Author Topic: ion auger (Read 5380 times)

SALMONEMIA · « **on:** Mar 16, 2015, 04:46 PM »

A few friends of mine have the Ion they are very happy but it is only there first season. Any multi season ion users have any feedback, Im gonna pull the trigger on a power auger for next year. Leaning to the ion.

fisherhawk55 · « **Reply #1 on:** Mar 16, 2015, 05:02 PM »

That's what I'm buying for next year the gas one is getting to be pita but still works as a back up ion is a good auger

SALMONEMIA · « **Reply #2 on:** Mar 16, 2015, 05:09 PM »

The fish will not be happy if I get a power auger.

fisherhawk55 · « **Reply #3 on:** Mar 16, 2015, 05:12 PM »

There in trouble if you can drill multiple holes quickly ,

NH Trout Fisherman · « **Reply #4 on:** Mar 16, 2015, 05:27 PM »

I have owned a few different power augers over the years. I currently have a Jiffy Pro4 which is still running well at the end of its 3rd season.

My friend John aka Just a Trout bought an Ion for this season but was unable to use it due to him needing a hip surgery. He let me use it during the rotary derby weekend to test it out.

Just my personal opinion here...

The advantage to the Ion is it is lightweight and alot quieter than other power augers.

However I drill an awful lot of holes and on a full charge it only cut me approx 25-28 holes through approx 16 inches of ice... im sure people will give different results but keep in mind all ice is different... this was approx 12"of black ice with 4" of white... obviously black ice is alot stronger so reports/results will vary.

The other thing i didnt care for as much was being a battery powered auger there is not really any variable speed/throttle as Im used to and prefer with the propane or gas auger. You only get one speed with the battery on and off...

So like anything else... it would come down to personal preference. I do like that it was light/quiet but weight isnt an issue for me at this time in my life so personally i like the propane as it will give me alot more holes and has more power.

fisherhawk55 · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 16, 2015, 05:42 PM »

The problem with propane is it cost a lot over time ,gas the smell if you get that stuff on your fingers Forget getting trout ,I like the electric because of tourqe and its light 24 holes is plenty for me ,

JIGGIN- · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 16, 2015, 07:33 PM »

i have a feeling that I'm about to highjack this thread.....sorry in advance Salmonemia.

I was speaking to scruffy just this past Sunday and he is thinking of going with a battery auger for next season. He told me they now make a 10" auger. He also said that it is very expensive with needing 2 batteries so he can keep one charged and rotate them out. He wants one for his grandsons who are now really getting into ice fishing, Mason and Garrett. Light weight to carry and remove out of the hole (thick ice / slush etc..) and easier for them to start. Made sense for his grandsons. Might be good for him too.

I have gas and a jiffy propane auger. I actually have a love / hate relationship with my propane auger. I love to hate it.....kidding. I like it because it does start up easily and great for inside the bob house. I hate it because of the plastic. It has another crack somewhere and is dripping oil. I gotta send it back after the season and see what Jiffy will do. This is my 3rd incidence since owning it. All 3 times were due to plastic although I'm sure it has something to do with me not babying it. This last crack I think is from putting it in my sled and towing it across the lake. Because of past problems (driving over it with my ATV etc) i try really hard to baby it. Sometimes you can't. i think the handle cracked the gear housing this time...need to take a better look at it.

Love my gas augers, they got their draw backs of course.

If i was going to look at another auger, i would seriously look at the Eskimo propane. I would not buy one till at least 2016 but more like 2017 season honestly. Let them go through their beta / proven concept period etc...They are all metal but Im not completely sold on the blade design...just used to the Jiffy's i guess.

i'm interested in hearing more about the battery operated augers but personally for me, i don't think they are an option.

Good Luck Salmonemia.

Altonbayicefishingfool · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 16, 2015, 07:45 PM »

This is my second season with my ION. Couldn't be happier. I'll never go back to gas.
The jiffy I had was a $450 auger, I couldn't sell that POS quick enough.
All a matter of opinion on the electric augers.

SALMONEMIA · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 16, 2015, 08:05 PM »

Quote from: Altonbayicefishingfool on Mar 16, 2015, 07:45 PM

This is my second season with my ION. Couldn't be happier. I'll never go back to gas.
The jiffy I had was a $450 auger, I couldn't sell that POS quick enough.
All a matter of opinion on the electric augers.

