Ice auger 8" vs 10"

[mojoputter]

Looking to buy a new or used auger, and wanting to know the advantages or disadvantages of a 8" vs 10" auger. You don't have to tell me the hole is 2" bigger, thats obvious. Never owned one so just wanting to know what would be the better buy.

[Tyler23]

unless your spearing, 10 inch augers i see no point. i had one and hated it. it takes up so much more space in the porty.. and it takes longer to cut that a 8..

[thedeadsea]

If you do any amount of pike or laker fishing, you will greatly appreciate the larger 10" hole. Much easier to turn larger fish's heads into the hole when they come in right under the ice.

The only reason I would have a smaller auger was if I was fishing panfish exclusively or hole hopped ALOT and want a light, fast drilling auger. With that being said you can always pick up a smaller drill for the powerhead from your 10" and have the best of both worlds.

[DTro]

A 10” is bigger, heavier and will take more torque to cut through the ice which usually results in a little more elbow grease to punch the hole. The hole itself will be a magnet for valuable items and maybe even a foot or a leg or two.

But, it IS very nice to fish out of a 10” hole. You have more room for Flasher cables, the fish come up a lot easier and it just seems easier overall, especially when targeting larger profile fish.

I think an 8” is probably the most versatile and is a good compromise. If you do the math, the circumference of an 8” hole is about 25”. That is a VERY large girth. With a 10” auger, you would gain about 6” of circumference at 31”.

[motley man]

If you have a permanent house the 10" is great, but for hole hopping the weight is to much to haul around. Just went perching and the 10" worked me over. Back is sore from drilling 50 holes.

[Maverick]

I have an 8 inch. For me weight was the big factor. I was able to go with the smaller power head. A 10 inch really needs a 3hp head and with the bigger auger and bigger power head things get a little heavy.

Also, in a small portable the 10 inchers seem to swallow items (cell phones, ice scoops, etc.) a lot faster than 8 inchers.

I agree with Dead Sea on the big pike and laker issue, but if you don't ever fish that way, then 8 inches is plenty.

[kitchy]

As you can see from the posts so far it really depends on what type of fishing you do or want to do. Tell us a little more about that and the advice will be more direct.

[mojoputter]

I have a 3-man portable, so we tend to move 2 or 3 times when we go out. Using a neighbors 8" now. From what I see weight does tend to play a part. Mostly fish for panfish and walleye.

[thedeadsea]

If an 8" NILS is within your budget, go that way. If you are looking at Strikemaster, Jiffy, etc you will get lots of spirited opinions on here as to which it best.

Steve

[mojoputter]

I see alot of Jiffy's for sale on Craiglist, is there a reason for that..?

[kitchy]

The older Jiffys are fairly heavy. With auger advancements the new models from Jiffy and SM are pretty sweet. My guess is that most people are just upgrading.

[Jim Uran]

I've got a 10" and the next time I buy one it will be 8". There is a noticeable difference when drilling multiple holes as far as torque and weight go.

[Chris Haley]

Small kids can fall down a 10" hole, I've stepped in one and went right down to my groin (F'in ouch!!!) Then there is all the other reasons that have been stated. I have pulled 36"-40" northerns through an 8" with no problem.

[tsande00]

If you primarily fish out of a porty, I would highly recommend the 8". Floor space can be a premium as can weight. I went with the 8" mainly due to fear of one of my small children falling through...glad I did too as the boy seems to find every hole I drill with his foot. Better a foot than a body.

[fiskyknut]

I run a nine inch bulletproof Jiffy stx, otherwise I'd go with a ten vs. an 8 for the reasons mentioned above and so many other times over the years!

[hamms-scooter]

Get an 8"! You will pull whatever you catch through an 8. I use a 6" lazer alot of the time for panfish and i have had no issues pulling 26 -27" walleyes up through 30+ inches of ice.

[fiskyknut]

Thanks for the advice but I'm not a panfish guy. I catch Walleyes over 30 and Pike over 40 and the bigger hole for sure makes for an easier time steering them up and into the hole whether there bo 8 or 40 inches of ice!

Believe it or not I have had fish up to the ice that would never come thru an 8 inch hole!

Better to have and not need than need and not have!

[MidCoast]

I have a Lazer Pro 10 inch SOLO and I love it. I use to have an 8 inch hole auger and have lost some big fish because of it in the past. This is why I decided to upgrade. My Lazer PRO 10 inch is only 2 pounds heavier than an 8 inch Lazer Pro... 2 lbs extra is nothing for us guys and that bigger ice hole can come in handy.

[Steve Foss]

After cutting with a rocket fast Strikemaster XL3000 3 hp 10-inch for 10 years, last year I switched to an 8-inch hole. While it's easier to turn the head of a big fish up a 10-inch hole, I can pull a 25+ pound laker or pike through the circumference of the 8-inch. These are the two species I target all winter. I like the 8-inch because it's lighter, which matters to me as I get older.

If I'm on water that offers an honest chance of a 30 lb laker or pike, I can easily overlap holes with the 8 to create a double hole or a triple hole (triple looks like a three-leaf clover).

[BeezeHound]

I had a 10" lazer and didn't mind it all, still cut faster than my buddy's 8" jiffy. I mainly went with the 10" at first because I didn't own a vexilar and did a lot of sight fishing, but since the vexilar purchase a few years ago I went and bought the 9" auger so the vexi wouldn't find it's way down the hole.

[Iambjm]

I stepped backwards into a 10" hole once also, not an experience I want to repeat. I still have the 10" auger blade hanging in the garage. I now have the 8" and can at least handle the weight of it.

[Big "T"]

Love my 8" Strike Master never had a problem getting fish up the hole! Also nice and light for them 50 plus hole punching days!

[ZENNER]

I've never found a lake where a fish wouldn't fit through an 8" hole. Still looking...

[thedeadsea]

Not to be a smart aleck here but a trout or pike in the high 20# range will have a girth of 25+ inches depending on the length, and an 8" hole has a 25 1/8" girth. Yes a fish that is a bit larger can be squeezed through, but that requires a gaff and hopefully the hook holds and the line doesnt break while you gaff the fish.

Not that happens frequently, but you never know......

[g_anoka]

At this time last year I needed a new auger, and all that was left were 10". It works great, but I really don't need the bigger hole, and it is heavier, it may not be much, but in 20-30 years, some of you will think it is alot of weight. Also, I will have to wait longer to take my grandson fishing, right now he would slide right down the hole.