Best auger to Buy?

[crazyfishnguy]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the best Ice auger is? Jiffy, Strikemaster, Electric, gas? I want to buy one and I want to get the best one! Have it last a long time! Thanks And may you catch your Limit!!!

[tsande00]

Ford, Chevy or Dodge? Take your pick!

If you have a permanent house the electrics are nice since you don't have to worry about the smell.

I just bought a new 2.5HP Strikemaster Lazer and absolutely love it. Cuts through the ice like butter with no effort.

[bigbad401]

Go to the store, look at them all and pick the prettiest, most expensive one that you see. The more money you spend the better the product, right?

They will all do the job.

[Esox_Magnum]

IMO Nils is the best proven on the market right now for a gas auger. Mostly steel components, verry little plastic, 42 or 48" steel auger, light, fast, and quiet. Jiffy and Strikemaster are using new motors this year while reviews are good we have no way to know if they will last 20-30 years. Hearing of broken handles on the new Solos yet, fraying recoil ropes. Jiffy has plastic gears now, I'm not hip on plastic gears but they claim they will hold up.

Thats my .02 anyway.

[crazyfishnguy]

ford!?!

Thats a good idea about the smell in the Permy!!! I wont b able to get a permy for a while!! $$$$!!! I thought the strikemasters were made of plastic!!! Kind of cheaper maybe?? I dont know?? they Are made in Big Lake??!!! Did you compare prices?? Do you have alot of friends who have strikemasters?? Thanks for your help

[crazyfishnguy]

Where can a guy look at a Nils auger??? I thought they only made hand augers?? Jiffy and Strikemaster both have new never proven Components?? What about Nils, they got the same goods as years prior?? What is your take on electric???

Thanks

[Ryan84*]

FORD.

[mr_jman]

If you fish with anybody that has an auger ask to drill a few holes. The handle configurations are different for each company and you may like one better. A Lazer Mag will cut faster than a Mag 2000, etc. I like Strikemasters but I have friends who swear by Jiffy and they have been very reliable for them. Others are going to take a Nils which is the most expensive but there are not very many "Nils problems" posts on this site that I have seen. Other people will say Ice Gators or Eskimo's. There are so many options now your just going to have to decide for yourself, but go to a store and check them out and see which one you like. I know there are new motors out this year so you are taking a little bit of a chance but all the new Solo motors have 2 year warranties (at least from Strikemaster) so hopefully the bugs get worked out by then!

[Esox_Magnum]

Most my friends run Strikemaster or Jiffys,couple run the Nils to. I ran a Strikemaster to untill it was stolen. It was an older one though with the steel handles, an older Lazer Mag before they made the Mag Express. The Tanakas on the Nils have been around for 30+ years. We have a 25+ year old Tanaka at work and never been to the shop yet. My local bait shop carries Nils I got mine there, I walked in set on getting a Strike Lite untill I saw the Nils hanging on the wall. At the time only $20 difference in price, I like being different and my brother talked highly of his Nils so I took a chance, and not 1 regret. I run mine on a 80-1 Amsoil Saber mix and no smoke and it starts better than my truck at -30.

An added bonus of the Nils is the locking transmission, lets you lock the unit in gear if you get it jammed and have to back it out. And the hand auger attachment, meaning it can be used as either a hand or on the power head so you basicly get 2 augers in 1.

[cold one sd]

IMO Nils is the best proven on the market right now for a gas auger. Mostly steel components, verry little plastic, 42 or 48" steel auger, light, fast, and quiet. Jiffy and Strikemaster are using new motors this year while reviews are good we have no way to know if they will last 20-30 years. Hearing of broken handles on the new Solos yet, fraying recoil ropes. Jiffy has plastic gears now, I'm not hip on plastic gears but they claim they will hold up.

Thats my .02 anyway.

Actually Jiffy does not have plastic gears, they do however have a composit gearcase on one model.

[crazyfishnguy]

thanks for all your help Everyone!!! Sounds to me like Nils and then its a toss up!!! Enjoy the fishing seasons!!!!!

[jwmiller33]

be careful with the new strikemasters... i bought a brand new one 3 weeks ago and it has been nothing but problems ever since... its their first year with their new motors, so i'd recommend waiting a year or two before buying a strikemaster and let them work out all their kinks

[crazyfishnguy]

Thanks for that bit of info jwmiller33!! Thats good to know!!! What kind of problems, Little,big???

[gwiff100]

I bought a strikemaster for my first ever auger, a couple buddies have jiffys and i just wanted something quieter, lighter, and idles better....

I love my lazer pro....cuts fast...starts right away.....NO problems....handles are nice and compact and not 3 feet apart on the jiffs....they are made of a fancy plastic, however as long as you dont drop it off the back of the slep/wheeler no problems...

just my opinion....

plus they have the best customer service..