Is the batt original? New blades every year ?
Thanks

perch boy · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 06:06 AM »

I can't speak of the ion but I did have the Gator Attacker. The thing was probably the worst auger I have owned. Heavy, battery life sucked, and the gears stripped in it. I could not sell it quick enough. before that I was a Jiffy man Model 30 that sucker is also heavy from there the jiffy lightning nice and light but gas leaks, tough starts etc. now the Jiffy propane lite. light weight and no mess on it second season not problems yet. but two seasons in it is just getting broke in, we will see.
PB

jellyroll44 · « **Reply #10 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 06:25 AM »

Eskimo gas... I use tru fuel and it has run like a champ for 4-5 years now... I fish 2-3 times a week and drill about 10-30 holes a day... If your using gas and mixing it yourself all your issues are with the crap gas! These things are not made to run on ethanol! For 20-30 bucks in tru fuel a year well worth it !

JIGGIN- · « **Reply #11 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 06:59 AM »

Quote from: jellyroll44 on Mar 17, 2015, 06:25 AM

Eskimo gas... I use tru fuel and it has run like a champ for 4-5 years now... I fish 2-3 times a week and drill about 10-30 holes a day... If your using gas and mixing it yourself all your issues are with the crap gas! These things are not made to run on ethanol! For 20-30 bucks in tru fuel a year well worth it !

What mixture do you use with TruFuel? 50:1, 40:1 or 24:1?

burgerunh · « **Reply #12 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 07:12 AM »

Quote from: fisherhawk55 on Mar 16, 2015, 05:42 PM

The problem with propane is it cost a lot over time ,gas the smell if you get that stuff on your fingers Forget getting trout ,I like the electric because of tourqe and its light 24 holes is plenty for me ,

Propane may cost some money over time but wait until your Ion needs a new battery 5 or 6 years down the road. $150 for the battery as I recall. I would rather pay $3 for a cylinder of LP 2 or 3 times a year.

I am on my second season with my Pro 4 Lite. I am very happy with my purchase. I was tossed up between the Propane or Electric when I was buying. The major cost of a replacement battery 5 years down the road was my deciding factor. I realize that over the course of 5 years I may end up spending close to the $150 on LP however I personally would prefer to pay it out a few dollars at a time.

pmaloney86 · « **Reply #13 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 07:35 AM »

I've had an Ion for two years and for the style of ice fishing I do it is the perfect tool for the job. I can see pros and cons for both electric and propane (personally other than price I see no need for gas augers).

Ion Pros - Light weight, quiet, no smell (great for the shanty), no need to mix fuel, no need to buy fuel, comes in several sizes, adapter arm allows you to mount other auger flutes onto it, new ones come with reverse to flush out holes, blades can be professionally sharpened, blades aren't that expensive

Ion Cons - Pricey, battery will only last for about 35 holes through 20+ inches of ice, battery replacement costs (yet to determine how long mine will last), battery drain in the cold (can be resolved by placing battery in cooler w hand warmer when not in use), blades are made in china

Gas/Propane Pros - Mechanically inclined people can work on them themselves, can cut more holes on a single tank, appears to work better cutting 10 inch holes

Gas/Propane Cons - smell/exhaust, noisey, weight, fuel costs, tune up costs (for those not mechanically inclined)

I think depending on the type of fishing you do it will depend on what power auger fits your needs. I also think it depends if you can drive a truck, atv or snowmobile on the ice. The reduced weight was what sold me since I'm dragging all of my stuff by man power.

Altonbayicefishingfool · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 08:10 AM »

Quote from: SALMONEMIA on Mar 16, 2015, 08:05 PM

Is the batt original? New blades every year ?
Thanks

Same battery, same blades.. Haven't sharpened them yet.. This summer, still cuts nice holes!

perch_slayer · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 09:04 AM »

im pretty happy with my arm powered auger. i bought an eskimo silver tip a moth or so ago. i dont see what the point of a power auger is. just seems like extra weight to lug around and less money in my pocket.

ice fisher · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 10:56 AM »

You can refill the little propane cans with a gas grill tank yourself . Just seen it on youtube last week. I was thinking propane myself but just like my model 30 so much. Have had it 23 years no problems.

draz · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 11:12 AM »

I have a Gator, love the product, hate the company (customer support sucks, maybe they have fixed this). You might want to compare the 2. My friend has a ION and it is a nice piece of equipment. I prefer my gator over it though. I have had mine now 4 years. I use a 8" Lazer for a blade. Replaced the batteries once. After first year of use I didn't maintain batteries (my fault). I have since every month just put a 1x charge on it for the non-ice months. Also if batteries do die, you can just remove power head and use the handle that came with the hand auger, I have never carried mine, never had a need to. Just my .02

Good luck on your future purchase.

