

Dont get me wrong, the Nils is a great auger; but there is a bit of cult worship that happens from time to time on the boards.

You probably cant go wrong with either one. Look at the price of replacement blades, frequency of blade changes, replacement parts, etc. and determine the total cost of ownership; then get the one that will make you feel better as you slice through the ice.

[gill man]

Thanks IL Res. I used a Jiffy Model 30 with a 5 inch auger and sharp blades once. That thing CUT! I think I will stick with the 8 inch though. I considered going to 7, but I do a mix of tipup fishing for walleyes and northerns, along with a lot of panfishing. It seems like the float on a Vexilar would fill up most of a 4 inch hole?

Speed and weight are imporant to me, but I think I'll still give up a little of each of them for a more 'standard' sized hole. I think a 6 inch drill would be sweet for a day of serious panfish hole hopping though.

gill man

[Surface Tension]

I'm sure SM customer service would take care of any problems that might pop up. It is the improvements to design that I think guys like waiting for. I haven't used a Solo powered auger but have heard good reports on them.

If you own a Nils power auger you get the hand auger attachment. No question Nils a very good power auger. That Tanaka powerhead and gear case is not unique to a Nils auger. Tanaka engines and gear cases have been commercially time tested in the building trades for years.

What about the hand auger attachment. IMO opinion there isn't another hand auger that comes remotely close. When you have to drill by hand you'll want to do so quickly and with the least amount of effort.

Downside of Nils is you can't just buy a new blade anywhere yet but as their popularity increases so does the availability of blades. With any auger, being able to change blades on the ice means you need a spare blade. Send in the blade for sharpening and those two sets of blades should last you for years.

[CJH]

One thing to remember is that just because this engine is new to Strikemaster, it doesn't mean it is a new engine. It may be new in this application.

How much weight do you think you save with the smaller auger? I primarily fish for panfish and drill alot of holes, so any weight saving is a good thing (8in seems like overkill for pannies anyway).

[joneshat11]

Does anyone know where to buy a Nils in MN??

[DTro]

I love all the passion that flies around with these threads

Whatever you do don’t recommend brand A, because brand B loyalists will jump all over you, not to mention brand C guys.

Let’s be honest here.

It’s like comparing 2 luxury vehicles. Both will be more than adequate to cut holes in the ice.

If you want the fastest lightest most dependable auger out there, buy either of the two and do a few mods

I can tell you this, if I really wanted to, I could drill two holes simultaneously with a Nils in each hand. When sharpened by Surface Tension, they go through the ice that easy.

[aczr2k]

You can buy Nils from the Outdoor Pro Store. I picked up a spare cutting head at the ice show last year.

[deadeye]

Ya either one would be sweet.

The thing I like about the nils is that its a 2 in one. The hand auger part of it is pretty sweet. The tanaka motors are pretty much bulletproof so you cant go wrong with it.

Im probably going to pick up a new strikemaster this year myself and give it a whirl. What I like, is that the 3 horse is the same weight as the smaller one. More power and no diff in weight, its a win win if you ask me. The only downside I could see is that it may use a touch more gas. I can handle that for the extra power.

As far as reliability, they were on the ice all of last year with the strikemaster pro's. I'm pretty sure that with all of the holes those guys drill, any bugs would have gotten worked out by now. Besides, if there was ever a problem strikemaster is about the best for customer service that I have seen.

[IL Res]

Actually the 4-stroke uses less gas. [1 combustion event for every 4 crankshaft rotations vs. 1 combustion event for every 2 crankshaft rotations w/ the 2-stroke], no smoke either which is way nicer if you don't like smelling like your old Lawn-Boy. Switching to 4" auger shaved off about 5#. As for fishing w/ the tranducer float in my hole, I don't. I always cut my holes in 3's and put the Vex in the middle. I like to fish 2 sticks at a time if I'm not fishing tip-ups. I can't tell you how many times I lost nice fish "cause they tangled the transducer on the way up. With age, comes wisdom...just ask the old bull.

[munchy71]

I was w/ Brian "Bro" Brosdahl on Leech last year in Feb. The ice was 3'+ thick. He was using the new 4 stroke [non- Techumseh ]Strikemaster which was a prototype back then.

Are you sure this was LAST year? If so, are you srue it was the 4-stroke? The StrikeMaster 4-stroke has ALWAYS been non-Tecumseh....it's a Japanese made Robin engine. And it's been around for 3 or 4 years now...

-Munchy

[IL Res]

Yes, it was last year and was the 4 stroke. I believe Strikemaster is entering 3rd year w/ 4-stroke.

[Schloogs]

Does anyone know where to buy a Nils in MN??

The outdoor pro store sells them, Cabela's also has them listed on their HSOforum, not sure if they are in the stores though.

[DTro]

I bet a 4” auger really burns through the ice. There’s only one problem with that. Like you mentioned, you use a separate hole for your transducers. Now you have to drill at least double the amount of holes as a larger auger to efficiently use your flasher/transducer.

6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

6-8” seems to be the sweet spot for most ice fishing applications with 4 and 10 being a specialty size. IMO

I think the Ice Gator deserves to be mentioned as well, since quiet smokeless operation has been brought up.