ice augers

[Guest]

i am looking to buy a new auger this year. thinking about a three horse model. whats the best one out there

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[Jim W]

Think hard before purchasing a 3hp auger. I just bought a LazerMag 3000XL last year and I absolutely love it. It punches holes like you wouldn't believe! The key is the additional HP AND the dual cutting blades!
However, If you won't find yourself fishing on ice much thicker than a foot the 2 horse will work just as well. Also, the 3hp units are a little on the heavy side. Not real conducive for long hauls across the ice. Make sure you have all of the adjustments set before you go out. You need the right combination of gas and air for those hogs to purrr like a kitty! Jim W

[Guest]

Jim is right in most situations a 2hp auger will work as good as a 3hp. Determin what type of useage you will be putting your auger thru, quantity of holes drilled, reopening holes, size of hole, ect. If you do alot of moving a 2hp is easier to carry and is more fuel efficient than a 3hp. But if you are drilling a lot of 10" holes thru thick ice a 3hp is better suited to the job.

Rob

[Guest]

what about different brands, jiffey,eskimo,laser all in the three horse size range

[Skeets]

Buy a model 30 Jiffy. I have a 8" auger.
I have had mine for 10 years, all I have ever done to it was change the plug and buy new blades. I have literally cut thousands of holes with this rig, it is worth every cent I paid for it. I re-open holes all the time, it never misses a beat. I started it up tonight, it took off on the 2nd pull after sitting all summer. Great unit.
Jiffy is #1 in power ice drills.

Skeets

[Guest]

In my book the Jiffy Lightning all the way!

Teflon coated, self primer, fast, powerfull, dependable!

3' of ice= 6 sec!

If ya need a hole faster then that, your in too much of a hurry!

BE............><,,>

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"Backwater Eddy"
Backwater guide service
"Ed on the RED"
[email protected]
701-671-3079

[Dennis]

I have owned and used most of the brands of power augers on the market. The Eskimo Shark out performs any of them hands down. It has a 2.5 HP Emac motor the same motor as the Jansarud chain saw. It has an all direction carburator, with a primer for cold starts. Mine has been in use for 3 seasons, whenever a group of us go Perch fishing everyone uses my auger as it wieghs about 8lbs. less than the 3 HP, models and it will keep running whrn you go from hole to hole even if you carry it laying over your shoulder. They sell for a little more than the other brands, but will give you years of trouble free fishing.

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[Gerd]

I've got a question of a different nature. Early in the season I use a hand auger, but the blades on mine get dull very fast. What's the solution to my problem? Is there a type of blade that won't ever need sharpening? I've seen knives like that. Or is there a way to sharpen them right on the ice between every other hole or something? Any help would be much appreciated.

[Guest]

You could probably order a pair of custom made blades from a good custom knifemaker. Some of them charge as little as 70 bucks for stuff made to your specs. And, I imagine auger blades are simpler than knife blades. There are some really hardcore steels out there (like M2 used for high-speed tools) that will hold an edge for a very long time. Or, instead of going to a knifemaker you could purshase a slab of steel yourself and have it worked on in some metal shop.
I would recommend going to the forums on www.bladeforums.com and ask the guys there (there are several thousands of people on those forums). They know about this stuff a lot more than I do.

[This message has been edited by Zack (edited 11-24-2000).]

[Guest]

dennis where can i look at an eskimo shark. i cant say that i have ever saw one or heard anything about one

[Skeets]

Mills Fleet Farm has them in stock for around $375. Select stores only.
Fergus Falls, Brainerd and St. Cloud.

[Skeets]

Try this: http://www.ardisam.com/pages/ice_augers/9400S.html
Hope this helps.

Skeets

[Dennis]

Marshall
I carry them in my store The Tackle Box in Waterville, MN. The 6" sells for $259.00 and the 8" for $269.00. The price is the same all over and I'm sure several of the small bait shops carry them also. You might want to patronize the small guys any way, You may want to buy some bait some Sunday morning kand wonder where all the shops went.

[Dennis]

Thats an error on the price it should be $359.00 and $369.00.

[Guest]

Compare the 2hp Jiffy "Lightning" and the Eskimo.

See what one has the best maintenance record, and ask around a bit. You will see a lot of Jiffy's on the ice, new and old!

My personal experience with Eskimo is not a good one, they may have improved there drive system, maybe?

If you drill 3-300 hole's in a day you want it to work, all the time, personally I'll stick with Jiffy!

