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Auger Advise Nils Master vs Strikemaster 4-stroke

BlackIce

By BlackIce
in Ice Fishing

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BlackIce Newbie

BlackIce

Posted
Posted

Looking to purchase an auger this weekend Ive narrowed it down to the Nils or the 4-stroke. Any input would be great I realy hate these things (expensive choices) you dont want to make the wrong choice and wishing I got the other one. thank you

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Northlander Grand Master

Northlander

Posted
Posted

I would go Nils all the way. Faster and about 2 pounds heavier but thats with a 48" shaft so a extension isnt needed. The 4 stroke has problems being layed down on the wrong side and you cant stand it up for extended storage.

Nils is faster as well. This is my 3rd season with my Nils and I love it.

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Borch Grand Master

Borch

Posted
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Another vote for the Nils. I did look very closely at the Strike Lite. I've heard both good and bad about it. When it came time to lay down the cash I went with the Nils. I haven't regreted it one bit.

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Tony Holland Enthusiast

Tony Holland

Posted
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I have the 4 stroke and you can set it on any of the 4 sides if you talk to Hondex who makes the engine. Strikemaster says to only not lay it with the spark plug down. I love mine and would recommend to anyone. Quiet, no oil mixing, light, tons of torque, starts like a dream. I will not bash the nils as i have never used one. But as far as i am concerned i would never buy a 2 stroke auger again.

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hanson Grand Master

hanson

Posted
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Guess it depends on what you are looking for out of your auger.

Nils- Fast, Light, Effortless Cutting. Its everything that a Lazer Mag Xpress is, except better in all areas. Without a doubt, my next auger purchase.

Strike Lite- Is basically a 4 stroke Lazer Mag Xpress. It doesn't cut as fast as a Nils, and nowhere near as effortless. The Strike-Lite has a ton of torque and you need to have your feet planted firmly when you hit the throttle. The one great benefit is not having to mix gas and there is no exhaust either, perfect for augering inside a fish house.

My dad has the Strike-Lite and it has been great, although he had a severe oil leakage problem this summer when he stored it. Another problem I've found using it is the plastic auger head likes to pack with slush when you are augering lots of holes in succession in cold weather.

I would buy a Nils if I was looking for the lightest, fastest auger on the market.

I would buy a Strike-Lite if I wanted the benefits of the 4 stroke.

They are really 2 different augers and hard to compare them apples to apples.

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TSCTSC Proficient

TSCTSC

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the tips. I am also considering between these exact two augers. I really do not like the smoke and the mixing required for 2 strokes, but I have been swayed by the good things said about how good and fast the Nils are. But the biggest problem is that the Nils are way too difficult to get quickly. Also, you cannot look at them cos I cannot find any retail shop selling them. This also makes me worried about after sales support since Nils themselves are out in VT and the nearest distributor is in WI. Lastly, they are way more money and even after all that, I gotta still mix oil. Blame it on poor marketing on the part of Nils USA, but I am now really leaning towards the 4 stroke. I can get one cheaper, I can get it now if I want to.... Gander has them, and they are a hair lighter. Also, if you look at the Power Auger speed competition, the first place was actually taken by a Strikemaster. Not Nils. Nils came in second.

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Paul Waldowski Veteran

Paul Waldowski

Posted
Posted

That's funny. I have yet to be beaten by a Strikemaster, or for that matter any auger in a race. Been challenged many a time, but remain unbeaten laugh.gif

Like Chris said, You're comparing two totally different things...If it's an auger for a permanent house then by all means go with the Strikemaster, smokeless, odor free, etc.

If you want an Auger for running and gunning that's lightweight, cuts like a dream, you don't need to worry about how it is being carried or stored, then go with Nils. As for who carries them...the nearest dealers are Fishermans Wharf on MilleLacs, Marine General in Duluth. Should you ever require service you just need to take it to a place that services Tanaka. For me that means Merriam Hardware in Saint Paul.

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Paul Waldowski Veteran

Paul Waldowski

Posted
Posted

Call and talk with Russ at Marine General. They are a new dealer of the Nils and it probably just hasn't been added to there site. As for running it, where are you located?? I will be on MilleLacs Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday....You would be more than welcome to drill a few holes with mine. He$$ come up for the day and do some fishing laugh.gif

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waskawood Proficient

waskawood

Posted
Posted

I am not trying to hijack this thread but would like to ask the Nils owners a question. How are they at re-opening holes? I do fish out of permanent and would still like to find an auger the excels at this. Thanks for any help.

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huntingmaxima Rising Star

huntingmaxima

Posted
Posted

I will stick with my strikke lite. If i ever have any problem with it i will be able to take it to big lake and have it fixed while i wait, i do not know if you can have that done with your nils. who cares about the speed. So nils is faster than a strikemaster, big deal, ( faster by what, 2-4 second a hole).

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Hecker Enthusiast

Hecker

Posted
Posted

Quote:

you cant stand it up for extended storage.

My lite came with a bracket to hang it on the wall. I thought it would be a problem alway having to watch the this side up sticker but it's really not a issue.

Also I couldent agree more with what huntingmaxima Said.

Not to mention I don't get wet drilling holes with the lite.

I have no doubt the niles is a superior auger in many aspects but I will never regret my choice.

My .02 cents

Later

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hanson Grand Master

hanson

Posted
Posted

Quote:

My lite came with a bracket to hang it on the wall. I thought it would be a problem alway having to watch the this side up sticker but it's really not a issue.

What I've been told since we had the "oil problem" in the Strike-Lite is that the auger either has a bad seal in it (apparently a number of the early augers had bad seals), or it was overfilled with oil. What I do know, is that there was never, ever an oil leakage problem when the auger was set down with the piston up (like the label shows). It only had a problem when it was accidentally stood up for an extended period of time.

In regards to overfilling the Strike-Lite with oil, you are only supposed to put enough oil in to get a little bit on the dipstick. Pay close attention to that. The bottle that comes with the Strike-Lites is just a little too much oil and a small snafu on Strikemasters part.

I've received a lot of conflicting info with these 4 strokes and don't know what to believe anymore. Can you stand the thing up or not? Seams to me like this shouldn't be an issue. To be on the safe side, I'm never leaving that auger stood up again. My gut tells me that Strikemaster will have a lot of calls about oil leakage problems after providing that bracket to store them upright. Thats my gut feeling but I hope I'm wrong.

My dad has had his Strike-Lite for a little over a year now so we have a lot of experience (good & bad) with the auger.

Oil leaking into the combustion chamber has been a problem with these augers, ours was not an isolated incident. Maybe not a widespread problem but still a problem.

I'm not saying this info to bash the auger or Strikemaster at all, its a great auger. But for those of you who have recently bought them, just keep that oil leakage thing in the back of your mind. A little information, good or bad, never hurt anybody.

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Cliff Wagenbach Mentor

Cliff Wagenbach

Posted
Posted

Quote:

I am not trying to hijack this thread but would like to ask the Nils owners a question. How are they at re-opening holes? I do fish out of permanent and would still like to find an auger the excels at this. Thanks for any help.

I reopened a bunch of old holes today while crappie fishing and had no problems at all. Very smooth! smile.gif

Cliff

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