8" vs 10" Augers

[FishermanTim]

Before buying an auger, think of what you will be fishing for, where you will be fishing and how you will be transporting it.

A power auger is nice, but can take up space in your seld and can be bulky to haul around. I have one, and I do use it, but it is a hassle to haul around.
hand augers are fine, but when you have to cut through thick ice, it is hard to cut one hole at a time (with a rest period in between) every 15 minutes. I have deliberately used my hand augers the past two weeks on some very thick ice.

Now a hand auger WILL cut thick ice with no problems, well only one....clearing the shavings from the hole.

I was cutting 6" holes in 24"+ in southern NH and 8" holes in 30"+ ice in the lakes region. I can cut a hole in less than 20 seconds, but will spend more than a minute clearing the shavings from the hole after that.

I can't speak for the propane or eletric augers, but they do have merit, and maybe some who have /use them can chime in.

the bottom line is do a little research before buying so that you are getting the best auger for YOUR needs.

Good luck!

[joebe]

I have a 10" Jiffy Auger. It works great. Only issue is it is heavy. I have resorted to using 2 sleds. Homemade for tilts, bait rigging and a jet sled for auger cooler chairs. If you typically have long walks I would go with the 8". If gear transportation is not an issue, snowmobile, 4 wheeler than go 10". IMO

[JohnnySaxatilis]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

I can't speak for the propane or eletric augers, but they do have merit, and maybe some who have /use them can chime in.Good luck!

got to use a propane jiffy on Champlain one of the guys had. Thing was awesome, one crank start, and pretty light, used one of those small Coleman grill sized propane cans

[jonserfish]

Originally Posted by JohnnySaxatilis

got to use a propane jiffy on Champlain one of the guys had. Thing was awesome, one crank start, and pretty light, used one of those small Coleman grill sized propane cans

it started with one pull after sitting all summer and an accident( just before champlain it flew out of an open truck bed into oncoming traffic. he had to replace the bit but the power head was fine) pricey, but no gas mix is nice and it sure was reliable. some people say that the tanks freeze which i've seen on grills but this never has and it sat in subartic temps overnight on champ