IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Ice Augers => Topic started by: krcat40 on Sep 23, 2013, 02:40 AM
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I have never owned a gas auger, and I am ready to pull the trigger. I was checking these out on cabelas site, and like the fact that they weigh in at 28# for 8" blade. Just wondering if the downsized engine of 38cc will be a significant difference in performance? I also found a website that I can get a new strikemaster lazermag 8" for $361 shipped to my door. So my two choices are the jiffy pro 4 lite $550 or strikemaster lazermag $361. Please help me out and thanks for the suggestions.
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You do know the Jiffy is a Propane auger running off those small propane bottles? It will be a lot quieter but at the same time you might have a problem using it at altitude or extreme cold. I like them but I would not buy one myself. I own an Eskimo. My friend has an older Jiffy that cuts through ice like butter. I thought my auger cut really fast until I used his last year.
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Man im a little po ed , I had not even a month ago emaied jiffy asking if they were coming out with a new lighter pro4 , I never got a reply back so I went and got a pro4 .
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Me personally i would buy the strikemaster. Just because once the warrante is up its easier to work on a small gas engine than it is a small propane. Oh wait most companys build throw away augers now lol.
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Actually, the propane is just as easy if not easier to work on than a carbureted gas engine. Converting a gas to propane via a propane kit is also relatively easy. ;)
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X2. I would think a pressurized fuel delivery system would be good at higher altitudes.
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The pro 4 lite is a great idea as the biggest criticism of the pro 4 is its bulk- but I'd hate to lose the cutting power. I'll take the bulk before I sacrifice the power. I really like seeing the technology expanding though! Jiffy took a big risk developing that auger and it really is a major advancement, it would be nice to see them sell more of them.
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The pro 4 lite is a great idea as the biggest criticism of the pro 4 is its bulk- but I'd hate to lose the cutting power. I'll take the bulk before I sacrifice the power. I really like seeing the technology expanding though! Jiffy took a big risk developing that auger and it really is a major advancement, it would be nice to see them sell more of them.
I may have to buy one just to help out the cause. ;D
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Wouldn't hurt, consumption drives development! I wonder how much I've helped breweries drive the production of beer throughout my lifetime...
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Wouldn't hurt, consumption drives development! I wonder how much I've helped breweries drive the production of beer throughout my lifetime...
:woot: Now there's a thought.
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Also considering a Jiffy propane auger. Like the idea of less weight. But don't like the idea of being one of the first to buy a new model. Like someone else to find the bugs. The new 2-2-2 warranty is a plus but that don't help if you are without an auger in the middle of the winter. Might try to get another year out of my old Strikemaster.
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Wouldn't hurt, consumption drives development! I wonder how much I've helped breweries drive the production of beer throughout my lifetime...
I don't know, but when I went on the wagon, Budweiser laid off a shift and quit sending me Christmas cards :woot: :roflmao: ;)2 :whistle:!!!
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I don't know, but when I went on the wagon, Budweiser laid off a shift and quit sending me Christmas cards :woot: :roflmao: ;)2 :whistle:!!!
Seagram's suddenly found they were overstocked with 1,000 BARRELS of VO when I had to quit. :pinch: I think Jiffy has most of the bugs worked out of the propane one, and they're made in the USA, too. ;)
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I am sold on Jiffy. Just trying to decide on the Pro4 or Pro4 lite. The Pro4 has been in the field for a couple of years now and certainly has had mostly positive reviews. As good as their testing my be, a new model always has a few issues when they hit the ice.
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If I had the money Rebelss has saved on his whiskey bill I would have one of each. ;D
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I'm thinking pretty hard about the new propane powered Pro 4 Lite. I find that the older I get the more weight becomes an issue and it's all down hill from here. :-) I fish solo more now that the kids are grown so I don't have my Son to haul the heavy stuff for me. I also like the idea of not having to worry about gas/oil spillage. I'm hoping they'll have some deals at the St. Paul or Wausau Ice fishing shows this year.
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I'm thinking pretty hard about the new propane powered Pro 4 Lite. I find that the older I get the more weight becomes an issue and it's all down hill from here. :-) I fish solo more now that the kids are grown so I don't have my Son to haul the heavy stuff for me. I also like the idea of not having to worry about gas/oil spillage. I'm hoping they'll have some deals at the St. Paul or Wausau Ice fishing shows this year.
I'm in about the same situation as you are. My son has a new baby, most of the guys I used to fish with are too crippled up to go anymore so I'm by myself most of the time. The only deals we get around here are what the tag states, but I'm still leaning toward a Pro 4 Lite.