TheOutdoorsman · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 04:15 PM »

I suppose it is time for me to post a review about my ION, though I have yet to put a second year on it (but I will). I bought it at the beginning of the season, and have used it extensively in ice nearly deep enough for the entire flute in Northern Maine, though I haven't had to put on the 1-foot extension. The auger has yet to fail.

Blade sharpness: I have no intention of replacing the blades after this season unless something drastic happens, as the auger has not showed signs of slowing down. It cuts fast, I don't need a second speed.

Battery life: I drilled many holes for a group to set traps in on my Maine trip and did not deplete the battery even though I was sure I would. Out of all the days I've fished this year, I only just ran it out of battery this past weekend. I drilled approximately 50 holes through nearly two feet of ice...I turned an area of the lake into swiss cheese searching for fish. I was amazed at the battery life, though admittedly conditions were relatively mild and the top inch or so of the ice was pretty soft. Honestly, if you can't catch fish after searching and drilling 50 holes, you might as well give up that day anyway. I wouldn't expect more than 35 holes through 2 feet of ice on a really cold day...but still, I have done quite a bit of searching new water this year and as a one or two man crew, that is usually enough to move around and find fish. Those of you guys who drill your 2 to 6 holes per day and sit there won't even bring the battery down enough to notice it.

Battery warmth: I have left it out in the cold all day in windy, sub-zero weather (despite grumblings that the battery needs to be kept warm). It didn't seem to bother it, I still had power to drill through 2+ feet of ice.

Ease of use: Lighter than expected, and anybody can operate it. I can pull it behind me on foot, which is not something I would want to do with those propane augers.

In summary, it was worth every penny this year. Time will tell as far as longevity, but if I put it away right now, I'm confident that it would be ready to go next season with the occasional battery maintenance. But hey, there is still more ice fishing to do. If there is one con about the ION, it would be that if it breaks, I'm not going to be able to fix it. Then again, I probably wouldn't be able to fix a propane auger either...or a gas one unless it was a simple issue like a spark plug.

JIGGIN- · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 04:20 PM »

Nice report Outdoorsman. Appreciate the comments and field test input. I will pass it along to Scruffy.

Coffin Dodger · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 05:04 PM »

I used a gator for a bit last week and a few times before that.
I was

at how heavy it was and how awkward it is to get from hole to hole.
Not impressed.
Just my 2 cents.

SALMONEMIA · « **Reply #21 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 05:30 PM »

Quote from: TheOutdoorsman on Mar 17, 2015, 04:15 PM

I suppose it is time for me to post a review about my ION, though I have yet to put a second year on it (but I will). I bought it at the beginning of the season, and have used it extensively in ice nearly deep enough for the entire flute in Northern Maine, though I haven't had to put on the 1-foot extension. The auger has yet to fail.

Blade sharpness: I have no intention of replacing the blades after this season unless something drastic happens, as the auger has not showed signs of slowing down. It cuts fast, I don't need a second speed.

Battery life: I drilled many holes for a group to set traps in on my Maine trip and did not deplete the battery even though I was sure I would. Out of all the days I've fished this year, I only just ran it out of battery this past weekend. I drilled approximately 50 holes through nearly two feet of ice...I turned an area of the lake into swiss cheese searching for fish. I was amazed at the battery life, though admittedly conditions were relatively mild and the top inch or so of the ice was pretty soft. Honestly, if you can't catch fish after searching and drilling 50 holes, you might as well give up that day anyway. I wouldn't expect more than 35 holes through 2 feet of ice on a really cold day...but still, I have done quite a bit of searching new water this year and as a one or two man crew, that is usually enough to move around and find fish. Those of you guys who drill your 2 to 6 holes per day and sit there won't even bring the battery down enough to notice it.

Battery warmth: I have left it out in the cold all day in windy, sub-zero weather (despite grumblings that the battery needs to be kept warm). It didn't seem to bother it, I still had power to drill through 2+ feet of ice.

Ease of use: Lighter than expected, and anybody can operate it. I can pull it behind me on foot, which is not something I would want to do with those propane augers.

