New 6" hand ice auger ( best one?)

[brucehookedup]

I would like to get a 6" hand auger. I have had many over the years. Checking to get opinions on the best brand, keeps sharper longer, where to get one, etc.

[GAMBLER]

Nils is the best, then a Strike Master Lazer.  Get the wallet out for a Nils.  They are double what a Lazer costs. 

[zackblain]

nils, fin bor, lazer

[floatfisher]

Lazer for the price.  I have a 6" lazer that is about 20 years old.  I replaced the blades when I started taking the kids about 5 years ago and have not had to touch them since.  I go just about every weekend with my son.

 

My buddy just got the 6" nils last year and he likes it.

 

Mine is inline and his is offset.  I cant use his - I feel like I look like I am throwing a tantrum on the ice when I am trying to drill with his.....LOL!!!

[crazy ivan]

I agree Lazer is the best. You can drill with little effort

[Silver Fox]

Just got a 8" nils this year and have never seen a hand auger cut so effortlessly. Did 16+" on honeoye Sunday with not a lot of effort. I've had a laser and its not even close. Nils is pricey though, but your loaded, so go for it!

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sk8man]

Nils and Lazer are both good. I have had a 7 inch Lazer for 15 years and have had about every other hand and power auger previously and drilled thousands of holes with it and for the last seven it has been the bottom half of my Bosch 18volt hammer/drill which usually does roughly 20-50 holes each time out. I am on my second set of blades and still going strong.  I would recommend getting a 7 inch auger as you have more room for your electronics transducer and getting larger fish through and yet it isn't as much of a job as a n 8 inch drilling.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Sk8man

[Prays mate]

Niles is the best but call motion up ask him what he bought I beleve it was the knew ion cuts fast and super quite

[BAZOOKAJOE]

You can probably get a Mora pretty cheap this time of the year. I got one at bass pro 8 years ago for $30. It's on the second set of blades. I can cut a hole pretty fast with it. Had a Lazer before. Don't really notice much of a difference between them. The Nils are def the best! They cut like a hot knife through butter!!

[Sean Youngblood]

Nils is the best downside is you have to send in the whole head in to have it sharpend.$25.00 plus shipping both ways.

[brucehookedup]

Thanx for your info. Thanks scott, but if I had your money I would burn mine. No nils, too much for what little I would be using it. I got a 1yr old 6" lazer lined up for 70$. I will call motion, he probably has a dozen spares. I went to keuka  sunday and got the fork fever.

[Silver Fox]

Yeah, looks like I'm going this weekend to catch the fever. I'll give ya a ring

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Pequod1]

When you get the lazer, make sure you get a new set of blades for them early in the season next year.  I waited too long and found the last ones at Mitchels the other day. Tried on line, but everyone was out. I put a nice Ridged drill on mine and it works pretty good. Compared it to Gator's Nils, and the Nils does cut better, but all I do is pull the trigger on the drill. 

Anything new at Honeoye Scott. Getting tired of the Keuka mudchickens.

[Huntyeraws]

Normark Fin Bore III - 1 up above the laser with the offset handles = more efficient ice cutting.  Made by the same parent company as Strikemaster, just needs to be imported from Canada as not licensed to distribute in the US due to Strikemaster agreement.  FISH307 has them on sale on them right now at $80.99 and worth every penny!   http://www.fish307.com/normarkfin-boreiiihandaugers.aspx

[Silver Fox]

Hey jim, lots of bass, pickeral and gills on camera. Pickeral are active, but the gills are being very lethargic. A little warm weather won't hurt. I'm ready for after dark crappie when you hear something.

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[33canuck]

Normark Fin Bore and Nils, I have been drilling holes with my fin bore for 8 years and still cuts like its going through butter, buddy got a 8" this year and it cuts awesome too

[Pequod1]

I agree with everyone on the Nils and Fin Bore except if you have  shoulder problems. The offset handles are just too difficult for us SS recipients

Night time crappies - like it.

[Prays mate]

Ya I here ya I'm trying to get Wilky out there but to long of a walk for him ha ha

[Benson2x]

Got a Mora by Strikemaster.  8 years one new set of blades even than can find them for 16-20 bucks.  6 inch holes a far easier to drill then 8in. doesn't take much to drill through 10 inches of ice with a sharp auger. 

When I always store it upside down after spraying with a little WD40.   In the spring put a good coat of grease on them and store. 

[brucehookedup]

Thanks for the info feller's. I had somebody give me a 8" mora. I just got the last set of blades at s&r bait in irondequoit. I should be good to go. Look out forks, yella bellies, what ever. Call me scott we will do it up saturday. I will guide ya. HA HA

[Waubbir]

Sorry for bumping...just my two cents...

 

I have a 6" diameter manual auger like this https://under-the-open-sky.com/best-ice-augers/  that I bought about 25 years ago for $49  About 5 years ago  I bought an 8" gas auger for a lot more. If the ice is less than 12" thick, sometimes even less than 18" thick, I prefer the manual auger -- a lot less weight to haul, easy to drill through 12" of ice manually. More ice than that and I get lazy and want the ease of the gas auger to punch lots of holes. Plus, a 6" diameter hole is kind of like having tunnel-vision when you stare down a through 3' of ice before you get to water... the 8" power auger hole gives a much better window on the world below. But none of that matters if the ice is only a foot thick. In fact, it's easier to land a fish in a smaller diameter hole, because in an 8" or 10" hole they can turn around and try to swim down, whereas in a 6" hole they can't turn around.

With a manual auger, you want to keep the blades as sharp as possible since you are doing all the work. I found I had to replace them once a year when that was the only auger I was using. I could sharpen them with Japanese sharpening stones at home and sometimes get another full season out of them, but that was really pushing it and it's better to buy brand new blades each year unless you are a master at re-sharpening them.

I've never cut myself so many times and so badly as when I used to change blades on my manual auger... they couldn't invent a razor blade so sharp and so sneaky!

I have used a manual auger to drill through 3 feet of ice on numerous trips. But those tended to be one-hole or two-hole fishing days. That's why I bought the gas auger -- to punch 20 holes thru 3' of ice and give myself lots of variety on where to fish. But if you are fishing ice of a foot or so thick, a manual auger is all you need.

 

There are many interesting videos on YouTube on this topic.

 

[Adimariano]

I have the nils 6 inch hand auger. Its a great auger and will out preform most. That being said it's fairly expensive and if the blade gets dropped or bent even in the smallest form it will be useless. Its around 60 dollars just to replace the blade. I also have a 6 inch bass pro auger that was a cheap backup. It lasted me the whole season. Seems good for the price. 

[dukhnter8]

I have a lazer and a fin bore. Like the fin bore more, either got it form fish307 or fishusa at the end of a season sale a few years ago. Fin  bore cuts better with off set handle.

 

Nice thing about fin bore is it uses the same blades as the lazer so didn't need to buy new blades.

[fishshack]

Nils!!!!!   Had mine 10 years. Still cuts like new