Hey stinky I run a new ridged-kovac-clam extension-Nero auger and there is little to no wobble. That is only true on my first hole and then I feel a little bit of looseness. It is the wing nut connecting my clam extension to the kovac. It loosens by just the slightest bit from bung hole tight and creates a little wobble. I intend to replace the wing nut with an Allen bolt that should have my system rock solid.I'll see what I can figure out on my end. The only real downside to the Clam that I've found is that slop built into the shaft bearing. Having said that, it's a good way to help grapple with all that torque.
Just a few observations.Poopoo parade has arrived.
Its warm out with white (soft) ice.
17.4 lbs is heavy. My fuel setup weighs 11lbs.
Otherwise I'm sure it works just fine! ;D
Poopoo parade has arrived.
I bet you don't have a nils auger, they're like 5 lbs heavier than other hand augers or the k-drill.
Great job on the video. Very informative.Thanks.
I wish all the features and benefits videos we see posted were as well executed as yours. Simple and to the point. No BS. That's a hot knife rig you have there. I had my 8" NilsI initially thought I’d have to get a clam plate, but after what I felt this weekend, I won’t. It was more than comfortable. The frame on the octane is a little bigger than the Milwaukee 1200, so I think that helped with the stability as well.
rigged to a Fuel last year but it never cut as smoothly as you show. I added a Clam plate to give more control and that helped and this year went with the Ridgid Octane spinning a
7" Nero. The Clam plate seems to add a wobble element that's not present in your setup. I'm going to try strapping the Nero directly to the Octane this weekend, maybe with a
Kovac adaptor and see if I can get that wobble out of there. It cuts well but it feels like a 7" Nero is boring an 8" hole.
Just a few observations.Definitely a little heavier than some set ups. The Nils is 100% steel which packs a few extra pounds on. The octane is a little heavier as well.
Its warm out with white (soft) ice.
17.4 lbs is heavy. My fuel setup weighs 11lbs.
Otherwise I'm sure it works just fine! ;D
For those using shaver blades, like the nero or mora. Does the auger catch at the end of the hole?
For me they do, always have even doing it by hand.I’ve tried a strikemaster and Eskimo hand auger, both shaver and both wanted to bind up at the bottom of the hole.
pmaloney86 - I am using the Ridgid Octane hammer drill with a new 7" Mora and yes there is a pretty harsh catch as I break thru the bottom of the ice... that is really my only complaint about the setup as I came from a 700+lb brushless Hitachi hammer drill and 6" lazer and did not experience this same type of catch. It definitely helps to lift up on the auger, but I was not able to eliminate the "catch" completely.
Thank you! I ended up getting the clam conversion kit due to this. My girlfriend and less experienced people will be using it and I don't want anyone getting hurt.Sounds like a good plan! Thinking this rigid would be rough with an auger that bit at the end of a cut.
I wish all the features and benefits videos we see posted were as well executed as yours. Simple and to the point. No BS. That's a hot knife rig you have there. I had my 8" Nils
rigged to a Fuel last year but it never cut as smoothly as you show. I added a Clam plate to give more control and that helped and this year went with the Ridgid Octane spinning a
7" Nero. The Clam plate seems to add a wobble element that's not present in your setup. I'm going to try strapping the Nero directly to the Octane this weekend, maybe with a
Kovac adaptor and see if I can get that wobble out of there. It cuts well but it feels like a 7" Nero is boring an 8" hole.
And nice video Pike
Used my Octane with a Eskimo 8in. hand auger for the first time, you had better hang on when it breaks through or it will pull you right down to the ice. Man this thing really cuts though. I put it on a Clam Plate and can't imagine running it without one. I used a universal extension because I could not find a 12in. Ion. I can't believe how much bang and pop there is with this set up, I guess it's just the brake in the drill but sure makes a lot of noise. Not sure if it would help using the Ion extension instead of the Trophy Angler universal extension?Im not sure, I don't have any experiences with these extensions. But I could see where the breakthrough bite could be rough with the shave type blades. I don't feel any bite with my nils, so thinking I wont need a clam plate.
I used my Octane with a Mora 6" on a Clam plate last weekend and I thought it worked great. Very little grab, blew through the 5" of ice we had. I love it! I may get an extension and sell my Strike Master Lite.
I used my Octane with a Mora 6" on a Clam plate last weekend and I thought it worked great. Very little grab, blew through the 5" of ice we had. I love it! I may get an extension and sell my Strike Master Lite.Awesome. Glad it worked well for you. I’ve thought about selling my Strikemaster Lazer Pro too, if I didn’t fish for pike so much I’d get rid of it. I like the 10” for late season!
I can’t wait to try this, got my 7” Nero the other day, Rigid is coming for Christmas. I’m going to start out without the clam plate and see what happens.I thought all you guys typing Nero was just an auto correct for Nils. Just checked out the Nero and it looks like a nice little auger. Saw a vid of a guy using one with a drill and I looked like it ripped!
I’m going to start out without the clam plate and see what happens.
Did you have a extension?
Just a few observations.
Its warm out with white (soft) ice.
17.4 lbs is heavy. My fuel setup weighs 11lbs.
Otherwise I'm sure it works just fine! ;D
Hoping your username isn't a premonition of the condition of your wrist...
Let us know how she flys, good luck!!
<°)))>{
Now you guys are making me nervous! Is this catching because of the type of auger? Or the drills power just makes it worse? Seems like the videos I’ve watched online you can’t really see the augers catching
Just a few observations.i see white ice being cut and black ice being cut. from the sounds of his parents creepers, it is very hard ice.
Its warm out with white (soft) ice.
17.4 lbs is heavy. My fuel setup weighs 11lbs.
Otherwise I'm sure it works just fine! ;D
lazer augers seem to catch at the bottom of the hole. more so if you have heavy items weighing it down like clam plates and big batteries. these hand auger were meant for the the weight of the handle to beon top if this helps you better understand. the drill isn't making it catch, other than the added weight, it's the pitch and how much ice the auger is removing per revolution. as said to work around any auger catching is lift it some so it can't take as much material and does more shaving as it nears the water or break thru point.
i see white ice being cut and black ice being cut.
your weighing your fuel with a 9 amp battery? must be a super light battery.
the fuel and octane have been weighed by stinkyfingers and they are only 6 OZ''s different w/o battery.
Fortunately it appears that Pike has the upper body strength to handle that big bad 17lb auger.I’m not complaining , beat my 10” strikemaster by about 12lbs.
90% black ice, with the top white ice still being very dense. Starting temp was 0, got up to 20 with 5-10mph wind so it was solid all day.
i see white ice being cut and black ice being cut. from the sounds of his parents creepers, it is very hard ice.
your weighing your fuel with a 9 amp battery? must be a super light battery.
the fuel and octane have been weighed by stinkyfingers and they are only 6 OZ's different w/o battery.
I’ll be going with the rigid and 9ah battery...I think I’ll be alright, just reading through some stuff i was afraid I’d drill a hole and end up with a sprained wrist. I was kind of hoping to avoid a clam plate so I could use the drill to set tent anchors if neededThe handle that comes with the octane gives a lot stability, I doubt you’d NEED the clam plate.
The handle that comes with the octane gives a lot stability, I doubt you’d NEED the clam plate.
I can’t wait to try this, got my 7” Nero the other day, Rigid is coming for Christmas. I’m going to start out without the clam plate and see what happens.
Thanks for the review. I had just recieved my Milwaukee 1200 inch pound hammer drill and two 5ah batteries when I saw the deal for the Rigid. I was able to return the Milwaukee and ordered the Rigid right away. It showed up yesterday and finally got a chance to get it out of the box and register the drill and battery. The side handle is bigger than the Milwaukee and I think it will work better in the long run. Now to get the temps back in the freezing zone so I can get out there and try this thing out with my Nils 8" convertible.
(Work bench is a little messy while im working on my snowmobile clutches)
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Just went and drilled a few holes with mine connected to a 7" lazer hand anger. Drill wouldn't run in speed 2 on the ice only speed 1. Got home and inside and it would turn the auger just fine on speed 2. Drilled a few holes on speed one and was impressed. Catching at the bottom of the hole wasnt too bad just need to brace the drill against my hip.None of the drills will run in Speed 2.
Just went and drilled a few holes with mine connected to a 7" lazer hand anger. Drill wouldn't run in speed 2 on the ice only speed 1. Got home and inside and it would turn the auger just fine on speed 2. Drilled a few holes on speed one and was impressed. Catching at the bottom of the hole wasnt too bad just need to brace the drill against my hip.I did the same thing. Wont work on #2. Used it again today, tried the hammer setting and really liked it. Seem to drill a little lower, but maybe have a little more power.
BATTERY UPDATE!!You drilled out holes in hammer mode??? I bet your blades loved that experience!!!
Used the drill again today. Did not charge the battery after last time. Drilled another 30 holes and the battery just dropped to 50%. Total of about 80 holes +/-. About 10" of ice today. Switched the settings to the hammer setting, and it seemed to drill a little slower, but have more power. So far, this drill is amazing!!
BATTERY UPDATE!!
Used the drill again today. Did not charge the battery after last time. Drilled another 30 holes and the battery just dropped to 50%. Total of about 80 holes +/-. About 10" of ice today. Switched the settings to the hammer setting, and it seemed to drill a little slower, but have more power. So far, this drill is amazing!!
BATTERY UPDATE!!
Used the drill again today. Did not charge the battery after last time. Drilled another 30 holes and the battery just dropped to 50%. Total of about 80 holes +/-. About 10" of ice today. Switched the settings to the hammer setting, and it seemed to drill a little slower, but have more power. So far, this drill is amazing!!
It's going to get a lot slower very soon.... Better get to know Frank....Really!! Guess Ill have to double check the drill. Didn't seem like much difference from the drill setting. Just seemed slower. Am I missing something??
don't use hammer setting. keep it in drill mode.Good to know gentleman!! Thanks for letting know.
I think he is using 5amp battery and lighter auger. Most of difference is in the auger. You want the Cadillac or Prius?
You might want to get a smaller battery for around the house. I have the older Drill with 4 ah batteries and it is good for both.
My Rigid octane drill and battery showed up Saturday but the adapter didn't until today so first chance to try. I convinced myself I needed this only because the lifetime warranty I would use for household use and it would replace my 20 year riobyi and 6 batteries that no longer hold a charge for beans. Thoughts on drill with battery - very heavy for household use, you would be hard pressed to use this all day above your head on a project.Great review of your set up. I could definitely see where shaver blades could be problematic. I see Octane drill excelling with the Nils and K-drill. I had zero grab at the bottom of the hole using my 8” Nils. Thanks for sharing your findings.
Adapter - initially I looked for the ht enterprises adapter as a choice to pair with my very lightly used 8" fin bore but all on back order and some poor reviews about 3/8" bit snapping. Ended up with the Kovac adapter. Put it on today, tremendous amount of slop at connection, enough so that I will look to shim somehow, even if only with a few wraps of electrical tape.
Assembled - took it on the pond and drilled 5 holes to try through 6-7"of good hard ice. Lowest speed setting, on drill, highest torque. Jumps around pretty good until you get it started as this style of bit has no center point and I believe what you guys all call shaver blades, not rippers. Once started, it eats ice but binds pretty severely as you get ready to break through. You definitely want it propped against your leg and have the extension handle attached in my opinion. It even cracked the plastic part of the wingnut that goes through kovac adapter and bit. I have a 14 year old son and feel more comfortable with him using the 10" jiffy with ripper blade than this accordingly. Other style bits like the nils may not experience as much of a grab, not sure.
Overall weight - about 15 pounds, certainly lighter than a 10" jiffy but not a "lightweight" option if that makes sense.
Final - Initially, I can only give it a "C", it might grow on me or I might send it back. Going to give it a fair test this weekend. I'll update.
That's just my honest, out of the gate assessment. Good luck in your decisions on this product and application. If you are only looking at this product as dedicated to ice fishing paired with the right bit, you might enjoy. Piker's result on battery life thus far seems outstanding also. :tipup:
Great review of your set up. I could definitely see where shaver blades could be problematic. I see Octane drill excelling with the Nils and K-drill. I had zero grab at the bottom of the hole using my 8” Nils. Thanks for sharing your findings.
Thanks!
Well done. I have 2 8" nils flights sitting collecting dust and one more connected to the Tanaka still. Guess I know what to do next!LOL. This drill parred with a NILS is a BEAST. Let us know how you like it.
Hey stinky I run a new ridged-kovac-clam extension-Nero auger and there is little to no wobble. That is only true on my first hole and then I feel a little bit of looseness. It is the wing nut connecting my clam extension to the kovac. It loosens by just the slightest bit from bung hole tight and creates a little wobble. I intend to replace the wing nut with an Allen bolt that should have my system rock solid.
Anecdotes aside, give me the math. It'd be a hoot if one of the hundreds of engineers out there would map the optimal torque/rpm ranges for each hand auger. That info alone might change the way folks look at what equipment to buy.
UPDATE! Drilled another 30 holes through 12” of ice. Totaling +/- 100-110 holes without charging. Battery still on 1/2 charge. Still no complaints!
That's awesome! Going to try and get out here soon and give things a go. Ice is finally coming back after the warm up we had.
Wow!!! how many holes have you drilled though 12" of ice on half a battery total now???First day: +\- 50 holes in 7-8” of ice.
First day: +\- 50 holes in 7-8” of ice.Well done!!! I am curious when you will need to change/recharge your first battery..... the way its going could be some time in February... tight lines!!!
Second day: +\- 30 holes through 10” of ice.
Third day/today: +\-30 holes in 12” of ice.
Still at 50%
Well done!!! I am curious when you will need to change/recharge your first battery..... the way its going could be some time in February... tight lines!!!I’m running it till it dies. Hoping to get another 2 outing with it.
If you have a smart phone you can download the ridged battery app and find out the exact percentage of your battery pike fisherman!Interesting. I’ll have to figure that out
I'll post what I've done with my fuel setup as a comparison.
1200 fuel 5AH batt /clamplate/Mora. I have both 6" and 8" flytes.
Been using the 8" a couple times. First time thru 10" of clear hard ice at -11F got 30 holes.
Next time was 14" of clear hard ice at 20F got like 25 holes.
