ice auger size

[somedays]

I was hoping to get some opinions on which size auger to get. I have decided to get the jiffy #30 but not sure if I should get the 8,9, or 10" bit. I fish mostly for walleye. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Sergeant Slabber]

I would go with the 8". I really don't see any reason to go bigger unless your fishing Lakers or Salmon. I have an 8", auger that is, and find it to be a very universal size. It's not to big to be pulling pannies out of, and it's not to small to pull 8-10 pound walleyes out of.

[tightlines]

Just out of curiosity,out of the wide variety of augers out there, what made you decide on a jiffy 3 hp?

[somedays]

I rented a strikemaster and broke the recoil I also had a friend that broke the recoil on his. It was a $100 repair.

[Sergeant Slabber]

I've had my StrikeMaster going on probably 7-8 years now and have not had one problem with it. I know more people who have been happier with StrikeMasters over Jiffys, and if you have read posts about StrikeMasters customer service, then you know they're top notch.

[ozzie]

last years models did have some recoil problems (three times to me alone) but evey time brought it to big lake and they repaired it on the spot at no charge and the last time they said this is the last time i would have the problem cause it was a newer recoil made to fix the problem. Pull it another 30 times before i stored it last winter and it worked great but we will have to see this winter!!!

[BDR]

8" seems to be right for me. I have never had a problem getting large pike thru the hole.

[LovenLifeGuy]

I have had the jiffy legend 10 inch for 6-7 years now and I would not switch brands. I love the 10 inch hole for having my fl-8 down the hole and still being able to bring up nice fish. I have not done anything but change blades on it. However, I do think its heavy. I think my next one will be the 2hp with the 8 inch blade because I do drill a lot of holes and again it gets heavy. Those knew blades cut fast too Whatever you go with you will like. Good luck!

LovenLifeGuy

[Got_Ice]

I'm not trying to push any brand but I did own a 3HP Jiffy and man was that thing a tank. It weighs 45lbs. It was the newer one with the Stealth blades and I had to have the recoil repaired. Maybe just a bad one but if you go Jiffy you might want to go with the 2HP. Just my 2 pennies.

[loebs93]

Answering the original question, I have an 8 inch bit which seems to work just fine to pull most fish through. It seems to cut faster than the larger sizes and it is lighter. That is all I really considered when making the purchase. Lastly, the hole obviously has less area than the 10 inch making valuables down the hole less common.

[FishPiCkLeS]

All I know is, if I ever broke threw, I know my Jiffy would make it to the bottom before any of my other gear. I guess getting out of the water for me would be a bigger concern, but I'm painting a picture. Hear me out... Last year a foursome of us were on URL. I had the Jiffy along, and he had a Ultra Mag 3 blade. 2 of us would go drill holes and the others would come when they were skimmed out. If the spot was dead, the other 2 were on the move drilling holes. After using the Stikemaster, the Jiffy didnt get started the rest of the day. I have an older Mag 2000 too. I bought a 9" Strikemaster shaft with blades for it on hsolist today. I'm hoping its going to be a hot set-up. I know the 8 inch hole was pretty good, but bigger "should be" better right? Guess we'll see!

[Raven]

Hey Somedays. I have a 3hp Jiffy Legend 10". Originally I bought a Strikemaster 10" and had nothing but trouble. Took it back. I e-mailed Strikemaster and they said maybe it was too much a machine for me. (I am 6' and about 230# and told them I could probably lift that fellow who e-mailed me over my head) At any rate, a friend recommended the Jiffy and I sure do like it. I did win a 8" Jiffy Legend at one of the fishing derbys but haven't even started it yet. There was an article in In-Fisherman this month concerning size, and the overall concenses was that the 8" was much lighter, and that there weren't too many fish that couldn't be pulled up through that hole. Also was a safety factor according to the article. I just gave my ole one a pre-season fire-up and it took off on the second pull. I have to add this little story too - two years ago I was iceing crappies on a lake near where I live and about five young guys showed up a short distance away. One finally started to walk in my direction. Turns out their auger wouldn't run. Asked to borrow my Jiffy. They punched about a dozen holes or so and when they returned it, I asked what kind of auger they had.....it was a Strikemaster.

And this isn't any bull:)

[fishinalot]

I like using the 7" or 8". Easier to cut holes and will not loose as many fish.

[Paradice]

I once used the 8'', but after a great day of northern fishing, I switched to a 10''. We didn't lose any fish, but when those gators can swallow the entire hole, it's hard to grab them. Walleyes can get just as big. My modo is, "Plan for success." Get the 10.

