Looking to buy an Ice auger

[Cheebz10]

I am looking for a gas powered ice auger. Lookin for any suggestion on a brand and if anyone knows of any used augers for sale or if I am better off buying a new auger.

[JAM3S]

I like my Lazer.  I've had it for six years, never had to do anything to it.  Empty the fuel out each spring.  I wouldn't neccesarily say you should buy new if you find one "recently new" enough.

[swoab47]

I would say that unless it is a really good deal, or from someone you trust I would buy new.  Just my opinion.

 I have a Strikemaster Lazer 224.  They don't offer this model anymore, but I will say that it has been  quite trouble free.  It starts on the second or third pull and cuts like a hot knife through butter.  I'm not saying that it is the best, but I like it.  Jiffy and Eskimo have been around for a long time too, and make great augers (this is kind of like Chevy vs. Ford vs. Dodge).

If you don't have your heart set on a gas auger, there are some other options out there.  Jiffy has come out with an auger that runs off of a 1 lb propane cylinder.  I have not heard anything about them though(good or bad).

Both Jiffy and Strikemaster have electric models available.  I have heard some good things about the Strikemaster.  If I was in the market for a new auger I would buy a Strikemaster Electra Lazer.

Check out Reeds Family Outdoor Outfitters or Marine General at www.marinegeneral.com for pricing, and available models.

Hope this helps.  If you have any more questions please ask.

Andrew

[JAM3S]

If you don't have your heart set on a gas auger, there are some other options out there.  Jiffy has come out with an auger that runs off of a 1 lb propane cylinder.  I have not heard anything about them though(good or bad).

Propane!  This is the first I've heard of this.  What an excelent idea!  That would keep things cleaner.

[Sandbilly]

If you can save some bucks, nothing wrong with used equipment provided a thorough going through can happen before purchasing. Run the auger for at least 5 minutes. Check for oil leaks around the clutch assembly (most common problem area.) Even better if you can run it on ice to check out blades, clutch tension, how it runs under a load. Ask if they have extra blades or plugs and see if they will thrown them in on the deal. Even if the blades are dull, getting them sharpened is a fraction of what new blades cost.

New augers, it all depends on what you are looking for. If you don't want the hassle of mixing oil & fuel. StrikeMaster has a 4 stroke, Jiffy has a propane. IMO horsepower makes very little difference unless you run a 10" bit. It does take more effort pulling the rip cord on a 3 hp two stroke compared to say a 4 stroke. The thing I mostly look at is weight. We run and gun a lot. An extra 10 or 12 lbs of auger weight makes a huge difference to me for cutting all day.

Good luck,

dc     

[jimyoumook]

i have one of the new jiffy propane augers and i must say that i am impressed, alot less noise and 1 pull starts, and in case some one is wondering 78 holes were drilled through 14 inch ice with a single tank( was almost like having my own tourist attraction last year) biggest thing i have learned about it is you dont push down on it it will bind, but if you let the weight of the auger do the work she will drill as fast or faster than my strikemaster both with 8 inch augers and new blades

[Garnet]

I was looking into those propane augers, they really look nifty.  How much she weight?  i currently have a lazer hand auger, but haven't baught a gas one do to my hand auger cuts faster and is 1/5 the weight.  so im guessing the propane should be lighter, is it?

[Sandbilly]

I was looking into those propane augers, they really look nifty.  How much she weight?  i currently have a lazer hand auger, but haven't baught a gas one do to my hand auger cuts faster and is 1/5 the weight.  so im guessing the propane should be lighter, is it?

Strike Lite II 4 stroke - 23 lbs.
Jiffy's Pro 4 propane- over 30 lbs with tank on.

Both are 4 stroke motors and run quiet. The reason 4 strokes became popular (and expensive) was because all small engine companies had to meet EPA's lower emission standards by 2011. Tecumseh quit building small engines because of it.

It's all about personal preference. If you want speed through ice, Jiffy's 3500 series or StrikeMaster's 3 hp lazer pro with the Solo engine will be the fastest cuts. For reliability, it's hard to beat the 4 strokes.

jimyoumook, do you have a problem loosing propane when disconnecting tank after use in cold conditions?

dc     

[jimyoumook]

not that ive noticed i changed the oil in it yesterday and fired it up so shes ready to go

[surflizard]

In the equipment thread down towards the bottom of the main page, there are a lot of posts about all the different brands of augers with real life reviews from the guys that are running them. Real good way to get a feel for all the different brands that are available. Good luck and Happy Hunting !

[JAM3S]

( was almost like having my own tourist attraction last year)

Were you in the Maskenthine tournament last year?  I remember hearing an oddly quiet auger the day before the tourny.  Could that have been you?

[jimyoumook]

no i missed that one, unfortunetly

[JAM3S]

no i missed that one, unfortunetly

What you missed out on was 30 + teams all with a limit of gills and one team that somehow pulled in a pike to win.  About like every other year.  Doesn't mean I'm not doing it again.

[Madpuppy]

Wow, 30 teams and all limits on Gills! Were there any fish left in the lake?
Thinking of heading up to that this year, I've never done the tourney thing before but it looks like it would be a blast.
Oh by the way, as to not hijack this thread I run a Jiffy I got about 6 or 7  years ago and I've been very happy with it. I don't know anything about the newer Jiffy's.

[JAM3S]

Threadjack?  No one threadjacks around here!