Ice Auger Question

[Cornhusker]

I have a standard mora auger. I havent used it since I was a kid, but it doesnt seem to be able to drill through previously drilled holes that have refrozen. Is this the way it is with all standard augers? Is that why the "lazers" have come into being since I have been out of icefishing?

Also, A retailer here sells "barracuda" augers and says that they are everything a lazer is for less money. Can someone give the full info on augers and what I should be buying. Thanks.



"Winners never quit, quitters never win, and those who never win and never quit are idiots"

[morriscode]

I would personally stick with Jiffy augers. I have seen and heard about too many Strikemasters breaking. I would go with an Eskimo second behind Jiffy. Drilling through holes that are half frozen is hard on any auger. Start a new hole and it will save your blades in the long run. I own a Jiffy 3hp Legend with the 10" auger, and I have drilled at least a thousand holes with it and have yet to have a breakdown. Cant say many good things about Strikemaster other than they spend a lot of money on advertising and not enough on making metal parts, mostly plastic. In my experiences when it gets below zero plastic turns into glass. For something you will have forever, and your kids will use when they are in thier twenties I would spend the extra and buy something nice like a Jiffy or an Eskimo. I used the ol'mans eskimo until 3 years ago when I bought a bigger and faster auger. That eskimo had drilled more holes than days I have lived, shes in the Morris Hall of Fame now, still runs too, just lost her edge.

morriscode

p.s. ice fishing can be hard enough as is, buy quality equipment, youll thank me later.

[TONY ON ICE]

CORNHUSKER
If you're interested in the best hand auger on the market, buy a Nils Master auger.
They're what Strikemaster copied n the beginning with their lazers but the lazer never matched the performance of the Nils Master augers.
When Strikemaster copied the design about 10 years ago, the Augers I'm speaking of were marketed by Tanaka but were still manufactured in the same place where they are today in Finland.
Nils Master bought the company a few years back.

With the Nils master augers, you can cut through old holes even if they're of a different size than the auger you're using and it won't catch and bind like the Strikemasters or mores. Also, the Nils masters don't catch at the bottom of the hole when you're cutting a new hole like the lazers do.
Absolutely NO downward pressure is needed with the Nils master augers. They pull themselves through the ice no matter how thick it is and because of the offset handle, you use much less muscle to cut a hole.
The paint and quality workmanship is also top notch on the Nils Masters and they stand behind their products.
You only have to cut one hole or look at one side by sde next to a lazer to be convinced.
They're more money but you get what you pay for.
T.O.I.

[Cornhusker]

Why cant a standard auger cut through old holes?

And does anyone have a link to these "nils master" augers? I have never heard of them.



"Winners never quit, quitters never win, and those who never win and never quit are idiots"

[wallydog1]

The angle or something makes it hard with any auger.for a hand one look at the Lazer also. I have not repaced blade's for 3 year's.I love it.better to drill a new hole with a hand auger.

[perchjerker]

The reason you have a hard time cutting through a refrozen hole is the way it freezes. It freezes quick, not in layers, or stages where its not as solid, no air in between. Its a solid as ice can be. Thats why its so hard to cut through it.

[Pitts]

Moras will not reopen a hole unless you add the wings on the blades that are sold for this reason only.
They come with a new cover for the blades that is round and after the wings are added a mora auger reopens as good as any other will.

As far as Strikemaster being junk don't believe it for a minute.
I have a 16 year old Strikemaster with a 3 year old Lazer auger and it will outdrill every Jiffy ice grinder out there. It cuts ice at less than 10 seconds a foot.
At every Ice fishing get together I have been to with my friends they leave there augers at home because they are still drilling with theres when I am totally set up and fishing.
I am not talking 1' of ice either I fish Red Lake, LOTW, Bemidji, and the TC area all the time.

We have the extensions on our augers on LOTW at this time now thats ice.

I have no problem with someone saying that they have had good luck with there Jiffy because they are a good macine but it burns my @SS when they tell me that mine is junk and I know otherwise.



Pitts

[Wahoo]

Ahmen on the strikemaster`s.I have owned mine for about eight years and its been about the single greatest money I have EVER spent in fishng tackle..I will take on anyone with a mora hand auger and be fishing while they are still grinding away at ice.(often sweating and curseing as well)...lol..
I have never even resharpened the blades on mine much less broken anything.Its cut severlal hundred FEET of ice I`m certain!!!..Lazers are awesome!!!
...As for recutting old holes...Why??...move ten inches and cut away...Len

[Wkndbum]

I agree 100% Pitts.

I've had 2 Strikemaster augers, sold the first one (chipper blade) when they came out with the lazer blades, it was 10 years old & never had a problem with it. Paid $160 & sold it for $125.

You can't beat the lazer blades for opening old holes, you can drill holes at an angle if you want.

[Cornhusker]

I am quite new to ice, and maybe then you can tell where I am wrong on this thinking....

I am fishing small ponds with about 7-9 inches of ice. If I keep moving over 10 inches and drilling new holes, wont I be weakening the whole area? The ice here doesnt refreeze that deep...



"Winners never quit, quitters never win, and those who never win and never quit are idiots"

[Wkndbum]

If the ice is good ice (not rotten) 7" to 9", you will not have a problem drilling holes side by side unless you drill a circle around yourself. When fishing brush piles I usually drill a sets of 5 holes around the pile, they are close enough to fit under my flip over.