Drilled easily 100 holes with the 6" thru 5" of soft ice with only 1 bar used on the batt. ;D
Interesting. I’ll have to figure that out
I don’t know if this is big news, but here is a link for special purchase price at Home Depot. You buy the 9.0 Ah battery and your choice of bare tool. You can get the Octane drill and 9 Ah batterytogether, and it comes out to $181 with tax and shipping. I was at the store and there are no deals li’e this one.
https://slickdeals.net/f/12004847-ridgid-9-0ah-hyper-octane-starter-kit-with-free-bare-tool-of-choice
Anyone else have where the handle connects to the drill strip off? Those little metal tabs are gone off my drill after a few uses where the auger caught and twisted the handle causing them to strip off. Pretty poor design if you ask me, needs more to grab onto.oh man.i havent got to use mine yet but thats the exact reason I bought the clam plate.
Anyone else have where the handle connects to the drill strip off? Those little metal tabs are gone off my drill after a few uses where the auger caught and twisted the handle causing them to strip off. Pretty poor design if you ask me, needs more to grab onto.
I was so excited to try out the Rigid Octane, Clam drill plate on a 7 inch Mora auger. Now after reading other post I am very concerned. The drill is a beast that is for sure. I just hope with this wobble it has now won't translate when it is cutting holes.same here only 8" mora.dont fret over anything yet.wait till you try it out cutting ice..the plate is not made to have tight tolerances.sounds like we either deal with some wobble or break the handle off the drill.
same here only 8" mora.dont fret over anything yet.wait till you try it out cutting ice..the plate is not made to have tight tolerances.sounds like we either deal with some wobble or break the handle off the drill.I think everyone should wait and see. I personally think I got a bad Clam Plate. This is the first I have heard of the tabs breaking off the Drills. Hopefully it is an isolated thing.
Anyone else have where the handle connects to the drill strip off? Those little metal tabs are gone off my drill after a few uses where the auger caught and twisted the handle causing them to strip off. Pretty poor design if you ask me, needs more to grab onto.Could you post what type Auger you was using? Might help others by slowing down at break through.
same here only 8" mora.dont fret over anything yet.wait till you try it out cutting ice..the plate is not made to have tight tolerances.sounds like we either deal with some wobble or break the handle off the drill.
And I drilled 267 8" holes through 29" if hard clear ice when it was -20 with a wind chill of -49 with my 20v craftsman and 2 ah battery. See what I did there? All joking aside, it looks like the Ridgid is just as good as the fuels but for way, way cheaper. At least for now.
Anyone else have where the handle connects to the drill strip off? Those little metal tabs are gone off my drill after a few uses where the auger caught and twisted the handle causing them to strip off. Pretty poor design if you ask me, needs more to grab onto.I’m 100 holes in and no problem with mine!
Anyone else have where the handle connects to the drill strip off? Those little metal tabs are gone off my drill after a few uses where the auger caught and twisted the handle causing them to strip off. Pretty poor design if you ask me, needs more to grab onto.
Ill take some pics when I get home. Its the Ridgid Octane drill turning a 7" strikemaster laser auger. I had them aligned when I put the handle on, just doesn't seem like there is enough material there to grab onto. Ill return it to home depot and get a new one. Love the set up for hole hopping and getting a ton of holes per charge.
I would like to see the pictures of what broke....
Update please? What exactly broke? Did you get it replaced?I’d be interested to see as well
^^^This.
I took my extension off and went outside and ran mine with the cover on top of a plastic 5 gallon bucket lid.it does wobble but with a little pressure put on the bit it transfers into the plate that kind of rocks around.so once a hole is started in ice I believe the bit will be true cutting but you will notice it in the plate handles.acted the same with or without extension.fwiw.i know its not a good test but im getting antsy to get this thing cutting some ice.and if it doesn’t im out of the drill gang.lol
Sorry guys just forgot to get on here the last few days. Not the greatest pictures but you can see where it stripped off. Also I can't tighten the handle down further onto a different position on the drill. Wont tighten up for me. Wondering if maybe I just got a bad handle
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Sorry guys just forgot to get on here the last few days. Not the greatest pictures but you can see where it stripped off. Also I can't tighten the handle down further onto a different position on the drill. Wont tighten up for me. Wondering if maybe I just got a bad handleWell, the next question is do you live within driving distance from a LSA dealer? If not your going to have to send it all in to be repaired. A friend of mine paid to ship it and waited 5 weeks for it to return.... Just a heads up.
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oh man.i havent got to use mine yet but thats the exact reason I bought the clam plate.Met dr speckler today! Seen it in action. That baby rips! Did you need extra to attach to auger? Or clam plate only.
I'm nowhere near a lsa or even a home depot. Talked to home depot and they are going to send me a whole new drill when they come in stock and ill ship mine back. I took the handle apart and it seems like it needs more threads on the bolt to be able to tighten it down more. Hopefully the new one solves my problems because I love the set upgood call. 90 day hassle free returns. glad to see them work with you long distance.
The more I use mine, the more I enjoy and am impressed. Probably up to 50 holes now, still at 2 bars. Have been leaving it sitting out in cold purposely and we've had some cold days. As far as the auxiliary handle. I have just gotten nto the habit of making sure its "snub" everytime I grab it, no problems. It's been great for walking trips, we'll see what it does when ice gets thick.Are we up to a B rating yet??
Met dr speckler today! Seen it in action. That baby rips! Did you need extra to attach to auger? Or clam plate only.you can run just the clam plate and mora but its short.i had the extension on mine so I wasn't bent over drilling but its not needed.
Are we up to a B rating yet??
I was just thinking. If it's snowing blowing sleet mist rain, do you bring drill in or cover it? That to me would be a downfall, with gas auger I can just leave it out
Is this unit over kill for a 6" Nils hand auger?
Yes, I think so. Battery life and longevity is what has impressed me most. So far, i have found myself taking alot more old school simple trips with this unit, packbasket, blue tarp, bait, and the ridgid, not even a jet sled, walk out and fish. Reminds me of being a kid again, except we had to use a dull chisel.😁 We'll see what it does through 18" before the rank goes any higher.Glad to see your liking it so far.
I was just thinking. If it's snowing blowing sleet mist rain, do you bring drill in or cover it? That to me would be a downfall, with gas auger I can just leave it out. Not going because of weather is not a option lolI carry a thick plastic bag with me just in case
it's too good of a deal for anyone to pass up on, even if they don't need it. you can pick other free tool choices. if you have a smart phone grab their app and you'll have bluetooth options for the battery that are nice.
don't forget to register your new tools right away and they have a 90 hassle free return policy if any thing happens to it or you don't like it. check your aux handle thru out the day that it is where it needs to be and tight.
229 for the auger sounds like the eskimo pistol or k-drill.
I'd like to add for safety sake, just like your firearm, get used to selecting the off switch(safety) after drilling a hole. You don't want that blade spinning when you don't want it spinning.This is great advice. Years ago I cut myself pretty good on my knee cause the auger spun when I didn’t want it to. I wasn’t being careless it was an unfortunate accident. I think I was trying to remove the auger from the chuck on the drill. My finger accidentally hit the trigger. I ended up with about an inch long cut that was probably 1/16-1/8” deep. Needed a stitch to close it up.
Definitely the best Drill Deal this year.
Finally got out on the ice this past weekend. Punched about 60 holes give or take with the Rigid Octane Nils 8" convertible combo and wish I had tried this a long time ago. Kinda the same feeling as the first time I used my deer cart vs just dragging lol. Can't wait to get back on the ice, just hope mother nature quits messing with us here in mid michigan. Rained hard from about 11am to 9:30pm.Same here. I put off getting a drill unit for way too long. Nothing bu good things to say about mine.
good job on the vid. I use an eskimo gas 8 in. and am very happy with it, but have long thought about early and late ice going electric, I have a 5 in. lazer that I think would rock with that drill. good job on your vidThanks
I'd like to add for safety sake, just like your firearm, get used to selecting the off switch(safety) after drilling a hole. You don't want that blade spinning when you don't want it spinning.Where if this off switch you speak of? It at home right now. Are you talking about the trigger lock between forward/reverse?
Definitely the best Drill Deal this year.
I've sort of skipped around this thread. I have read a few posts about using just the drill(no clam adapter) and have read about the auger "grabbing" on punch through. My question is does this Rigid drill have an adjustable clutch(guessing yes) and wouldn't that "slip" preventing the grab?.... Sorry if asked before and I missed it.have to run in drill mode.no clutch in that mode.clutch works in screw/hammer drill mode.
Kind of weird the clutch doesn't work in "drill" mode.... I've had bits grab in wood and steel that gave my wrist a good twist..... But I'll be ordering anyway ... the old Milwaulkee is about shot(battery wise any way)
Count me in as another new owner.i use the kovac icemaster 2 adapter to use the auger and drill. i always use the auxiliary handle and use shopping bags over the drill.
Just bought today in a store in Menomonee Falls, Wi. HD Online said there were 3 in stock in case anyone near there is looking to buy. I had to order the battery and have it ship to my house.
I did a lot of reading on this, but not 100% sure if you guys are using the stock chuck or adding an extension. Suppose it depends on the auger, but I will be using my lazer 6” to start.
would be nice for someone to try screw mode on highest setting and see what happens.
ok cool, thanks! what is your auger brand and size? the least that would happen is nothing.
some thing someone could get rich at is making an auger adapter with different clutch setting for different augers sizes and types built-in. or make one with fixed slippage for different sized augers like boat motor props have built-in. taking the auger adapters to a new level.
i like it! the most strain is on the smallest diameter of the link. so the bolt would be just that or the pins. on the kovac system, i had to grind their flats deeper so the three outside edges were sharper. they left too much of it rounded edges and makes for the chuck to slip around it easier. i think it costs 28$
you can see how rounded their outer edges are here.
I've never run across a drill where the clutch was functional in drilling mode. That's kind of the point, drill mode locks the clutch out. Having said that, I would think that this drill would work just fine in screw mode with the clutch turned up towards the top end, as it has more than enough torque.
I'm hoping to finally try mine on the ice tomorrow! ;D
Pretty sure on my "antique" 18V pre lithium Milwalkee hammer drill the clutch works in both drill + hammer modes. I'd double check but the battery is dead..... will check after I charge up.
Just found this in my collection of ice fishing stuff equivalent to a junk drawer. Wonder how long I had it? 😳 Looks like the Kovac design.
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Just found this in my collection of ice fishing stuff equivalent to a junk drawer. Wonder how long I had it? 😳 Looks like the Kovac design.
That adapter is what I used with an older ridgid and a 6” lazer (with the clam extension tube). Even with the side handle you still need to be careful at the bottom of the hole. The lazer can bite and twist your hands up. I got a clam plate 4 years ago and love that setup. Slightly heavier but no risk of getting twisted up, and it’s a lot easier to put your rig down on the ice and not have your drill in slush. Did my first trip with this drill and an 8” lazer yesterday and it was awesome.does your lazer 8 grab at the bottom and make you lift up to avoid the grab? that is what i stepped up to from a 6 lazer, but have not had ice to try it on. my 6 never gave me problems.
does your lazer 8 grab at the bottom and make you lift up to avoid the grab? that is what i stepped up to from a 6 lazer, but have not had ice to try it on. my 6 never gave me problems.
do you feel you really need the plate with that auger?
I've owned an old Craftsman, Ryobi, and Milwaukee over the past ~25 years, and none of the clutches on those worked in drill mode. The 2602-20 M18 Fuel I have doesn't either.
3300, I got in on that deal a while ago. Already had the Milwaukee 2704 but for $169 for 9amp hr battery, charger, and Ridgid Octane it was too good to pass up. Been doing all my on ice Nils testing this winter with the Ridgid chucked up to a Kovac adapter. I don't use the handle and feel if you the drill properly you don't want it. Hold with your right hand with finger on trigger while handle braced against you forearm. Left palm against the motor. The torque is easily held back with that technique. I'd like to add for safety sake, just like your firearm, get used to selecting the off switch(safety) after drilling a hole. You don't want that blade spinning when you don't want it spinning.
Definitely the best Drill Deal this year.
What if you are a lefty?
What if you are a lefty?then do what frank said to do if you use strikemaster or buy a nils and hold the drill next to your body.
Well I checked my old Milwaukee (# 0624-20) and the clutch does indeed function in both drill/hammer modes.so you are able to stop the chuck's rotation while in drill mode? sounds defective.
so you are able to stop the chuck's rotation while in drill mode? sounds defective.
I just got a Milwaukee drill, the side handle do you put it on the right side or the left for auger drilling?I have mine straight out the opposite side. ---0---
I just got a Milwaukee drill, the side handle do you put it on the right side or the left for auger drilling?
sounds like you have a grip on it. looking forward to your trial runs and the clutch on the octane with it.
john, you'll be glad you did!
so you are able to stop the chuck's rotation while in drill mode? sounds defective.
then do what frank said to do if you use strikemaster or buy a nils and hold the drill next to your body.
On homedepot.com those links only take me to the 9.0ah battery kit for $169 alone. How do I get the free drill?
Add the battery kit and this drill to your cart:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-OCTANE-Cordless-Brushless-1-2-in-Hammer-Drill-Driver-Tool-Only-R8611506B/304304102
So i gotta ask someone with a rigid do the batteries perform the same in the cold or do u have to keep them warm when not in use ( got mine yesterday)I left mine in the cold to test it.it lost 1 bar pretty quick but stayed at 3 bars after 35 8"holes in 6" of ice.
So i gotta ask someone with a rigid do the batteries perform the same in the cold or do u have to keep them warm when not in use ( got mine yesterday)I haven't babied my battery once. I charged it fully before the first time I put it on the ice. Havent taken it off the drill since. Ive had it on the ice several times. 2 days were around 10D, little colder with the wind chill. A couple other days around 20D with a wind chill factor. I'm well over 100 hole and still have 1/4 battery. I'm testing it till it dies, then I'll recharge it.
So i gotta ask someone with a rigid do the batteries perform the same in the cold or do u have to keep them warm when not in use ( got mine yesterday)you could throw yours in the freezer and see what happens.
Woke up sick last night, so did not get out fishing today. So much for plans. :%$#!: Hopefully in the next few days...
nice, threw ice 3 feet out at least! looks like your extension works well too.
thanks for the update slipperybob! did it used to hang up drilling by hand with same auger?
Anyone else have where the handle connects to the drill strip off? Those little metal tabs are gone off my drill after a few uses where the auger caught and twisted the handle causing them to strip off. Pretty poor design if you ask me, needs more to grab onto.
Finally got out on the ice this afternoon/evening! I am seriously impressed by this setup! :o @)
I'm running a 7" Lazer on an adjustable homemade auger adapter (which also had its maiden voyage and performed quite well if I do say so myself :)). 7" of clear, solid ice, and it cut through in under 3 seconds! :thumbsup: :woot:
Tried letting off very very touchy! Maybe it will wear in a little after use
slipperybob, thanks for the update! so you like the aux handle that way, does it feel off balance much? that's what i was saying to the guy that broke his ear off to try.