Backwater Eddy.............><,,>

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"Backwater Eddy"
Backwater guide service
"Ed on the RED"
[email protected]
701-671-3079

[Ice Hole]

Jiffy augers chip the ice away; the StrikeMaster Lazer as well as the Eskimo's SHAVE the ice. You will get a lot more holes done in a lot less time with a Eskimo or StrikeMaster Lazer. The standard engine on both(I think?) is the time proven 49cc 2HP techumse(spelling?) $284.99 will get you into the redesigned Strikemaster LazerMag Xpress in the 8" model. This auger will drill 2' of ice in less than 9 seconds.

[Guest]

Race ya?

You make ice cream, I'll fish!

LOL!

Both arguer's have good and bad points, weight being one, speed another, etc...

Just like outboards we all have personal preferences that may bias out recommendations.

Lazier is good too, just not my first pick?

Backwater Eddy..............><,,>

[Guest]

hey there backwater phool here!im n albany,ny.and this yr the ice has just gone crazy!i have punch so many holes and caught some many fish that i dam near torn up my elbow-i now have tennis elbow(tendenitus),so i now must purchase a power auger,can u recommend one that i can look into,i am a jig fisherman only no tipup here ,i am always on the move so i want some thing on the light side,i read the 2 hp is ok but don't know jack about them what do u think a jiffy,lazer, i have the strikemaster lazer hand auger and they cut great but what do u think,i only want to buy it once so i willing to spend to get it right the first time,i lost out on three wks of fishing caus of the elbow problem,r u feeling me?

[iffwalleyes]

I agree with Eddy get a Jiffy screw those strikemasters with the plastic handles. I have a 20 year old jiffy and I bet it would bet those brand new plastic ones. You might bet me the first couple but it won't take long and your blades will be dull and my will still be going strong. To each his own.

It has been mentioned before on this web site what is the most popular brand at lake of the woods every resort up there pretty much runs Jiffys. Arnesons (all legends with the new stealth blades), sportsmans lodge, zipple bay, everyone has them up there. I wouldn't even dream of going on the ice with out a reliable Jiffy.

[This message has been edited by iffwalleyes (edited 02-19-2003).]

[roadkingclasic56]

I just purchased a Strikemaster Lazermag Xpress. I previously owned a Strikemaster XL3000. I changed because I wanted to try the lighter weight. I was a little nervous about the plastic handles wondering if they would hold up. I quickly realized after drilling a couple of holes that the handles are only there to hang on to. Not to try to force the auger through the ice. The auger cut so nice there was no need to put any down pressure on the handles. It just walked right through 3 feet of ice. I am totally satisfied with the power the 2 h.p. engine has. The depth of the ice was not a problem. The engine didn't bog down at all. My son, fishing next to me with my old 3 h.p. auger, did manage to cut a hole about 1 1/2 seconds faster, but then he stood there with water washing around his boots and pant legs, while my feet and pants remained dry. The new shaft on the Strikemaster with the tip in the center made for very stable drilling. No wobble, jumping, or shaking of any kind. I am totally satisfied with the performance of this auger. I found them on sale at a popular mail order- on-line web site and it was delivered to my door for $292.00. Shipping included in the price. Good deal on a good piece of equipment.

[Guest]

thanks everyone for the great replies,this imfo is very useful to me,thanks

[fitzman]

I have a lazer strikemaster 9" 3 blade 2 horse. I bought it last year and it was nothing but trouble. This year they re-designed the auger head. Now this thing is unbelivable. It cuts thru 3' ice in seconds.
You don't even have to put any pressure on the thing just hang on. The customer service at strikmaster was great. They replaced the auger for free and gave me a new set of blades for my trouble to boot.

[deadeye]

I have the lazer mag 2-horse and I love it! It has performed without flaw for the three years I have had it. It also doesn't have those plastic handles. I would highly recomend it to anyone looking for an power auger. Strikemaster has great customer service too. just my 2 cents. ><>
deadeye

[pikechaser]

doesnt really matter what brand you buy..all the enigines are tecumseh...same basic auger..

[Guest]

I had the same thing happen to me as fitzman. Just took it in got it fixed and also a extra set of blades and walla works like a champion.
But only one thing I dont like about it, is the handle. That plastic thing breakes all the time. Broke it twice this year, hopefully it dosent break again this year.

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I'll take a SWAG at it!!!

[opsirc]

go with a 2hp, I had a strikemaster XL3000 earlier this year was nothing but a pain in the a**. took it back and bought a lazer mag ultra. 2hp, 9" hole and three blades cuts like a knife thru butter.