Wheel house auger

[eagle_3464]

Please don't turn this into another mudslinging my auger is better than your auger.

I already have a Jiffy STX for open ice or portable fishing that has served me well for many years and expect to use it for that purpose for years to come.

Building a wheel house this past summer I quickly learned the Jiffy is not a good auger for the wheel house (slings chips all over and floods the floor when reopening). Therefore I am in the market for a new auger that is best for the wheel house. Since I already have the Jiffy, I am strongly considering the Ion. Looking at augers at Scheels yesterday I learned that the Strikemaster Electra Lazer will run on a vex battery and is $120 less than the Ion. I like the fact that the Ion has reverse which might come in handy for clearing slush and unjamming.

I am looking for pro's and con's between these two augers. Does the 12V electra lazer have enough power to reopen holes and how many holes will it drill on one battery? What is the best price one could expect to get the Ion for on year end closeout, or next season's ice show? Scheels currently has the Ion on clearance for $449.

[sunniewally]

if you want a electric you better grab the ion for 449!

[JoeMX1825]

If only drilling less than 10 holes, then the Electra Lazer is probably the cheapest option that will get the deal done because you can drill a few tip up holes outside, then it can run on your perm house 12 volt with cables to drill the inside holes.

Or get the Ion on clearance and also use it if you want to run and gun a bit outside....I've seen them below $350 on c list.

[Baggerman]

I picked up an eskimo hc40 10" at the ice show. Used it 2 trips in my wheel house and sold it. Bought the ion and love it. Also bought the 10" blade for the ion, it does throw chips but not like the jiffys. I only lower my house half way down then drill the holes. But since you are going run the jiffy out of the house buy the strike master and save the money. Side note, the Electra lazer isn't geared to cut a ten inch hole. You would need to go to the big volt. That is if a ten inch hole is for you. I personally like it because I normally set up for 4-6days.

[holmsvc]

What was the problem with the Eskimo propane?

[sunriseduckblind]

Have a few years experience with my buddies electra lazer 8. He bought it almost exclusively for redrilling holes in his perm. Works great does get hung up from time to time redrilling holes. It has a ton of torque but not much for speed so it's definetly not throwing ice chips all over. Amount of holes drilled all depends on the condition of the battery but when the auger was new I think we got around 20/25ish and that was with an extsion on thick lotw late season ice. Hope this helps.

[Smoker]

I bought the Ion this year for the house. With the house on 4x4 blocks and 29" of ice I ended up with just a few ice chips inside right by the hole and not all over the house. Worked great for reopening holes also. I don't know how many holes I could do on one battery. The most I did was 6 in the house and I went and reopened my buddies 4 holes in his house. He liked it so much that next season he will have one.

[jsr426hemi]

I bought the 8" ion early this winter and before I used it the new Eskimo high compression propane came out on sale. Thought about it and decided to save $140 and took the ion back. I was leary of the non start ups with the ion when the battery got to cold. I love the Eskimo propane auger. Has great power and I use it in the permanent shack. Doesn't smell bad, nothing like a 2 cycle. I typically open a window and turn on the range hood fan while I drill holes and I can't smell any exhaust after I am done. I have drilled a lot of holes and have yet to change the propane canister. So far impressed. One thing I had to get used to is that when u set the Eskimo down the one side has to be up every time or u get oil in the carb.

[Dozer]

I bought an Ion in December and couldnt be happier. The reverse is the ticket. 8 holes in the wheel house with a slush bucket and there is only about a ice cream bucket worth of slush in the bucket total. It is really slick.

[dlbuck]

I'm on my third season with a Ion and love it. I like it so much I'm thinking about buying one with the reverse and selling the one I have.

[eagle_3464]

Thanks all for sharing your thoughts and keeping it civil. Sounds like the Ion is getting good reviews with the added benefit of reverse. My only concern with it is the life expectancy of the battery and the cost to replace.

[ClownColor]

I have no experience with the ion but do own the Electra lazer. IMO I'd stay far away from Electra. Poor battery life, gets hung up a lot at the bottom of holes, and horrible at redrilling. I honesty hate it to the point I'll use my gas auger in my perm before using the Electra.

I can't give a personal review on the ion but everyone says its the bee's knee's.

[Jordan Dahl]

My dad loves his 8 inch electra auger. He Specifically bought it for the fact that it is so slow and does not throw ice everywhere.

Deffinitely stick with electric, sold his gas after the first wheel house trip with the electric.

If youre house runs off of a battery and wired for 110 you can run your bsttery charger charginf your battery from your generator and run it directly to the auger. (If its dead)

Otherwise you can expect about 15 holes from one without getting jammed up.

[Boar]

My dealer is going to order up a eskimo 40 10 inch propane, let me use it for the weekend. i told him I dont want likw the way my jiffy 10" is a sh it slinger, and was looking at the ion, he said id sell ya the ion but if you want a 10" its another 170 buck added on. man what a marketing ploy. he said the eskimo in much slowewr than the jiffy and he's sure i'll buy it once I use it. So I might be selling my my Jiffy pro 4 10" we'll see after next weekend.

[eagle_3464]

Thanks guys, I pulled the plug and purchased the Ion at $449. About the only negatives I have read about is the battery life and most of those are from those who don't own one. So I guess the jury is still out on that. Hopefully it will serve many years as my wheelhouse auger.

[Hawg]

Now you'll be one of us that tells the battery life naysayers they should try one, or who cares what they think anyway if that's all they have to complain about. Take the word of us other owners - you will love the Ion.