Ice Augers - Ratings

[EJW]

Can't seem to find a good source of Ice Auger ratings. Any opinions?

Best for the money...service....parts....usability......etc

I have an old 3 HP Jiffy 8" and an old StrikeMaster 8" Mag PLus....but thinking of a NEW auger.....

Thanks

[The_Duckslayer]

Are they broke? My motto is kind of like "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Augers on this forum seem to be either you are on the Mils (expensivebut fast) side or not. It all seems to come down to how fast you want to drill the hole. Personally, if it takes me an extra three seconds I really don't care but I would say go with the 8 inch one though so that people can't fall into it. Good luck with whichever one you decide to go with. Have a good one and N Joy the Hunt././Jibmo

[JustinG]

Yeah, if the old one works, why buy a new one? My new Jiffy is not that much faster and easier starting than one that is 15 years old and sharp...I found that out this weekend!

Justin

[harvey lee]

I have owned and used a 3hp Jiffy Stealth for the past 4 years. I have had no problems with it at all. This past year I purchased a new Nils Master 8" and really love it. It starts very fast and cuts like a dream. The part I really like about it is the lightness of this auger. I can run and gun fishing and cut many, many holes without be dog tired. This Nils is one very awesome auger.

[Eric Wettschreck]

It's your cash but I agree with the other fellers. If it works then it ain't broke. You can take the $$ you were gonna spend on an auger and there is your fishing beer fund!!!

[hanson]

I don't have a problem with "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" but the guy is running an older 3hp Jiffy, more than likely with a single chipper blade.

Now can anybody seriously tell me that an old 3hp Jiffy single chipper is a fun auger to run? No, it isn't. My dad still has one in the garage and I remember that auger was a pain in the butt even with a sharp blade.

Strikemaster, Jiffy, Eskimo, and yes, even Nilsmaster all make augers that are going to be lighter and cut with less effort than his old auger.

I'm still running my Strikemaster Lazer Xpress because I too, have the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality. The difference is my Strikemaster has much more modern technology than a Jiffy 3hp.

When I do feel the need to upgrade, I'm fairly certain my purchase will be Nilsmaster. Not because they are a sponsor on this site, but because they are light, fast cutting, and most importantly, effortless cutting. You will not find another auger that fits the "effortless cutting" description like Nils does, you hold it and it sucks itself through the ice.

[cold one sd]

I have a Jiffy. I guess I bought a Jiffy because I like the toughness of the drill and the fact that I can sharpen the blade myself without any special tools. I think it is fast when it comes to drilling holes and have watched other people drilling holes on the ice and they don't seem to be faster than what I have. I'm kind of layed back when it comes to ice fishing and when the national ice auger races ar over and done with, I hope someone will post the results on here so I can read them. Nills, Strikemaster, Eskimo, Jiffy, 2 stroke or 4 stroke, they all do the same thing. I think that if they will put a hole in the ice for ya, it has to be better than chopping a hole with an axe which is the way I started. lol

[Capt. H (Ret.)]

I have a Jiffy Legend Lighting 2 horse that I bought (stole) used. It's about 5 years old. It is hard to start the first time of the season but after that it is a runner!! I will stay with the Jiffy the next time I have a chance to steal one.

[DanS.]

I agree with Hanson, Strikemaster lazermag express is a good choice if you want an auger that cuts fast and don't want to lug around a heavy 3hp auger. Also, the price of the replacement blades are something to consider too. Does Nills have removable blades from the auger bit or do you have to send in the lower unit for sharpening?

[hanson]

Quote:

---

Does Nils have removable blades from the auger bit or do you have to send in the lower unit for sharpening?

---

They do have a replacement head available. No need to send in the auger itself.

The only drawback to the Nils is the incredible sharpness of the blades, if that is a drawback. Keep fingers, toes, pets, and small children away from the cutting head. Ouch!