Finally ran the battery down. Heres my cutting totals!!
First day: +\- 50 holes in 7-8” of ice.
Second day: +\- 30 holes through 10” of ice.
Third day: +\-30 holes in 12” of ice.
Fourth Day. +/- 20 holes in 12" of ice.
Fifth Day: 6 holes in 14" of ice.
All ice was hard, solid ice. The last 3 times I used this set up was below freezing.
The battery still had a little juice today, but was cutting out every second or two. Id say thats pretty good.
Have to say I chuckle every time I see/hear someone cranking on an old jiffy/eskimo.
still waiting for someone to try the clutch out.
One thing I’ve noticed about my Rigid after a few days on the ice now is that when the point of the auger is on the ice, when I pull the trigger it doesn’t always activate the drill. It does it sporadically and sometimes I can drill 5-8 holes in a row normally and then the next one the drill won’t spin but the chuck light does go on so it knows I depressed about the trigger. If I take the pressure off the drill and push the trigger with the auger in the air and under no load, it always will go. My Dewalt has never acted like this. Any advice or has this happened to others?you know now that i think about it my octane does the exact same thing a few times too.id put the auger to the ice hit the clam plate trigger and nothing.id have to let off and try again.spoardic too.
What's that dewalt model! He said rigid octane, no specify with dewalt?He mentioned that it was model 996.
One thing I’ve noticed about my Rigid after a few days on the ice now is that when the point of the auger is on the ice, when I pull the trigger it doesn’t always activate the drill. It does it sporadically and sometimes I can drill 5-8 holes in a row normally and then the next one the drill won’t spin but the chuck light does go on so it knows I depressed about the trigger. If I take the pressure off the drill and push the trigger with the auger in the air and under no load, it always will go. My Dewalt has never acted like this. Any advice or has this happened to others?Can’t say I experienced this with any of the 150 holes I cut.
your mileage may vary, and I would expect much more holes with a shaver blade, but I prefer to use the KDrill so this is how I tested it and how each drill handled it.
I might pick up a 9ah battery for the DeWalt just so I can get a good fair baseline comparison.
My thoughts on this. The Ridgid Octane is going to be plenty of drill for the vast majority of people and the cutout issue will be a non-factor. However, I don't think it can be ignored either.&feature=youtu.be
Wow!!! VERY unimpressive for a 9ah battery.... 14 inches of ice x 40 holes= 560 inches. I guess you get what you pay for, The Milwaukee does that many holes on 1-5ah battery and doesn't lay down on you halfway through the battery charge. Great video thanks for posting :tipup:
Finally ran the battery down. Heres my cutting totals!!
First day: +\- 50 holes in 7-8” of ice.
Second day: +\- 30 holes through 10” of ice.
Third day: +\-30 holes in 12” of ice.
Fourth Day. +/- 20 holes in 12" of ice.
Fifth Day: 6 holes in 14" of ice.
All ice was hard, solid ice. The last 3 times I used this set up was below freezing.
The battery still had a little juice today, but was cutting out every second or two. Id say thats pretty good.
Have to say I chuckle every time I see/hear someone cranking on an old jiffy/eskimo.
What's that dewalt model! He said rigid octane, no specify with dewalt?
I'm not brand bias. Only interested because I bought the octane. Something seems not right? i used a 8 inch lazer yesterday each hole about a 12 inch ice. I drilled over 20 holes and have 3/4 battery left and left out on ice. Now for some reason right when I started first hole just in beginning it cut out. Never did it again? Have 1/2-3/4 free movement in chuck. Like someone Maybe spinning a auger something is happening and not intended to do that lolsame thing I started out with chuck rock solid with no movement .now I can turn mine pretty far right or left.run it till it breaks.lifetime warranty anyways.i drilled about 75 holes so far and mine has cutout 5 times.so random too.sometimes first thing in the morning without even cutting a hole,sometimes after 8 holes,other times wont do it at all.the play in the chuck is not good I don't think.lol
Have dewalt products too. What's price point comparison between the two?
I'll keep using see what happens. Next If I get a chance I'll drill bunch holes in a row
same thing I started out with chuck rock solid with no movement .now I can turn mine pretty far right or left.run it till it breaks.lifetime warranty anyways.i drilled about 75 holes so far and mine has cutout 5 times.so random too.sometimes first thing in the morning without even cutting a hole,sometimes after 8 holes,other times wont do it at all.the play in the chuck is not good I don't think.lol
your mileage may vary, and I would expect much more holes with a shaver blade, but I prefer to use the KDrill so this is how I tested it and how each drill handled it.
I might pick up a 9ah battery for the DeWalt just so I can get a good fair baseline comparison.
My thoughts on this. The Ridgid Octane is going to be plenty of drill for the vast majority of people and the cutout issue will be a non-factor. However, I don't think it can be ignored either.
Have to say I'm surprised to see the difference between the Nils and KDrill. I got 150 holes with my Nils. Shocked you only got 40 with your KDrill. I knew the Kdrill chipper blade would be less, but am shocked at the difference.
I don't think you would get 150 holes on the same day. In his last test I think the shaver blade cut close to 50% more holes against the kdrill.I probably wouldn't. Did 50 holes the first day I had it on the ice (8".) 20 of them back to back just to test it out. Had just dropped to 3/4 on my last few holes.
Yeah i purchased one for my friend and he just texted me it's cutting out like it's the overload protection, he's b***hing ( i new it was to good to be true) you know what they say no good deed goes unpunished like its all my faultHD will return it no questions asked. Mines been 100% flawless. Ive had a few people message me saying their drill "was cutting out" and 9/10 of them didn't have it on the correct settings. Not saying your buddies wasnt, but has to be on setting 1, drill mode. It will cut out every time on setting 2.
swap it out or exchange or get a refund. no need for him to complain to you. only one person has bothered to swap it out and he is good to go now.
sounds like it's the poor way the kdrill cuts is affecting the overload protection. the load is not consistent and the way the motor talks to the battery trying to figure out the load while people are raising their bits to try to clear out the shavings is messing with it. those who keep a constant or somewhat constant load aren't having so much trouble.
tell him to keep the bit under the same load the entire cut and see what happens instead of stooping the cut to raise the cutting head to spin off the shavings. pretty sure this is the problem.
QUOT:
This means, under heavy loads, the tool talks to the battery to determine when to draw maximum power to the motor, allowing the tool to increase performance and finish the task.
END QUOT
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-OCTANE-Cordless-Brushless-1-2-in-Hammer-Drill-Driver-Tool-Only-R8611506B/304304102
swap it out or exchange or get a refund. no need for him to complain to you. only one person has bothered to swap it out and he is good to go now.
sounds like it's the poor way the kdrill cuts is affecting the overload protection. the load is not consistent and the way the motor talks to the battery trying to figure out the load while people are raising their bits to try to clear out the shavings is messing with it. those who keep a constant or somewhat constant load aren't having so much trouble.
tell him to keep the bit under the same load the entire cut and see what happens instead of stooping the cut to raise the cutting head to spin off the shavings. pretty sure this is the problem.
QUOT:
This means, under heavy loads, the tool talks to the battery to determine when to draw maximum power to the motor, allowing the tool to increase performance and finish the task.
END QUOT
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-OCTANE-Cordless-Brushless-1-2-in-Hammer-Drill-Driver-Tool-Only-R8611506B/304304102
Well said 3300. I was thinking of a tactful was of addressing this. Ive had several people (25 or so) message me about the Octane. Both through here, FB and YouTube. 75% have been with the K-Drill, 25% strikemaster/eskimo shaver blade style augers. Once my Nils starts cutting it melts through the ice. Seems like the KDrill folks aren't as smooth. I wish I had someone close by who had the KDrill, id love to see how it ran on my Octane. Ive heard nothing about good things with the Octane/Nils crowd. Not to offend anyone, but think the Octane excels with the Nils.
Do you have yours on the Clam Plate? Mine was doing the same thing and I kept moving the adjusting the trigger on the plate and now it doesn't seem to do it anymore.yes mine is on a clam plate and the trigger mech is hitting it dead on.my light comes on so I know the trigger is pushed in.mines not overloading I wouldnt think because sometimes it does it before I even cut a single hole..it really not that bad and its a second out of the day but don't know if it will get worse.starting out with a octane that had a tight chuck with no left/right play and now I can turn it by hand over a inch either way is more concerning.i have 90 days to run it and lsa so time will tell.im running a mora 8".the drill rips lots of holes easy most times and I have done 10 in a row then put it down for a few hrs then it may work or shutoff sporadic.never know when its going to happen.
but were are talking about a video that stress's these systems to see what happens and we are talking about the results of it. you don't cut as many holes as it can for kicks in a real world to see what happens. you cut what you need to cut.
when i said variable i said full on and full off. not some where in between.
nate the milwaukee obviously does not have this intelligent circuit the ridgid has so it seems to ignore the load differences. as far as i know this is ridgids first go with it.
there are other tools that have this circuit it in now including milwaukee newest right angle drill or seems to have it because it stops if the load is too much instead of breaking wrists and not using a clutch system like drill modes do not use.
the folks having poor results with their lazers would more than likely have even worse resits with the kdrill.
yes there are a few other large bit issues and swapping the drill out for another one is the resolve for them. i have no idea why they are not staying consistent between drills. it seems to be tolerances in their circuits are different for some reason.
the dewalt also isn't using this newest protection/load draw circuit nor are any of my older ridgid tools including 4 other ridgid drills.
if it is a problem, ridgid will have to change the circuit to remedy the situation or adjust it if it's adjustable. it acts like it is adjustable with the different results folks are getting, but who knows for sure other than ridgid.
What makes you say that?I was referring to people messaging me about the octane cutting out with KDrill, Lazer and Eskimo type Auger.
What are people messaging you about? The drill cutting out? Or they are telling you the octane isn't smooth with the kdrill?
You said kdrill was the problem when clearly it isn't.it certainly seems to be with the ridgid. isn't that the discussion as of late?
it certainly seems to be with the ridgid. isn't that the discussion as of late?I'm going to see if I can track down a KDrill and see how it works with my Ridgid.
What I'm getting at here is a drill that cannot handle dynamic load is poorly engineered. The majority of these drills being sold will never see an ice auger. In the real world someone will use the drill where the load will go from full to nothing back to full. Like drilling through steel tubing. I also just came across a couple test videos on youtube putting the ridgid against a milwaukee. The ridgid was cutting out on overload turning a spade bit. The milwaukee did too until they switched to the 6ah high output battery. Then the Milwaukee had no cutout issues. That said If the octane can only reliably operate with a nils auger then that counts me and many others out.for now it is speculation or theory from what information is being presented on this forum. we will know in due time what the situation really is.
A friend of mine bought a rigid drill from home depot and used it with a 7 in lazer and it was cutting out after 3 holes ,and after 15 holes later thru out the day noticed the drill had a lot backlash in the gearing. Went out the next day and drilled 4 holes and something snapped in the drill and locked up. He took it back to store and returned it and got the dewalt 996 with 2 5amphr. Batts and charger. He used that all day with the same augers no problems, plus the side handle is better design than the rigid and the Milwaukee, No snapping handles off with the dewalt. I run my dewalt 996 with the same auger as him and have not had any problems at all. Sounds like the rigid has has some issues with torque and battery overload protection
sounds like it's the poor way the kdrill cuts is affecting the overload protection.
a drill that cannot handle dynamic load is poorly engineered.
I was referring to people messaging me about the octane cutting out with KDrill, Lazer and Eskimo type Auger.
A good majority of them folks didn’t have the drill set up correctly either. Example trying to run on setting 2.
My set up hasn’t cut out once, and I’ve had more KDrill/ Lazer users say they love the Octane vs not.
yes mine is on a clam plate and the trigger mech is hitting it dead on.my light comes on so I know the trigger is pushed in.mines not overloading I wouldnt think because sometimes it does it before I even cut a single hole..it really not that bad and its a second out of the day but don't know if it will get worse.starting out with a octane that had a tight chuck with no left/right play and now I can turn it by hand over a inch either way is more concerning.i have 90 days to run it and lsa so time will tell.im running a mora 8".the drill rips lots of holes easy most times and I have done 10 in a row then put it down for a few hrs then it may work or shutoff sporadic.never know when its going to happen.
So 75 percent of people who have messaged you about the octane cutting out were using a kdrill? Hope your Nils keeps working out for ya, I loved mine for half a season, until it didn't want to cut anymore and I had to spend money and time sending it out to get sharpened (which I didn't, just went back to the trusty mora I had used my whole life previously, Nils is still just sittin in the shed). When they are sharp it is the smoothest cutting bit I've tried for sure.Yes, but keep in mind a good majority of that 75% had their drill on the wrong settings. In my conversation travels, i've only talked with, or saw 2 people who returned the Octane due to it cutting out.
I am using the Octane with a clam plate and 8" kdrill, I was able to get 52 holes in 8" to 10" of ice. It did not cut out until I had two lights on the battery. really started to notice it more as the battery got lower. I am running the drill in drill mode and the lower speed setting.Great review Ranger10. Thanks for sharing
They give lifetime warranty.
Business stand point:
override/cutting out is protection for drill/ company, hence lifetime warranty? If drill breaks, get it replaced for free. (Is that no extra fees?or flat out free)
Dewalt gives a year... you burn it out, your buying another.
I have some dewalts too, first rigid for me.
Well said 3300. I was thinking of a tactful was of addressing this. Ive had several people (25 or so) message me about the Octane. Both through here, FB and YouTube. 75% have been with the K-Drill, 25% strikemaster/eskimo shaver blade style augers. Once my Nils starts cutting it melts through the ice. Seems like the KDrill folks aren't as smooth. I wish I had someone close by who had the KDrill, id love to see how it ran on my Octane. Ive heard nothing about good things with the Octane/Nils crowd. Not to offend anyone, but think the Octane excels with the Nils.he's using an 8" lazer not a kdrill , I my self have an 8" kdrill with 1st gen clam plate and 2604 milwaukee never had one problem just thought it was a good deal for the the rigid , as for swapping it out , I ordered on line the closest one in stock at a store is 70 miles away pia to swap it out! I've got a bad taste from rigid i'll trade it in for a different brand seems alot of people are having the same problem and you try and get a "good one" by opening boxes sorry i'm not happy >:( and no he didnt' use on the wrong speed that was first thing he checked
10 pages? Who's winning? Josh I like your setup but have always been a nils fan. Speaking of...if anyone needs to rehome a Tanaka power head. PM me!
