Finally got my Clam Auger conversion in the mail

[joesp]

I got my clam ice auger conversion in the mail yesterday. Can't wait for ice fishing season to start. Assembly was easy hardest part was getting the chuck off the drill.

[wyoutdoors]

Looks nice. What brand and volt drill are you using?

- wyoutdoors 

[BaitBucket]

Get a drill with the side handle and no drill plate is required. Also saves 6lbs of weight on your drill.

Heres mine, weighs less than 10 lbs.

[Shack man Shoney]

I got my auger plate last season and absolutely love it!!! It gives you better control and you will have no worries of losing your auger down a hole.  The bearing assembly takes a lot of stress off of the drill, which has to make for a longer drill life. You will also be able to set the drill down on the ice and keep the batteries and drill motor out of the snow/slush/water. I cannot tell from the pictures which drill your using. It needs to be a minimum of 18v with 3ah battery. Im using the Milwaukee fuel series 18v drill with 4ah lithium ion battery and it is awesome. It has 725 in/lbs of torque and increased rpm which makes it a premium choice for this application. I would recommend a dab of anti-seize on the threads of the chuck stud just to make it easier to get the conversion adaptor off should you ever need to..... Congrats and good luck this season!!!!

[Dan J]

You really can't go wrong either way , plate or no plate with the right drill and a sharp auger it's a great setup. I have the clam plate,Milwaukee Fuel 18, 4.0 and a Mora 6 inch. It's the best setup for me. I also have a Nils power auger, best of both worlds for Me. My point is get what works best for you. I see so much of mine is better than yours on these web sites. Love this site, lots of good info and nice people. I've learned a lot from reading the post. Must be about time to start the locator and shack wars. Hope to see some of you out on the hard deck this winter. Just got my trailer and getting ready to buy my first ATV. Dare I say which one?

[BaitBucket]

I got my auger plate last season and absolutely love it!!! It gives you better control and you will have no worries of losing your auger down a hole.  The bearing assembly takes a lot of stress off of the drill, which has to make for a longer drill life. You will also be able to set the drill down on the ice and keep the batteries and drill motor out of the snow/slush/water.

The pic i posted above does the same thing. The strap holds the auger tight to the dill to alleviate the stress on the drill. There is no proof that this will increase the drills life span. As for snow and slush, the drill plate gets you 2-3in of clearance if laid on end? If it blows or tips over its in the snow/slush.. Not worth the risk IMO.

[Dan J]

The pic i posted above does the same thing. The strap hold the auger tight to the dill to alleviate the stress on the drill. The is no proof that this will increase the drills life span. As for snow and slush, the drill plate gets you 2-3in of clearance? Not worth the risk IMO.

Bait bucket be happy for the guy, I am.

[BaitBucket]

Never said I wasnt happy for him. Just letting him know that there are other options that do the same job and may save him a few bucks in the process. These plates were all the rage last season. And people seem to have the impression they are required for this setup. Im glad i tried my drill out as is before i bought one.

[Dan J]

Bait bucket sorry if I read you wrong, just seemed like you were real negative on the plate.

[joesp]

The drill I am using is a 19.2 volt craftsman. I used this drill last year with a setup similar to BaitBucket's but without the handle. It worked good, but i wanted something that allowed me to have a better grip on the drill. Plus with the adapter I was using I had the bit slip a few times. I was able to drill 40 holes through a foot of ice before having to change my battery.

I do agree with BaitBucket that a basic adapter and strap will get the job done but if you want to invest and get a set up that seems to be easier to handle, I would recommend the conversion plate.

[Monticatgeek]

baitbucket,

not saying your set up doesn't work but there is a few things to consider with it. the way you have it set up you could potentially mess up your wrist if the auger ever grabs while drill the hole and the torque of the drill could twist your wrist faster then you could react. secondly all the stress and torque of the auger is going directly into your drill which will with time shorten the life of your drill. the plate was designed with the large bearing under the plate to take the stress and torque off the drill and to help the life of the drill to last longer.

