Propane versus gas augers

[kennedy]

Planning on buying an auger in the future but cant decide which one to go with. Which auger would be better? The popane or gas auger? Can someone tell me the advantages/ disadvantage of each? What are your guys thought?

[SamSteele]

I'd go electric with my next one. Ion X looks pretty great.


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[TylerThomson]

I just bought an electric and will never go back. By the time you have your gas auger started and warmed up I'll have 5 holes drilled and lines in the water.

[The Fisherman Guy]

Gas auger

Pros: Cuts many holes fast, lots of torque. Operable in all temperature ranges. 6" to 10" hole size.

Cons: Gasoline contamination of fishing gear, hot exhaust can burn gear/fingers, large and heavy to transport, smelly exhaust fills tents/shacks, can be difficult to start in cold weather. Need to carry extra fuel jerry can, increasing gasoline contamination risk.


Propane auger

Pros: Very easy starting, clean burning, fast and powerful hole cutter, no gasoline contamination risk. 6" to 10" hole size.

Cons: Prone to freeze up in extreme cold, large and heavy to transport.


Battery operated auger

Pros: No pull starting necessary, excellent torque, zero emissions or gasoline contamination risk, reverse option on auger flushes holes of all slush. 6" to 10" hole size.

Cons: Batteries are expensive and can suffer limited operation due to extreme cold.


Hand auger

Pros: Always starts, no gasoline contamination risk, light and easy to transport, no exhaust, provides operator with warmth and a workout. 4" to 8" hole size.

Cons: Slow

[RavYak]

If you use a car/suv for transportation then I would get a propane or electric. Hauling gas in a car/suv is a recipe for your car to smell like gas when some inevitably leaks.

If you want a propane auger I prefer the Jiffy for 8 inch but the Eskimo for 10 inch. The Eskimo has lower gearing and higher torque which works better for 10 inch holes.

The ions are proving to be a good auger too. I was wary of them but they have been out for a few years now and still mostly just positive reviews. The new model has 60% more battery life too which is nice. I still don't think I would get one if I wanted a 10 inch auger but for 8 they seem to be a good choice.

[sns2]

No doubt an Ion is nice, but it all depends on if you need any other gear. I would rather have a gas auger and a flasher than an electric auger if you know what I mean. I don't really think you can go wrong.

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[TylerThomson]

How does one rule out having the other? The difference in price for a good gas auger and an electric is a couple hundred bucks. My flasher cost more than my auger.

[RavYak]

How does one rule out having the other? The difference in price for a good gas auger and an electric is a couple hundred bucks. My flasher cost more than my auger.

The only reason not to buy a certain type of auger would be as follows.

If you drill most of your holes inside an enclosure like a shack then you do not want gas. Electric is the best but propane will work too.

If you have a car/suv I also would avoid gas. Again electric the best but propane ok.

If you go on lots of multi day trips or drill 50-100+ holes on a regular basis probably best to stick with a propane or gas auger and avoid the electric.

If you want to use a 10 inch hole I would go with the Eskimo propane, 51 or 71 cc Eskimo or the Jiffy 30. Avoid the lower powered units.

That usually gets a guy an idea which auger is the right one. Other factors like weight can come into play as well but that is a personal decision.

[ROA]

Propane augers are 4 stroke (and unlike the honda/stike master 4 stroke that has a special oil bladder) they need to be layed down in a certain orentation like a 4 stroke outboard or oil gets up into everything then good luck getting it running.

Propane is **** in the cold. -30 you are going to start to have problems, -40 and propane will not vaporize at all so unless you keep the bottle warm it aint going to run.


Propane augers require care and attention you do not need with 2 stoke augers. If that is not a big deal to you you are golden.

[RavYak]

Propane augers are 4 stroke (and unlike the honda/stike master 4 stroke that has a special oil bladder) they need to be layed down in a certain orentation like a 4 stroke outboard or oil gets up into everything then good luck getting it running.

Propane is **** in the cold. -30 you are going to start to have problems, -40 and propane will not vaporize at all so unless you keep the bottle warm it aint going to run.


Propane augers require care and attention you do not need with 2 stoke augers. If that is not a big deal to you you are golden.

Yes and no. I have seen more people struggle with gas augers then with propane augers. Using bad gas, not mixing oil right, not storing the auger/gas properly, not keeping it tuned properly. Simply put both propane and gas augers require care and attention and some gas augers in good running condition can still be tough to get started if it is -30 or -40 out.

[fishunter77]

I'd go electric with my next one. Ion X looks pretty great.


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Go with the Ion. Great auger, no noise, battery life is good. I love this auger. I carry a spare battery which I have not used. Will drill 40-50 holes in 2-3 feet of ice.

No fumes, no mixing. Lightweight if you have to walk on.

[PerchBuster]

Having used gas augers all my life, I just switched up to the new ION X from a Husqvarna 2 stroke gas auger and absolutely love it so far. This auger cuts great, would never go back to gas now. Never ran a propane one before but I can see they have similar drawbacks to gas in terms of weight, spark plugs to change out, pull cords to start them, and fuel delivery issues. Good luck with your search

[EZM]

I switched over to a Eskimo Propane last year. I had the gas before that and got sick of the spilled gas, the smell, the temperamental nature of the auger in cold weather and the weight of it.

I don't think going to a propane or electric due to cold weather is a real big issue. It's pretty easy to put a battery or a couple propane bottles in the cab of your vehicle to keep them warm (or in the heated fishing tent for that matter).

Having said that - I've had my propane out in minus 25 or 30 and out in the wind for hours and it started with zero issues. I don't think cold weather effects it as much as people think it does.

[Mountain Guy]

Just sold my gas and ordered up the 8'' eskimo propane.
I'm tired of mixing gas, keeping it running properly, gummed up carbs, draining gas at the end of the season.

I'm not too concerned about cold weather starting.
Gas augers don't like to start at -30 either...... and its probably easier to keep a 1lb propane bottle warm than a gas auger.

Time will tell if I made the right choice.

[neilsledder]

Just sold my gas and ordered up the 8'' eskimo propane.

I'm tired of mixing gas, keeping it running properly, gummed up carbs, draining gas at the end of the season.



I'm not too concerned about cold weather starting.

Gas augers don't like to start at -30 either...... and its probably easier to keep a 1lb propane bottle warm than a gas auger.



Time will tell if I made the right choice.



I would never have to worry about my auger not starting at -30 lol. That's to cold for me!


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