Which Ice Auger To Buy

[JSK76]

I have both a gas powered SM which is great but last year I bought an ION electric. I never even put gas in the SM last season it never made it out of the garage I liked the ION so much. The ION isn't for every one but unless you drill a crazy amount of holes it works awesome, and you could always get a spare battery. You do need to keep the battery from getting to cold or it won't work until it warms up. I've left mine out on the ice at 25 above and it worked fine but at -6 it didn't I don't know what the cut off temp would be before you start running into issues. You just put the battery in a pocket or bring it in the fish house with you.

Clam has that new cordless drill setup that looks pretty sweet too.

[PurpleFloyd]

These companies are no longer making the augers like they used to anyway. They are just importing them and branding them with whatever color they choose.

The old Eskimo's that were made in Wisconsin were pretty bulletproof. I bought one of the new model z51 sharks that is made in China and have no expectations that it will stay working as long as the domestically produced augers did but it does work well for me now for as much as I use it.

Is there a single domestically produced auger on the market today? If so is it made here 100% or just imported parts and assembled here?

[DTro]

So if Clam has a Solo motor and Mora auger bit, then yes it would be basically identical to the SM setup.  I don’t know how long this re-branding game has been going on, but it sure seems more prominent in the last 5-10 years.   Its like mobile phones, everyone has the same thing, just with a different manufacturer or service provider name on it.

 

Kind of feel like its all the same Chinese stuff thrown into a pile and then a contest to see which company can attach the most eye catching graphics and a good marketing spin on it.  We as the consumer can probably take most of the blame because we all love stuff cheap (not expensive) stuff.  But I wonder where things will be in another 10 years.  Its amazing the things you can find on Alilbaba, and the price they wholesale this stuff for is crazy.   I’ve seen $100 reels on there selling for as little as 10 dollars (with a 1000 minimum order).  

 

In the end I think we’ve all been duped into thinking a $100 widget that lasts 3 years is a better deal than a $300 widget that lasts 20 years

[AlligatorDundee]

I noticed online there were ones that were battery operatedThey also sell the propane type for a little more cash.Are these about as good as the gas one's

BIG VOLT ELECTRIC STRIKEMASTER IS A BEAST. THIS SEASON IM PUTTING A LAZER 224 BOTTOM ON IT. SHOULD CUT AS FAST AS GAS POWER.

[ikona]

Im a strikemaster guy, excellent customer service the 1 time I had to use it in 20 years

[PurpleFloyd]

So if Clam has a Solo motor and Mora auger bit, then yes it would be basically identical to the SM setup.  I don’t know how long this re-branding game has been going on, but it sure seems more prominent in the last 5-10 years.   Its like mobile phones, everyone has the same thing, just with a different manufacturer or service provider name on it.

 

Kind of feel like its all the same Chinese stuff thrown into a pile and then a contest to see which company can attach the most eye catching graphics and a good marketing spin on it.  We as the consumer can probably take most of the blame because we all love stuff cheap (not expensive) stuff.  But I wonder where things will be in another 10 years.  Its amazing the things you can find on Alilbaba, and the price they wholesale this stuff for is crazy.   I’ve seen $100 reels on there selling for as little as 10 dollars (with a 1000 minimum order).  

 

In the end I think we’ve all been duped into thinking a $100 widget that lasts 3 years is a better deal than a $300 widget that lasts 20 years

I am not sure of the extent of the outsourcing but if I am not mistaken the solo motor is not German made but rather was designed in Germany but produced in china. Someone correct me on this if I am wrong.

I also know in regards to the Eskimos they are not even designed by Eskimo at this point any longer from what I can tell and you can buy the same identical auger in Canada under a different name and the only difference is the color was changed from red to green. You can also buy the same head unit with the viper motor attached to an earth auger for the construction trades to drill post holes. Color again is different but the motor, handles etc are the same. It just takes a google search of auger viper motor.

The reason for this is clear. The cost of workers comp, liability and employment taxes have gotten so out of control that a company can no longer afford to produce them domestically for what consumers are willing to spend in a volume that will lead to a profit. So I don't blame them one bit.

[Brad B]

So if Clam has a Solo motor and Mora auger bit, then yes it would be basically identical to the SM setup.  I don’t know how long this re-branding game has been going on, but it sure seems more prominent in the last 5-10 years.   Its like mobile phones, everyone has the same thing, just with a different manufacturer or service provider name on it.

