Ice augers

[luvcatchingbass]

How many holes are guys seeing with 5amp batteries in about 20-24" of ice?

 

[ItemB]

Why do guys want to put a k-drill on a gas power head? Defeats the light weight idea of a k-drill. Not to mention fucking around with gas again.

Mainly for thick ice and up on Winnipeg where the ice seems to always be 4 feet thick. Anybody use the cordless drill and k-drill up there?

 

[NDSportsman]

I have three batteries and a charger in the truck too

but when the truck is 4 miles away and the ice is rough I'm not feeling like running back there with the snowmobile to charge batteries

I keep the batteries in a cooler but the "battery shuffle" gets old at lowish temps, deep ice, with lots of holes

Don't you got a power plug on your snowmobile?

BTW what happens when the snowmobile takes a shit 4 miles from the truck? Been there.....

 

[guywhofishes]

How many holes are guys seeing with 5amp batteries in about 20-24" of ice?

without warming the 5 AH battery last weekend maybe a dozen holes at 0F... then it got dicey (drill "chattered") and I was afraid it would stall down deep and lock up

so I switched but never drilled more than 3 or 4 new holes

(6")

- - - Updated - - -

Don't you got a power plug on your snowmobile?

BTW what happens when the snowmobile takes a shit 4 miles from the truck? Been there.....

no power plug on my snowmobile - you?

I have not, and would prefer not, to be there! skeeroo that noise

 

[Fishmission]

Just looked at the nine amp battery at Home Depot for 169 bucks. Anyone have a report?

 

[Chas'n Tail]

Just looked at the nine amp battery at Home Depot for 169 bucks. Anyone have a report?

You're gonna get a pretty consistent 10-11 holes through 36" of ice on one battery with a regular Milwaukee batt and an 8" kdrill. I've heard that with a 6" you're looking at 15-16 holes at the same thickness, but haven't seen that first hand to verify. Just talked to a guy today that ran the same 8" system with a 9amp batt and can get up to 18 holes, but in regular conditions you're still looking at around 16-17 holes. Been contemplating the same move myself, but decided to get a power inverter instead so I can take the charger on the ice with me up in Winnipeg and try to keep going that way for this year. If it sucks, I'll bite the bullet on a couple 9volts next spring when they should go on sale.

 

[deleted member]

warm batteries make all the difference in the world that is for sure.

 

[3Roosters]

Just looked at the nine amp battery at Home Depot for 169 bucks. Anyone have a report?

Keep your eyes peeled out for deals at Home Depot. I needed a new weed eater, didn't want to go the gas route any longer, and Milwaukee had just come out with their cordless Fuel 18 option. I think I got the weed eater with 9.0am battery for like $100 bucks off regular price. While it is true it may sound like a damn spendy weed eater...hahahaha... the thing works great and of course I have a new 9.0 battery for winter use. In my simple mind, I made a good deal.

 

[Mizzou21]

Just got back from Winnipeg and promised a report on the new StrikeMaster Lithium 10 inch up there. It works tremendously well. I drilled 12-15 holes per day on one battery. The ice was probably close to 40 inches.... I had a 12 inch extension on it and in a few spots i had an inch, possibly 2 left before the auger head was on the ice. It was thick! I did my best to keep the battery warm, after each hole i put it back in one of those warmer bags and brought it in the fish house or left it in my ranger. At the end of each day i pushed the battery indicator button after drilling last hole and it showed 1 bar, but once it warmed up and when checked before putting it on charger back at the hotel at night it always showed 2 bars. You can tell when the battery begins to get low, it doesn't cut quite as quickly, but that is being pretty nitpicky. I never had any issues on hole 15 at the end of the day getting through the ice. Ice was dirty, but blades managed fine and continued to cut nicely, however I do have an extra set just in case. Hope that helps, but I was very impressed and would certainly recommend it. Good luck and be safe out there.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Just got back from Winnipeg and promised a report on the new StrikeMaster Lithium 10 inch up there. It works tremendously well. I drilled 12-15 holes per day on one battery. The ice was probably close to 40 inches.... I had a 12 inch extension on it and in a few spots i had an inch, possibly 2 left before the auger head was on the ice. It was thick! I did my best to keep the battery warm, after each hole i put it back in one of those warmer bags and brought it in the fish house or left it in my ranger. At the end of each day i pushed the battery indicator button after drilling last hole and it showed 1 bar, but once it warmed up and when checked before putting it on charger back at the hotel at night it always showed 2 bars. You can tell when the battery begins to get low, it doesn't cut quite as quickly, but that is being pretty nitpicky. I never had any issues on hole 15 at the end of the day getting through the ice. Ice was dirty, but blades managed fine and continued to cut nicely, however I do have an extra set just in case. Hope that helps, but I was very impressed and would certainly recommend it. Good luck and be safe out there.

