What do you like?

Been using an Eskimo Mako with a 10" auger on it for two seasons. Easy starting and reliable so far. I got the smaller displacement model and it's a little slow but I've drilled plenty of holes through 30" of ice with no problems. Keep it sharp and it goes pretty dang good.

If your going to cut a lot of holes i like the Strikemaster lazer 8 in.. Light and cuts fast. Get the lazer pro cuts even faster. If its just a couple of holes outside or in a wheelhouse the propane would be nice.

But i just seen it says Iowa for your location. If thats where youll be doing most of your fishing then a ION or even a cordless drill would work. So many options now im getting fired up...

I had a custom built 10" built by Doug Kluge, unbelievable!

A buddy of mine got an old auger with a 2stroke that had been run on straight gas and burned up for free. At the time he worked in the service shop at an equipment rental business so had access to lots of parts and knowhow. He cross referenced some part numbers and found out that a motor of the same make that they used on the gas concrete saws used a bigger piston. He tore it down, decked everything and bored it for the big piston, tweeked some stuff here and there and redid the carburetor. That machine sounded like a lumberjack contest hot saw, and would cut a hole in 2 feet of ice so fast you thought it was going to suck you down the hole.

I missed getting it by a day when he moved south, gave it to someone else the day before.

Funny, isn't it? The posters asks about ice augers and only powered ones get a mention.

If you are thinking hand auger, the Nils is by far the best. The price reflects that, but Nils owners would own nothing else.

Something to consider is that effort required multiplies really fast. An 8" auger has to remove almost exactly double the volume of ice as a 6" model. That sounds doubtful, but do the math.

+1 on the Nils!

NIls are a great auger and one of the best but up here in the frozen north a hand auger is only good for first ice, once January rolls around 2-3 foot of ice is here and it makes a hand auger a real chore. What are getting popular are hand augers converted to use on cordless drills. With the right drill these work great as long as you keep the drills battery warm. Nils and Kluge are the augers of choice to put on the electric drills (if you can get a Kluge)

I like my Strikemaster. It's over 10 years old but still fires up right away. I believe it's the Mag2000.

SS

I remember the mag200's. good rigs.

Mine is a little older yet, Strikemaster cobra 10"

I think mine is around 16 yrs old. I've never rebuilt the power head, been through the carb a few times and a couple years ago I got into the clutch/grear reduction box. Cleaned it all up, greased and installed new bearings. You gotta love servicable equipment with actual bearings and carb adjustment screws. lol

My new one is an electric strikemaster called the "big volt" you run it off a set of heavy cables hooked to a 12 volt battery. I only use it in my permanent wheel house and I do like it because it spins at low rpm keeping the mess down and I get no smoke or co2 alarms going off in the house.

We sold our old fish house, ordered a new one and picked it up this fall. can't wait!

oh, all that being said.. If I was buying new I'd look at some of the LP units now available or one with the honda 4 stroke. I've run both kinds and loved them. I would maybe lean more towards the LP just to get away from small engine's number 1 enemy (the US government and their F#cking corn juice gasoline)

Which brings another point. If you do go with a wet fuel unit (2 stroke or 4 stroke) Then you would be wise to just start off with the ethanol free premium fuel that you can buy in qt cans such as the "tru fuel" offerings.

That way you will have an ice auger that is dependable and problem free for many years.

I am not the jealous/envious kind ............ but damn!!

Interior pic welcome.

We had a LP powered vehicle once. Only once. It never started in cold weather, which makes me wary of the LP powered augers for cold climates. Not having gas on your hands would be great though, and I already carry the 1 lb bottles for the Buddy Heater.


SS

I'll do a post in the fishing forum here. I had a bunch of pics on my phone but had to clear them off for memory space. I will try to get some pics this morning.

Hi Sam.

All of our fishing is on lake of the woods which we share with Manitoba and Ontario. Most of my winter fishing is done literally a stones throw from Manitoba border (I have to check my GPS to be sure i'm not in Manitoba)

I don't have an LP powered auger but they are probably the best sellers for these parts. From what I understand, if guys are hole hopping with portables, traveling 20-30 miles across the lake in sub zero on sno machines etc. They like to keep the 1 lb lp bottle inside their coat to keep it warm. I've heard this helps a bunch with the cold starting.

But, it is essentially a 4 stroke engine that has crank case oil in it, so it's admittedly not going to start as well as the 2 strokes. (IMHO)

Some guys I know slip an oven mitt with a little hand warmer pouch inside around the bottle to help with starting.

SS