Author Topic: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit  (Read 22570 times)

Offline frldyz

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2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« on: Aug 10, 2013, 10:34 PM »
http://clamoutdoors.com/ice_fishing/augers/augerconversionkit.html

looks promising.
might be fun and light to have in early/late ice

curious to hear peoples experience/reviews @ end of season

Offline SINX53

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #1 on: Aug 13, 2013, 03:06 PM »
Looks pretty nice, might have to give it a test run this winter.

Offline Rwolff

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #2 on: Aug 16, 2013, 07:41 AM »
Looks pretty decent! I've never used a drill style auger, but I have done a lot of reading on them, sounds like if you keep the battery warm they do a good job, that's not a bad price either for the kit.

Offline hankthecrank

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #3 on: Aug 26, 2013, 07:34 PM »
Was reading about this and it says you have to remove the chuck from the drill to do this. Not a good idea in my opinion. Was really thinking about it until I saw that.
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Offline Crappieguy79

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #4 on: Aug 26, 2013, 07:52 PM »
They also have a gas auger 8 and 10 inch bits.
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Offline Monticatgeek

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #5 on: Oct 03, 2013, 10:36 PM »
Was reading about this and it says you have to remove the chuck from the drill to do this. Not a good idea in my opinion. Was really thinking about it until I saw that.

yes you have to remove the chuck but it gets replaced with a machined adapter that goes through the large bearing on the conversion plate and then the auger goes on the part of the adapter that is through the bearing. I actually got to see this in person at the Thorne Brothers fish house modification get together at Blaine, MN. It is a nice set up and I wouldn't worry about it being hard on the drill. most of the torque is placed in the large bearing on the plate and the drill is just used to turn the auger. I will be running it this year during early and late ice. after the ice gets to thick for this I will be switching over and start to use the new Clam Edge Gas Auger that I am getting too. I fore see good things to come from Clam in the area of augers in the next few years, but time will tell.
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Offline BaitBucket

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #6 on: Oct 07, 2013, 09:52 AM »
Its only as good as the drill you put on it.
And a good drill is going to cost you  a good chunk o change + the $150 for that device..

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Offline Cali009

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #7 on: Oct 07, 2013, 10:17 AM »
i like this idea. as i pull my sled all over. and for 3 yrs now have been using the swede-bore 8" ( bad idea should got the 6") and my fishing buddies use the newer 8" two handed ones. GREAT.

i have tried to use a drill but is is hard as the torque Moves the drill. i am very excited to try (buy this to have two hands on for better control.

the question i have is more on the drill used. i read a lot of 18v will work great. but not all 18v are the same (please correct me if i am wrong) is there a minimum torque rated for it?

i have 3 18v drills 2 inexpensive black&Decker. a rigid ( seems to not hold a charge)

but KIJIJI i am sure has a used drill.

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Offline Monticatgeek

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #8 on: Oct 11, 2013, 12:44 AM »
i like this idea. as i pull my sled all over. and for 3 yrs now have been using the swede-bore 8" ( bad idea should got the 6") and my fishing buddies use the newer 8" two handed ones. GREAT.

i have tried to use a drill but is is hard as the torque Moves the drill. i am very excited to try (buy this to have two hands on for better control.

the question i have is more on the drill used. i read a lot of 18v will work great. but not all 18v are the same (please correct me if i am wrong) is there a minimum torque rated for it?

i have 3 18v drills 2 inexpensive black&Decker. a rigid ( seems to not hold a charge)

but KIJIJI i am sure has a used drill.

there is not a minimum torque that I know of. personally I would look for something that puts out 300 + inch pounds or more. the cheaper Black & Deckers normally put out around 100 to 150 inch pounds of torque. I was going to try a craftman 19.2 volt with 300+ inch pounds but couldn't get the chuck off it. I will now be getting a dewalt 20V. the most important thing is the capacity of the battery. most of the drills come with the compact battery which is only 1.5 Ah. Clam recommends getting a 3Ah or higher Battery. this is what was used in the testing. some of the drills used during testing included  Panasonic, dewalt, millwakee, & rigid.
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Offline Cali009

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #9 on: Oct 11, 2013, 11:16 PM »
thank you!

so what i keep hearing any 18v will do really is not perfectly true.   so why should we buy this? a drill needed to work properly is $200 cdn (basic dewalt) over $200 for  . plus conversion with or without auger blade.