I'm amazed how it turns a big 10 in thick ice as well.

 

[Retired Educator]

Can only comment on the augers I have owned in the past 50+years. Started with one of those spade-type augers that you turned with your own horsepower. Compared to an ice chipper and axe it worked really good when sharp. Only a 6-inch hole but never caught a fish that wouldn't fit up the hole.

Graduated to an electric power auger that was pretty much a starter motor with a gear and chain drive turn the auger. Beat anything that you had to turn by hand. The downside was that you attached it to your car battery for power via what were basically jumper cables. Didn't work very well when the snow got deep as you couldn't drive your vehicle on the ice.

Then came the Jiffy Model 30 with an 8 inch auger. Had that auger for quite a few years with very little trouble. Usually started, broke a few starter ropes over the years and occasionally had to rebuild the recoil for the starter cord. One time had a new carburetor kit put in, otherwise it was a good auger that eventually lost some power.

Then came the ION 8-inch auger. Wouldn't trade this auger for any others i've ever owned. Lighter, starts every time with no rope pulling. Light and easy to handle. Not perfect for some but works well for me.

Don't have enough experience with several different augers to make a good comparison just know what I had and liked while I had the few I've owned.

 

[Walleye202]

Also a report on the Strikemaster Lithium 40V, I have used this auger since November and have been nothing but impressed with it. I was very leery of going away from my Honda 4 stroke but I no longer see any downside. The most holes I have punched in a day were 30-35 and this was through 22-24 inch ice. When I got home that night, the battery still showed 50% charge. This is an 8 inch flighting that I have, would recommend it to anybody.

 

[Bfishn]

I'm surprised to see the 40v strikemaster is actually heavier than the Honda. I know its only 1 pound, but if i'm adding an electric to the arsenal i want something much lighter than my gasser.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

I have a problem with only 10-15 holes/battery this time of year. I'll punch 15 holes in one string often times. Electric is not the final answer, fossil fuel power is still necessary for this guy.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I have a problem with only 10-15 holes/battery this time of year. I'll punch 15 holes in one string often times. Electric is not the final answer, fossil fuel power is still necessary for this guy.

This is the old Lithium Lazer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLEODafz_BY

 

[Kentucky Windage]

This is the old Lithium Lazer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLEODafz_BY

I couldn't listen to him flap his gums but That's not late ice- maybe late December ice. Here's another thing- batteries eventually wear out too. They don't exactly give them away either. I'm not complaining. I'm happy with my situation at the moment. Electric can and will continue to improve. I fish an average of 4 days a week on the hardwater, and I move around quite a bit. My needs change throughout the season.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I forgot you had it all figured out.

 

[Walleye202]

The auger comes with a free 2nd battery. I was also leery about how many holes I could get, but really once you have it out there in action, there are not many days at least for me, that I will wear this battery down to nothing.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

I firgot you had it all figured out.

I could say the same about you too.

 

[guywhofishes]

BUT the Lithium comes with serrated lazer blades... boo, hiss

they have lost me as a customer - those blades are super duper when sharp but are difficult to find, expensive to buy, a hassle to sharpen

I now have a Milwaukee drill on a Clam plate, Honda head (backup or scouting), and 6"/8" k-drill augers

are my old SM augers with dull blades worth anything? one is brand new (I just kept using previous Lazer Mag 2 stroke auger when i bought the Honda Lite)