Wheel House Auger

[crazyzoe]

I decided that I need a new auger to use in my wheel house. I currently have a 8 year old strikemaster and it works great but stinks the house up too much. Question is: Do I buy an electric one to use in the wheel house only and if so what auger and keep the old strikemaster for use outside of wheel house? Or do I sell the old strikemaster and buy a honda 4 stroke or propane auger and use that for both applications?

[Down2Earth]

If most of my fishing was done where I use the truck to haul the auger around and not out drilling a ton of holes I'd own a Jiffy. They are by far the toughest/best built in my opinion. Jiffys just last forever.

[CrewJones]

If your trying to get rid of the exhaust smell the 4 stroke will not be solving all of your problems. If it was me I would buy the new ION and bring the strike master along for tip up drilling and hole hopping. That way either of them can not work for some reason and you always have a way to drill a hole. Plus with the house you will be able to keep the ion batteries warm all the time so you wont have any issues from that aspect.

good problem to have..

[Sea Hage]

I went with the Honda last year after having a 2 stroke strikemaster. The smoke is gone and it doesn't smell too much either. It will set off the smoke detector but so does a pizza, so I still drill with the door open but it's cold when your setting up anyway so not loosing any heat. If I was gonna do it again I would do the same or the Jiffy 9" LP. Never have used the Ion.

[forcedtowork]

I am in the same boat as you, I am leaning towards the Jiffy 9" LP, you don't have to worry about a battery dieing on you, no fumes, and you can reopen holes. I have the strikemaster solo lazer, my only complaint is that I can't reopen holes with it.

[Sea Hage]

Hey Forced, Last year someone on here said a Lazer will reopen old holes if you start at a slight angle and as soon as it starts to cut strighten the auger up. I tried it several times and was surprised at how easy it works.

[crazyzoe]

Thanks for the replies.....has there been any problems with the propane augers in the cold? I usually attach it to my wheeler all day when out finding spots.

[walleye34]

I love my jiffy propane 4 if you have a wheel house. It's heavy!!! but then you are not drilling 40 holes a day with your wheelhouse. I have a 10" and I would consider that for a couple of reasons. I like the extra room down the hole for my transducer, I seem to get a lot less fish tangled in the cord and also if it's really cold and you stay in 1 spot overnight no matter how good I bank my house you lose a inch or 2 as the holes freeze back in. I can drill a 10" and in -10 weather by morning it always seems one or two of my holes are about 7" is all.

[Mike Stark]

I am in the same boat as you, I am leaning towards the Jiffy 9" LP, you don't have to worry about a battery dieing on you, no fumes, and you can reopen holes. I have the strikemaster solo lazer, my only complaint is that I can't reopen holes with it.

I am thinking about getting a chipper drill unit to attach to my older power head so I can easily re-open holes in my wheel house.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I have an ION and Strikemaster Solo. The Strikemaster didn't even get fired up last winter. For a wheelhouse, nothing beats electric. You have 30 holes worth of charge, which is good for everything except March perch fishing. Recharges take an hour.

I start the furnace at the landing, set the house down, drill the holes. By the time the slush is scooped it's 70+ with no smell.

[Mike Stark]

The ION is very nice. I wish they made a 10in drill unit.

[crazyzoe]

Has anybody used the big volt 10"?

[rustysetter]

I am on my 3rd year on my 10" jiffy propane and would buy another with out question.

I decided that I need a new auger to use in my wheel house. I currently have a 8 year old strikemaster and it works great but stinks the house up too much. Question is: Do I buy an electric one to use in the wheel house only and if so what auger and keep the old strikemaster for use outside of wheel house? Or do I sell the old strikemaster and buy a honda 4 stroke or propane auger and use that for both applications?

[hamms-scooter]

Honda lite has a 10" this year.

[shauno]

Had the strike master electric last yr and hated the thing. Didn't even make it a yr for me and I don't drill a ton of holes. Just in my wheelhouse and a couple of tip ups here and there. Bought the jiffy pro4 propane. Smells a little but no we're near the gas augers. Love it awesome auger. PS if your not a hole hopper get the ten inch. It's the beesnee in the wheelhouse.

[AlligatorDundee]

I got a BIGVOLT 10"

and slush bucket

For a clean cut

[crazyzoe]

I really like the idea of having a 10" in the wheelhouse. Have you had any problems with the 10" big volt Dundee? I see the Jiffy Pro 4 lite is only available in a 6' and 8" auger. Does anybody know if you can buy just the power head and then buy the 10" auger?

[AlligatorDundee]

You may have to purchase a longer cord.

Plenty of torque for a 10" bottom.

Cuts holes fast.

No problem.

[low277]

I bought a Big Volt 8.25" last year, the first time out I drilled 4 dry holes on Lake of the Woods. I was using a portable and drove out with my pickup, drilled until the power head hit the hard pack snow and no water, shoveled as much as I could and drilled another few inches, still dry, my son in law had a axe with and we chopped another few inches off the top and drilled some more, we got the center tip through. We ended up borrowing a spud/chisel from the guy next to us to open the bottoms.

The drill worked great, had plenty of power. I bought an extension for it the next day. Last week I also picked up a spud/chisel.

[FIRECAT]

I got an almost new Strike master solo laser, love it but it stinks up the house. thinking either Big Volt or ION, only concern with the BIG VOLT is the cost of a new battery if you need one. I wonder how long will the battery last.

[holmsvc]

I got an almost new Strike master solo laser, love it but it stinks up the house. thinking either Big Volt or ION, only concern with the BIG VOLT is the cost of a new battery if you need one. I wonder how long will the battery last.

I drill in my house with my solo. I open the windows and the door and there is hardly a smell.

I run amsoil saber 90 to 1 in my auger and that makes a big difference.

[Redlineracer12]

For a wheelhouse, nothing beats electric.

I start the furnace at the landing, set the house down, drill the holes. By the time the slush is scooped it's 70+ with no smell.

Gonna have to agree with everything here except I drill before I set the house down. I don't ever have to put warm clothes on when fishing in the wheelhouse, I go from the warm truck to a semi warm house and am outside no more than 5 minutes dropping it to the ice.

I have the electra lazer which works fine for me, but wouldn't mind getting a big volt 10" to have the larger hole option.

[BartmanMN]

I got an almost new Strike master solo laser, love it but it stinks up the house. thinking either Big Volt or ION, only concern with the BIG VOLT is the cost of a new battery if you need one. I wonder how long will the battery last.

Big Volt does not have a battery at all. Electric Lazer has a battery

[pegleg]

Big Volt does not have a battery at all. Electric Lazer has a battery

[crazyzoe]

Thanks for all the replies.....I ended up purchasing the 10" Big Volt. It doesn't have the battery on and just hooks to the wheel house batteries which works great. I just wanted one for the wheel house. I ended picking up a carryover model from GM for $329. Couldn't pass on it!