In summary, it was worth every penny this year. Time will tell as far as longevity, but if I put it away right now, I'm confident that it would be ready to go next season with the occasional battery maintenance. But hey, there is still more ice fishing to do. If there is one con about the ION, it would be that if it breaks, I'm not going to be able to fix it. Then again, I probably wouldn't be able to fix a propane auger either...or a gas one unless it was a simple issue like a spark plug.

Great write up Bro, Thanks,

68 TROUT · « **Reply #22 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 06:32 PM »

SALMONEMIA ....
Wanted to wait until my season was over before posting.
My Brother-In-Law bought an ION 8" Cut w/reverse, with an additional battery, for me.
I purchased an Eskimo NEW back in 2008, too heavy for me these days, but,
was and is a beast !! If it has 10 hours on it, I would be surprised...
NOW, I need to sell it ....
About the ION, I have a 1/4 acre pond on my property, trout filled.
Both my B-I-L & myself are up there, in age, so we pretty much hit the pond.
The ION was so easy to use, lightweight, Battery never failed, QUIET OMG,
cut through 2' + of ice over & over, cuts like butter, when breaking through,
we just hit the reverse and it pretty much cleaned the hole, NICE...
Experienced black ice, snow covered black ice, snow covered slush-water-white/black ice,
heavy snow over slush break through to water to ice...
You know the drill, we all experienced it this season....
Given what we put the ION through this season, I will NEVER go back to gas...
Hope this helps, like THEOUTDOORSMANS said " it was worth every penny this year" !!
It is not going to be everyone's favorite, but, it helps to post and let others decide...
Time For Soft Water & Tight Lines

FishSlayer20 · « **Reply #23 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 06:39 PM »

Quote from: JIGGIN- on Mar 17, 2015, 06:59 AM

What mixture do you use with TruFuel? 50:1, 40:1 or 24:1?

I use trufuel 40-1 in both my jiffys, easy to hall and there's no gas all over the vechile and ice fishing gear.

JIGGIN- · « **Reply #24 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 07:02 PM »

Quote from: FishSlayer20 on Mar 17, 2015, 06:39 PM

I use trufuel 40-1 in both my jiffys, easy to hall and there's no gas all over the vechile and ice fishing gear.

Thank you.

SALMONEMIA · « **Reply #25 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 07:18 PM »

Thanks 68 trout

Flagging · « **Reply #26 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 07:52 PM »

I purchased an ion about midway through the season after having a lot of trouble with a hand me down gas jiffy. For the most part it has been good, same benefits others already mentioned. I would say that when my battery life is about halfway down, two green lights for those that own them, the torque drops way down and the bit struggles, if not stops, near the bottom of 16"+ of ice. I'm guessing it may be hit or miss related to the battery because most people are not complaining about this, though in researching the issue others do report it. Also to note, I purchased the ice anchor tool that comes with a quick disconnect changing attachment for the auger bit & tool. With the thicker ice this time of year, the disconnect mechanism was getting engaged as the powerhead got near the ice. I say "was" because my bit is now at the bottom of Winni. All in all the ion has been good for me but definitely seems like Ill need to charge the battery after every outting, regardless of time between. Not positive I would make the same purchase again given I also got an atv this year but also I'm not disappointed I own one.

fisherhawk55 · « **Reply #27 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 08:18 PM »

What they should do for electric augers is install a solar panel on top so it can trickle charge on the ice or you can ad one after you buy it

WhereDaRainbows · « **Reply #28 on:** Mar 17, 2015, 10:02 PM »

Quote from: fisherhawk55 on Mar 17, 2015, 08:18 PM

What they should do for electric augers is install a solar panel on top so it can trickle charge on the ice or you can ad one after you buy it

I think your on to something there man that's a cool idea

BrianF · « **Reply #29 on:** Mar 18, 2015, 05:49 AM »

I keep wanting an electric auger and really considered the ion this year. Bought a clam plate for a drill and bit add-on but never got to try it this year. My jiffy was used this year but dealing with the fuel and weight is a constant reminder that I want an electric. The ion seems like a good fit but as others have stated the battery replacement is expensive and also dependant on the company being around enough to supply that in the future. Kind of why I like the clam plate concept. But was greedy looking for a sale on a nils bit and inventory dried up on them.

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Author Topic: ion auger (Read 5380 times)