When your ice house is a mobile man cave, you don’t want your auger to spray your toys and tools with ice and slush. You want a StrikeMaster Chipper Lite.
“It’s fast, efficient, it cuts smooth, it’s not going to bind and you can re-open holes without worrying about throwing ice all over inside your investment,” says ICE FORCE Pro-Staffer Tony Roach, an in-demand Minnesota ice-fishing guide. “If you have a wheelhouse or a permanent fish house, a chipper’s the way to go.”
Anglers concerned more with durability than making a mess might consider StrikeMaster’s “workhorse motor,” the Chipper Magnum.
“This one is built for the guy who wants to re-open holes, doesn’t want to put his cover on his auger, wants to chuck it in the back of his truck,” Roach says. “You’ll never have to worry about the blades getting dull — it’s going to cut like a dream.”
When it comes to StrikeMaster augers, “there’s no ‘good, better, best,’” Roach explains. “Different augers suit different anglers’ needs.” A StrikeMaster Lazer, for example, “will re-open an old hole, no problem,” he says. “But a chipper will just do it more effectively in that situation.” A chipper’s pointed steel blade tip prevents it from jumping around a hole.
A chipper’s a great choice also for anglers who fish often on dirty ice. “Whether you’re fishing prairie lakes out in the Dakotas, or other windswept areas, when there’s lots of debris in the ice, you’re going to want a chipper drill,” Roach says. “It’s peace of mind for me – I don’t have to worry about dulling my Lazer’s blades.”
StrikeMaster’s Lazer augers “rely on sharpness for cutting,” Roach explains, “so sand, shell, dirt or just vegetation and debris in the water column can compromise their blades.” And while he estimates he can easily drill 10,000-plus holes with one set of blades on a Lazer auger, that longevity comes only “as long as I’m putting my cover on and as long as I’m not hitting anything,” he says. Chipper blades, however, are designed to perform in even rough terrain.
Chipper Lite [Product 'CL-825' not found!]
The Chipper Lite is a great, economical auger for an angler just getting started in the sport of ice fishing, or for someone who lives where the ice-fishing season is short.
“It’s a really great auger for anglers that live outside of — or on the fringes of — the main Ice Belt, that are looking for a light power auger that’s not bulky,” Roach says. “And for an ‘entry-level’ auger, it’s actually far from entry-level. First off, it’s a StrikeMaster, so it’s got the tough, dependable German Solo motor. And since it’s a chipper, it’s going to be versatile.”
Powered by an economical 2-stroke, 32cc, 1.5-horsepower Solo motor with a two-year warranty, the Chipper Lite weighs in at a mere 24 pounds and features an American-made 40:1 transmission with heat-treated steel gears. Polymer gear casting yields lightweight power, and its VANDAR long-filament high-impact handles make for comfortable operation for anglers who spend long days on the ice.
Chipper Magnum [Product 'Chipper%20Magnum' not found!]
Powered by an economical 2-stroke, 42cc, 2.5 Horsepower Solo motor with a two-year warranty, the Chipper Magnum’s Swedish-made boron steel chipper blade also makes short work of re-opening holes that have frozen over. A 40:1 transmission with American-made components and heat-treated steel gears ensures smooth and speedy operation.
“If you’re looking for a powerful, dependable chipper with high speed, this is your animal,” Roach says.
Fitted with an 8 1/4-inch bit, the Chipper Magnum weighs in at a scant 25 pounds. Need a bigger hole? No problem. Upsize to a 10 1/4-inch bit, and the total package still only weighs 28 pounds.