Reasons I went with the Ridgid over the Milwaukee or Dewalt. In order of importance.
1.) Lifetime Warranty on drill and battery.
2.) Had the 9ah battery vs 2 5ah like the Milwaukee's and Dewalts.
3.) Was cheaper.
4.) Had 1300 in/lbs of torque.
5.) I liked the slightly bigger profile knowing i was going to use it as an auger power head.
First the Octane wouldn't work with a Clam plate and now the Octane lovers say it wont work with the K-drill??? Heres a idea... Maybe the Octane is a diy home owners unit built toward the LSA. My opinion is to buy the best and cry once!!!What ever!!! You can buy the best and still be disappointed! What a bunch of crap!
What ever!!! You can buy the best and still be disappointed! What a bunch of crap!Well atleast you have a good warranty...
First the Octane wouldn't work with a Clam plate and now the Octane lovers say it wont work with the K-drill??? Heres a idea... Maybe the Octane is a diy home owners unit built toward the LSA. My opinion is to buy the best and cry once!!!Don't remember anyone saying the Octane doesn't work with the KDill. The other guy who posted a video got 24 holes back to back with the KDrill. I have mentioned the Nils seems to excel with the Octane, as I feel it would with any other drill. The post I made about people messaging me in regards to the Octane cutting were mostly due to the drill not being set up properly, ex being on setting 2. Its no secret the KDrills chipper blades will get less holes per charge compared to shaver type blades. I have 3 Milwaukee drills, and a ton of Milwaukee bits, bags, boxes etc, and love every one of them. Ive had probably 15 random people try my set up and each's jaw just about hit the ice they were so impressed with it.
I'm not really talking about Milwaukee.... im talking about the Octanes disappointing performance. Its a cheap drill and thats exactly what your buying. If you buy the cheap drill and match it with a Nils it seems to do good. But any drill seems to accel with a nils....Fair Enough!!
I ran my Octane with the newer clam plate with the clam extension and an 8" lazer. I drilled 30+ holes through 8" of ice. Left the drill and battery outside in the cold. Drill attached to the plate just fine. I did put a spacer so the light didn't turn on. Drill never cut out or got hung up on the bottom. Drill didn't have a noticable wobble while cutting. Auger didn't walk at all. Had plenty of battery left. My only complaint is that it cuts too fast and throws water everywhere. Overall I'm very impressed with the unit.
I'm not brand bias. Only interested because I bought the octane. Something seems not right? i used a 8 inch lazer yesterday each hole about a 12 inch ice. I drilled over 20 holes and have 3/4 battery left and left out on ice. Now for some reason right when I started first hole just in beginning it cut out. Never did it again? Have 1/2-3/4 free movement in chuck. Like someone Maybe spinning a auger something is happening and not intended to do that lol
Have dewalt products too. What's price point comparison between the two?
I'll keep using see what happens. Next If I get a chance I'll drill bunch holes in a row
same thing I started out with chuck rock solid with no movement .now I can turn mine pretty far right or left.run it till it breaks.lifetime warranty anyways.i drilled about 75 holes so far and mine has cutout 5 times.so random too.sometimes first thing in the morning without even cutting a hole,sometimes after 8 holes,other times wont do it at all.the play in the chuck is not good I don't think.lol
First the Octane wouldn't work with a Clam plate and now the Octane lovers say it wont work with the K-drill??? Heres a idea... Maybe the Octane is a diy home owners unit built toward the LSA. My opinion is to buy the best and cry once!!!
Maybe RIDGID stands for...
Ridgid
Isnt a
Drill
Good for
Ice
Drilling
I'm not really talking about Milwaukee.... im talking about the Octanes disappointing performance. Its a cheap drill and thats exactly what your buying. If you buy the cheap drill and match it with a Nils it seems to do good. But any drill seems to accel with a nils....
I'm gonna tell you right now I have no horse in this race. Strictly doing it for a subject on my YouTube channel and to help out fellow ice fisherman. I can assure you with 100% certainty that the battery was fully charged and I was in the correct mode. The first day segment didn't record for some reason. I do have the audio I can play for you though. LOL The same exact thing happened on both days. 24 or 25th hole and it cut out.
What I can tell you is that I noticed the cutting out was happening with some sort of variation. First I would question why it didn't cut out during the first 25 holes? Next I would question when it did cut out, why more frequently after it happened the first time. It's obvious its related to a weaker battery and or heat issue.
Again, no horse in this race and no inherent bias. I'll be doing more tests this week.
I ran my Octane with the newer clam plate with the clam extension and an 8" lazer. I drilled 30+ holes through 8" of ice. Left the drill and battery outside in the cold. Drill attached to the plate just fine. I did put a spacer so the light didn't turn on. Drill never cut out or got hung up on the bottom. Drill didn't have a noticable wobble while cutting. Auger didn't walk at all. Had plenty of battery left. My only complaint is that it cuts too fast and throws water everywhere. Overall I'm very impressed with the unit.Thanks for the review. Keep us posted with any other findings
OK, I think it's clear you're the guy that did the video. Question - did you download the BlueTooth app for the battery, and connect to it? I saw a blue flash in the video where you were showing the change level, so it makes me think you did. If so, can you go look at the app and see if you had the battery alerts enabled? Because if you did, you could go back and look at WHY IT WAS CUTTING OUT ON YOU. The three options appear to be Deep Discharge, Over Temperature Protection, or Over Load Protection.
I really don't see any reason to do this kind of test. It is wear and tear on any unit and if you use one drill first there is a possibility the blade of the auger is slightly duller for the next drill. If you do this test again start with the Ridgid this time. Just to be fair. When is anyone ever going to go out and drill 20 plus holes in the same area on a regular basis? Don't get me wrong I have drilled over 30 holes before but there was some walking involved between groups of holes which would let any drill have time to cool down. I drilled over 30 holes many times last year using my older GEN5X Ridgid and the 7" Nero. Right at the end of the year I did get the drill to shut off but I think it was either the blades got dual or I was going in at an angle. My Shaft on my Nero extension was bent somewhere along the line. Not sure if it was bent from the start or one of those trips out. I replaced it with the Clam Extension and connected to the Kovac Ice Master both my Nero and Eskimo Silvertip spin true. Not so much when it was hooked to the clam plate which has been returned. And by the way when I say my Auger shut off I mean for a few seconds only.i agree i like the real world test of how many holes can be done in a days fishing.not drilling consecutive holes until the drill is dead or shutoff.a true test would just go out icefishing and see how many holes you get.probably get more holes that way.you get 25 holes all in a row in these tests but ive drilled 35 in a days fishing and still could drill 30 more if i wanted.
I think you are really splitting hairs if you think dulling between holes with this chipper blade is going to bias the results. I’ve probably got 1000 holes on the current blade and have only seen it dull slightly from new. Also MANY people go out and drill more than 20 holes at a time. It’s more common than you think. Not everyone fishes the same way and while it may be a pointless test for you, others have found it useful.
I've been drilling holes for 3 or 4 people the last couple times out. 15 tip ups each x 3. 45+ holes in one shot, not counting a few paces in between them.Yeah, I see where some lucky people need a lot of holes. We in Colorado can have 2 holes per person. One is the extra rod stamp for an additional fee.
I did the drill different on clam plate. The u bolt was hitting the light button, I mounted the finger that hits the trigger on drill on the same slot as the u bolt, which aloud me to bump the drill back just enough to miss the light button. Hits the trigger great. Might help someone, no spacer neededyep thats how its done!i could not get anything lined up right with the trigger mech in the other slot like the directions said.
DTro, not sure if you take requests but I'd like to see this same test but with the 8" pistol bit. And the only other difference should be to switch drills out every 10 holes. Also do it on like a 0 degree weather day.
I mean I'm sure you have nothing better to do than record yourself drilling holes for a bunch of dudes on the internet. ::)
reading in the manual I noticed a warning. the batteries mite explode if by an ignition source. that could be a heater or lantern in a shack real easy!!!! take note and watch it all.
we haven't gotten any ice yet but I tried the new drill. I have an old 8"jiffy from garage sale, I use for digging post holes and putting in plants in spring. it did great on that hard old ground. well, until it twisted the adapter off. lmao. it was made for 3/8 chuck, so I knew it wouldn't hold the new drill, but had to try. easy fix to cut it off and mill a new end for the 1/2" chuck. drilled rite down into the cold wet clay I have here. im pretty confident it will drill ice like butter. ;DThat is a great way to test the drill. Thanks for sharing your findings!
I should be wrapping up my Round 2 of testing today. I was hoping to be done yesterday....but the Ridgid won't quit. LOLSweet, can't wait to see the results. Thanks for sharing with all of us!
I have learned quite a bit since the first test and I think the results are going to be very interesting, especially compared to the first test.
My first post here.
I enjoyed this post so much I too bought a Ridgid and plan to use a spare Strikemaster 8" power bit on it.
One question on the drill itself.
When I slide/snap the 9 amp battery on the drill, there is a 1/8"-1/4" of "front to back play"/looseness of the battery on the drill.
The drill seems to function as it should regardless, the battery stays on and I believe I have installed the battery correctly, because it won't pull off without pressing the releases and it's pretty simple to install.
Is this "play/looseness" normal??
On other cordless drills I own the batteries are all on pretty firm with no play.
ANY feedback, crickets since I posted (with one PM)
I'll check mine when I get home and report back. All my work tools are makita so the ridgid doesnt ride in the van.
My first post here.yes you can force it to move about 1/4". it isn't moving freely.
I enjoyed this post so much I too bought a Ridgid and plan to use a spare Strikemaster 8" power bit on it.
One question on the drill itself.
When I slide/snap the 9 amp battery on the drill, there is a 1/8"-1/4" of "front to back play"/looseness of the battery on the drill.
The drill seems to function as it should regardless, the battery stays on and I believe I have installed the battery correctly, because it won't pull off without pressing the releases and it's pretty simple to install.
Is this "play/looseness" normal??
On other cordless drills I own the batteries are all on pretty firm with no play.
Had a chance to try out the Ridgid Octane today! It cut like a beast.mine wasn't like that when I first put it together but after cutting 75 holes it does.might be the drill breaking in?idk it cuts fast!! use the clam plate?that wobble isn't a concern when cutting ice now?cuts so fast I don't even notice a wobble anymore..
One concearn I had was I am able to twist the auger forward and reverse a little bit. Is this normal?
mine wasn't like that when I first put it together but after cutting 75 holes it does.might be the drill breaking in?idk it cuts fast!! use the clam plate?that wobble isn't a concern when cutting ice now?cuts so fast I don't even notice a wobble anymore..
nice.that clam wobble thread had me worried for sure, but I stuck with it till I cut some ice holes just to see what was going to happen.what happened was quick effortless drilling without worrying about a tweaked wrist.lol
I don't feel hardly any wobble at all! . It doesn't walk either. All I can say is WOW. This thing is fast!
ANY feedback, crickets since I posted (with one PM)
nice.that clam wobble thread had me worried for sure, but I stuck with it till I cut some ice holes just to see what was going to happen.what happened was quick effortless drilling without worrying about a tweaked wrist.lol
Same here. I think I even started that thread!! I found out today, nothing to be worried about!!yep you started that thread.had me worried, think we bought the same setup around the same time..lol
yep you started that thread.had me worried, think we bought the same setup around the same time..lol
Awesome test!!
And thanks for the feedback on the battery looseness/play. ;)
Drilled lots holes yesterday. I had a lot of cut out, because of so much ice building on my auger. Drill few holes set it down, drill few more, over the course of hours on ice, the ice kept building up on the auger. Had to take it in shanty the thaw the head off lol then drill wouldn't cut out. To me its little annoying, but not enough to take it back. Because my other augers would ice up too.Yeah icing up is not good even for a Gas auger. Had that problem and it wouldn't cut at all just walk all over the place until I knock off the ice.
Drilled lots holes yesterday. I had a lot of cut out, because of so much ice building on my auger. Drill few holes set it down, drill few more, over the course of hours on ice, the ice kept building up on the auger. Had to take it in shanty the thaw the head off lol then drill wouldn't cut out. To me its little annoying, but not enough to take it back. Because my other augers would ice up too.after you get done drilling run the drill/auger in the air to fling water off the blades.ice cant form with no water on the blades.it works pretty good and i have to do that with my gas augers too.
after you get done drilling run the drill/auger in the air to fling water off the blades.ice cant form with no water on the blades.it works pretty good and i have to do that with my gas augers too.
Well, I've spent most of the week doing a rematch between the Ridgid and the DeWalt. The Ridgid showed up to battle this time. :)&feature=youtu.be
I actually felt sorry for the guy that showed up yesterday with an old 8" Jiffy, and took ~1:30 to cut holes... (Yeah, really. A minute and 30 seconds. After his 3rd of 6 holes, we started timing him. :'()
Cut 30 or so holes in 6-8" of ice today. Battery was 70% when I got inside. I do notice the chuck has a fair amt of play in it.
Cut 30 or so holes in 6-8" of ice today. Battery was 70% when I got inside. I do notice the chuck has a fair amt of play in it.
One of the tool review channels on YouTube had a chuck issue. If yours keeps getting loose it may have the same thing. Their replacement was fine.
I got a clip of the same thing. My buddy was drilling, I came into the frame, kicked out some snow, drilled with my octane, cleared the hole before he finished his.
So I made myself a home made ice master auger adapter, I thought about just buying one but after what my new Octane did to my aluminum adapter seen in the picture, I wasn't sure if it was steel or aluminum, so I purchased a stainless steel one, pic 2 from Vendetta Precision EBAY. went to home depot and purchased a IPS Pipe Escutcheon 1 inch, Did have to take my Dremell and widen the hole a little to spin freely , a couple eye bolts and a piece of paracord .I did have to remove the wing nut and use a stronger grade bolt , one that wont hit the eyebolts as it spins.
(https://i.postimg.cc/4HXcpKL3/49617522-795162227484572-2631874380379979776-n.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4HXcpKL3)
One of the tool review channels on YouTube had a chuck issue. If yours keeps getting loose it may have the same thing. Their replacement was fine.
Boy, I don't know... :unsure: I'm usually all about paracord, but if that piece somehow gets caught while drilling, it would probably rip off the T-handle, and could become a whirling rope of dismemberment with the eye bolts attached on each end. :o :wacko:thinking the same.
I popped about 40 holes with mine on Sat and it ended up dying a few hours later when I tried one last hole. I think the -15 wind chill may have had a little to do with it, lol.this is what mine does with or without the clam plate too. that's the only glitch I have with mine..