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I bought the Pro 4 Lite model about a month ago. Since there is no ice I can't say how it drills but it's light, quiet and seems to have a lot of power. I go out into the garage every now and then just to start it and here it run, waiting for the ice. It always starts on the first or second pull. No choke, no mixing of gas, no leaking of gas in my truck, lighter than my old model 30, no smoke, etc...... I think I made a good choice, just can't wait to actually use it. Hope this helps in making your decision
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I wouldn't worry about it being a "new" product...they are just using a smaller motor with same workings. Id never buy anything but a pro 4 now that i got one!
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My only reservation would be how it would start in cold weather.
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My only reservation would be how it would start in cold weather.
I left mine outside of my hut in a blizzard.... Came outside to move some tipups and had to dig my pro 4 out of the snow (kinda hard to find my tipups too) I was wondering since Ppl saying its not cold friendly but sure thing started up second pull like it was brand new!! Think keeps surprising me
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My only reservation would be how it would start in cold weather.
Most people I have talked to who own a Pro 4 love them and say they start right up no matter how cold it is as long as you hold the throttle open a bit when starting them. It has a tendency to get a mite cold here in SD also. ;D
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ya that pro 4 is a great auger just a quick question how much does it weigh??
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Most people I have talked to who own a Pro 4 love them and say they start right up no matter how cold it is as long as you hold the throttle open a bit when starting them. It has a tendency to get a mite cold here in SD also. ;D
Holding the throttle open a bit is just following the owners manual. Mine is the same way, even when warmed up I hold half throttle. Makes the normal 2 pull starts often in 1 pull.
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ya that pro 4 is a great auger just a quick question how much does it weigh??
Pro 4 is 34 to 36 lbs. Pro 4 Lite is 26 to 28 lbs. The weight varies according to drill size.
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Im looking to hear some real feedback from actual use between the pro4 and pro4 lite before pulling the trigger. Whether theres a loss of rpm or torque? How much slower does one cut than the other? Ive asked the people at Jiffy how the performance differs between the two and the woman Ive talked to keeps telling me there is no difference. She's a nice enough lady and is very polite, but doesn't seem to understand Im questioning whether theres some drawback when losing 20% of horsepower. She did say the lite model has a different ripping blade which also helped on the weight reduction. It would be nice to see a side by side demo on youtube like the gas vs propane vids (). I'm sure once we get some ice we'll have something to compare. Might be awhile for us here in Connecticut though. lol. Please post a link if you find something.
Thanks guys,
Have a safe season
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as soon as we get ice I will see what we can do about side by side running between a pro4 and a pro4 lite. The guys at the bait shop have both out on the floor, both with 8in bits and both with new blades. Only difference is the Pro4 has a season of use on the power head.
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as soon as we get ice I will see what we can do about side by side running between a pro4 and a pro4 lite. The guys at the bait shop have both out on the floor, both with 8in bits and both with new blades. Only difference is the Pro4 has a season of use on the power head.
Thanks toofuss. Looking forward to hear what you find. have a safe season
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as soon as we get ice I will see what we can do about side by side running between a pro4 and a pro4 lite. The guys at the bait shop have both out on the floor, both with 8in bits and both with new blades. Only difference is the Pro4 has a season of use on the power head.
I'd love to see that. Grab one and sneak out back.... ;D Thanks!
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Honestly I think the the weight will be the deciding factor. If I had to bet money on which one will in it would be the original pro4 just because of the extra weight putting more down force on the blade coupled with more hp. My only concern in that line of thinking is if the Pro4 lite turns a higher RPM all bets are off.
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I'm looking to hear some real feedback from actual use between the pro4 and pro4 lite before pulling the trigger. Whether theres a loss of rpm or torque? How much slower does one cut than the other? Ive asked the people at Jiffy how the performance differs between the two and the woman Ive talked to keeps telling me there is no difference. She's a nice enough lady and is very polite, but doesn't seem to understand I'm questioning whether theres some drawback when losing 20% of horsepower. She did say the lite model has a different ripping blade which also helped on the weight reduction. It would be nice to see a side by side demo on youtube like the gas vs propane vids (). I'm sure once we get some ice we'll have something to compare. Might be awhile for us here in Connecticut though. lol. Please post a link if you find something.
Thanks guys,
Have a safe season
I betting if it's 20% less weight its probbery 20% less power. even if it's a 10 seconds slower your fishing not racing, as long as it cuts good and reliable that's all what matters to me. That's just my opinning
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coming up on season 3 with my pro 4, i have had strikemasters, eskimos and older jiffys it is going to take something unbelievably great to get me to give mine up.
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i have read alot of reviews and some of my friends love their jiffy. i found them at REEDs for 475 when you register with them.
