Hand augers

[SeaMcnasty23]

Hey I was going to purchase a new hand auger for the early ice and was wondering what you ggys recomend. Normally just bring the 2 h.p. but I'm on a new "lite" kick. I like the nils and lasers but they are so much more expensive than the mora augers. Any info on these would be greaty appriciated! Thanks

[harvey lee]

I've owned numerous Mora augers over the years and they have worked ok. I now own a Nils and I sound like a broken record but, what an auger.

[Scott M]

Get a specialized hand auger with curved blades, i.e. the high-velocity Nils or the Strikemaster Lazer. It is worth the extra money cause they cut so much faster and the blades come nice and sharp.

There are plenty of reviews on here if you do some searching, not to mention elsewhere on the 'net.

[SeaMcnasty23]

Wow I'm amazed at the response time, Awsome thanks guys. Ya I kinda figured but had only used the mora and am always tired out after a couple holes.... how about the barracuda augers?

[redbandit]

Never had much luck with the Mora. They seem to skip around on the ice more than they cut. I flipped the bill for a 6" lazer 6 yrs ago. Night and day difference. Others will probably speak even higher of the Nils. Although I'm sure I would see improved performance I've still never had to change or sharpen the blades on my Lazer. When the gas auger was out of commish for a while in mid winter I made a few days of it with the Lazer on 14" of ice. Not saying I still didn't get tired. Having tried the difference between the Mora and Lazer I'd pay the extra money again if I had to buy a new hand auger. Hope that helps.

[looneyducer]

I really like my Mora. It's such a nostalgic piece to have hanging in the garage while we're out drilling holes with my buddy's Nils. It really makes the garage look like a garage.

[Surface Tension]

I've got a couple old spoon augers hanging on the wall for nostalgia. Painful memories of drilling through 30" of ice there. Next time I go to the scrap yard they might get tossed. For closure sake I need to see them get mangles or melted down though, thats why I still have them.

I still use the Mora I bought 30 years ago on first ice and BWCA trips. If kept sharp and shimmed correctly they cut very good. Not a good as a Nils but way, way better then the spoon auger.

[FrontenacPike]

I own a Mora 8 inch and after drilling through 18 inches of ice last year I'm activaly trying to find a power auger before the thick ice comes. My buddy ownes a stikemaster and I've used it a couple times and I wished I would of spent the extra cash and went with the master.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've also got a 6" Lazer and am very happy with it.

[metrojoe]

Another vote for the 6" Lazer. I've had mine for many years. I don't use it as much since I bought the power auger some years back, but it gets used every year during early ice. As posted above the Mora can be a bit finicky, but if the blades are at the correct angle it is a great auger.

[gopher_nation]

I have an 8" Lazer that works great at early ice. I wish I had gotten a 6" for the years without a gas auger, but the 8" is easy to drill in less than 8" of ice.

[slipperybob]

8" lazer, it's very easy for the first 12" of ice, okay up to 24" of ice. I think it's drills twice as easy compare to a mora. I'm just breathing with my lazer, but sweating with my buddy's mora after two holes.

[Chode2235]

I have a 6" lazr too. Its a really great auger, I use it all year long and wont hesitate to cut a hole in 2 ft of ice.

The real key is to get a smaller auger, 6" is about perfect. Those bigger augers just take so much more energy to cut a hole.

But buy a good one, its so much better.

[Northlander]

#1- Nils Hand Auger

#2- Strikemaster Lazer Hand Auger

Another week up here and I will be Swiss cheesing the lake with my Nils Power Auger.

[SeaMcnasty23]

Haha sounds like its time to hang the old mora on the wall here also... hopefully they will have some good deals on them at the ice fishing expo this wkend, either a nils or the 7 inch laser. Thanks again!

[magnum mike]

I have a strikemaster that cuts great but there is a new gadget for going lite but saving time. There is an adapter called an "Ice Kicker" that inserts into the blade portion of the strikemaster and adapts to an 15v or bigger cordless drill. You will be AMAZED by the performance of this combo.