I do notice that when I hesitate on the trigger it will start for a second, then cut out. Wondering if my trigget may be bad or something. When it stops I have to wait like 2 seconds before it will come back on....I have the app but cant find where the error reports go?
this is what mine does with or without the clam plate too. that's the only glitch I have with mine..
On the app click on the little menu icon on the top left corner of the start page. (Three horizontal lines)mine doesn't show any problems in the alert history when it fails to start drilling.
Once you open that up you'll see an alert history.
I popped about 40 holes with mine on Sat and it ended up dying a few hours later when I tried one last hole. I think the -15 wind chill may have had a little to do with it, lol.
I do notice that when I hesitate on the trigger it will start for a second, then cut out. Wondering if my trigget may be bad or something. When it stops I have to wait like 2 seconds before it will come back on....I have the app but cant find where the error reports go?
cut at least 50 8 inch holes the last 2 days with a new lazer and auxiliary handle with 3 bars left on the battery that's been left out in my vehicle for days. i am super glad i returned the wobbly clam plate! this set up drills so fast it throws water up to my knees and makes you want to kill it before it gets into the water. it reminds me of the icegator big time!
there is absolutely zero hang up issues getting thru the ice because it turns the auger way to fast to have any issue lie that. i kept checking to make sure it was in speed 1 because of how fast it was cutting ice and throwing it and water.
puts my gen5x 780 inch pound ridgid to shame. if they made a 10 inch auger that would fit it, it would cut fast too.
Plastic sucks and is good for toys...not ice drills...glad I dont own one!
(https://i.postimg.cc/JthKSKs7/51112661-10161389986405204-3297252096855769088-o.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JthKSKs7)
Plastic sucks and is good for toys...not ice drills...glad I dont own one!
(https://i.postimg.cc/JthKSKs7/51112661-10161389986405204-3297252096855769088-o.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JthKSKs7)
Plastic sucks and is good for toys...not ice drills...glad I dont own one!THis looks like there was a lot of ice built up on the auger and then it was dropped a few times.
(https://i.postimg.cc/JthKSKs7/51112661-10161389986405204-3297252096855769088-o.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JthKSKs7)
Plastic sucks and is good for toys...not ice drills...glad I dont own one!
Nate you know better to hit on a troll.
I do, but you hit me where it hurts and you know it lol
I sell big ticket software for a living so I know the emotional triggers. No one wants to admit they bought a brick when they wanted a ball. This is no different again I thought the pic was funny. Who knows what happened.
anyone having issues, just swap it out. i highly doubt anyone bench tests tools for qc. it's a hassle free 90 day return/exchange policy at hd.
the 6 amp is the same as the 9 amp being it is the octane battery. the 6 amp is 140$. two 9 amps are 200$. both deals have limited 3 year warranty. the lifetime warranty is important to me. i would buy another 9 amp battery and charger and get another free tool to keep the lsa. they never made an older style 6 amp, only 4 amp and smaller.
6 amp octane
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-OCTANE-Bluetooth-6-0-Ah-High-Capacity-Battery-AC8400806/304350782
two 9 amp's
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-OCTANE-Bluetooth-9-0-Ah-High-Capacity-Battery-2-Pack-AC800/304829433
9 amp and charger kit
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-OCTANE-9-0-Ah-Lithium-Ion-Battery-and-Charger-Kit-AC801/304740781
this says you loose 65% plus power using non octane batteries. kind of like putting regular fuel in a race car. that would make it a 455 inch pound drill with out octane batteries.
about the octane tech:
The OCTANE Brushless 18-Volt Hammer Drill/Driver (Tool Only) features High Performance Brushless Motors and Advanced Electronics that provide Best-in-Class Power and Intelligence. While providing increased performance with all RIDGID 18-Volt batteries, OCTANE tools provide maximum performance when paired with OCTANE batteries (not included). Paired with an OCTANE battery (not included), this tool gives an Industry-Leading 1,300 in./lbs. of Torque and Over 65% More Power when needed for High Demand Applications. This means, under heavy loads, the tool talks to the battery to determine when to draw maximum power to the motor, allowing the tool to increase performance and finish the task.
So ware does it say it loses 65%power with out useing octane batteries?? I curious ware it says that?? If you know ohms law or any electrical princeaples you relize there no way to do as you said.. if you do know your electrial think about it long enough you will relize it.. so if it's 18 volt 1.5 amp versus 18 volt 9 amp all that will happen is the battery will be used faster on the 1.5 amp versus the 9 amp.. please let me know ware it say the drill loses 65 percent power with non octane batteries??
So ware does it say it loses 65%power with out useing octane batteries?? I curious ware it says that?? If you know ohms law or any electrical princeaples you relize there no way to do as you said.. if you do know your electrial think about it long enough you will relize it.. so if it's 18 volt 1.5 amp versus 18 volt 9 amp all that will happen is the battery will be used faster on the 1.5 amp versus the 9 amp.. please let me know ware it say the drill loses 65 percent power with non octane batteries??
cut at least 50 8 inch holes the last 2 days with a new lazer and auxiliary handle with 3 bars left on the battery that's been left out in my vehicle for days. i am super glad i returned the wobbly clam plate! this set up drills so fast it throws water up to my knees and makes you want to kill it before it gets into the water. it reminds me of the icegator big time!Great review of your experience 3300. Just burried mine in 25" of ice Sunday. I filmed a quick video and it will be up tomorrow.
there is absolutely zero hang up issues getting thru the ice because it turns the auger way to fast to have any issue like that. i kept checking to make sure it was in speed 1 because of how fast it was cutting ice and throwing it and water.
puts my gen5x 780 inch pound ridgid to shame. if they made a 10 inch auger that would fit it, it would cut fast too.
Has anyone with the Octane tried it with a 10" lazer bit? Just bought a wheelhouse and like the larger hole for that application, but wondering if I have to dust off the old SM Electra. Would be nice just packing the Ridgid for cranking the wheels and drilling the holes, but understand there is a limit to what these things can/should do.Didnt know Lazer made a 10". Is it a hand auger, or their gas powerhead auger. Last I knew Nils only had a 10' hand auger.
Used my ridgid octane / fin bore set up for first time since early ice yesterday just to see what it would do now that we are up to 2' of ice in Maine. Only drilled a few holes to jig out of. Trigger seemed very finicky, one hole bailed right through no problem, another one would quit and then when you let off trigger and start again would go. Almost seems like there is a difference to when you have auger pressed against ice vs. hovering slightly above. Weird.Interesting. I have noticed sometimes if I stop mid cut, that it is a little more sluggish.
we know the motor is rated 18 vdc, but we do not know what their rated amps are for it.I posted earlier on this, they are really not 18 VDC motors.
Didnt know Lazer made a 10". Is it a hand auger, or their gas powerhead auger. Last I knew Nils only had a 10' hand auger.
Should cut down the weight a bit, prob get 20 more holes per battery now...
.....and I am wondering if the guys with a Nils think it is so much better to get a hole punched & save a whole .5 seconds?
.....and I am wondering if the guys with a Nils think it is so much better to get a hole punched & save a whole .5 seconds?I like the 2-3x more holes per charge much more than the cutting speed advantage
.....and I am wondering if the guys with a Nils think it is so much better to get a hole punched & save a whole .5 seconds?
If someone could show me the Nils drilling 3 holes overlapping in a triangle pattern without wrecking the blade or walking into the adjacent hole I'll buy one tomorrow, until then I'll deal with slower drilling and more power consumption. I beat the living tar out of the so called cheap plastic flighting and it's taking it like a champ.
I've wanted to try drilling overlapping holes with my Nils PP head, but I'm afraid of screwing it up and then I'd have to use my crappy backup auger until I got the Nils head back from Frank. Still might give it a shot.DN, just out of curiousity, what's your crappy backup auger?
DN
DN, just out of curiousity, what's your crappy backup auger?
I accidentally drilled overlapping holes last weekend with my Nils non-power point and lived to tell the tale. I was trying to drill a hole for my transducer, but accidentally got too close to my first hole and they overlapped. Didn't seem to damage my cutting head.
If someone could show me the Nils drilling 3 holes overlapping in a triangle pattern without wrecking the blade or walking into the adjacent hole I'll buy one tomorrow, until then I'll deal with slower drilling and more power consumption. I beat the living tar out of the so called cheap plastic flighting and it's taking it like a champ.
You sir will have a clip shortly. Probably Sunday. I won't ask why anyone would want to constantly make man killers in the ice...
Also lets not get emotional....plastic is cheap...its not so called cheap...it is cheap....but its light. Remember, I've used and like both so unlike some, I am not trying to win the vote of personal opinions on kdrill vs nils. Right now I don't use either!
Here’s the biggest problem, people make hipshot comments without thinking about who, what, why, where, or how. Very few people fish the way I do (on a river for 100+lb fish). I understand that, and take it with a grain of salt. River ice is dirty ice. Not only silt, but sticks, gravel etc. No matter what anyone tells me, I know first hand that “man killer” holes are needed for a fish you might encounter that is 6ft long and 3ft around. Especially when you have 20+” of ice.
Cleary some augers cut faster than others, and clearly your mileage may vary as to which auger is best for you. The KDrill is a great auger with a few shortcomings. For me personally it’s the best choice, especially since nobody yet has offered me a better alternative. Are there people that just randomly go out and buy a KDrill because of marketing and hype? Of course. Are there others that have made an educated choice? Absolutely
Oh and by the way. Plastic is not “cheap”. That's a broad brush. In fact some poly composites are more durable than metals or alloys in many applications. You should see me reverse drill those “man killer” holes to get rid of the slush. Every time, I think, holy balls how are the flights not breaking?
I like the 2-3x more holes per charge much more than the cutting speed advantage
Exactly!! but is the cutting head sharpening price really worth it?? For the nils?? That's why I have been looking hard at the k drill.. some of it turn me off towards the k drill aluminum shaft could be a problem ?? Flighting is another and speed of cutting..
I think it was Dtro that said plastic can be better then metal... dtro is correct look at bullet proof poly carbonate etc.. there has been a lot of advancements in plastics since the 50's when they were useing bake lite and soy bean type plastics .. also look at plastics they don't rust like steel does living in salt beLt you car will be gone quicker with high tinsel strength steel versus aluminum or plastics most likely why ford went to aluminum in there f150's?? Don't get me wrong chevy makes a damn good engine but should have thought before blasting ford for aluminum in there bodies of their trucks??
Im 4 years in with my Nils and haven't sent mine out for sharpening. Still cuts like new. Im around 200 holes so far this year, conservatively 500 over the past 4 years. I do do a light honing twice a year on the nils, which I don't recommend people trying. But in my opinion, if I had to send it out every two years for a $40 professional sharpening it wouldn't bother me one bit. I am super careful with it tho, if I know I'm drilling ultra shallow (1-2ft of water), I use a 15 dollar craigslist back up. Biggest overall advantage for me is that im not married to a drill with the Nils like you are with the KDrill. To each their own!!Why exactly is the K drill married to a drill, and why would that even matter? I've had a 6" k drill out twice now and do like the weight difference for sure. Drill setups nowadays cut so fast and the batteries last so long, who cares....I highly doubt anyones burning through a 9 AG ridgid battery in a normal day. I run and gun and still had almost 1/2 of battery life left.
Why exactly is the K drill married to a drill, and why would that even matter?It's not! Just advertised that way.
Why exactly is the K drill married to a drill, and why would that even matter? I've had a 6" k drill out twice now and do like the weight difference for sure. Drill setups nowadays cut so fast and the batteries last so long, who cares....I highly doubt anyones burning through a 9 AG ridgid battery in a normal day. I run and gun and still had almost 1/2 of battery life left.Certainly weren't bashing the KDill. Was just stating I like that I can use my Nils as a hand auger and that you can't with the KDrill(last I knew.) I don't plan on using my Octane drill till at least 16" of ice next season because it cuts so good manually. Weren't implying that anyone would burn through a battery either.
It's not! Just advertised that way.Can you use the KDrill as a hand auger?? Didnt think you could, but may have been mistaken.
Never saw one. It would have be a custon rig. Why would anyone want to do such a thing.I certainly wouldn't with the ripper blades. Just weren't exactly sure that you meant in your comment.
Never saw one. It would have be a custon rig. Why would anyone want to do such a thing.
Dtro - how about some PICs of a few of those 100 lb. fish, through the ice.
Why would you want a sturgeon picture never seen one??
Heres a good video of one you guys will like !!
https://youtu.be/snmVbGetO3s (https://youtu.be/snmVbGetO3s)
yesSo does it work the same? I see I can get 2 6ah octanes for $139 right now. The 9Ah is $184
(https://i.postimg.cc/Lhx44tMw/screenshot-138.png) (http://postimg.cc/Lhx44tMw)
So does it work the same? I see I can get 2 6ah octanes for $139 right now. The 9Ah is $184i'll take the 780 inch pound with me, but i am using a new 8 inch lazer. the 4 amp and 6 inch lazer with zero problems. thinking the 9 amp will just run longer is all and not give more torque, but i'll try it for kicks.
150+ holes in, and 1.7 hrs of use from first charge my battery is at 45%
2 questions:answer to large amp battery and cold
1. It seems like the efficiency of the bit is key. I use a 5 inch Lazer and 4.5 Nils, and the Nils is a lot easier, but it is also smaller. Has anyone tested anything that is less power then a Nils for the same diameter?
2. I have 2,3 and 4 AH batteries for my drill. The larger batteries also should have higher peak current capacity, because of how they are made. Since the current capacity goes down with temperature, seems like the bigger batteries might have enough juice to work even lower. Has anyone seen this? It has not been cold enough here to be a problem for any of my batteries this year.
Should have asked last week. Perfect test conditions in the midwest!
My trigger cutout pattern is never in the middle of cutting or break thru.always right at the beginning.hit trigger,nothing,let off hit it again and it cuts.
Mine only did it 3 times out of 45 holes so it wasnt too bad.temp doesnt matter either.its done it a 5 degrees or 40 degrees.