we can get a gas auger for $350 approx.

i was really liking this idea. but now i have to buy a $200 plus dill. and the kit for 150$ usd. this is looking like a big pill to sallow.

or a good one for weight reduction for guys like me who pull their sleds everywhere.
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Offline krcat40

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #10 on: Oct 11, 2013, 11:25 PM »
thank you!

so what i keep hearing any 18v will do really is not perfectly true.   so why should we buy this? a drill needed to work properly is $200 cdn (basic dewalt) over $200 for  . plus conversion with or without auger blade.

we can get a gas auger for $350 approx.

i was really liking this idea. but now i have to buy a $200 plus dill. and the kit for 150$ usd. this is looking like a big pill to sallow.

or a good one for weight reduction for guys like me who pull their sleds everywhere.
Well Im sure you already have a hand auger so just buy the plate for 50 and use your hand auger. Plus rigid has a lifetime warranty on all their batteries, and we all know that's where they get you on power tools, or even electric augers.

Offline Cali009

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #11 on: Oct 13, 2013, 12:00 PM »
yes i do have a hand auger. 8" normark.

wat i was saying is if need a new(diferent drill) i am close to $300 for this set up. i am already spending that i may as well spend $100 more and get the eskimo stingray.

so really i am having a hard time makign up my mind is i go ahead and buy this an hope it works or just get the stingray.

what would you do ( everyne on here)
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Offline stripernut

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #12 on: Oct 13, 2013, 12:38 PM »
Me, I would by a good quality Cordless drill and use it on the ice, I have owned a Jiffy and was happy to sell it... Weighed to much, did not like to start, did not like the noise, the stink, the gas, the mixing of fuel, OH, did I say the weight... Also to have something that you spend a bunch of money on that sits there unused most of the year, just bugs me... As to a Cordless drill, I use it great deal all four seasons... Investing the money in a Cordless drill that even if I never went ice fishing again, I would be happy to own, would not bother me...

Offline Cali009

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #13 on: Oct 13, 2013, 01:07 PM »
Me, I would by a good quality Cordless drill and use it on the ice, I have owned a Jiffy and was happy to sell it... Weighed to much, did not like to start, did not like the noise, the stink, the gas, the mixing of fuel, OH, did I say the weight... Also to have something that you spend a bunch of money on that sits there unused most of the year, just bugs me... As to a Cordless drill, I use it great deal all four seasons... Investing the money in a Cordless drill that even if I never went ice fishing again, I would be happy to own, would not bother me...

thank you!! you made my choice way easier. not i have a excuse to buy one of those wicked combo kits i guess.
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Offline Monticatgeek

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #14 on: Oct 15, 2013, 03:39 PM »
Cali 009,

you are right about the cost if you have to buy everything from scratch, the price is close to that of a gas auger. but here is the thing to remember, most people already have some type of hand auger and most would have a name brand drill at home too. now you need to look at the pros of this (even if you bought everything). first  off it will be light in weight(14 LBS with the tested drill)  which is nice when pulling your gear out by hand. second it will shine come early and late ice. third no need to carry gas with. fourth and probably the best reason (even if you have to buy a different drill) is at the end of the ice season you can take it off the conversion plate and put the drill chuck back on the drill and have a nice drill to use for what ever you need it for.  I don't know if you know this or not but with the Clam Conversion plate the chuck has to be removed from the drill and a adapter that comes with the plate replaces the chuck. also when the testing was done on this they found the greatest number of holes came from using a 6" bit and a battery with a rating of 3.0 Ah or more. based on the testing a 6" bit will give you about 40 holes, a 7inch would give you about 30 holes, & a 8 inch would give you about 20 holes. testing was done on  I believe 16" of ice up on Mille Lacs lake in Minnesota. thicker ice will reduce the number of holes per battery but once the ice gets that thick a gas auger is better then anyways.
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Offline Steuben1

