Auger, LP vs Elect

[northerndave]

And other questions...

i'm buying a new ice castle this year and I dont want to use my old ice chip slinging high RPM strike master in a new sleeper house. Too stinky and too messy.

I want to use a slush catching tote when I drill and re-open holes. And I want the ice shavings to actually land in the catch pan. So I'm looking for a lower RPM auger, probably 8" and I think my preference would be LP rather than elect.

But that's why I'm asking... I'd like first hand experience and input on this.

Thanks,

Dave

[BuschPilot]

Hi Dave. I happen to find a deal on a electric strikemaster 8". I cant wait to use it. I ha e heard from lestifers brother that has one and loves it. Ice cant come soon enough with the new house. Let me know if u want to feel the auger one day.

[northerndave]

Thanks buschy.

Yeah I just looked on the strikemaster site and it doesn't look like they make an LP auger yet.

I'm not worried about running out of battery in the wheel house I guess, because I would just plug into the main hous battery.

I'm just having a hard time with the idea of an auger that's just for the wheel house.

but I guess.

[hovermn]

You shouldn't run out of juice, unless your car battery isn't charged, or is bad. I have a battery powered Icegator which cuts circles (ehem lol) around any other auger I've used or seen, gas or electric.

As far as propane vs. electric, that's really up to you. Propane will still give off fumes. If you've ever been to a hockey game, you've smelled it, or been around forklifts, etc... Electric is completely fume free.

The propane auger is heavy and I believe it's a little loud. However, you can refuel it in a snap

The battery auger is quiet and with the new lithium batteries, pretty light weight. Lighter yet if you get a plug in only model.

Just some food for thought.

[snagfinder]

I bought an electric 8" strikemaster 3 years ago for all the same reasons and i think it was the best thing i have bought for ice fishing in a long time . Yes it drills a little slower but when sharp it only takes an 1/2 to a minute or so per 18" thick hole so 6 holes 5-6 minutes it takes longer than that to clean up the mess and let the smoke out with a gas auger I would go electric

[hovermn]

A friend of mine has a Jiffy plug in auger with chipper blades. It has some heft to it, but it cuts pretty quickly, and can reopen holes like buttah. Of course, the problem with that is, it makes it hard to drill tip up holes...

There are some options out there. Obviously my post shows my bias towards electric augers for in house drilling. Beyond that, I've been using the Icegator exclusively for everything for the past 3 years, only firing up the gas powerhead to condition it.

[northerndave]

Thanks guys.

Any specific comments to my interest in low rpm?

I don't want to fling chips all over the house. I want to bite some ice agressively but I want the rpm's down so I'm not flinging a mess all over the house.

If I want to drill screaming fast 10" tip up holes with ice chips flying in the air like a hail storm I already have the auger for that lol!!

[creepworm]

I would not go with the Jiffy propane auger if you do not want a mess. All Jiffy's are high RPM augers that really throw the shavings.

[northerndave]

I would not go with the Jiffy propane auger if you do not want a mess. All Jiffy's are high RPM augers that really throw the shavings.

This is my impression from videos I have watched as well.

[BuschPilot]

I got the one with the battery and u can plug it in the truck if it did get low or go hole hopping.

[northerndave]

I think that's probably the one to get.

My google my-mom-sees-this is strong, and all research points me towards the strikemaster electra lazer.

8" or 7"?

[UPnorthFISHING]

what are you going to pull that new house with?? i just bought a used strikemaster electra lazer.waiting not so patiently for ice to try it out

[BuschPilot]

Get the 8", no reason to hold back. i don't think you'll see any difference between the 2 so why not go with the bigger one.never know what you need to get up that extra inch of hole. all these goodies i keep thinking i need for the new house, we may need another trailer to bring out.

[northerndave]

what are you going to pull that new house with??

I'll figger sumthin out....

[UPnorthFISHING]

ok ill keep my rig close then

[northerndave]

it's a wheel house, not a ski house.

[McGurk]

As far as the RPM issue goes, I don't think it will matter if you use gas or LP as they both need some speed to get the torque out of those motors. Electric Augers have loads of torque no matter the speed.

Smoke is practically a non-issue when switching to a synthetic 2-stroke oil. I use Amsoil Saber Pro, mixed at about 80-1 in my SM, and no longer have smoke issues like I used to. Even if you don't want to use it in the wheelhouse I would recommend the switch as it starts easier, idles smoother, and hardly smokes at all after warm up. If you want to save a few bucks, try the Amsoil swap (make sure you run a tank of Amsoil mixed gas through to clean up the old gunk before bringing it in the wheel house) and look at maybe modifying a slush-catcher to have higher side walls.

[northerndave]

So out of the electric offerings, Sm big volt or the lazer with the smaller motor and a battery?

Jiffy "lectric" ?

[hovermn]

There's also Icegator, and Eskimo is coming out with a new battery auger called the Ion.

[hovermn]

As far as the RPM issue goes, I don't think it will matter if you use gas or LP as they both need some speed to get the torque out of those motors. Electric Augers have loads of torque no matter the speed.

If you were at the Catfish GTG last year, you would have seen what a difference in RPM's can do for you. Someone there had a SM electric auger. It's RPM's were very low, and cut slower than molasses. He told me that he saw my Icegator fly through the ice and was just speechless. The 'Gator turns at around 350 RPM and has loads of torque. Believe me, RPM's matter with electrics as well, even if it's not to reach max torque.

[northerndave]

I want slow for inside the house.

Keep the mess down.

I've got a flat file jig for sharpening old style chipper blades, I keep my old 10" chipper strikemaster "cobra" (3HP) razor sharp. That ole sumbich barks and digs, fast!

I'll hang onto that old war horse for my tip up and portable fishing.

But I don't want to ever drill holes inside a perm house with that type of ice slinger ever again if I can help it.

Oh it drills holes super fast, but that doesn't mean I'm fishing faster. Nope, I'm busy cleaning up the god aweful mess for a good amount of time afterwards.

I'm thinking low RPM drilling that just draws the chips/shavings up into the catch pan would be the way to go inside the house. Might be a slower hole but the cleanup will be very fast, very minimal.

In the end, I may actually be fishing faster. At the very least I won't be doing as much cleanup inside the house.

[Finlander]

I have a SM Electra and it works great in my house. During late ice when the ice is thicker, I put my extension on it and leave it on. I can't handle any smoke or fumes even with the windows and doors open. I have my SM 8" Lazer for outside fishing and if you dull your auger on anything I can switch auger drills real quick!

[McGurk]

...Believe me, RPM's matter with electrics as well, even if it's not to reach max torque.

I don't disagree at all! If you want a fast hole, you need speed. The OP specifically does not want a mess, so therefore he does not want speed. I was making the point that an Electric would be the best option for his desires. I tweaked my old SM throttle linkage and exhaust to get more RPM's out of her; she's a screamer now compared to other tecumseh powerheads! Nowhere near a chainsaw, though, but that is the direction I'd like to head...

[larryz]

If you drill your holes before you put your house all the way down you will not have as big of a mess.

[northerndave]

If you drill your holes before you put your house all the way down you will not have as big of a mess.

I believe that's true. But I think that could get interesting in the late season when the ice gets 3-4 ft thick.

Long extension I spose.

Has anybody seen the jiffy "lectric" in action?

I can't find RPM specs for it.