Pretty warm today 40 degrees cut 45 holes in pretty thick double layer ice.4” of white and 6” of clear ice and had 3 bars left and app said 70% battery left.the weird intermediate trigger no power deal a few times but still working great.
just got in from 9 hours of fishing with friends.Very disheartening, I went ahead and bought me a new Eskimo M51 for thick ice. Was thinking about buying some 6AH Octane batteries but I think I made the better choice. I will still continue to use my Ridgid(non Octane) until I can no longer get it to work. I made a warmer for the batteries,oiled the blades and will stop going in -20 degree weather.
i tried the ridgid 780 inch pound brushed drill with 4 amp and 9 amp on a new 8 inch lazer and it cut about 2 to 3 inches and cut out.
tried my 4 amp battery on the octane and it cut out after about the same depth.
let us now how the 2nd 9 amp swap out goes. i think it will be back like new with a fresh battery.
when you think about batteries and the load, the battery can not provide the full 9 amps or voltage during the the entire discharge that the bars represent. i would imagine 2 bars (50%) means 4.5 amps or there about. i'm not certain what it may mean in volts although lithium is supposed to stay near it's rated voltage until the bms kicks in at the lower end of the volatge rating. as voltage drops so should amperage. would be cool if someone had a means to measure the drop in both volts and amps, but we are seeing the drop in performance as the amps fade because it shuts down with battery power left.
there should be some reserve or recovery in the cells also that the drill isn't seeing when it shuts off, but the meter can after the load is removed.
i think the 6 amp octane battery would could out much sooner or less holes cut. it's probably why hd was giving the octane drill with the 9 amp battery kit and not the 6 amp battery and why they don't make a 6 amp battery and charger kit.
i drilled at least 40 holes in 8 inches of ice that had water on top with an 8 inch lazer and had 75% remaining. never cutout or hesitated on start up.
i notice that even tho the battery levels drop, the performance seems to stay the same. so at some point the amps or voltage (maybe both) tells it when to stop and my guess is it's done in the bms. i listen to each cut and the whoosh sounds it makes when it gets into the water and pulls the water up to my knees even tho i am trying to keep it from bringing up all of that water. it just cuts so fast i can't prevent it. my older 780 inch pound ridgid drill and 6 inch lazer is much different. after break thru i would keep the drill cutting to bring water up to clear shavings. this rig cuts so fast there are very little shavings left to clear even when stopping as fast as i can on break thru. it is amazing to see an use and have a comparison to know the differences.
just got in from 9 hours of fishing with friends.
i tried the ridgid 780 inch pound brushed drill with 4 amp and 9 amp on a new 8 inch lazer and it cut about 2 to 3 inches and cut out.
tried my 4 amp battery on the octane and it cut out after about the same depth.
just got in from 9 hours of fishing with friends.
i tried the ridgid 780 inch pound brushed drill with 4 amp and 9 amp on a new 8 inch lazer and it cut about 2 to 3 inches and cut out.
tried my 4 amp battery on the octane and it cut out after about the same depth.
just got in from 9 hours of fishing with friends.
i tried the ridgid 780 inch pound brushed drill with 4 amp and 9 amp on a new 8 inch lazer and it cut about 2 to 3 inches and cut out.
tried my 4 amp battery on the octane and it cut out after about the same depth.
just got in from 9 hours of fishing with friends.
i tried the ridgid 780 inch pound brushed drill with 4 amp and 9 amp on a new 8 inch lazer and it cut about 2 to 3 inches and cut out.
tried my 4 amp battery on the octane and it cut out after about the same depth.
I know my problem doesnt have anything to do with overloading it or overheat.mine does it without even turning the auger sometimes.like put auger down to get ready to cut,pull trigger..nothing.let of and hit trigger and it cuts.its a tad annoying but only a few seconds out of my day.im running mine till its broken.lsa time then.
I know my problem doesnt have anything to do with overloading it or overheat.mine does it without even turning the auger sometimes.like put auger down to get ready to cut,pull trigger..nothing.let of and hit trigger and it cuts.its a tad annoying but only a few seconds out of my day.im running mine till its broken.lsa time then,
Yup that tool deal on that one ended but this one's stI'll there last I looked.Ya know I don't get this deal. I have a 700 Inch Pound Ridgid and this says it is 750. Did they really make 2 drills that are that different? Or did they figure out the 700 was in deed 750? Inquiring minds want to know.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Brushless-1-2-in-Compact-Hammer-Drill-with-2-1-5-Ah-Batteries-and-18-Volt-Charger-R861162SB/304583628 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Brushless-1-2-in-Compact-Hammer-Drill-with-2-1-5-Ah-Batteries-and-18-Volt-Charger-R861162SB/304583628)
@3300 I am assumeing same reason i did this to my 8 inch ht auger it's causeing your drI'll to shut off?? Since it's the new auger bit why not try old?? On bolth drill see if they still cut out??i did all the testing and posted already.
Just took my 8 inch nils off the octane and threw it on my r86116 hammer drill with 750 inch pounds claimed on box.. anyhow the drill cut out several times wile drilling with the 8 inch nils and smaller drill.. this does not happen with the octane and the 8 inch nils.. so I am assumeing from this their is too much torqe on the drill.. and something is sensing this and cutting out.. I did not have this cUT out isSue with my 7 inch mora or my 6 inch nils on this drill the r86116 with 750 inch pounds.. but never tried the 8 inch nils till now on the r86116.. so that should give you guys some insight on what's going on.. with the batteries and drill it's a protect circuit some ware in the two causeung it to shut off by the way I used my 1.5 amp batteries and it shut off.. its not just the blue tooth batteries.. I think the octane is doing as should but your over loading with the 8 inch laser and k drill augers.. lf it were me . I would try a octane mud mixer and if it don't work return cause you guys still got ice to try it this year!! And a 30 return on rigid products ?? If you think you can use a mud mixer?? Don't know what a wife would say if you can't or don't ever use the tool after buying... thats why caution is used on saying that.. tread lightly lols..And did you try the 9ah Octane battery on the 750 Ridgid and 8" Nils?
Want me to?? I am thinking same results cause the bits to big for drill..Couldn't hurt to try.
Couldn't hurt to try.
My 9 amp worked fine with the 8 inch and the 750 inch pound drill.. the 1.5 amp battery on and the drill shut off on two out of the three holes.. I drill with the 1.5 amp the 9 amp not one shut off of the three holes I just drilled with the 9 amp .. so I am guessing issue with batteries..Thanks for trying. This whole shut off deal is getting more interesting.
Here’s the reason I think it’s safety feature with the batteries. For me personally, it’s only happening after drilling a bunch of holes in succession. I can physically feel the drill get a bit slower in RPM before it starts happening. Up until that point it rips. Something is telling the battery, “hey we need to control this a bit”. Some say it’s a bad thing some say it’s a good thing. I would side on the good thing because it is essentially protecting your drill. Annoying?…yes. My DeWalt didn’t do that, however I could smell not so good things going on at about the same point in which the Ridgid starting cutting out. I can’t imagine that was a good thing, but it never really seem to hurt anything either. Maybe a long term factor?
Like I have posted before...mine has cut out after only a few holes....on mild days....on a full battery.it seems like you are the main person having issues. it's a good thing that they don't know what's going on. that make it a widespread problem for them and us.
On a side note, Ridgid responded by saying it's not a known issue and I need to take the drill to an authorized servic3 center, lol.
In other words, they have no idea whats going on.
it seems like you are the main person having issues. it's a good thing that they don't know what's going on. that make it a widespread problem for them and us.
i contacted my small independent authorized service center that i like a lot and used one time and asked if they have had any of these new octane tools going in for repairs and he said no. i asked if he heard of any issues at all and he said no.
if it's too late to return/swap yours, then either wait out the season to keep using it or take it in and get a new battery or just contact yours and let them know you think the problem is battery related and you can not go with out the tool and want to swap out batteries.
there shouldn't be much else they can do for it except to replace the motor and you'll know if it is motor or battery by having a different battery. it could be a switch related issue, but i highly doubt that it is.
another option is to buy a new battery, test your system and if it checks out ok, then return the new battery and then tell your shop you know it is the battery and you need a new one asap. mean while you have 90 days to keep using the new one. that should get you thru the season. same for the drill if it is not the battery.
if you were closer i would help you out by swapping components with you to test.
Already have a brand new second 9 AH battery - still cuts out when I press the trigger.im on your side.mine cuts out so random. but not cutting holes that much.just randomly does it before cutting the first hole,getting 8 holes cut then pull the trigger and nothing on the 9th.but its takes less than a second to let off the trigger and press it again to start cutting ice.the light comes on so I know the trigger is pressed in.
Seems like every single person has experienced a cutout of some sort with their Ridgid Octane drills. Maybe mine is worse or maybe it just bugs me a little more to know I spent alot of money on the drill and batteries to have it work intermittently at times.
If I swap the drill out and it does the same thing, I'll be even more irritated.
The fact that their CS gave me a generic response tells me they don't even know of a "safety" shutoff feature. All we are doing is guessing what is wrong...and the only people that would know for sure are Ridgid, but apparently they have no idea.
???
im on your side.mine cuts out so random. but not cutting holes that much.just randomly does it before cutting the first hole,getting 8 holes cut then pull the trigger and nothing on the 9th.but its takes less than a second to let off the trigger and press it again to start cutting ice.the light comes on so I know the trigger is pressed in.
I had my auger out this weekend and had some friends using it. For what it's worth, the cut outs I saw were user error. Most common was starting too slow. The next was putting weight on the auger. I only had one cutout myself and that was for a dead battery. 😎yeah well theres not much error to be had by putting the auger down on the ice to cut a hole and pull the trigger and nothing happening.its not to much of a issue for me yet.never had to take the battery off and I probably drilled 200 holes so far and its done the random no start or stop around 15 times.always before cutting never during is the puzzling part to me.so its not overloading or overheating.my drilling technique is to just pull the trigger fully.if I don't and start out slow my mora wants to walk.learned that on the very first hole.
Did you guys connect it to your phone/bluetooth to see what the actual error code is?i have it connected.no codes or notifications and i have all them checked to notify on the app.that app not that accurate.hrs used says 2.5 hrs but ive only used it less than a hr.charge times are off.
Did you guys connect it to your phone/bluetooth to see what the actual error code is?
Already have a brand new second 9 AH battery - still cuts out when I press the trigger.
Seems like every single person has experienced a cutout of some sort with their Ridgid Octane drills. Maybe mine is worse or maybe it just bugs me a little more to know I spent alot of money on the drill and batteries to have it work intermittently at times.
If I swap the drill out and it does the same thing, I'll be even more irritated.
The fact that their CS gave me a generic response tells me they don't even know of a "safety" shutoff feature. All we are doing is guessing what is wrong...and the only people that would know for sure are Ridgid, but apparently they have no idea.
???
I wonder what all these companies think of us crazy ice fishermen using cordless drills on the ice?
Can you imagine being someone foreign to ice fishing in CS getting this complaint? ??? ::)
Seems we all have different symptoms of drill problems like mine on first hole 3 inches in to the cutting while trigger is full bore the dang drill shuts off completely trigger still held full down. Looked to check ..
this was on the 750 inch pound drill.. i did mark which battery did this and it's a small battery of 1.5 amp.. though it was cause of the auger bit at first.. as soon as you let off trigger and pull trigger again. It fires right up ..and some times shuts back off..
my 9 amp battery don't do this!! same thing with my 9 amp on my octane drill have not tried the 1.5 amp on the octane drill.. so I am assume till I get a chance to try it it's same issue.. any how I bought this drill days before I found out about the 9 amp battery sale and free octane drill.. I also bought the octane weeks later before battery deal..
then bought a 9 amp kit with a square drive impact driver more weeks later.. figured I could use it? I think I got my first set during the rush to buy these batteries.. the second battery I got at a odd time?? while not much hubbub about the 9 amp was going on.. any how I know it's not the drills I have right now.. and I am guessing it's not a circuit??
I am thinking it's a bad cell in the drill batteries?? lithiom ion is know for bad cells in batteries when produced.. like in the Samsung note 7 that cought fire .. and had bad bateries etc and they have had problems with other lithom ion batteries being bad days after bought bringing a recall on them... read that about another tool company.. any how just thinking we got a bad batch..
I would not rush to turn them in all at once every one .. that might be what caused if it is a holiday rush!! Or similar?? By the way I did notice a burning smell either from drill or 1.5 amp battery wile driving home.. so i suggest useing caution till you get your self a good battery ..
I could imagine if CS found out that a person was having problems and that they were using the drill to cut 8" holes in ice, they would probably make up some BS excuse that it was "abuse" of the tool, and cite that as a reason not to honor the warranty. ::)
Not every single person. ;) I count myself lucky, I have not had any issues that were not related to something being set wrong. When mine is in the correct gear, it cuts like a demon every single time! :thumbsup: Only problem I ever had was due to the drill being in the wrong gear, likely from the kids messing with it at home before I headed out. Mine has close to 200 problem-free holes on the clock, with only a single recharge thus far. ;D
I guess I will have to. Nothing better than taking my gloves off in the winter to dig my phone out, open an app and then drill until it cuts out..lol fun..
As for user error - not even close. I've tried multiple things. Hammering the trigger, starting it in the air, feathering the trigger...
The one steady thing seems to be the cold. Clearly something is going on with the batteries or the drill itself causing it to shut off.
So if you've never had it cut out, that shows inconsistency as well. If we ALL have cutout issues, we could assume it's either supposed to happen OR it was something that got overlooked during testing. But your setup seems to be fine....even more confusing. What kind of temps are you using it in?I’m well over 200 holes with my Octane/Nils combo. Not one cut out. We’re sitting at 25” of ice currently. I had mine in -10F. Worked flawlessly, with no babying the battery.
I’m well over 200 holes with my Octane/Nils combo. Not one cut out. We’re sitting at 25” of ice currently. I had mine in -10F. Worked flawlessly, with no babying the battery.
Looks like I'll be swapping my drill out then.
I have the same set up, using 8" mora... I don get intermittent shut off that makes the usage choppy. I have not figured out a pattern yet. Some times I can make a dozen holes with no issue. As long as it works and I have the original handle as a backup and fish are on the ice , I am not going to worry about it. It will be interesting to see what happens when some of us actually use the drill for what it is intended. I have to drill some holes in stone this spring that will be my indicator as to how annoyed I am going to get.
I wonder what all these companies think of us crazy ice fishermen using cordless drills on the ice?
Can you imagine being someone foreign to ice fishing in CS getting this complaint? ??? ::)
I have an old Ridgid 780 in-lb, and have never seen the stall issue when the temp was above -20. I can only imaging the torque you must get with the 1300 in-lb setup. Makes me think that the people with stalls have a bad drill. I would be more worried about a broken wrist with this setup!Haven’t had one jerk of the wrist with my Octane/Nils. Cuts through like the ice isn’t there
:tipup:
Haven’t had one jerk of the wrist with my Octane/Nils. Cuts through like the ice isn’t theresame here. feels like there is too much momentum to have it hang up. cuts super fast and no slow down on the motor ever for me and a new 8 inch lazer. no catching on the bottom of the cut at all and throws water up to the knees.