[Todd_J]

I own a Nils 8" hand auger. It is the envy of my fishing buddies. While it cuts through ice like nobody's business, there is a bit of a price for this luxury. Sure the auger (both hand and powered) is significantly more expensive, this is a price that many are willing to pay, myself included. The other 'price' is that of convenience. Strikemaster/jiffy/Eskimo owners can find spare blades (or engine service) at a reasonable cost at local retailers. Nils owners have to be ahead of the game and either purchase a spare blade in advance ($60) or wait while the cutting head is sharpened at a vendor in Vermont. Something to consider when evaluating the pro's and con's.

That being said, I bought my Nils last winter and could not be happier with it. 20" of ice in about 40 seconds - by hand. I have not used a Lazer, but have heard only good things about it.

BTW, I have found the powerhead for the Nils is a TANAKA TED-262DH and roughly costs $360. Yet another thing to consider if you are looking to upgrade.

Cheers!

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

Quote:

---

I have a 6" lazr too. Its a really great auger, I use it all year long and wont hesitate to cut a hole in 2 ft of ice.

The real key is to get a smaller auger, 6" is about perfect. Those bigger augers just take so much more energy to cut a hole.

But buy a good one, its so much better.

---

You hit it on the head! If you just downsize from an 8 or whatever to a 6 inch auger it will be much easier. I used the mora around the metro all year last year and had no problems... im sure the lasers are much better but for the deal i got on the mora im very happy with it and the price tag! On the other hand if you like to drill numerous holes or something like that you might want to go with the laser or nils. i dont get out that often in the metro and normally use the power auger i have at the cabin!

Good Fishing,

Ryan

[Chad Halvorson]

I have a 7" Mora and used it today, they are a pain to get a hole started, the design has no real pilot action so it just wanders all over the place. It only gets used 1 or times a year thankfully.

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

Chad,

Usually there is a snowy spot nearby if the whole lake isnt covered so you can just drill your hole on the snow which helps get the hole started... Just a tip

Later,

Ryan

[UMDSportsman]

the Mora i use is a 7" and it will walk if the blade is any bit dull. If it is sharp i have no problems. The tips of the blades (center of the hole) are very important to be rasor sharp. I attempted to sharpen mine a little bit last year, but just made it worse. I also got a power auger last year, so the hand auger will only be out for the earliest of the ice season.

[rockman]

Check your blades for any knicks,gouges, and general sharpness.Also check that the bolts holding the blades on the auger bit are tight.I do remember if the blades on the Mora I used to have were dinged up even a little bit,or if the cant of the blades were of( blade angle from loosened bolts), it was really hard to get a hole started.Sharp blades really do help,especially with this type of blade set up.

[rockman]

I need to add that I use an older 8" Lazer hand auger that doesn't have the adjustable shaft/wingnut set up.I bought that one up over 10 years ago.Replace the blades when I need to, and it has treated me well.The next one will be part of a Nils Power Auger set, for sure.

[schweady]

Although I often find myself figuring that a power auger is in my future, a sharp hand auger is really all that's needed until the ice gets really thick. (When that happens, a good buddy with a 3 hp Jiffy is a pretty good thing, too.) I enjoyed my 7" Mora for a couple of decades until the handle knob shattered and my home town bait dealer talked me into a 7" hand Lazer as a Christmas present for myself instead of ordering the replacement part in the middle of the ice season. I don't really notice it's all that much quicker than the ol' reliable blue Mora, but still really enjoy it. It's all in the technique... never bang it on the ice, keep it perfectly vertical as you turn and get into a rhythm. It's about 2 spins to the inch, if I remember right. Dry and oil the blades when you get home... nicked and rusty blades are no fun. Trade them in for replacements from your local bait guy as needed. Enjoy.

[smallieobsession]

I've posted this before but if you are looking for the best hand auger - Nils is the one - hands down no contest. Yep - few more bucks but since when wasn't the truly BEST ONE of anything usally a few bucks more than the NEXT best?

I own a 6" and 8" hand Nils hand auger. Both are super fast.

Lots of stories to support the claim but here is one of the best - URL last feb 38" of ice - the two power augers we had with went down late one afternoon so we popped 16 holes in the 38" URL ice with the 8" Nils HAND AUGER Everyone was AMAZED not only that we could get through that much ice by hand but that we could do it darn near as fast as the guy right by us with his power auger.

If you want the BEST hand auger - it is Nils. There are other good ones like the Lazer but they are the NEXT best hand auger.