[CrappieAttitude]

From what I have read is that the Nilsmaster augers don't have removable blades and that is one reason why they cut as well as they do. They have figured out the blade placement and unless you (the operator) do something careless with the blades, they virtually won't ever go dull.

For those of you who have ever replaced blades and see how much play there is in the blade as you are tightening them, this gives you a chance of not getting the blades "just right". I have replaced blades in my older lazer (hand auger) and I found out that just a little bit out of position, the blades don't bite that well. This is one of the downfalls of the removable blades. I just bought a lazer mag express last year and so far I am really impressed with it. Cuts nice and isn't too heavy for multiple hole drilling.

CA

[PierBridge]

Quote:

---

Now can anybody seriously tell me that an old 3hp Jiffy single chipper is a fun auger to run?

---

The older the better.

Mine's 22 years old now the older model 30's are bulletproof they don't die.

It's kind of a running joke we have going at the local Strikemaster dealer "D'Rock Center" over the years I have brought numerous friends StrikeMaster Augers in for repair, broken recoils, broken handles, broken linkages, leaky or broken gas caps, out of pitch blades, broken gears,

and every time I ask him when is my Older Model 30 going to die so I can get one of these, his answer everytime is "THEY DON"T DIE".

I'm not ripping StrikeMaster they have the best Customer service I've seen and make great augers it's just my personal expierence of having my model 30 bail out broken Strikemasters for the last 20 years.

If anyone wants to put their little 2 horse up against my 3 horse Jiffy and drill a few holes through 4 feet of ice "not that we have 4 feet anywhere" I'm game.

Yes it's heavy but it works everytime.

That being said they don't make them as good any more so any Jiffy, Strikemaster or if you have the money a Nils will treat you fine.

Just don't mess with my Old model 30...it's a touchy subject as you can tell...

Flame away!

[wiskodie1]

i have had my eye on this auger for a month now, has anyone had a chance to play with it?

StrikeMaster Strike-Lite Auger

Twin Stainless Steel Lazer-Lite Blades

No-Mix Fuel - Unleaded Gas only

Power Point Center Blade

No-smoke 4-Cycle 35cc Robin engine

Lightweight at only 20 lbs.

Additional Info

• Buyer's Guide

Hit the ice this winter with the Strike-Lite. The twin stainless steel Lazer-Lite blades will chew through thick ice with no problems, getting you on the fish. The Power Point Center Blade makes drilling multiple holes a breeze. The Tufflite Dupont Zytel® Handle System reduces weight and hand fatigue. Another great feature is that you don't have to mix the gas anymore. The Strike Lite runs on unleaded only with its 4-Cycle 35cc Robin engine.

Weight: 20 lbs.

Available: 8".

[hanson]

Hey Pier-

What kind of blades are you running on the Model 30?

Big difference between the new Stealth and the single chipper that I was used to running.

Pay close attention to the photo below. The cardboard box is my Grandpa's Jiffy Model 30 on maiden voyage. I was 6 years old that day. The auger is still in my dads garage and I ran it over Christmas to make sure it still works. Its a loud SOB!

[mean green]

My 3hp Jiffy legend is over 10 yrs. old, but I have updated the auger with the teflon coated version. Since then, I haven't had a complaint except for the weight. But then again, when I need the power auger to drill my holes, that means that the ice is thick enough that I will have something with me to haul all of my gear for me.

It drills much faster than my friend's Eskimo, but the thing that I like most of all is I'm confident that it will run when I need it to.

[hanson]

Quote:

---

I have had my eye on this auger for a month now, has anyone had a chance to play with it?

StrikeMaster Strike-Lite Auger

---

Yep. Pretty much the same auger as a Lazer Mag Xpress except the composite auger flighting & the 4 stroke engine.

The single greatest advantage is no 2 stroke smoke. Great for a permanent shack. Other than the 4 stroke and no smoke, it compares to most other augers on the market right now.