I have an old Ridgid 780 in-lb, and have never seen the stall issue when the temp was above -20. I can only imaging the torque you must get with the 1300 in-lb setup. Makes me think that the people with stalls have a bad drill. I would be more worried about a broken wrist with this setup!
:tipup:
It is nor the battery or the drill.. did you guys read your manuals that came with the drill??
Take a gander at this if you have not read your manuals my point proven it's a safty circuit any how there are a few other isues that might need addressing be sides the over load protection issue I had .. thats why I assumed it was the auger bit but now you know..
It is nor the battery or the drill.. did you guys read your manuals that came with the drill??
Take a gander at this if you have not read your manuals my point proven it's a safty circuit any how there are a few other isues that might need addressing be sides the over load protection issue I had .. thats why I assumed it was the auger bit but now you know..
(https://i.postimg.cc/0bJKCSs4/20190205-142220.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0bJKCSs4)
I've mentioned this before about overloading cordless tools when using large bits.
I personally haven't used my GAS power auger for a few years and sometimes my memory dims but I seem to recall that if I overloaded it or caught the bit when it went through that it stopped spinning? Clutch or something I think they called it, to protect the operator and engine? ::) ::) ::)
Yes there is some sarcasm here.
Why are people bringing up "load" when the main issue is the drill WONT turn on when literally no force is being applied.lol. Right .mine does it most before it even starts cutting.
..am I in the twilight zone here??
Why are people bringing up "load" when the main issue is the drill WONT turn on when literally no force is being applied.
..am I in the twilight zone here??
Yes. Trying to fight ignorance with reason is very difficult.;)
I have a thought about this. Not sure if anyone has tried it this way or not. Before pulling that trigger make sure the auger isn't just hanging in the air. Make sure there is some pressure so as not to have the weight of the auger pulling away from the drill. Just a thought it might be the weight pulling on the chuck that causes the no go problem sometimes. Interested if it makes a difference.i tried that lefty.thats how mine does it most.drill on ice ready to cut,hit trigger and nothing.mine has never done it running in the air tho.its not temp related for me either.its done it in 5 up to 45 degrees.my issue isnt severe like others and has never cut out cutting the hole.alway at the start before the auger even turns.
i tried that lefty.thats how mine does it most.drill on ice ready to cut,hit trigger and nothing.mine has never done it running in the air tho.its not temp related for me either.its done it in 5 up to 45 degrees.my issue isnt severe like others and has never cut out cutting the hole.alway at the start before the auger even turns.Glad I asked, Just was curious if it made a difference. Thanks for the quick reply.
Why are people bringing up "load" when the main issue is the drill WONT turn on when literally no force is being applied.I asked in another post but no one has answered.
..am I in the twilight zone here??
I asked in another post but no one has answered.I was wondering about rotational mass being too much at startup, but when I fishing Sunday I probably had 15 pound of ice on my lazer and still had no issues. I just put my blades on the ice, pull the trigger all the way and hold on!
With an auger on the drill there IS a load at start up it's called rotating mass and "can" consume a tremendous amount of energy be it just for a nano second!
Have you tried slowly starting the drill with the auger (warm or cold)?
Have you tried starting the drill with nothing attached (warm or cold)?
Not being a smart ass but by process of elimination trying to help.
i tried that lefty.thats how mine does it most.drill on ice ready to cut,hit trigger and nothing.mine has never done it running in the air tho.its not temp related for me either.its done it in 5 up to 45 degrees.my issue isnt severe like others and has never cut out cutting the hole.alway at the start before the auger even turns.
My first octane had issues cutting out on the break through on the bottom of every hole. I swapped it out and now experience intermittent cutout issues before the bit turns like many others. When it does cut it works great. This one does not cut out when the drill punches through. Just the random failures to turn. Release the trigger and wait a couple seconds and it goes.
did it always have that issue or did it start later on?it did it from day one on the 2nd hole i drilled.it does it a few times a day drilling 30 to 40 holes.not enough to worry about yet.I just let off and hit the trigger again.it has never cut out in a hole.that would aggravate me alot more.
Please be careful recommending that the tool be "EXCHANGED"!
best option is to always exchange a faulty unit. you have 90 days to return or exchange when bought from home depot on anything.
if your past the 90 days, you still have options such as buy another drill knowing it is going back after season and take your faulty unit to a small independent authorized service center and tell them what it's doing. they will have to install a new motor for co from the sounds of it and maybe a trigger switch for fts.
Please be careful recommending that the tool be "EXCHANGED"!i called in to double check. yes you can get the lsa transferred to your replacement tool and it has to be done on the phone explaining the tool exchange and with in the 90 days of original purchase.
If the tool has been registered or not and it's "exchanged" the warranty is 3 years from the date on the receipt or if that's not available the date code on the tool!
The "exchanged" tool can not be registered for the lifetime warranty (LSA). The receipts are different. This has always been the case unless it has changed in the last few weeks (it may have, things change everyday).
If they want a new tool and warranty, take the tool back and get a store credit, then go buy a new tool.
Then remember to register it within the 90 day period.
If there is an electrical problem the entire motor, circuitry, switch and battery hold is one unit as are most brushless tool today.
Cheers.
i called in to double check. yes you can get the lsa transferred to your replacement tool and it has to be done on the phone explaining the tool exchange and with in the 90 days of original purchase.Thanks for calling.
1-800-474-3443
also on replacement parts such as batteries, you'll need to re-register those to keep the lsa on them with in 90 days of replacement(s). it's about having the serials registered before there is any issue, not after.
Thank you for the test and explanation. I was curious if the start load was an issue. was your auger vertical or horizontal for the test?With the Milwaukee items it made no difference.
just put this setup together and have a question. have not tried it in ice, but running it it bangs hard to a stop when releasing the trigger, even if released slowly. is that normal
just put this setup together and have a question. have not tried it in ice, but running it it bangs hard to a stop when releasing the trigger, even if released slowly. is that normalNormal. But like DTro said you shouldn’t make a habbit of activating the drill/auger combo without a load on the auger. It’s a lot of weight and momentum to slow down.
It's the brake. Yes it's normal. Actually you shouldn't really be running it without a load applied because when the brake stops like that it will tend to loosen the chuck. However, when I'm done I'm guilty of doing it too, just to spin off the excess water.
I lost mine do to a cheaply made adapter that crushed as the chuck tightened. Aluminum, bad choice.
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Any of you using the kovac ice master adapter I'm here to tell you the bungie provided will last between 50-100 holes before breaking. Picked up a much beefier bungie at hardware store today for $2. Although my fin bore has not loosened at all from chuck, good insurance policy for money.
Nils is nothing like the Lazer blades.
As far as I'm concerned there is no difference in using it on an auger and using it with a big concrete drill.
If you got your drill wet and it malfunctioned, that's a different story. The drill for me isn't cutting out mid-cut, it's cutting out before it even starts spinning, so regardless of what I'm using it for, there is still a problem with it.
So if you've never had it cut out, that shows inconsistency as well. If we ALL have cutout issues, we could assume it's either supposed to happen OR it was something that got overlooked during testing. But your setup seems to be fine....even more confusing. What kind of temps are you using it in?
Those drills are made to turn at least a 4" Wood hole cutting bit if not a 6". I don't see using 8" Augers going through Ice with sharp blades putting any more torque on it than the Wood bits or the Concrete bits. But of course those Wood and Concrete bits don't weigh anywhere near the same as an Auger bit.
Well I had cut out issues today. Didn't even want to make it through the first hole. I believe it's a temperature extreme issue, coupled with the Octane "smart" circuitry. I left my battery and drill overnight in the truck, and it got down to 0*. When I coupled the app, the battery temperature read 470 degrees?!? While sitting in the cab of the truck, it eventually calibrated to 32*. Even though it was fully charged, I was reading only 80%
I had a hard time drilling five holes. It seemed that if I ran the drill with no load for a few seconds (warming it up a touch?), it would cut through a bit better.
So I decided to do a bit of testing this afternoon.
Now before anyone gets all upset the tests were on Milwaukee tools, sorry no spare Ridgids to experiment on.
My interest was the inrush current (amps) on the tool with or without a auger attached, in this case an 8" (7.75") auger.
I used 2 older Milwaukee 2604 brushless drilsl and a MudMixer (my auger tool).
Kinda interesting and I repeated the test on 2 different 2604 drills.
For the max in rush it was pull the trigger full blast for all it was worth.
2604 drill low range (1) no bit/no load running 3.3 amps, max inrush 80 amps.
2604 drill high range (2) no bit no load running 5.0 amps, max inrush 100 amps
2604 drill low range (1) with 8" Krill no load running 12.5 amps, max inrush 250 amps, (yep that correct in speed 1)!
MudMixer ran on 5 speed setting.
MudMixer running with out auger 5.5 running amps, inrush 35 amps.
MudMixer running with 8" Kdrill 6.5 running amps, inrush 41 amps.
By starting the drills "slowly" I could limit the inrush to under 10 amps on both tools!
Now I know your all wondering what the "max loaded" amperage was. Well just didn't have enough hands, wire and a load to do that.
I was able to put some load on the MudMixer with the auger but didn't see anything over 10 amps kinda inconclusive.
Whats my take on this data?
Ya I know it's Milwaukee but probably pretty close for most other brands.
I personally feel that the "fail to start" issue is because the Octane has so much power in a small chassis that the inrush/starting current is tripping the overload circuitry of the drill and/or battery (as they talk to each other).
I also feel that the "cut out" CO issue is the tool trying to save it's self.
This sorta makes since as the MudMixer doesn't have the fail to start issue but some are having the stop on break through.
Bottom line TRY starting slowly, don't push so hard on break through?
Just some food for thought.
Your mileage may vary.
Nils is nothing like the Lazer blades.
The 6 inch laser is pretty much a nills you throw a off set handle on a 6 inch laser they cut the same..
but a 7 and 8 inch laser is a way different ball game.. cause of those vee'd bars on the cutting head.. the laser take more effort cause of those bars..
OK guys I NEED to share my experience with you that I had last night. Get out to our spot. We had 24" of measured ice and I have the 1300 and I brought my extra 9ah battery (so a total of 2 9ah batteries). I have the 8" kdrill and drill 4 sets of 3 holes overlapped. What I usually do is drill all three just until they break through then finish them off. I've noticed it takes a lot more torque to drill through the slurry slush if I drill each one through entirely.
First off let me say that I did try messing with the trigger a bit when I first started and YES if I barely pulled the trigger it would cut out every time, even before i started one hole I had to give it the nuts and it worked fine that way.
Ok so i get 3 sets of 3 drilled so basically 9 holes through 24". And then 1/3 of the 4th set and the drill cut out mid hole (hole number 10). So at that point I figure ok, I'll throw my spare battery on. I connect it and same thing, it keeps cutting out and I can feel the heat. Without a doubt it was heat/drill related as the new battery made no difference. So I stumbled my way through the last hole (waiting a few minutes inbetween engagements). And decide to keep that set at only a double hole instead of a triple hole since I don't want to kill my drill. After that I put the drill outside to cool off.
Fast forward about 3 hours later and I get a MONSTER fish on. I'm talking like fish of a lifetime Monster and of course its on the double hole not the triple hole. We get it up and the fish has NO chance to come up the double hole. So I go out and grab the drill to overlap another hole, and it won't drill. It keeps cutting out. Is to TOO COLD NOW? I have no idea what was going on but one battery was at 3 bars and the other at 2 and neither was working well. I was able to barely get one more hole in. Then we find out that the fish won't come up 3 holes! Well, now i'm stuck.... I put out an emergency call to nearby fisherman to come help me cut another hole and luckily someone came over with an ION and helped out.
We did end up getting the fish through the hole (we actually need 5 8" holes), but man oh man, the Rigid flaked out on me and left me hanging. :( With 2 9ah batteries I should have never had to worry at all. I'm pretty sure I'm going to just go and return everything I bought. I don't every want to be in that position even again.
Here's how it all unfolded.
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So i was in the fail to start group but today it quit mid hole after 15 holes.not all at once either,a few here and there.27 degrees and full battery and ice was about 10”.i hit the trigger and start cutting then stop,hit the trigger ,stop.i had to start new a new hole to get it to cut again.i think my drill is starting to act up worse with fail to start and cut out mid hole now.i told myself im running this drill until its broken.it cuts great when it works right.
Alright so I went back and watched my video footage (edited parts I clipped out) I noticed that when I needed to drill the extra hole after I caught the fish, I went to drill and the auger head was froze up so I was banging on it a little bit to bite and also now I was drilling an overlapping hole that has already been drilled (remember I said I normally drill it and clean it out without breaking through). Things I have taken away from this experience.
1. Heat is definitely a factor when continuously drilling hole after hole in succession. I’ve proven this by swapping out a new battery after it cuts out and also letting it sit up to 24 hours between holes.
2. Drilling overlapping holes in anything over 12” is a big problem, especially when the holes are full of water and slush. If you are going to do this get your holes mostly drilled and cleaned out and then break through one by one. It’s amazing how much more torque it takes to overlap the hole when it fills with water and slush. It REALLY taxes the drill.
3. The overload protection might be too sensitive on this Ridgid drill, but also probably not designed for our application.
4. For most people this drill will work great.
For how I fish, I wonder if an ice saw wouldn’t be a better option for connecting holes, especially late season when the ice is really thick.
i'm not experiencing the extra load on my auger while overlapping holes at all using lazer 8 inch, but it's not a foot of snow either. the way mine cuts it doesn't slow down ever and i listen to each cut. listening allow you to know if you should lighten up the speed of the cut by lifting some so it takes less materiel per revolution. the weight or inertia might be another factor that the lazer and nils have over composite augers.
the flight system clears shavings and pulls water up to the knees. i never have to raise or lift any pressure from my auger or try to help it clear out any thing. after it's done making a hole it is clear of shavings. it does it so fast i try to shut the motor off on break thru so i don't fill the tops of boots and the front of my bibs with water that quickly turns to ice.
so it sounds like a combination of the krdill chipper blades and composite flight system that is ineffective of removing shavings fast enough and on it's own is the difference. the blades don't have a sharp edge all of the way across so the parts that don't just slow the cut and take more energy and create more heat. the flight can't remove the weight of the shavings on the back side of the blades and again creates a bigger load and uses more energy and creates more heat. when you lift to try to clear them the octane must see the load differences and tries to adjust for them. then there is the going straight back down the hole the same way it was cut each time you lift not being exact and what that may do to the system. the difference between this drill and the rest is the intelligent circuit system that tries to match the power output based on the load. you keep changing it with the kdrill.
what does your dewalt do in same conditions drilling that many overlapping holes?
don't you have a different auger from before the kdrill to use?
