One of the more innovative companies on the ice fishing front is Ice Hogger. Their bread and butter is the Ice Hogger shroud system which is meant to put ice chips from your power auger in a place that you want them, and not in your ice hole! But unfortunately my Strikemaster Lazer Mag Xpress auger is one of the few augers that can't accept the system. However, they have another product that is meant to ease the time you spend taking the cover on and off of your power ice auger. That is the focus of this review, the Ice Hogger Magnetic Ice Auger Blade Cover system.
First Impressions:
When I first got the package it seemed too simple to be true. A couple of round magnets, a couple of bolts and a couple of washers. Oh, and a set of instructions and a template to use on your auger cover. As an engineer, simple is nearly always better, so I was impressed right out of the gate.
Setup:
I figured setup was going to be a pain, but I was dead wrong. Simply cut out the template, put it on the inside of your auger cover, mark the places to drill the holes and drill. From there it is simply placing the magnets in the holes and attaching the hardware to secure them. 10 minutes and you are in business.
The auger blade cover system in action:
there are 2 things that jump out at me as to why this is a great system to use. First, taking the cover off is as simple as putting your foot on the cover and pulling the auger away. No taking off your gloves, freezing your hands and removing the cover. And reassembly is even easier than that, simply place the cover on the ground and put the auger back down. As long as you are pretty close the cover will find the right way to align and the magnets do the remainder of the work.
Final Take:
Obviously this is not a MUST have item. You could simply use the factory system for putting the cover on and off. But trust me, if you use this even 2 times per year it is well worth the investment. The time savings and lack of hassle from even the first trip will be evident. I would recommend it myself and will absolutely be using it going forward.
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