IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: BWB-ice on Apr 25, 2019, 08:52 AM
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Ok, this "old guy" is tired of drilling holes in the ice while I watch some other guys with the newer electric ice augers that make it look so easy. I think its time to invest in one but which one!?!?!?
Can I get peoples opinions on what they've tried, liked, disliked, pluses/minuses, etc.
I'm sure there are other folks who would be interested in this info as well.
MUCH APPRECIATION in advance....
Thanks!
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Ok, this "old guy" is tired of drilling holes in the ice while I watch some other guys with the newer electric ice augers that make it look so easy. I think its time to invest in one but which one!?!?!?
Can I get peoples opinions on what they've tried, liked, disliked, pluses/minuses, etc.
I'm sure there are other folks who would be interested in this info as well.
MUCH APPRECIATION in advance....
Thanks!
Trophy Strike, 120 volt. Do a search for them on here and you'll find a wealth of info.
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Hard to beat cordless drill augers for light weight, versatility and convenience.
Drills: Milwaukee drill or Milwaukee Mud Mixer, DeWalt or Ridgid 1/2" Heavy Duty cordless drills
Augers: Nils, Lazer, Eskimo Pistol Bit, Mora, K-Drill and Nero
My go-to auger is the 26" section of a Nils Arctic Trekker Auger with an 8" Power Point head powered by a Milwaukee Mud Mixer. I also own a Milwaukee cordless drill, a Clam Plate and a K-Drill as backups in case of some kind of catastrophic failure of my main auger components.
There are many fine choices and combinations.
DN
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If you want a 10” hole Strikemaster is the only way to go. 8” or less and the Ion, or drill + auger set up seems to be fine.
I got a 10” Strikemaster this year. Best purchase I have made for ice fishing yet besides a flasher.
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I have an 8" Ion - no complaints at all - I know Strikemaster also makes good one as well.
I have used my Ion on Lake Winnipeg the past couple of years. If you are pan fishing and want something super light then go with a K Drill and a good Milwaukee drill - you won't be disappointed.
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The Ion guys will say that Ion is far and away the best. The Strikemaster 40v guys will say that Strikemaster is far and away the best. The cordless drill guys will say that drills are far and away the best.
The fact of the matter is that all of them are great. If weight is your #1 priority, a drill with a hand auger bit is the lightest. If battery life, the feel of a traditional auger, and/or torque/power is your priority, then get the Ion or Strikemaster.
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The ION is far and away the best... ;D ;D. Ive got the 6 inch, but will be getting the 8inch bit this off season. Great drill, never have run out of juice, and ive had some days I drill alot of holes. If you fish with a flasher/transducer in the same hole, then def get the 8...A buddy of mine had the drill set up, but didnt like the torque, but see alot of them out there. I had an Icegator prior, and love being able to just pick up the auger and drill baby drill. I think you will be happy with whatever quality auger you get.....good luck.
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I run a Milwaukee M 18 with six inch Nils and seven inch Nero when I want bigger holes. The Nils is way smoother than the Nero.That being said I think they are all pretty good, you have pick what suits you best. By the way I'm done with gas. The electric augers smart every time.
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I have used strikermaster electric 40v two seasons now, LOVE IT< forward, reverse so much easier to get out of the hole. Silent. Strikemaster drills faster then ION, but thats in the blade design more then the drill I would guess....Great youtubes out there type in comparisons and see for your self. IF you only panfish fish a drill plate might be the way to go, if you still use tip ups the other two would be my vote.
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I've used the ION for 4 seasons now and have had no issues. Went from the 6" auger bit to the 8" when I started using an Ice-Well Live-Well and both worked fine drilling holes in +24" ice. The 8" auger bit is the newer model with the matte black guard ring and also has a centering chisel point. I haven't used any other electrics to compare, but I have no reservations in recommending the ION - it's been a solid performer for me.
