What auger would you buy?

[ULTRAlite]

I've got about $500 bucks in my pocket, and I'm sick of using the armstrong auger. What brand do you prefer? any comments on model preferences and why would be appreciated too :)

[spurly]

I presently have 3 augers, a Husqvarna159, a 3hp jiffy 31, and a 2hp jiffy
lightning. The 2hp jiffy to me is the best auger for the money, as well as the cheapest. Tke husky is a very light and quiet auger but I could buy 3 jiffy 2hp for the same price. The jiffy 3hp is heavy and loud, as well as tempermental, always needs tuning up. thats just my opinion, Crappy tire just blew out the 2hp jiffy's for $199 a Great Buy.

[pdfish]

Looking at an Eskimo for next year..maybe the Shark Z51

[nicemustang]

I have an Eskimo, bought it from Costco in November 2006 for $169. For the price its unbelievable...starts first pull every time and i've never had a problem with it at all. A great auger for the price.

[Cal]

I have an eskimo and a jiffy, both 2hp models. The eskimo does START much easyer than the jiffy but is has never RUN very well at all. The jiffy takes a few more pulls and a little finess to start but once running is a way better rig. I prefer my jiffy by a long shot.

[ULTRAlite]

So for the Jiffy folks out there...
White Lightening 2HP...
Seems to be a good safe bet?

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

So for the Jiffy folks out there...
White Lightening 2HP...
Seems to be a good safe bet?

I have the 3 hp 10 inch auger , It drills holes very fast. Great on fuel also.Fairly easy to start as long as you keep fuel stabilizer in it.

[Cal]

The white lighting is a good bet. For some reason I hear about less people having trouble with them than the 3hp models, probably coincidence tho. Its light fast and seems pretty tough. There are a few things that I dont like about it tho...

I wish it had a metal tank and choke lever like the 3hp models and the way the carb is mounted you have to be very carefull when drilling through thick ice not to let it get into the slush as it will start sticking wide open. An extension will solve this and if you do happen to get it full of ice running exhaust from your truck on it will fix it. Other than these minor quirks mine has been a great auger.

[ULTRAlite]

Thanks guys - some great info there. What mix makes the Jiffy happiest?

[insomniac]

I'll change this up and say IceGator Electric. I bought one this year and haven't gone back to my Normark (which is actually a rebranded Husqvarna) - which is actually a pretty good gas auger itself.

The electric has more torque and is amazingly fast through the ice. It is heavy because of the batteries but they seem to last a long time.

The only thing is it might not fit into your $500 budget because the US-Can. exchange rate has gone South...

[Albertabowhunter]

The fishing center has some nice Eskimo's on sale right now for under 500. take a look there.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

The fishing center has some nice Eskimo's on sale right now for under 500. take a look there.

Wait until next week at the Fishing holes annual sale , Im sure theyll have big sales .

[deanmc]

I presently have 3 augers, a Husqvarna159, a 3hp jiffy 31, and a 2hp jiffy
lightning. The 2hp jiffy to me is the best auger for the money, as well as the cheapest. Tke husky is a very light and quiet auger but I could buy 3 jiffy 2hp for the same price. The jiffy 3hp is heavy and loud, as well as tempermental, always needs tuning up. thats just my opinion, Crappy tire just blew out the 2hp jiffy's for $199 a Great Buy.

I know it is more than 500.00 but how do you like the husky? Was it worth the extra dollars? I looked at an 8 inch stihl in town and it was around 1000.00 is the husky comparable?

[BigBuck$]

I got a 1.2HP Eskimo for X-Mass 2 years ago. Runs OK but it is underpowered when you start drilling holes at this time of year. My friend has a 43cc Eskimo and it works alot better. I think you need to consider hole size as well. The 10" makes it much easier to get a big fish up on the ice plus it is easier to see down a 10" hole than an 8". I'm not sure where you live but good luck finding a Jiffy auger in the Red Deer area. I've been looking to buy a big one myself but everyone is sold out. I looked at a 4 stroke auger earlier in the year but I can't remember who made it. The auger was made of carbon fiber material which made it light but the power head was fairly heavy though. It would be nice to drill holes inside the shack without all the 2 stroke fumes. I always wanted to try the Husky out, my chainsaw started today on the third pull after sitting since last June.

Good luck

[Gerry]

I own two, the Eskimo Shark and a Strikemaster, both 8".
The Strikemaster is a little harder to start, but they're
both good augers. Eskimo has a primer button and the Strikemaster has a choke. Strikemaster is about half the price of the Eskimo. One problem I have though is they're both different gas/oil mix, Eskimo is 50:1 and Strike master is 20:1, so I have to carry two gas cans. Other than that, they're about equal in my view.

[Penner]

Husqvarna all the way.

[adventures]

I've had a Jiffy 3HP, 8" for 17 years. Apart from a spark plug issue from the factory the unit has been totally reliable. It's had a lot of use and abuse (sled transport) and still runs great. Would upsize to a 10" diameter when the time comes to get a new one.

[ULTRAlite]

Decided to go big and got the 3HP Jiffy Model 34STX with the 10" blade (and the "EZ" disconnect). It's a beast... Mixed the gas, pressed the primer 5 times, opened the choke, and it started on the 2nd pull. Any thing I should keep an eye on as I start to break her in?

[Buck Krazy]

Nobody uses Stihl??

[ULTRAlite]

Nobody uses Stihl??

Not for 500 bucks unfortunately

[Safety D]

Get the

[Safety D]

Get the Strikemaster Lazer mag 8 or 9 inch with the double blades. They drill like snot. 2 holes to 1 on most augers. Just have to give them about 90 seconds to warm up. They drill so fast that by the time it is warm and running good your holes are drilles.... LOL!!!

[djwf69]

HUSQVARNA.......Light , not a barn burner on speed but it cuts steady and its super light lots of holes can be drilled before getting all sweated up!!!

[spurly]

I love my Husky, but if I were on a budjet 2hp Jiffy all the way.

[Treadmill]

My buddy has a Stihl 10 inch and IMHO, it is heads and shoulders above all others I have owned. In the past, I have owned a 3hp Jiffy, 2 HP Strikemaster and an Eskimo as well. Pricy, but in the long run, if you plan to fish hard water for the next 20 years, I believe it's worth the additional cost.

However, last fall while shopping for a snow blower,(air cooled engine), I ran into an unusual situation. I couldn't find any instructions with the snowblower as to the gaoline/oil mix I should use and when I inquired about this, the vendor indicated that the manufacturers of air cooled small engines no longer recommend any gasoline/oil ratios but rather, leave this up to the 2 cycle oil manufacturers to recommend a mix since all 2 cycle oil is not created equal. In other words, if the oil manufacturer recommends a 100/1 mix, thats what you should do.

So, who do you believe? The engine manufacturers or oil manufacturers?

Clearly, small engines run and start better with a 'lean gas/oil mix'.

Any and all comments appreciated.

[icefever]

I've been running a Jiffy 3hp for 16 years and never had any problems with it. My brother has a jiffy 2 hp lightning 9" and it works great also. My other brother has a jiffy 3hp, always dependable