New ice auger

[Mr.Seaguar]

Auger talk sure starts a whizzin contest.

[joshb]

rick, i'm glad you found that as funny as i do.........oh wait you thought i was serious..........

SM is a fast auger but it is pretty funny when they are the only ones claiming it to be the "fastest"

i do run a strikemaster and it works flawlessly. i own a jiffy to, i use them both for different things....all depends on what you want.

[sirsunnyslayer]

It sounds like the Eskimo is getting alot of praise, how long have they been around? How do you think they will hold up in the long run?

[IcePro]

Eskimo augers are made by Ardisam in Cumberland, WI. I believe they have been making augers for 40 plus years.

I feel Strike Master is known for speed and lightness / Jiffy is known for durability and speed / Eskimo is known for their chain saw engine and trying to fit between Strike Master and Jiffy for speed and durability.

How well will they hold up? That is what separates several auger manufactures. I feel a survey should be done on how long someone has had an auger that is still in use. This might give everyone an idea on what auger will last longer.

In responding to my response, let's keep engine related issues aside since Tecumseh engines are used by all 3-auger manufactures.

[jiggin pig]

I was wondering on the eskimo shark whatis the big difference between the straight blades and curved. Is there a reason to get one or the other. thanks

[IcePro]

That is a good question.

The curved blades (turbo blades) only come in 6" and 8" where the straight blades(Quantum blades)come in 8", 9" & 10".

Both blades shave the ice, the turbo blade appears to be the same style Strike Master uses. Hopefully a Eskimo user will have the answer. My guess is that the turbo blade will cut faster since it has more contact area with the ice.

[Tahoe2349]

Whats the word on those "Nils Master" augers.. that video was rather impressive...

Anyone own one that can give a word ?

The way that Jiffy was cutting and the pressure it looked like operator was using, makes me wonder if the blades were good ?

[Knotwood]

Bought a shark two seasons ago. Blades stay sharp a long time. Engine runs smooth, higher revving, well designed handles with nice trigger pull and thumb kill switch. Easy to load, stays put in a sled. Cap does not leak. EZ starts in all weather, primer helps if it's been sitting. Not clumsy to start, cut with, or pull out of hole. I had Russ put an 8" instead of the 9", drills like crazy.

[buzbunni]

Does the Eskimo Shark have a chipper blade or a shaver blade? I have heard that the chipper style blades are preferred for redrilling holes, ice that is "dirty, and such. I am looking for the best auger for these purposes.

[chunkytrout]

I own the Eskimo Mako. TC II engine and it's a ten inch. I went with the 10" because mostly I fish lakers and it's nice to have a little extra room. Now alot of people have said I was going to be disappointed running the TCII with a ten inch blade. No it's not the fastest but I'm not in this for racing. Very light for a ten inch auger. When drilling thick ice, just back her out a bit at full throttle and gently lower it back in. Cuts like a dream. So far no problems at about 300 holes I'm guessing. Chipper Buzbunni.

[IcePro]

Eskimos augers use shaver blades to cut the ice. If an auger has two main blades, it usually uses shaver blades. You are correct in saying that chipper blades will cut better in dirty ice.

If you are looking for a chipper blade auger your #1 choice would be Jiffy. Strike Master has a chipper blade auger available but with the slower gear ration it will cut slower than the Jiffy. Eskimo and Strike Master primarily use shaver blades.

To reopen holes? I use a Jiffy Stealth that uses a chipper blade and I can reopen holes. Maybe an Eskimo user can comment on Eskimo.

[chunkytrout]

Icepro, the ten inch is a quantum blade (according to packaging) but I wasn't aware that it was considered a shaver. My mistake I guess. The serated blade looks identical to Strikemasters (Mag2000) chipper blade. I always thought that's what made it a chipper. Missed something somewhere.

[IcePro]

If you go to Ardisam's (Eskimo)HSOforum they show the blades that are available. If you do a web search for Ardisam you will come across their web site.

The Quantum blade is serated but is not a true chipper blade.

[chunkytrout]

I guess serated isn't exactly the right term. The blade is actually notched (1/4 Wx3/8 D). Maybe you could help us out and explain the difference? Like I said, I'm missing something here.

