What Power Auger?

After experiencing physical limitations with my hand auger on the 10″ Mille Lacs, I realized that the hand auger which I use on the 6″ ice on my local lake isn’t going to hack it. I have steered away from the power augers for two main reasons before this : 1. Weight 2. Hassle of starting and mixing oil/fuel which I dislike. 3. Cost

So I do not want to spend $450 on a 4 stroke, so that basically leaves me with the 2 strokes.

What does it really entail to have a power auger besides being able to continue using your arms after drilling thru a total of 100 inches of ice (10 holes on Mille Lacs) in one day?

How long does a tank of gas on the auger last? How many holes can it go before I refuel? Do I need to worry about lugging around a can of gas in my sled? And I assume that you need to get a container so that you can measure the right amount of gas and oil to premix? Are they all pull starts? Is it going to be like my lawn mower which does not start quite often and when it finally does (rarely), my arm is ready to fall off? What about maintainence issues when I do not use it for a few months? Does it need to be “summerized”??? Also, for the price, the Strikemaster MAG2000 8.25 inch 2HP 25 lb seems to be the best value for me. (In other words, cheapest) Any advice appreciated. Thanks!!!!

You need to be mobile and ready to punch holes if you want to catch fish all winter on mille lacs on a consistent basis. Your hand auger wont cut it and when it does finally get cold, your going to be glad you got a power auger. 10 holes in one outing would be a blessing. If you plan on only fishing say the evening bite, you could probably get by with only 10 holes in ice that is 12 inches or less. But this is Minnesota and we always get winter sooner or later.

If you plan on fishing all day, do yourself a favor and get a power auger, even if its used. Dont worry about the gas/oil. You can get 200-300 holes out of one tank of gas. Any most auger oil comes in 5 oz bottles. One bottle mixes with one gallon of gas. Jiffy makes oil that has built in fuel stabilizer so it keeps the gas fresh. I recommend 90-92 octane. For summer storage, run some stabil through it and fog the cylinder and thats it.

Thanks Derek. Any comments about the Strikemaster MAG2000 8.25 inch 2 HP for me? Like the Marcum VX-1, it appears to be the best value for the buck.

I’ve got one of those w/ a 7″ chipper blade. Good little machine. Have yet to use a full gallon of gas in one season. Starts good – 3-4 pulls does it. I drain the gas out it & fog the engine for summer storage. Put a little vasiline on the cutting edge of the blade.

When you have arthritus – its the only way to go.

If you can wait until Feb-March – watch the clearance sales – I got mine at Wal-Mart for $225.

UG

Wow. Fantastic deal!! BTW, has anyone tried the Nils yet?

If you are worried about the weight, get a 7 inch auger. As I get older and hopefully wiser I continue to use smaller auger bits. For the last 3 years I have been running 7 inch Lazer Mags. The smaller you go, the easier they cut through the ice. Basically, 80% of the holes I cut never get used, so it only made sense. Next year I am going to be trying a 6″ Lazer Mag. BTW, getting big fish up a 7″ hole is not a problem, even big pike.

I believe Matt Grow is also running a 7 inch auger this year.

I believe that. I have been using a 5 inch hand auger I think. More than enough for my needs so far.

I recommend a Jiffy 2hp Stealth in 8″. A little more money than some units but worth every penny.

I used the 2 hp Jiffy Stealth STX up on mille lacs a couple weeks back and the new blade design was impressive.