Auger ?

[BRULEDRIFTER]

so i know the nilsmaster is the cats meow. i however, cannot afford the $499 with free shipping that is the asking price. what is the best auger on the market that is less than $350. im looking for reliability and as light as possible. Any suggestions?

[Kodiak]

[Note from admin: He asked for augers under $350. Please stay on topic with accurate information]

HOW MUCH DO THEY COST? I THOUGHT THEY ARE AROUND 350.00 ARENT THEY?? schesssshhh....just trying to help...

224-$419

lazermag-$359.99

I would go for the lazer mag... it is a little over 350 but best for your buck.

[Bob_D]

For under $350 the Jiffy Lightning series would work well for you.

[Rick]

(I was sleeping and thinking $250 for some reason - sorry about that)

[18 inch Crappie]

There are a lot of new 2hp 8" augers for under $350 check the big sports stores. Gander, fleet farm or Cabelas look for Strikemaster and Jiffy

[tashit]

I got my 9" Eskimo Z51 Shark for $300 (new) and I love it. I got mine at Cabela's although for some reason the prices on these there have sky rocketed since last year. Marine General still has them at a good price however.

[Steve Foss]

The Strikemasters, in the 2000 series with the 2 hp motors, are very light and have plenty of power to drive an 8-inch auger. Unless you want a 10-inch hole, and then you'd need a 3 hp to do it right, which puts you in a whole other category, and significantly heavier in weight and price. You should be able to find a new light-weight 2-hp 8-inch auger in your price range.

In fact, they're so attractive I'm thinking of selling my XL3000 3 hp 10-inch Strikemaster in favor of one of those really light 2 hp. If an 8-inch hole is big enough for a 25 lb pike or a 30 lb laker, why get a bigger one? And the older I get the heavier the the ole girl gets, though she's the all-time champ at easy starting and fast holes.

[hanson]

stfcatfish-

I know for a fact that an 8" hole is big enough for a 20lb pike with room to spare. I'm sure others would agree as well. Of course the extra 2" is of great benefit, but once the fish is heading towards the sky, it is heading towards the sky!!

The line of Strikemaster augers that Steve mentioned are awesome. My only complaint is they are a single chipper blade vs. the dual shaver blades of the Lazer series of augers by Strikemaster. Speed and ease of use are a couple major factors when talking about these 2 augers. The great thing about purchasing a Mag 2000 now is you get the awesome light Strikemaster powerhead now, that is easily upgradeable to a Lazer auger in the future.

[Steve Foss]

Hanson dude, are you telling me Strikemaster doesn't make an 8-inch auger with the two Lazer blades and a center diamond point for their 2-hp heads? I am pretty sure they have a Lazer Mag Express model with just that configuration, at least according to their Web site.

[hanson]

Steve-

I personally use the exact auger you are talking about- the Lazer Express 8" with twin Lazer blades & the center point.

What I was getting at is you can get the Mag 2000 which happens to be a single chipper blade for a very economical price.

The Lazer Express with twin Lazer blades and power point is running in the $420 range or so.

They both use the exact same power head, the just have different blade configurations.

(Steve- Is that what you said and I mixed it up? I better reread our posts.)

[Northlander]

Drifter check my post to you on the Duluth forum. M.G. has a lot of options for ya.

[Steve Foss]

No, Chris, I specifically mentioned the 2000 series, which only has the chipper blade. That was my mistake. What I meant was any of the 2 hp series in an 8-inch cut. $420 is high for the Lazer Mag Express. The right place, or a sale, will have it down nearly as far as $350. The Lazer blades are faster, but the chipper blade is more durable and easier to sharpen. Last I checked, the tapered Lazer blades needed to be factory sharpened (still do?), so for my Lazer XL3000 10-inch I just use the blade exchange service at the beginning of each season (under $20), and the newly sharpened exchange blades last through the hundreds of holes I cut each winter.

[Kodiak]

i have mag 2000 right now and that chipper blade isnt too impressive and cuts slow, i am going to get the lazer224 auger/bit for my 2000 and that will do the trick!

[Jeremy airjer W]

I bought my laser mag express at the end of the year. The right prices always seem to come at the wrong time, but I only paid $250 dollars for it (brand new in the box at gander)! I had only planed on getting a a basic auger for as little as possible but you can't pass up a deal like that!

At his time of year it will be hard to find the really good deals unless you go with a used model.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

well thanks for the info so far. i guess i want to rephrase the question. i know of my options out there and i know i want an 8" hole and a 2hp motor. i just dont know which is the best buy.

SO... If you all had up to $300-$350 to spend only on a gas powered auger, and you really need one this year(undergrad research project will require a lot of hole drilling to "gather data") which one would you buy? im leaning toward the eskimo's just because they should suffice for a few solid years until im ready to upgrade to the cats meow. thanks for your input.

[LocalGuide]

Eskimo should be good option and even last you a while too. Look into the Shark Z43, mako or stingray made by them, they are all a good auger for the money.

Z51 8" - 2.1hp - 25:1 gear ratio - 51.7cc -8,000RPM ~$314.99

Z43 8" - 1.75hp - 25:1 gear ratio - 43cc - 8,000RPM ~$279.99

Mako 8" - 2hp - 30:1 gear ratio - 6,000 RPM ~$249.99

Stingray - 1.2hp - 49:1 gear ratio - 33cc - 8,000RPM ~224.99

[Big Paulie]

Mako owner here & very happy with it.

[Corey Bechtold]

Here's the ultimate money saver...

I bought a Strikemaster MagIII before the Lazers came out. A few years later I bought the Lazer auger and blade and put it on my Mag. That thing cuts like mad! My cousin did the same thing with his older Mag and he gets stopped all the time on the lakes because people are wondering how come his auger cuts so much faster than theirs. As long as the powerhead is reliable the blade is what actually gets you through the Ice. If you can find a good Mag powerhead used put the Lazer auger and blades on. This is a great way to save some $$.

Good luck,

Corey Bechtold