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #15 on: Oct 27, 2013, 07:16 AM »
Cali 009,

you are right about the cost if you have to buy everything from scratch, the price is close to that of a gas auger. but here is the thing to remember, most people already have some type of hand auger and most would have a name brand drill at home too. now you need to look at the pros of this (even if you bought everything). first  off it will be light in weight(14 LBS with the tested drill)  which is nice when pulling your gear out by hand. second it will shine come early and late ice. third no need to carry gas with. fourth and probably the best reason (even if you have to buy a different drill) is at the end of the ice season you can take it off the conversion plate and put the drill chuck back on the drill and have a nice drill to use for what ever you need it for.  I don't know if you know this or not but with the Clam Conversion plate the chuck has to be removed from the drill and a adapter that comes with the plate replaces the chuck. also when the testing was done on this they found the greatest number of holes came from using a 6" bit and a battery with a rating of 3.0 Ah or more. based on the testing a 6" bit will give you about 40 holes, a 7inch would give you about 30 holes, & a 8 inch would give you about 20 holes. testing was done on  I believe 16" of ice up on Mille Lacs lake in Minnesota. thicker ice will reduce the number of holes per battery but once the ice gets that thick a gas auger is better then anyways.

I bought this plate last night and installed it on one of my drills.  I got it home and was impressed with the plate itself.  Was a little disappointed to see "made in china" stamped all over the box, but I guess I should be getting use to that.  This setup is very comfortable in the hands.  I really like the way you hold onto it like a gas auger handle.  This seems to be much much better than holding the drill itself.  The assembly was pretty straight forward.  I had a choice of two drills that I could have used.  The two drills I had was the old XRP Dewalt 18 volt or the new 20 volt.  I went with the much lighter 20 volt.  The batteries are very light and very strong. The battery packs for the 20 volt are very small and will fit in my pocket very easy to keep them warm.  The hardest part was getting the chuck off.  After getting the chuck off the install went pretty smooth.  I would like to let Clam know to stop using phillips drive bolts.  I threw all the Clam bolts in the trash and used my own grade 8 bolts.  The assembly went much easier being able to use two wrenches to set up the plate instead of a wrench and phillips head screwdriver.  I set my auger plate up with a 6" lazer and it is very, very light.  Exactly what I was hoping.  I may pick up a 8" lazer and put it on to see how it does.

Overall,  I am pretty excited to give it a shot.  With a few minor tweaks of my own,  I think I am going to like it very much.

Steuben1

Offline Idahogator

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #16 on: Oct 27, 2013, 01:54 PM »
It's not necessary to be wealthy, as long as you're happy and can afford anything you want.        :woot:

If you are mechanically inclined and have access to...... Well, never mind.     :whistle: 
      

Offline krcat40

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #17 on: Oct 27, 2013, 02:12 PM »
I am getting one to use with my 8" lazer. Like the idea of light weight with my back problems. Also I have a battery jump box with plug ins to use the battery charger for the drill. I will only be taking the jump box when I am on the sled due to the heaviness of it. I figure I can drill a bunch of hole first then put the battery on the charger.

Offline lightningz

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #18 on: Oct 27, 2013, 05:56 PM »
I also like the design of this adaptor but I wonder how practical this is. If you already own the auger bit and perhaps even a good enough drill this can only be used early and maybe late in the season. With that being said you still would need to have a gas auger for thicker ice during midwinter and probably into late ice. I usually pull a hand sled early and late season, but as soon as conditions warrant I ride an ATV with an auger mount.  Most people try to limit the weight they drag with a hand pulled sled and is this set up with perhaps 2-3 extra batteries going to be any lighter than a gas auger.

Offline Monticatgeek

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #19 on: Oct 29, 2013, 10:19 PM »
I also like the design of this adaptor but I wonder how practical this is. If you already own the auger bit and perhaps even a good enough drill this can only be used early and maybe late in the season. With that being said you still would need to have a gas auger for thicker ice during midwinter and probably into late ice. I usually pull a hand sled early and late season, but as soon as conditions warrant I ride an ATV with an auger mount.  Most people try to limit the weight they drag with a hand pulled sled and is this set up with perhaps 2-3 extra batteries going to be any lighter than a gas auger.

it can be used on thicker ice but you will get less holes per battery charge. personally I wouldn't use it past 18" of ice. the product testing was done on 16" of ice using a 6" auger. this got 40 holes on a single charge (3.3Ah battery) if you go up to a 8" auger it got around 20 holes on a battery. there is a extension made for this too so you can get through the thicker ice.
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Offline Sweet Daddy

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #20 on: Nov 18, 2013, 01:15 PM »
Picked up on last week, It will not work on a 19v Sears cordless drill, the bracket is too short, and the trigger will not reach the drill.  Clam should put out a list of drills the plate will work with. 

