Power Augers?

I have been ice fishing since I can remember and have always (23 years old now) had a hand ice auger. I am thinking about treating myself to a power auger this xmas. I do relize the hand auger has been keeping me in shape but I think it would be nice to have a power auger. Any recomendations or what to stay away from would be a great help. Thanks guys

I would highly, highly recommend the Strikelite 4 stroke auger from Strikemaster. They don’t come cheap but they’re one smooth piece of ice fishing machinery. Plus they only weigh 20 Lbs.

If the 4 stroker is outside the budget a Lazer Mag Express is about as good as it gets for a 2 stroker power auger.

I know Dean @ Everts had some augers for sale earlier in the season. If you frequent the river you might want to check out what he can do for you.

this is kind-of a tough question to ask in a forum… I think you will run in to a lot of brand-dedicated people recommending only the brand they are dedicated to ignoring the rest. I think with most things that have an internal combustion engine, you are going to have good ones and you are going to have lemons. I think your biggest decisions need to be 2 or 4 stroke, hole size, and weight. After those three decisions, shop around and try to find a good deal!
Let us know how you fare.

I have the Jiffy Legend. Got a great deal on it in March. It is cold blooded, but once it gets cranked up, It cuts quite smoothly. When I’m up North, I can clear 3 feet of ice in a…wait for it…Jiffy.

I run a Nils while not cheap its is a great auger. Rand Stikemaster 2 strokes before that and they did the job to.

I must have 3000 holes on a 2 year lazer mag express. LIke James said, you can’t go wrong with one.

StrikeMaster Lazer 8 or 9 inch. Best bang for your buck. Take care of it and it will last 20 or more years thats like $7 a year

I have nothing but praise for the strikemaster lazer mags that I have owned, and my current four stroke strike lite gets two thumbs up as well!

They’re ALL good!! I’ve had Jiffy, Eskimo and now a Strike master. I have friends that have all the above…they all work good and everyone is happy with theirs. I can’t say that I prefer one over the other. I havn’t tried the 4 stroke yet. But, as far as the 2 strokes, made by the big three, quality is the equal imho.

BIRDDOG

Strikemaster all the way!

StrikeMaster Lazer Mag XPress $299 refurbed on ebay.

AS mentioned above….I have drilled a ton of holes with the StrikeMAster Lazer Mag and am very pleased with it’s performance. Fire In The Hole

I have heard great reviews with the 4 stroke also.

As others have said there are three great manufacturers of augers. Eskimo, jiffy and strikemaster. Depends on how much you want to spend and how big you want to go all three have a large selection to choose from. I run eskimo never let me down and the plant is only 50 miles away if I need parts or accessories!

Also a trade off for the workout. What you lose in turning your hand crank you will gain back in extra weight to lug around on the ice.

If you’re doing 30 or less holes a day (or between charges), the electra lazer will do a great job.

Electra Lazer

-J.

The only thing I would recommend to avoid is the 3 horse models from ANY manufacturer. I have used Jiffy and Strikemaster 3hp models and they are like lugging around a tank. I have a 15 yr old or so Laser Mag that I put a 10″ laser bit on in 1995. It has drilled thousands of landmine, …..err I mean holes and is still going strong……

Tim

i try to stay away from jiffys… even across the lake, it sounds like someone drove a harley next to my shack.

If you just pan fish us an electric drill. Works great with a 4 or 5″ hole.

Ok guys thanks for all the help. I have one more little question. I live just acorss the river from winona mn, and want to know where I can get my hands on a strikemaster and see one? Winona just doesnt have anything!!!