[augernaut]

Raven, I have two stories to go along with yours... One, fishing with a group of guys from work. Total of 4 augers along that day, 3 Jiffys and my 8" Lazermag. Suffice to say that I drilled the holes for everybody in the group before any of the other augers would even stay running. Story #2 - buddy of mine with a real pretty 8" Stealth. After 30 minutes of bogging and dying, the thing had cut 1/2 of hole (the top half :-) He is still messing with it, I go back to my truck, get my Lazermag, return to his shack, and cut 9 holes for us and another buddy before he has one hole cut. Ask me which is the better auger. Everybody has a SM vs. Jiffy vs. Nils story....

Getting back to the original question - I feel that 8" is all the hole that 99% of ice fishers need. If you are fishing Lake Superior, I can see wanting a 10" auger...

[BIG DS]

8" should take care of your needs fine. Something to keep in mind when shopping for augers... The Jiffy 2hp 8" weighs in at about 44lbs. The Strikemaster 8" 2hp weighs in at about 40lbs. The Jiffy 3hp is closer to 50lbs. The Stealth blade by Jiffy is by far the best for re-opening old holes. The Strikemaster Lazer likes to jump if you are someone that likes to pin the trigger right away. If you get the Strikemaster jumping you will be visiting Big Lake to get the blades re-pitched. If you take your time to get the hole started, it works fine. The Strikemaster Lazer 224 pretty muck took care of the jumping issue and is incredibly fast. It weighs in at about 42lbs. The new Strikemaster 4 stroke is a mere 24 lbs and is supposed to be better for re-opening holes. The Jiffy 2hp 8" has plenty of power and is very quiet. It actually has a muffler where the 3hp has only a spark arrestor. If you spend any time drilling holes to find the most active fish, check into the 4 stroke Strikemaster. It costs a bit more, but it is light and quiet! Good luck.

[Northlander]

I have a 8" Nilsmaster and I think the 8" is good. I wish they made a 9" though for Big Lakers on Lake Superior. 8" is enough for walleyes unless they are 35".

The Nils has been great. Super light and fast and the blades have lasted much longer than expected. I used it all last winter and drilled a ton of holes and its faster now than when I 1st got it. I would buy another in a heartbeat.

[FishingwithJake]

I don't care how tough you are, the 3HP Jiffy will wear you out! Last year I bought a 2HP, 9" and have had great results.

[HarryG]

I have a 7" auger and I have never had a problem. I have pulled a few 24" through with no problems, but I don't catch a lot of walleye's. I would go with the 8". Also, don't for get you can also get an additional auger if you want. I may do that as I like a bigger hole in the perm. house. They take longer to re freeze.

Good Luck!

[Steve Foss]

Buy a 2 hp 8-inch. Strikemaster of Jiffy, fine either way. Don't buy the Jiffy model 30 unless you figure on a 10-inch hole. Buy a smaller powerhead if it's an 8-inch hole you want. And you want an 8-inch hole, unless you're planning on icing walleyes over 14 pounds, pike over 25 and lakers over 30.

I have an older Strikemaster XL-3000 with a 10-inch auger. Weighs way too much. Starts on the second pull every time. Drills faster than any other 10-inch auger I've ever been matched with. Can't wait to get rid of it. Umm, did I say HEAVY? Give me a 2 hp 8-inch Strikemaster any day. Or, well, give me a winning Powerball ticket first.

[MinnesotaMuskie]

I have to go with the 8 inch...I have always taken my kids with me...even when small. They were always nervous(as was I) whe there were 10 inch and when we used rentals where the holes tend to be "melted out." I have pulled lots of big pike through an 8 inch hole...anything more is overkill...IMHO

[Paul Waldowski]

Northlander,

Gotta love that Nils. The more holes you drill the better it runs. I just switched mine over to the Center point auger and it cuts better than it did before, as hard as that is to believe.

[somedays]

I appreciate all of your thoughts. Sounds like an 8" hole is plenty. Maybe the 3 hp is overkill for the smaller auger

[Random guy]

I have three augers now. I have the big 3hp Jiffy with the ten inch. Great for pike and trout but panfish can turn around in a ten inch hole pretty quick and a ten inch hole is is just asking for stuff to go to the bottom. Also it is so heavy you don't want to carry it. I normaly drag it from hole to hole.

I also have the little strike master eight inch and it has been a good auger, light, plenty of power, I would swear as much as my 3hp and it always starts.

My pride and joy is my strikemaster electric eight inch. Flip a switch and drill the hole. No gas, fumes or noise. It drill alsmost as fast as a gas job.

[black max]

I run a jiffy model 30 with a 10 in. auger. It is a heavier auger no dought but I love it. I like to be able to look down the holes so I run the 10in. If you are just panfishing or like to do alot of hole hopping outside get a smaller lighter unit. I might get a smaller used one for just that reason to use in my portable, and keep the 10in for my retractable wheel shack.