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #21 on: Nov 18, 2013, 01:30 PM »
By chance was it a compact drill ? In the market for a drill and that would be a game changer .
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Offline Cranked

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #22 on: Nov 18, 2013, 10:06 PM »
It does work with a Craftsman 19.2v. You have to zip tie the drill to the bracket because it is too short, but it works. You have to play with the trigger mechanism to get it to line up.

I contacted Clam about the bracket being too short and told them that I tried two different drills. A Craftsman and a Bosch and neither of them fit correctly against that bracket. They told me to zip tie it. (Which I already did.)

All they need to do is make that bracket taller and it will fit most drills correctly.

Seems they may have rushed this to market. Clam states it fits most 18v drills but I'd like to see a list of drills it fits correctly.

I'm impressed with the idea but disappointed in their lack of foresight to make it fit all drills.

Offline Jigmup

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #23 on: Nov 19, 2013, 11:33 AM »
700 inches of ice on a 3.3 ah battery translates to 116 holes through 6" of ice. That's a ton for us southern boys that rarely see over 12".
However I am working on a pack that will deliver:

250 holes through 6"
190  through 8"
152  through 10"
127  through 12"
109  through 14"
95  through 16"
and so on.....

The unit by itself looks uncomfortably short so the auger extension would be a must for 6' + folk.
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Offline Trump

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #24 on: Nov 20, 2013, 10:00 AM »
I haven't had much experience with gas augers so this may be a stupid question but is there augers that work better for fuel or electric augers?  I bought a laser 8" hand auger last year with new blades for 35 bucks , basically because it was a little much for the guy who sold it and was planning on putting my 20v craftsman bolt on series to the test I bought a nimrod shaft for it and put together it spins great and is balanced great the only thing that I'm nervous about is if my chuck loosens enough that when I break through the auger and nimrod go for a swim any ideas on keeping that from happening

Offline Cali009

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #25 on: Nov 20, 2013, 03:31 PM »
I haven't had much experience with gas augers so this may be a stupid question but is there augers that work better for fuel or electric augers?  I bought a laser 8" hand auger last year with new blades for 35 bucks , basically because it was a little much for the guy who sold it and was planning on putting my 20v craftsman bolt on series to the test I bought a nimrod shaft for it and put together it spins great and is balanced great the only thing that I'm nervous about is if my chuck loosens enough that when I break through the auger and nimrod go for a swim any ideas on keeping that from happening

You are about to strike up a whole new convo.... i was worried about the same thing. but never had the right drill to use. we are going use a bucket lid to make saftey plate. plus add some pool nodle to the shaft part to help it float.

if i dont get my clam converersion kit for X-mas.
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Offline WYIfish

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #26 on: Nov 20, 2013, 10:05 PM »
One thing we are over looking here is the old school spud. If the ice is less than a foot thick, I leave the jiffy auger home and bring the spud.  Kept sharp, it works pretty well.  It always starts and doesn't smell like gas. One can even keep warm using it.  I favor mine early in the season for testing the thickness of the new ice. If the spud goes through on s good hit, the ice is two inches or less.  Spud cost, $30 or make one for about $20,   I have had mine for 25 years and it is still just as useful as the day I bought it.
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Offline wagc

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #27 on: Jan 13, 2014, 02:00 PM »
I want one of these for the sno bear. Anyone know where u can get one in Canada or would anyone be willing to ship one up for me?
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Offline Cali009

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #28 on: Jan 13, 2014, 06:08 PM »
I want one of these for the sno bear. Anyone know where u can get one in Canada or would anyone be willing to ship one up for me?

Lebaron.ca MAIL ORDER.

or ask your local Clam dealer to special order
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Offline RIfish

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Re: 2013/14 Clam Ice auger conversion kit
« Reply #29 on: Jan 13, 2014, 07:21 PM »
I just bought this Clam setup plate , a New Dewalt 20v , gonna try it with my Mora 8 in bit . I used a New Ryobi 18v Saturday and only got 7 holes out of 1 battery pack 1.5 lithium. Returned Ryobi today and bought the Dewalt . I  can't wait to compair between the different drills
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