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I haven't really seen anybody hate their electric auger, no matter which you choose. I do recall reading some complaints about the Ice Gators, but that was before I got serious about ice fishing. I personally use a Milwaukee 2704-20 drill with a 5.0ah battery on my 8" Nils and drilled 30+ holes in 20-26" of ice in Michigan this winter on a single battery. I'm extremely happy with my setup. I bought a backup head for my Nils, but my original from 3 years ago still cuts like butter. My complaint against the Nils is the expense, and having to carry an entire cutting head as backup. Whereas with a Lazer or Mora, you can conveniently carry a spare set of blades and hardly notice.
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I've got a Rapala Nitro 43 cc gas operated ice auger. I cost me about 250 dollars a few years ago and I just love it. It weighs a few pounds more than an electric auger. The Ion here in Canada sells for 900 dollars. I don't have the budget for such an item. Is there a less expensive solution? I only make a maximum of 5 or 6 holes each outing. It has to make at least 8 inch holes.
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dabluz, I was a gas auger guy for 40+ years. I finally went with a Milwaukee Fuel M-18 brushless drill. Got it at Home Depot for $250 and came with 2 5ah batteries and charger. Hooked up to a standard Strikemaster Mora 8" auger with a Clam plate attached. Much more powerful than the Porter Cable 20V brushless drill i was using. Cuts as fast as my friends 40V Strikemaster he paid $700 for. One battery will cut well over 50 eight inch holes through 14" of solid ice. And the nice thing is, you can use the drill for chores around the house in the off season. You don't necessarily need the Clam plate either. I just had a gift certificate so I used it. I have three Jiffy gas augers I acquired over the years that go unused at this point. Electric is definitely the way to go for ease of use (pull the trigger and they go), eco friendly (no gas to play around with), and quiet (especially if you have permission to fish a private lake and you are there very early in the AM). Just my opinion mind you. Good luck .
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After you buy the cordless drill from all the good info listed in the above posts, spend another $70 and buy a Clam conversion drill plate and attach your favorite auger section to the bottom side and your cordless drill to the top side. The Clam conversion drill plate gives you the comfortable handles the same as a gas power auger and the safety to hold the drill unit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/HVNjW8fr/Clam-Ice-Auger-Drill-Plate.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HVNjW8fr)
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I agree with Perch, I used my Milwaukee 2704 attached directly to my 8" Fin Bore, it worked fine but you had to be careful not to wrench you wrist IF the drill binds. I upgraded to the plate and I couldn't be happier.
The Clam Plate makes drilling easier, just like a gas power auger.
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I have an 8in ION X, one of the first ones, had a few issues with it but ION was quick to resolve and its been just fine since. Never had an issue with not cutting enough holes. Primarily use this when walleye fishing. This last season, I got a 6in K-Drill with a Milwaukee drill (2804 I think?), this is great and use it more often than the ION X. I have fully drained a battery, got about 20 holes thru 20in of ice before it was dead, but the drill came with 2 batteries and I got a deal when they were giving a 3rd battery for free.
Have no complaints with either, but the K-Drill and Cordless drill is much more handy when you are concerned about weight for transporting it or space it takes up when transporting
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My wrist/hand is still jacked up now from my Milwaukee/Kdrill spinning my wrist on me back in early March... would recommend the clam plate to protect against this. Electrics are awesome...game changer for weight. I can carry my kdrill in one hand, my bucket/marcum/rod in the other and fish a lot of water very quickly on foot. Never thought it would be possible with a power auger.
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Ok, this "old guy" is tired of drilling holes in the ice while I watch some other guys with the newer electric ice augers that make it look so easy. I think its time to invest in one but which one!?!?!?
Can I get peoples opinions on what they've tried, liked, disliked, pluses/minuses, etc.
Thanks!
This is a picture of the Clam Plate assembled with a drill and auger of your choice. You can buy an extension from Clam for the auger when ice get real thick.
(https://i.postimg.cc/QHFtS49Q/Clam-Plate-with-drill-and-auger.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QHFtS49Q)