[BaitBucket]

baitbucket,

not saying your set up doesn't work but there is a few things to consider with it. the way you have it set up you could potentially mess up your wrist if the auger ever grabs while drill the hole and the torque of the drill could twist your wrist faster then you could react. secondly all the stress and torque of the auger is going directly into your drill which will with time shorten the life of your drill. the plate was designed with the large bearing under the plate to take the stress and torque off the drill and to help the life of the drill to last longer.

If i didnt have the side handle than I would agree with you. However with the side handle I have never had it twist my wist. Considering these drills are made to drill thru much harder material than ice, the handle is there to prevent exactly what you describe. I drill 80+ holes every trip thru 18" of ice and never twisted my wrist while using the side handle.

As for the "stress" on my drill. The strap on mine holds the whole assembly up.  Not that there is any downward stress on the drill when drilling holes. Im not leaving it hanging in mid air when not in use. There is also no proof that this "stress" (lets call it gravity) shortens the life span of the drill at all.

I also have the added benefit of removing the whole auger assembly easily and using the drill to screw in my ice anchors or around the house when needed...

The drill plate is a cool gimmick, but thats about all it is. You dont need it to use a drill. It just looks cool and adds more weight.

[Dan J]

Sorry you feel that way, the plate is no gimmick it's for real. I have one and I'm not with Clam, I paid full price but it was worth it. I have a Pacemaker and if it weren't for the Clam Plate I might not be ice fishing anymore. It's worth a lot more than the sticker price to me. Last winter I couldn't pull the starter cord on my gas auger to start it because I just got the pacemaker. My auger is a Nils and it starts pretty easy (2-3 pulls cold and 1 when it's warm. It works for me,no gimmick.

[MT204]

The strap holds the auger tight to the dill to alleviate the stress on the drill. There is no proof that this will increase the drills life span.

I repair power tools for a living, almost ever brand that there is out there.
Interestingly most customers that are using them for ice fishing will "not" tell me what they are using them for until I do a bit of prying.
As for stress on the drill, by the number of drills that I have seen in the last few years  that came in for repairs both in and out of warranty there is a lot of stress on the drills!
The drills that are showing up "with out" the plates "usually" have broken spindles, bent spindles, broken front housings or broken housings where the side handle broke off.
The drills "with" the plate (saw a half dozen last season)  are usually burnt up motors or occasionally a bad gear assembly.
If yours works for you be happy!
I may try using a cordless  this year but it WILL be with a Clam adapter plate!

[BaitBucket]

I repair power tools for a living, almost ever brand that there is out there.

Curious, what drill would you suggest for this setup given your experience with all these tools? I have seen the Milwauke Fuels with the handle snapped off a couple times.

Dan J, no offense but i dont think your pacemaker knows if your using the clam plate or holding onto the drill and handle. Having used both, i didnt see any difference at all, other than weight.

[ADKLakerTaker]

Getting the popcorn ready! Hope I don't miss much.

[Dan J]

Curious, what drill would you suggest for this setup given your experience with all these tools? I have seen the Milwauke Fuels with the handle snapped off a couple times.

Dan J, no offense but i dont think your pacemaker knows if your using the clam plate or holding onto the drill and handle. Having used both, i didnt see any difference at all, other than weight.

Talking about pulling the starter rope. It had nothing to do with drilling. Also was afraid of the torque from the drill if it got away from me or hung up at the bottom of the hole. The plate gives you a pretty steady grip. Hopefully you won't ever need a pacemaker, Good fishing

[MT204]

Curious, what drill would you suggest for this setup given your experience with all these tools? I have seen the Milwauke Fuels with the handle snapped off a couple times.

I would go with the Milwaukee 18v 4 ah battery for the longest run times.
I have yet to see a side handle on a Milwaukee fuel break!
The best warranty would be with the Ridgid 18v products IF you do the paper work and get the LSA!

[Shack man Shoney]

The clam auger plate is a nice upgrade to the drill augers. I haven't seen anyone yet that actually owns one who doesn't like it, as a matter of fact they were near impossible to find by February, thats how popular they became. It's kinda sad that the poster was excited to get a new toy for the hardwater season and some clown has to talk trash about something he OBVIOUSLY has no idea about. Let the guy enjoy his new purchase.