[jwmiller33]

Thanks for that bit of info jwmiller33!! Thats good to know!!! What kind of problems, Little,big???

we have been having major problems with the recoil... whenever you fish in weather below 15 degrees, you will pull the chord to start it, and the recoil will not go back how it is supposed to and it gets jammed. you have to take apart the recoil to fix it and get it back in and able to pull start again...

its basically a five minute fix, everytime your out on the ice, everytime you need to drill a hole, in below zero weather = a major pain in the butt. strikemaster has a youtube video link on their HSOforum where if you follow the instructions, it is supposed to "fix" the problem. however, all the video is, is showing a guy taking apart the recoil like you have to do everytime it gets jammed, and spraying some WD 40 in there. it is NOT an end all fix... i have done this to mine and it still gets jammed when its really cold. strikemaster claims it fixes the problem but my first hand experience has shown that it will only solve the problem for a day or two.

i will mention that when the strikemaster is up and running (if you can get it started without the recoil getting jammed) it cuts ice faster then any auger i have ever seen before. however, having to take apart the recoil while you are on the ice not only gets you in a really ticked off mood, also gives you cold hands, and just puts a damper on fishing when you have to be fooling around with your brand new equipment to get it to work while you should be ice fishing

if i buy something brand new, and spend the amount of money that i did on this auger, i should not be having to take it apart and "fix" it 2 weeks after buying it. its kind of ridiculous if you ask me

however, it is their first year with their new motors, but i'm pretty sure the recoil isnt a part of the motor, and they have had recoils on their augers for years, so to me, it should be something they have down to a science by now.

i will also state that i have 2 friends that have similar models of strikemasters, also brand new this year, and neither of them have had problems with theirs. i guess i was just unlucky and got a lemon... wish i could take it back because i really dont want it anymore! i wish i would have gotten an icegator

[eyebjim]

Have you seen the posts on here or the utube video strikmaster has on how to fix that issue? Check it out and you should not have that problem anymore in cold temps. They used too thick of grease in the recoil so when it gets cold it sticks. check out the video and you should be in business. Check their HSOforum. They have the info there also.

[McGurk]

Why waste your time with WD40? Take it apart as the video shows, and get even deeper where ALL of the grease is. Then get rid of all of the "bad" thick grease, clean it up with some de-greaser, and replace it with some lighter winter-use grease.

-Brought to you by a SM user that has NO problems with a Tecumseh powerhead.

Mag2000-$150, 8" lazer auger-$100, Amsoil and good gas to clean her up and get her to purr-$8, garage mods to make her scream-FREE

[holmsvc]

if i buy something brand new, and spend the amount of money that i did on this auger, i should not be having to take it apart and "fix" it 2 weeks after buying it. its kind of ridiculous if you ask me

I agree and I had this issue as well. I called SM today and they are sending me a brand new recoil unit out today free of charge. That is good service!

[jwmiller33]

Have you seen the posts on here or the utube video strikmaster has on how to fix that issue? Check it out and you should not have that problem anymore in cold temps. They used too thick of grease in the recoil so when it gets cold it sticks. check out the video and you should be in business. Check their HSOforum. They have the info there also.

if you read my post, you will see that i did watch the youtube and followed the directions exactly and it still gets locked up in cold temps.. basically the youtube video tells you to take apart the recoil and spray it with WD 40. i did that and it is not an end all fix

[jwmiller33]

regardless of how to fix the issue or not, i dont think anyone can disagree that this is ridiculous to have to take apart and "fix" a brand new auger, after only drilling 10 holes with it

[DoubleLunger]

The new Four-stroke Strikemaster is the s__t!!

Unbelievably quiet and powerfull!

[Hory]

what are everyone's stances on Eskimo power augers?

[eyebjim]

I didn't see that part or was not paying too much attention. Anyway the real fix is to get the old grease out and new low temp grease in. If you don't want to do that take it to big lake and they will fix it for you and it will work correctly. They have very good service. You are correct you should not have to have this problem after buying a new auger but it is a honest mistake problem and strikmaster is a stand up company that will make it right and their auger cut like butter and fast. So I would get if fixed so you can enjoy that.

[dan z]

better go with the guys in big lake STRIKEMASTER

love mine!

[buckhunter21]

what are everyone's stances on Eskimo power augers?

One of my buddys has an 8 inch eskimo and that thing runs and cuts great. Hes had the same blades on it for 2 or 3 years I think and it cuts great yet. He just went and bought a 10 inch this week in the same model so we will see how that does but he only paid 300 bucks brand new for it so you cant beat that.