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i have read alot of reviews and some of my friends love their jiffy. i found them at REEDs for 475 when you register with them.
They beat that price at the ice show in St Paul when I got mine.
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I just picked one up from Cabelas for $499.99...$475 sounds nicer though. Night and day difference from the pro 4 and pro 4 lite weight-wise, so glad they came out with the lite. Jacked to start drilling some holes!
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I betting if it's 20% less weight its probbery 20% less power. even if it's a 10 seconds slower your fishing not racing, as long as it cuts good and reliable that's all what matters to me. That's just my opinning
I hear what your sayin Tundra and you hit the nail on the head as far as power goes. I feel as you do with the exception that I primarily jig, so Im usually drilling 75 to 100 holes when you count the tipups too. Still have to consider carrying that extra weight though. I have a 32 year old magnum 33cc 8" 2 stroke auger thats pretty light and is still running fine. I feel its not long before the ethanol destroys that just like my weedwackers and blowers. It does bog out just before breaking through each hole though. I have always been the slowest auger out there, but many times the rest of the group would leave theirs in the truck just because of the weight. There was always a very noticable difference in performance between my 33cc 2 stroke and the larger ones. Jiffy did say they redesigned the blades on the pro4 lite as well. Maybe that will help with performance too. Happy Thankgiving
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I have the pro 4 and like it but I would swap for the lite if it had a 10" bit. I couldn't downsize to an 8" bit after using a 10" for several years. So my snosled will have to keep lugging the extra weight.
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Finally broke down and upgraded my equipment tonight. 8" Pro4 Lite and a LX7. Was the last Lite in western ND, until more come in maybe, can't wait to punch some holes on Sunday.
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Seagram's suddenly found they were overstocked with 1,000 BARRELS of VO when I had to quit. :pinch: I think Jiffy has most of the bugs worked out of the propane one, and they're made in the USA, too. ;)
I would beg to differ on the "made in the USA" comment. They say "Made in China" right on the engine sticker...well at least on the ProLite that I saw.
I too am curious to see the comparison videos between the Pro4 and ProLite.
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I just took my dads's Pro4 Lite (propane) today and compared it my my 15 year old Tecumseh powered Laser Strikemaster. Both are 8" augers. I'm not a Strikemaster fan boy, I'm just giving a report of what I saw today. Bottom line, the Strikemaster was faster. But I have started the Jiffy every day for the past week (been in a cold garage) and it started on the first pull every time. I like the idea of only carrying one fuel on multiple day fishing trips. It's a very nice auger. The weight is noticeably lighter than a friends 2 year old Pro4 (1st generation). I would put the speed of the Pro4 Lite on par with the Pro4. The Pro4 Lite is a great auger, easy to start, runs awesome and drills like it is in fire & exactly the auger my 61 year old dad needs. As soon as the Tecumseh gives out I'll seriously give the Pro4 Lite a look.
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I agree with the previous post. Not the fastest auger out there, nor the most powerful. Had a Legend Lightning with the Jiffy 2500 prior. The 2 stroke was a beast. The Pro 4 lite starts a lot easier, and is lighter, which is worth the sacrifice IMO. Love the propane.
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Pulled the plug on the pro4 lite yesterday. Only had 4 or 5 inches to drill through but it's noticeably faster than my old magnum 2 stroke. I did have stalling issues with the tank being very low but I'll just save that one for the stove. Other than that it started 1st pull and cut right through. The new ripping blade doesn't look like it will be easy to resharpen down the road but it does a nice job cutting out of the box. Will pick up a spare just in case. Overall I'm very impressed with the performance. Seems to have plenty of balls with more power than I'm used to from my old auger. Hope this one lasts 30 years like the last one. Man, I'm getting old.lol
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What is the run time or average number of hole per tank of propane for these units?
Looking to buy my first power auger and I like the idea of propane over gas.
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I have the Pro 4 lite 8", and I have easily drilled 200 holes in 6-8" of ice. Still on the original propane tank. So at least that many!
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Are the bits interchangeable between 8" and 6" on the pro4 lite? If so how much do the new bits run? Debating between this and honda lite. Any input?
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Seagram's suddenly found they were overstocked with 1,000 BARRELS of VO when I had to quit. :pinch: I think Jiffy has most of the bugs worked out of the propane one, and they're made in the USA, too. ;)
they are made right here in Wisconsin. just 70 miles north of Milwaukee. Sheboygan Falls, Wi.
HIMO
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they are made right here in Wisconsin. just 70 miles north of Milwaukee. Sheboygan Falls, Wi.
