Visit the Team Iceshanty Proshop
Problem with cordless drills is if you arent always using and charging the battrys won't last and replacements are about as much as a new set up. I would suggest buying a 6 or 8" Nils hand auger, fast and nearly effortless. We run cordless quipment at work every day and have for years, sometimes yu'll get several years out of a battery sometimes a month. As far as brands basicly you get what you pay for, cheap drills sold at Wal Mart are basicly junk, Crafstmans are ok but not built like the industrial types like Bosh, DeWalt, Makita ect.
.....And for the 19.2volt ni cad craftsman they won't even cut 2 holes, till they start smmmokin. So in my opinion don't by a Wally World special.
My little 18 Lith Hitachi says your wrong .... You cant power through the ice ... You have to finesse it.
from what I read in here, you have to keep them warm, stick them in your pocket.done checked out the pawn shop, didn't find one Lithium and I don't want NICAD. I don't drill allot of holes and I don't go everyday. So I would not be using it allot. A guy I know who lives on Nyona Lake has a Craftsman, He's out there every mourning and evening and drills lots of holes. He uses a Craftsman 19.2 lith. So until I can get a better one I am leaning towards the Sears so far. I sell on ebay, except for this time of year when I take a month vacation. So I go to allot of estate auctions. Maybe I can pick up a good used dewalt in the future and sell what ever I end up buying on ebay. Even Dewalts go bad. My son bought one new 2+ years ago, uses it at work and he said the clutch is going out. So I guess even the best ones can go bad.
And for the 19.2volt ni cad craftsman they won't even cut 2 holes, till they start smmmokin. :%$
I am wanting to get away from the hand crank auger, shoulder/back problems. I do have a Gas Strikemaster but stopped using it to lighten up my load. with the snow on I can't walk a city block without stopping 2-3 times for a rest. Man I am in the worst shape of my life and I'm only 56.
Don't take this the wrong way, but maybe get into better shape? I was in the same shape a year ago, 55 years old, pushing 290 lbs, and couldn't drag my gear 100 yards w/o resting. I lost 55 lbs since then, and work out 2-4 times a week. Amazing what I can do now that I couldn't then.
Buy the Craftsman. If it ever breaks, lifetime warranty. They'll replace it. I used my 18v Milwaukee on a friends 6" lazer the other day and punched 27 holes on one battery in 8". I'm very happy with that kind of performance. I'm ordering the conversion unit myself. And I'll likely be using the same 18v drill; though I've several in 18 and 24 volt to use. The NiMH has a better power flow than most other batteries.
Are you talking about the guy on the yellow 4 wheeler that always wears the green coveralls and orange hat?