[Bob_D]

Tahoe2349,

What do you want to know about the Nils? The Jiffy had new blades and if you saw it on it's own, you would have thought it was cutting very well. The Nils is just that much faster. You need to apply zero pressure to have it cut. Just hold the handles and pull the trigger.

There seems to be a lot of info about the other 3 MFG's of augers so I'll give you a little on the Nils.

It weights 22 lbs with a full tank of gas.

Can cut 42" of ice without an extension.

Uses a commercial grade Tanaka motor. These motors are found on high end lawn trimmers, tree tappers, and even racing scooters.

I have used most of the augers out on the market. All of the major mfg's make reliable units that will last a long time. I had a older Jiffy up until last year that served me well. However, I won't ever go back to a chipper style auger. I can drill 100 holes with my new auger and be less tired then if I drilled 10 holes with my older one. It has made ice fishing even more enjoyable for me.

If you are ever in VT, I'll let you try mine.

[P.DONA]

Wow!!! You ask anyone who ever seen Bob D's Nils in action, they will tell you the same thing!!!! simply awesome!!! That engine sucks the blade down, no pressure!!

Bob Post the link to your auger race

[Bob_D]

Paul,

It's on page one of this thread. I won't say who was running the Jiffy.

[Uncle Bill]

WoW !! that's impressive. What diameter hole is the nils drilling compared to the jiffy ??

[Bob_D]

Both are 8". My Nils is actually a little faster now that the motor is broken in. The speed is nice, but the biggest plus for me is the ease of use. I never realized how much I had to fight my old auger until I got this one. I've had some back issues and now my back does not bother me after drilling all my holes. For me, that was worth the extra I paid for it.

[Uncle Bill]

Thanks Bob,

How much is an 8" (american$)

Do they make a 10" ??

[Bob_D]

I see them for $479-$499 for the 8". They don't make a 10" right now and I'm not sure if they will in the future. Husqvarna/Normark sell one in Canada that is similar in weight, but it's more $$ and I can't speak to it's quality.

FYI...A 8" hole has a circumference of 25.13 inches. A 10" hole has a circumference of 31.41. Plus the hole will be a little bigger the actual auger size. Consider the girth of the fish that you catch when considering what size auger you will need.

[Tahoe2349]

Bob D, Thanks for the Nils info...That unit looks like it would cut on its own if you could find a way to hold it up on its own

I wasn't suggesting the race was tainted or anything, its just so night and day on your video there that I thought something had to be off.. My kids got me a new Strike Master last year which I think is fast as all gets, I would like to trade it for a Nils I think but might cause some "tension" here with the troops !!

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

I used a Jiffy 3 hp with 9" blade for about 10 years. After a few years it needed a little tweaking on the carb to maintain high idle speed. Reliable. I sold it last year and it was still running great. I had two sets of blades to alternate. They last forever since you can sharpen them yourself. It was darn heavy though. That's why I sold it for a Jiffy 2hp 8" Stealth. Used that last year and liked it. Motor is not super high RPM but the new blade design cuts faster than old and I can still sharpen it myself. Much lighter. It doesn't have a primer which alarmed me but it started good everytime.

[IcePro]

After seeing the video all I can say is WOW!!! and that all JIFFY owners should be proud after viewing this video. An older Jiffy model 30 (Jiffy has not made the Model 30 with a white gearbox for 7 plus years) competing with a newer Nils Master Auger. I would like to see these two augers compete in another seven years. I know the Jiffy will still be around but will the Nils Master still be running?

I always have stated Jiffy is the most durable and reliable auger on the market. This video proved my statement.

Is their a reason this competition was not comparing apples to apples? How would a Jiffy Stealth compare?

[fishdog]

I like the Jiffy best, to me they are the Mopar of augers., they have the most h.p. ,like the Hemi, they have gear reduction, creating more tork with less r.p.m., alot like a mopar starter., (thats why Mopars starters sound differnt). The Jiffy are different.The auger spins opposite from all other augers.The Jiffy has used their same proven design, possibly being the first "power ice drill". ??? Both (Mopar and Jiffy) are known to be the quickest;record holding legends. If only Jiffy made augers in Hemi Orange!