 

Kind of feel like its all the same Chinese stuff thrown into a pile and then a contest to see which company can attach the most eye catching graphics and a good marketing spin on it.  We as the consumer can probably take most of the blame because we all love stuff cheap (not expensive) stuff.  But I wonder where things will be in another 10 years.  Its amazing the things you can find on Alilbaba, and the price they wholesale this stuff for is crazy.   I’ve seen $100 reels on there selling for as little as 10 dollars (with a 1000 minimum order).  

 

In the end I think we’ve all been duped into thinking a $100 widget that lasts 3 years is a better deal than a $300 widget that lasts 20 years

re branding has been going on for a long time. all industries do it. I seen this when I work at a canning company. we had 3 different labels we put on one recipe of beans. in the store the 3 were on the shelf side by side and from cheapest to most expensive there was a ten cent difference yet the beans were the exact same recipe.

a good example of this in ice fishing is when Jiffy and Strike master both used the same 2hp Tecumseh engine.

it's sad but I feel we as a society have became a disposable society. there is a lot of stuff that is cheaper to buy a replacement then to fix the broken thing. I am dealing with this very thing with one of my Berkley big game rods. the rod had the reel seat break loose so I carefully cut the handle off the blank and plan to replace it but the cost to replace the handle is the same as a new complete rod. the only good thing is I can now put a cork handle on it instead of the EVA foam if I want to.

[panski master]

I was in this dilema last year on what auger to buy with price and weight and all the hole hopping I do when I fish. I have a 2 hp jiffy that has been bullet proof for the last 18 years and still runs like a champ. After a lot of research I decided to make my own... I bought a 7 inch lazer hand auger and adapted it to a used gas engine I had purchased. Yes it is a two stroke but at 16lbs total weight and I drilled over 300 holes with it last year I think I did all right. I have about $200 invested in this unit and I can't wait to use it again this year. Lightweight is key when your drilling a ton of holes like I do chasing panfish. With my set up I can carry everything in two hands to go fishing and not get tired or have weight being a burden if I have to walk out on the ice. The only weight burden I have is coming off the lake with a bucket full of slabs

[leech~~]

I was in this dilema last year on what auger to buy with price and weight and all the hole hopping I do when I fish. I have a 2 hp jiffy that has been bullet proof for the last 18 years and still runs like a champ. After a lot of research I decided to make my own... I bought a 7 inch lazer hand auger and adapted it to a used gas engine I had purchased. Yes it is a two stroke but at 16lbs total weight and I drilled over 300 holes with it last year I think I did all right. I have about $200 invested in this unit and I can't wait to use it again this year. Lightweight is key when your drilling a ton of holes like I do chasing panfish. With my set up I can carry everything in two hands to go fishing and not get tired or have weight being a burden if I have to walk out on the ice. The only weight burden I have is coming off the lake with a bucket full of slabs

Cool, do you have any pictures of that bad boy? That would be another good thread to start. "Home Made augers"

[panski master]

Sorry I have no pics and it is up in my garage rafters stored for the summer. Won't be long and I'll be getting it down and I can take a few pics and post.

[amateurfishing]

u can look into used SM Magnum III 49cc and such. even if not in perfect condition strikemaster shops can still make them run like new for minimal cost and still save u lots of $$$. mine was plenty used 3 years ago but with sharp chipper blades and regular minimal maintenance it runs great for me. plus it is old school all metal body which holds up to a great beating on the ice.

[Brad B]

u can look into used SM Magnum III 49cc and such. even if not in perfect condition strikemaster shops can still make them run like new for minimal cost and still save u lots of $$$. mine was plenty used 3 years ago but with sharp chipper blades and regular minimal maintenance it runs great for me. plus it is old school all metal body which holds up to a great beating on the ice.

the old MagIII's did hold up great if they where taken care of. I am still running mine and it is 22 years old. in that time I have only had a complete tune up done once. I did change the blade on the drill unit every year but that is about all I ever had to do to it. If all goes right I hope to be running one of the new Clam Edge Augers this coming season. If I get one the Mag III will become my back up auger.

[otterman91105]

My strikemaster is from 1998 and i have never had a problem with it. I would not think twice about buying another one. Mine has always ran really good.

[givetoget]

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