When it comes to ice fishing gear, perhaps nothing has caused as much consternation over the years that gas powered ice augers. Now let's not bag on the gas powered ice auger too badly, it has afforded quite a bit of moving and shaking and spurred the modern ice fishing revolution with its ability to punch many holes in a relatively short period of time. That said, there are many reasons that people are moving in droves over to electric ice augers in droves and now with the release of the propane ice augers it is hard to find them on the shelves. So how about we roll up our sleeves and take a look at this propane powered god of the ice.
First take aways from the Jiffy Stealth Propane Ice Auger
When you take your first look at the auger it is readily apparent that this is a large auger. When you lift it up, you have an even greater sense of what I am talking about. This thing is heavy folks, there is no other way about it. Compared to gas ice augers it is simply a beast. I am even talking more than those old school Jiffy Model 30 augers. Enough about the weight those, it has a great look and the thing fires right up.
Key Advantages of the Jiffy Propane Ice Auger
Let's delve into what makes this unit so intriguing for people. First and foremost, the propane fuel source is a great option. Especially for those people that have dealt with carb problems on their gas augers. The unit uses the 1 lb propane cylinders that many people use for their portable propane heaters. Once it runs out simply add another, which makes it a better option for the run and gun modern ice angler than a battery powered electric ice auger that can only cut 30-50 holes on a single charge. One of the other key benefits is the lack of exhaust. We have all had our share of walking around smelling like a snowmobiler from punching holes with a gas auger. Even worse when you needed to cut holes inside your permanent ice fishing house. All of that is gone with the propane auger. The other noticeable feature that is great on these units is the quiet operation. Compared to a gas auger it is night and day.
Key Disadvantages of the Jiffy Propane Ice Auger
First and foremost it has to be the cost of these things. Not only are they expensive to purchase on the front end, the propane costs are going to be high. Estimates vary and the thickness of ice obviously is a huge factor, but I have heard these things burn through propane. Given each cylinder costs about $2.50 the costs are likely to be 4-8x the cost of using gasoline. Even the non oxygenated premium gas! Another thing we have all witnessed with our propane heaters is the penchant propane has to freeze in cold temperatures (hello, we are ice fishing, cold is a standard feature of this sport).
Final Recommendation of the Jiffy Pro 4 Model 40 Propane Auger
Too early in the game for me to purchase the first propane auger on the market. Sure it has several plusses, but the minuses (especially price and propane cost) will keep me away for now.
What are your thoughts on the new Jiffy Propane Ice Auger?
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