HIMO
Curious why why they have a "Made in China" sticker on them then? Notice the site says "Engineered in the USA", not Made in the USA.
I did get to try a buddies out last week. He set up a permanent and we were drilling holes inside. The no fumes thing was nice, but we could only cut 4" of ice at a time before having to clear ice jams from the blades. It took us almost 30 minutes to drill 4 holes!! >:( I'm glad I got to try it before buying one!
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Something not right with your buddies then. I have had no issues cutting through ice. I would guess and say it cuts 12" in 5-10 sec tops.
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Curious why why they have a "Made in China" sticker on them then? Notice the site says "Engineered in the USA", not Made in the USA.
I did get to try a buddies out last week. He set up a permanent and we were drilling holes inside. The no fumes thing was nice, but we could only cut 4" of ice at a time before having to clear ice jams from the blades. It took us almost 30 minutes to drill 4 holes!! >:( I'm glad I got to try it before buying one!
the engine was made in China but was designed at Feldman Engineering in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. cheaper labor must mean off shore outsourcing.
HIMO
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Curious why why they have a "Made in China" sticker on them then? Notice the site says "Engineered in the USA", not Made in the USA.
I di
Probably for the same reason Strikemaster Solo engines are "German engineered" and made in China, cheap labor. :o ;)
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yup. well my family is now the proud owner of a Jiffy Pro4 8" propane auger. check in the ice auger section to see the new post and lots of pictures.
HIMOProbably for the same reason Strikemaster Solo engines are "German engineered" and made in China, cheap labor. :o ;)
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Picked up an Ion last winter due to the weight benefits. Have been loving it ever since.
Can slap my 6in hand auger on it when im not targeting big fish, weighs 19lbs, or 21lbs with the 8in on it.. Did 80 holes thru 13in of ice and still had 2/3 of the battery left.
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Picked up a Strikemaster Strikelite 2 this year. Darned if the engine isn't a Honda. Don't know if it was made in the USA or Japan. I do know it starts making noise after I pull the start cord and weighs 23 lbs with an 8" drill. ;)2
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Picked up a Pro 4 Lite 8" for Christmas for the family.
Works like a charm.. Tearing through 2ft plus ice on Black Lake in Northern NY this weekend...
Very cold, but the Crappies were coming in good this afternoon...
AFM
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Are the bits interchangeable between 8" and 6" on the pro4 lite? If so how much do the new bits run? Debating between this and honda lite. Any input?
the bits cost $169.95 from Jiffy. yes, they are interchangable but on the pro4 lite, I would be careful not to overload the motor with to big of an auger. the difference between the pro4 & the Pro4 lite is pro 4= 44cc motor. Pro4 lite= 33cc motor. I bought the Pro4 with 8" auger yesterday.
HIMO
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Something not right with your buddies then. I have had no issues cutting through ice. I would guess and say it cuts 12" in 5-10 sec tops.
From another thread...
Do you have jiffy stealth blades? If you do it can be a PITA. Certain ice conditions will cause this no matter what you do. But other posters had good suggestions for you.
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Pro 4 Lite doesn't have stealth blades. It has a single chipper.
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......Want to resurrect an old thread.
I am looking at a new auger and after reading this thread may be considering a propane jiffy.... After a reading this I went and started checking some prices on Pro 4s and Pro 4 Lites and found a "4G" model that appears to be right in the middle of the road in regards to power and weight between the two.... Anyone used these and have any comparison between the three?
http://www.landmsupply.com/department/sporting-goods/ice-fishing/augers/jiffy-4g-lite-gas-powered-ice-auger-8?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=google_base&gclid=CjwKEAjwiZitBRCy0pb3rIbG9XwSJACmuvvzzJUOwD9-RE5gHoSQa58IPRwsNUsiM_b-7xEe5djeJBoCSJ3w_wcB
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if you want to deal with gas leaks and heavy exhaust, get the gas one. I have the Pro4 with 8" blades and nothing can stop it. I put on a new tank at the start of the year, and take off the same tank after the season is over. well drill hundreds of holes. you can spend your hard earned money any way you like but in my opinion, Pro4 is the the way to go remember the pro4 is 44cc and the pro4 lite is 33cc. hope this helped.
HIMO
Iceshanty & MFF Moderator
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I have always been a Strikemaster guy, but am definitely giving these a look due to the price difference. Looks like the Pro4 Lite is now a 38cc. The propane versus gas are roughly the same price... Dilemmas, dilemmas. I wonder how much the cost is going to fluctuate between now and fall? Can you tip and turn the Jiffy Pro4 like you can the Strikemaster Honda Lite without worrying about oil leaking out?
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just set it down with the plug up and no leaks.