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What is the best auger???

chillincarp870

By chillincarp870
in Ice Fishing

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Jarrod32 Veteran

Jarrod32

Posted
Posted

I ran a Strikemaster Lazer Mag for many years...when the blades were sharp, it was amazingly fast. When the blades got dull...well...

When I moved to South Dakota, I got a Jiffy with the chopper blades. The Lazer blades just get dull too quickly out here.

Strikemaster and Jiffy both make fine augers...right now, the Strikemaster Magnum with the Solo engine might be the best option (in my opinion). I work for a retailer, and we sell Jiffy, Strikemaster, and Eskimo. I think the Eskimo augers are underrated...they work just as well - and tend to be a bit less expensive - than the "big name" augers.

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Esox_Magnum Grand Master

Esox_Magnum

Posted
Posted

I had an old bike handle one years ago, still see one out on the ice every now and then, always ran good but was loud heavy and wasnt the best driller out there. Every now and then I see an old guy here with a Nils he swears he's had for over 20 years, compliments on my new one remembering when his looked like that and says best darn auger you'll ever own. I think all his stuff is 20-30 years old by the looks of it and can't recall ever seeing him with a flasher or a shack.

Oh I do still have my first and only tip up and a few jigs from when I started 25+ years ago. But don't count them as reliable since I rarley use that stuff.

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Surface Tension Grand Master

Surface Tension

Posted
Posted

only one The Icegator will out drill any stock auger out there!

Not that it matters but I'll set the record straight.

Icegator is a nice piece of equipment but not faster then a Tanaka powerhead.

All ready tested that. Both drills had Nils blades and raced. . Blades were exchanged between both augers and another race.

The Nils Master/Tanaka Powerhead won all races. The Icegator wasn't that far behind though.

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Steve Foss Grand Master

Steve Foss

Posted
Posted

Icegator is a nice piece of equipment but not faster then a Tanaka powerhead.

All ready tested that. Both drills had Nils blades and raced. Blades were exchanged between both augers and another race. The Nils Master/Tanaka Powerhead won all races. The Icegator wasn't that far behind though.

Correct. It was my Ice Gator involved in the testing. The Gator ran about one second behind the Nils through roughly 2 feet of ice when using the same blade (special Surface Tension sharpening job) on each powerhead. I raced a different guy's Nils last year. His blades were a bit duller than factory, and I waxed his arse for him.

For my type of fishing, I'll take the Ice Gator hands down, because I can get 40-50 holes on one charge, can bring the charger along on the truck and recharge using an inverter, and always bring a second set of batteries along when running on the snow machine. But if a gas motor is what a person needs because they drill 200 holes in a day, the Nils is the best I've ever used.

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Ed Carlson Grand Master

Ed Carlson

Posted
Posted

The Jiffy STX or the StrikeMaster Mag would be best for opening old holes often.

Chippers do not take the beating in this situation as a shaver blade auger would.

If you primarily open old holes, then I recommend a chipper system. No matter what brand you go with in the end.

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Riich Collaborator

Riich

Posted
Posted

I think the question should be "Are there any bad augers out there"? This old debate on what is better, what is faster, what I have is better than anybody elses, it's all [PoorWordUsage].

Really, does it matter if Johnie can drill a hole 3 seconds faster than you? Relax a little, forget the [PoorWordUsage] you read and just enjoy some fishing. And whatever auger you decide to buy, I'm sure you will be happy with your purchase.

Now really, are there any "bad" augers out there?

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Jim Almquist Grand Master

Jim Almquist

Posted
Posted

Correct. It was my Ice Gator involved in the testing. The Gator ran about one second behind the Nils through roughly 2 feet of ice when using the same blade (special Surface Tension sharpening job) on each powerhead. I raced a different guy's Nils last year. His blades were a bit duller than factory, and I waxed his arse for him.

S.T. did a fantastic job sharpening my blade so a re-match is in order grin

I actually think it cuts better then when the blade was new.

Thanks for the great job Surface Tension

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Northlander Grand Master

Northlander

Posted
Posted

I think the question should be "Are there any bad augers out there"? This old debate on what is better, what is faster, what I have is better than anybody elses, it's all [PoorWordUsage].

Really, does it matter if Johnie can drill a hole 3 seconds faster than you? Relax a little, forget the [PoorWordUsage] you read and just enjoy some fishing. And whatever auger you decide to buy, I'm sure you will be happy with your purchase.

Now really, are there any "bad" augers out there?

There are augers out there that I wouldnt call bad but I would call lower end. Just like cars/trucks or any other products you usually get better performance as the cost goes up.

Sure a lot of folks can get buy with a VW Bug but would love to have a Rolls Royce or Porsche.

Its all about what you need. If you only cut 2-10 holes every time out than any auger will do. If you cut 100 holes a day than a lighter faster auger is what you need.

For me there are days Im really serious about finding fish and Im runnin and gunnin all over the lake swiss cheesin it. Other days I have already found the fish and I cut my 2 holes, set up shop and relax and fish. Its all golden to me.

Get the auger that fits your needs best but remember to take care of it during the season and when storing it and you should get years of good service. Jiffy, Eskimo, Strikemaster, Ice Gator, Nils etc etc all make a good product these days.

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GotALunker Collaborator

GotALunker

Posted
Posted

I just picked up the a new SM lazer pro w/ the 3hp motor. Been very happy w/ it so far. A friend is awaiting delivery of his new Eskimo Shark w/ the 3hp motor. Be interesting to see that matchup.

What I'm impressed most about my SM is the attention to detail and the quality that is clearly built into it. try this: go to your favorite outdoor store and compare the quality of the plastic shrouds and location of the controls, ergonomic design, weight etc... to me the SM had better quality parts, engine, transmission and incidentals, along with convenient controls, light weight and an easy to hold/handle stature. they dont try to impress with things like fancy painted auger blades or super high power motors....they just build a quality product.

I dont know man, make the choice thats right for you but for me it was SM all the way.

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