[JP Z]

Quote:

---

i have had my eye on this auger for a month now, has anyone had a chance to play with it?

StrikeMaster Strike-Lite Auger

Twin Stainless Steel Lazer-Lite Blades

No-Mix Fuel - Unleaded Gas only

Power Point Center Blade

No-smoke 4-Cycle 35cc Robin engine

Lightweight at only 20 lbs.

Additional Info

• Buyer's Guide

Hit the ice this winter with the Strike-Lite. The twin stainless steel Lazer-Lite blades will chew through thick ice with no problems, getting you on the fish. The Power Point Center Blade makes drilling multiple holes a breeze. The Tufflite Dupont Zytel® Handle System reduces weight and hand fatigue. Another great feature is that you don't have to mix the gas anymore. The Strike Lite runs on unleaded only with its 4-Cycle 35cc Robin engine.

Weight: 20 lbs.

Available: 8".

---

This is the Auger I got this year as I got price I couldn't refuse! It was either this or the Nils 8" and then Cost was the final concern for me. It's probably not as fast a cutter as the Nils' but the light weight, and quiet sound are great features. And it doesn't do that bad cutting either

[McGurk]

The smoke's not an issue with Amsoil. I drill 6 holes with a newer SM Mag 2000 in my house with the windows and door open, and by the time you get the auger back out and everything in and settled you can close her up as it is already aired out. No streaks on the walls or burning eyes, either. I will concede noise, though, as these high compression 2-strokes really pop now.

I'd let others test the longevity of these augers before jumping the boat; I personally want a reliable auger for years to come. The 4-strokes may have it, but I'm not an early adopter on high dollar purchases as such. Besides, there are people talking about 20+ year old Jiffy's in here.

[luv2fish]

I bought the Nils this year. This is only my second year of serious ice fishing. Last year I was lucky enough to have an uncle retired in Florida give me his Jiffy white lightning with a 10" blade. It started great and cut well last year. But carrying it around, and the force it took to cut just plain tired me out last year. Having the extra money this year for ice fishing stuff led me to buying the Nils. Flat out, I love it! It starts great, runs great, and is a fast cutter. The times I have been out this year, the Nils has actually helped me become more mobile than last year. And to me moblility=fish......

my .02.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Actually CrappieAttitude, you can change the blades on a nills...IF you look on a nills the auger part of them is blue, then the bottom part is red... you have to replace the whole bottom part which is red. The replacement head for the centerpoint cutting head is $79 and the regular cutting head is $69...

[CrappieAttitude]

I remember seeing the head being able to come off, but the individual blades don't. This is the same place when disassembled an auger extension would be put. Am I correct on this, or way off my rocker?

[MJCatfish]

I ran a Jiffy 30 for years and had very few problems with it. I replaced the blade a couple of times, spark plug also. I have replaced the clutch springs twice and the recoil.

Just recently I purchased a Strikemaster Lazer Mag 224 8inch. I cannot believe how well it cuts. It also starts on the first or second pull. The handles are closer together, which means it's easier to use in the fish house. It is lighter and easy to maneuver.

I did like the sturdy construction of the model 30 and can't say much more about the 224, other than it cuts like nothing else I've used.

I'm sure you'll be happy with either Jiffy, Strikemaster, or Nils. Good luck with your decision.

MJ

[Deitz Dittrich]

thats correct CA... the blades are a part of the bottom piece.. I would still say you can replace the blades though.. as that is what you are doing when you replace the bottom part? But, I guess if you are being technical.. no, you cant just replace the "Blades".

[wiskodie1]

thanks Jpz

well if all im hearing is good stuff about the StrikeMaster Strike-Lite Auger, Twin stainless steel Lazer-Lite blades. 4-Cycle 35cc Robin

then i think im going to get her and give her a run for her money, ill keep you all up to speed on the product.

wish me luck

[MJCatfish]

At a boy! I'm sure you'll love your new drill.

MJ