Need help buying an ice drill

[Bluegill]

Hello

 

Last year I bought a new Finbore III Ice Auger, 8-in, at CT

Now, using it the secound year, the blades are dull, there was no way today drilling an ice hole.

So I'm thinking about buying an Jiffy Ice Drill.

There are 2 offers at CT:

 

Jiffy Ice Drill 30, 8-in, 472 $

Jiffy 8-in. Legend Lightning XT Auger, 420 $

 

Are theses drills ok, or what do you think? Anything I need to be aware off?

 

Thanks in advance for all answers.

[buckster]

i have a jiffy model 30 10" and wouldnt trade it for the world........ 3hp sure does cut holes in a hurry. Bullet proof i tell ya!!

[Fisherman]

One thing with a manual auger, never, never bang the blades on the ice, never try to open old holes. Jiffy Augers are excellent, mine is 18 years old, still works like new.

[BUSTER]

get the 3hp or nothing

[ctdd2006]

I too have a model 30 that came with a 10 inch. Recently bought an 8 inch auger for it (fearing my 3 y/o would step into it). I was happy with the 10 inch and am ecstatic with the 8 inch. That 3hp motor really cuts FAST with the 8 inch!

[irishfield]

My 2HP lightning xt with a 9" blade drills like a champ and bonus is it's lightness to the 3 hp!

 

Or you could just spend $30 on new blades.. or search the board for "sharpening auger blades".

[xeon]

...just spend $30 on new blades.. or search the board for "sharpening auger blades".

 

My thoughts exactly.

[trapshooter]

My buddy got the 2hp Jiffy Lightning 8" this year. First thing to do is change the plug to a NGK and lean out the oil in the gas a bit too. After that, it'll run great.

[irishfield]

I run mine 50 to 1 instead of the 40 to 1 spec'd... but only because I already have 50 to 1 for my chainsaw, power broom and whippersnippers. NGK plug eh... never looked at mine. Something for tomorrow...

[bigugli]

Nothing is wrong with your auger. A little blade maintenance or replace the blades. They only last 2 years with proper care, and I cut a lot of holes.

[young_one]

Give a call to Lebaron Markham(905-944-0682), last time I was there, I saw a special on Jiffy Ice drill. Do a little price compare yourself, maybe its cheaper, Im not 100% sure.

Your from Germany, so Im not sure if Markham is any where close to you.

 

I have a 2 HP Jiffy Lightning drill. There were some initial problem with drill on my 1st year of useage, now its 2nd year, so far it runs smoothly. 2HP is more than enough power in my opinion. With extra HP comes extra weight, gas usage and noise.

[Sinker]

Yep, jiffy model 30 with the 8" bit will pull you right down the hole!

 

All you need is new blades on your fin-bore though......about $50.

 

You have to take extra special care of those blades. The slightest little bump, even hitting a weed in the ice, will wreck them. Cut your holes properly, and put the guard back on the blades. If its really cold and ice is built up around the blades, I'll lean the auger up on something........OUT OF THE WAY.....with the blades in the sun. Usually, that's enough to clear them off. DO NOT attempt to chip the ice off. Not only will you lose a finger, but you can damage the blades, and they won't cut!!

 

They're touchy, but if you take care of them, you can get a couple seasons out of them.........depending how much you ice fish.

 

I change mine every season once we have a foot of ice.

 

Sinker

[DRIFTER_016]

I run mine 50 to 1 instead of the 40 to 1 spec'd... but only because I already have 50 to 1 for my chainsaw, power broom and whippersnippers. NGK plug eh... never looked at mine. Something for tomorrow...

 

I only run full synthetic oils now. My choice is Opti2 but Ams Oil Sabre is just as good.

These oils are run at 100:1 in all 2 stroke engines regardless of the manufacturers specs. The manufacturers specs are for conventional oils and not synthetics. With the 100:1 mix your motor starts better, runs cleaner, doesn't foul plugs and has more power. My Auger, Chainsaw and Outboard all run the same mix.

Sure beats having several different cans of mixed gas.

 

With a new auger run a cople of tanks with conventional oil mixed to manufacturers specs to break in the motor before switching to synthetic oil.

 

Back to the original question. Most of the augers on the market are fine. The 2 HP versions are much lighter if you are on foot. I personally like the augers with chipper blades as opposed to cutting blades as they last longer and stay sharp longer.

Edited February 9, 2009 by DRIFTER_016

[johnnyb]

If you're set on getting a power auger, go for it...lots of good advice here. I have the 8" Fin-bore, and after 3 seasons, I still found I was cutting ice no problem. I just replaced the blades for $30, and only because I mangled the old ones in shallow water Inspect your current blades...if the edges are blunted, you've been smacking them around, and all you need is to replace them and take better care of them.

If they're just semi-dull, but too dull for you, then, enjoy your new power auger