[BaitBucket]

It's kinda sad that the poster was excited to get a new toy for the hardwater season and some clown has to talk trash about something he OBVIOUSLY has no idea about. Let the guy enjoy his new purchase.

Except i owned one.. lol

[Retiredbum]

I just ordered the plate for my setup, Last year, I used my drill, And 6 inch lazer bit, and it worked great. But it caught in the ice, and almost ripped my wrist off. And honestly cut my hand. I am older, and it don't take much, I think the clam plate will give me more control, over the setup. Oh the drill was a Fuel 18. Hope to get it next week. I know they were sold out last season.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

http://youtu.be/31uDT8vRmhU

check out the video. Show's an 18volt drill with an 8in auger and clam plate. If it works like it shows in the video it could be the best thing since sliced bread!

I'm thinking I'll be glad I tried this route for an electric vs getting an ice gator or an ion.

[Retiredbum]

Great video, Thanks for sharing.  Last year our ice was very thick, 14 inches,  I would make five holes, One for jigging and four for traps, And at my age, I would be sweating, and shoulders ready to fall off, and hurt five days latter, LOL! The drill setup helped all of that. But the plate will be the cats meow!

[Agronomist_at_IA]

I'm 34 and lug around a jiffy model 30 that i bought about 10years ago. It's not to bad yet, but when i have all my gear in my voyager fish trap and have the auger in the back of it then try to load it into the back of my truck (sometimes alone) it sucks. I was looking for a lighter type auger and electric so i don't have the fuel leaking in my shack. This clam plate is going to be the cats meow. Plus I'm really digging the idea of putting the drill in reverse and cleaning the slush out of my hole ASAP!

[Crappyfishrman]

Throwing my .02 in. I think the plate will definetly make it easier to hold onto and no chance of hurting your wrist... But I don't see the life of the drill being any different. The stress of the auger is still on the motor and clutch. But hey, i only work with power tools everyday for work.


Stirring the pot haha

[Gills-only]

I'm 34 and lug around a jiffy model 30 that i bought about 10years ago. It's not to bad yet, but when i have all my gear in my voyager fish trap and have the auger in the back of it then try to load it into the back of my truck (sometimes alone) it sucks. I was looking for a lighter type auger and electric so i don't have the fuel leaking in my shack. This clam plate is going to be the cats meow. Plus I'm really digging the idea of putting the drill in reverse and cleaning the slush out of my hole ASAP!                         

                            When u go thru just hold the auger in plaace and it will "flush" the slush down the hole, very little skimming!!                 

[hardwater diehard]

Looking to get one myself this season ...going to pair it up to my DeWalt 20v max and a 6 in Lazer..mostly for late and early ice and one place with no gas augers allowed ..I only have the slim batteries but with two it should be just fine . My drill/auger combo skipped some as well as got bound up at the end of the hole ..I am sure its operator error ..hoping the Clam units fixes all that

[Dan J]

Looking to get one myself this season ...going to pair it up to my DeWalt 20v max and a 6 in Lazer..mostly for late and early ice and one place with no gas augers allowed ..I only have the slim batteries but with two it should be just fine . My drill/auger combo skipped some as well as got bound up at the end of the hole ..I am sure its operator error ..hoping the Clam units fixes all that

It's the type of auger you use, the Lazer is to aggressive. As I mentioned before you need a shaver blade like the Mora or Ion and a drill with the right rpm's and torque to get it to work right. As far as the drill holding up, only time will tell. I used the Milwaukee Fuel all last winter in Minnesota with good results. This year I think I'll use the gas auger after the ice gets 24 inches.

[BaitBucket]

If your drill has a side handle its worth saving the $50 to try it with the handle. The plate it nice but adds about 6lbs of weight. After having used the plate and the drill with the side handle, I noticed little to no difference.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

If your drill has a side handle its worth saving the $50 to try it with the handle. The plate it nice but adds about 6lbs of weight. After having used the plate and the drill with the side handle, I noticed little to no difference.

Where do you come up with 6lbs? On the site is says 3lbs.