Is it good to run these batteries completely dead or have them completely charged?Keep them charged!!!!
My battery and charger should be here today....
i did it off and on with my 6 inch lazer for 7 years at least. i also used it to make ice top coolers to keep fish in. make partial holes and build an area that can be filled with water so they can breath in it. it finally acted up last season so i replaced it with new in the 6 inch lazer. it acted like one blade wasn't working so i installed new blades to see if it would help and it did not. i know it could be adjusted, but not sure how to make it match the other side. this season with this drill out i wanted to try fishing from a bigger hole and went with the 8 inch lazer in part because it has kickers built-in kickers to keep the blade pitch in tact. the 6 inch didn't have it.
you might think about going smaller to connect the dots for that sort of fishing or try another brand that is all steel with kickers like the lazer has on the 8 inch. i'm not sure if it's on the 7 inch. i don't think the nils has them.
I would expect it to cut out with 1 bar in the cold.
Are you sure it was 470º and not 460º? Mine does that too, as soon as the app shows it go below 32º, it reads 460º. I'm betting the app developer messed up the equation to calculate from Rankine (or maybe even Kelvin) to Fahrenheit. There's a "459.67º" in that equation... Probably an absolute value or order of operations error in their conversion equation (though I would expect the error at 0º and not 32º, making me think the RTD or thermocouple is measuring in Kelvin, but I digress).
Thank you for that explanation! Some of the folks here clearly do not understand how the battery ratings are made. Was really grating on my engineer brain. ::) "Ah" (Amp-hours) is a really dumb way to rate batteries in my opinion, it should be "Wh" (Watt-Hours) to be more accurate and take the operating voltage into account.
Also, battery "nominal" voltage is a bit stupid to me as well. Our "18v" Ridgid tools are not really 18v. Since an individual Li-Ion cell voltage typically varies from 3.6 volts when empty, to 4.2 volts at full charge, our tools are likely 5-cell (series) tools, and actually only at 18v when DEAD! At full charge, they're more like 21 volts! The 3Ah Octane battery would then be a 5-cell pack with the 5 cells wired in series, and the individual cells rated at 3,000 mAh (3Ah). The Octane 9Ah pack would then be a 15-cell pack, with 3 parallel-wired groups of 5 cells wired in series. Basically think of the 9Ah pack like 3 of the 3Ah packs hooked up to the drill all at once!
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I somewhat disagree. Those bars are well behind the cutting edge and have little drag on a clean auger cutting the ice. If the auger was threading through the ice instead of shaving it off, then maybe it would be an issue. But since the ice breaks apart when the edge hits it, those bars add little additional resistance. Maybe a tiny bit, but not so much to be noticeable in my opinion. They do provide additional support to the fighting that holds the blades in place, and keeping the geometry correct is pretty important!
batteries sold on ebay have zero warranty from ridgid. private sellers are not authorized retailers. if the seller told you differently, you should request your money back asap and maybe start a paypal dispute to hurry up the process. i called ridgid about this for someone asking in a pm. have to be careful with knock offs too.
How long does LSA take to receive after registering?
im waiting on the drill powered snowdog.I have considered powering my kayak with it in the summer. an old trolling motor shaft may be the ticket
I have considered powering my kayak with it in the summer. an old trolling motor shaft may be the ticketI can see it now. Lost my drill in the lake while trolling. Chuck came loose. LOL
Well, my drill seems to have recovered from my trip the other night. A couple observations. If I spin up the drill with the KDrill attached at a certain point the brakes activate (sounds terrible) it doesnt do this with a 1/2 drill bit in it. Also I'm noticing some in/out play in the chuck.ive noticed that chuck play in mine too.back and fourth play started the second day i used it.now up and down play also.i thought it was my clam plate slop.lol.these drills are not made for augers.i already knew that but im running my octane until its done for.have you checked the fastener that holds the chuck on?it could be coming loose.looks like it wobbles some too.
I can see it now. Lost my drill in the lake while trolling. Chuck came loose. LOLI think the LSA warranty should cover that shouldn't it?
When I got mine, only batteries bought with a tool were eligible for the lifetime warranty, and you had to register them, which took some doing as I recall. I registered my first Ridgid 3/8 drill and batteries, and have had both the Nicad batteries and the drill replaced under warranty. I got them in the '90's, so when the batteries died, they gave me new lithium batteries and a new charger to replace them.same thing goes for the tool(s) also. if they quit supporting it they will replace it with a current version of it for free.
Well, my drill seems to have recovered from my trip the other night. A couple observations. If I spin up the drill with the KDrill attached at a certain point the brakes activate (sounds terrible) it doesnt do this with a 1/2 drill bit in it. Also I'm noticing some in/out play in the chuck.
ive noticed that chuck play in mine too.back and fourth play started the second day i used it.now up and down play also.i thought it was my clam plate slop.lol.these drills are not made for augers.i already knew that but im running my octane until its done for.have you checked the fastener that holds the chuck on?it could be coming loose.looks like it wobbles some too.
i just want something that is reliable out on the ice though. That is actually more important to me than being able to replace it over and over.
Exactly right Dtro!! The argument for that drill is the LSA, having a reliable product that actually works consistently is way more important. If you have to keep replacing it alot of good that does you. All the drill/auger combo's have their pro's/cons, but as many have said most drills are simply not made for running an auger. I would suspect that over time this will change.
If you don't got the gear box for the clam plate why use a 8 inch laser or 8 inch kdrill?? If your useing the octane and it's shuting off constantly on the kdrill of laser 8 inch that's not rigid fault it's yours for not relizing your over loading the drill . If you want the set up to work with a 8 inch bit get a nils plain and simple.. have not had a cut out with the 8 inch nils and octane combo. .. I have had problem same as you with cUT out on thd smaller dtill the r86116 modEl with 750 inch pounds with the 8 inch nils bit.. when you read the manual the auto shut off is cause from over loads . If you start complaining about this to rigid there going to void your warranty.. cause your over loading the drill.. it's not there fault.. you got to read the booklet that came with the drill.. read and under stand whats going on there.. plain and simple there going to void your warranties.. for over loading the drill with the auger.. it's no one else fault except yours if your drill fails and you tell them your using it attached to a ice auger.. of course there going to void warranty and stick you with bill every time .. why do you think it's called a over load protection in there booklet.. it explain how to reset the drill after this happens and etc.. if you explain you fried your drill after reseting the overload saftey several times.. there going to void your warranty.. so why stick with the auger bit that will void your warranty?? Why not just get a nils and be done with it?? If it's about money thing about it they void your warranty?? it costs you money every time it breaks down!! All caused by the auger bit so wich has less cost fixing drill or buying new bit in long run?? Or trying to get a gear box to run the laser or k drill??in the 8 inch ??
chilly-willy, you need to chill-out a little. None of these guys need to hear that. Using a drill has been around a long time and when the Octane came out with 1300 "# everyone thought they would give it a try. I don't think everyone is having the problem so clearly it is some defective drives/batteries.I agree. Not going through the entire thread again but it seems like there are only a few people who are having issues (and VTMatt doesn't count...sorry Matt you have terrible luck with everything). I have an octane with a clam plate and an 8" lazer. It screams through the ice and I've only had one cutout when the blades grabbed at the bottom of a hole in weird ice. I cut around 100 holes this weekend in 16-18" of ice and the only issue was that I had ice covering my bibs up to my thighs. Just from observations with my drill versus my neighbors M18 fuel, the octane seems to spin a lot faster in speed 1 and therefore will cut faster, assuming everything else is working. Hopefully the problematic drills are due to something like an overprotective load circuit. I hope that my drill keeps working this well and I can continue to be glad that I saved a pile of money over other options for an 8" drill setup.
Yeah I figured the extra load of the auger was causing the brake to engage even when spinning forward, just took me by surprise the first time.
As long as the drill has the LSA, maybe I just run it until she dies. i just want something that is reliable out on the ice though. That is actually more important to me than being able to replace it over and over.
One would think that with a drivetrain that supposedly can handle the 1300in/lbs the gearbox produces, it would be sufficiently strong enough. It is early but evidence suggests it may not. The exteneral forces may be too great and the construction inferior. I'm in the fence about returning mine. I knew going in that a drill isnt designed to be an ice auger. I know all drills can have problems but I'm not hearing this many issues with the Milwaukee users.
Not quite. Go back when the Milwaukee first came out. There were plenty of issues then too.
I am also having a great experience running the Octane with an 8 inch Nils and the Kovac adapter. I've gone out a couple of times and had a couple of very minor stop starts. I am blown away at how fast I can get through the ice with this setup. I got into the drill and 9ah battery for $199, for me the value has been excellent.You're welcome. Tried my best to give it an honest opinion. Just had mine on the ice today. +/- 30" of ice, and it chewed through it like it wasn't there. 10D, with 10 mph wind. Did have one, and my first cutout. Thinking the battery was getting low, went from 2, down to 1 bar after my first hole. I drilled 7 after so Im guessing thats what it was. Just released the trigger and finished the last 5-6". So far so good. Still a beast!!!
Thank you to PIKEFISHERMAN- his initial videos got me turned on to this setup. I can't believe how easily I can get through the ice now- cutting holes has always been a chore for me even with a gas auger, it's exciting to be able to plow through the ice in seconds with no effort with the Octane/Nils setup.
the real experience will be this spring hammer drilling 5 inches of granite.
Got any links? I see the handle/cracked case issue from last year but not finding anything beyond that, just curious what issues people had.
Here's a link. Milwaukee has it's issues too.Thanks for posting. In reading reviews for the new 2804 on Milwaukee's website and a couple other places, they definitely seem to have issues and low ratings. Overheating and sloppy chucks being the two that I've seen the most. I've got the 2704 and the only issue I've had is a broken side handle. I've got to send it in at the end of the season to get fixed under warranty.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/195143467342989/permalink/1037569646433696/
Here's a link. Milwaukee has it's issues too.Don’t have Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/195143467342989/permalink/1037569646433696/
Don’t have Facebook
Better yet just type in your browser Brand x-y-z problems!Yep, they all have a few problems, mostly just a quality issue with a few tools here and there.
Oh wait a minute they ALL have problems if ya look, especially when they are used for what they are not designed for. :whistle:
Ran my octane clamplate 7" lazer today. Was a long day chasing perch on deep flats eating bloodworms. There was 8-10"of hard ice. Had periodic fail to starts but overall I had less trouble than I've been having now that there is a little time on the drill. Was 5 degrees first thing warming up to 25. Auger ran good. Didnt count but I drilled at least 80 holes today. Nearly ran the drill dead. 1 bar left. Started slowing down for the last 10 holes but never quit. Since it has started to break in I've been having fewer and fewer issues.This is a good thing to hear. More use better performance. Kinda like breaking in a car, once it is broke in it gets better fuel mileage.
Been running M-18 2703 for several years now. 90% of the time I turn a 6" Mora. 6-9" of ice I get easy 100 holes on a 5AH batt.
BUT when I turn an 8" Mora Im lucky if I get 25 holes. Same 5AH batts.
I'd like to try a NILS and see how big a diff. it makes.
I had my octane kdrill combo out again last night. Drilled several holes in 25" of ice. I'm convinced the overlapping thing is was what really kills it. It just does not like that at all. It's not so much the overlapping, but rather the hole you are drilling, getting flooded with water and slush from the adjacent hole. 12" is no problem, but 25" is a killer. What sealed the deal is that my buddy had his DeWalt 996 out there with a 9ah battery and it really struggled too. It didn't cut out, but it smelled horrible and released some magic smoke.
Don't drill any hole all the way through till all the holes are almost done..
<°)))>{
That's what I've been doing, but easier said than done. :)
The diameter of your auger is the biggest factor. The area of an 8 inch circle is 50.265 square inches verus only 28.27 square inches for a 6 inch auger. An 8 inch auger means you are cutting 78% more ice than a 6 inch auger. Actually lines up really close to your real-world experience, only getting about 25% of the holes cut using an 8 compared to a 6
Been running M-18 2703 for several years now. 90% of the time I turn a 6" Mora. 6-9" of ice I get easy 100 holes on a 5AH batt.Slayer...I ran an 8" blue Nils under a Clam plate and M18 2704 last year and it cut real silky but kinda precious when some dirty ice came along. This year I'm running a 7" Nero under a Kovac under an Octane drill and while not quite as silky as the Nils, it's a burner. Cheap, light and tough, like me except for the light part.
BUT when I turn an 8" Mora Im lucky if I get 25 holes. Same 5AH batts.
I'd like to try a NILS and see how big a diff. it makes.
So i think i know what causes my new symptoms of cutting out mid hole.today while cutting weak slush ice then a small gap of water then solid ice it wold quit when it hit the 2nd layer of black ice.the jolt going from easy soft ice to hard ice is making it cut out.yesterday when the ice was harder it never quit but had the fail to start deal.
Better yet just type in your browser Brand x-y-z problems!
Oh wait a minute they ALL have problems if ya look, especially when they are used for what they are not designed for. :whistle:
what are they designed for then. paper weight.By reading some of these posts some feel that way.
Went to test set up today. 7 inch strikemaster lazer auger, mounted on clamplate ,with extension. Local pond had 2 inches of cloud ice and about 4 inches of hard stuff. Standing on dock about a foot above actual ice. I cut 10 holes as fast as I could.
Three times I had to reverse to get auger back up. The Ridgid Octane had no cutouts and actually no problems whatsoever.
I tried starting the drill high , resting upon the ice. Slow start and fast start. Every time it ripped right through.
To prevent drilling at any kind angle. I have bolted on a bullseye level. So that I am drilling at 90 degrees to the ice every time. Don't know if that helps but it certainly did not hurt anything.
With all the posts about troubles being had. Was concerned I made a bad investment. Not so thing passed with flying colors and with a 6 AH battery. Which still indicated full charge at completion of test.
I did some testing today.i wouldnt be happy with that drill.mine has cutout but ive never had to take the battery off.mine never gets warm either but im only drilling about 8” of ice.i know my drill cuts out while cutting soft ice then hits hard good ice but thats expected because of a slight bind.its great to use a drill but i wont ever get rid of my jiffy.ice almost 2ft is going to be hard on any of the drills.
If you guys want to cool your drills off you should run them without a load for a little bit, that way the integrated cooling fan can work. Just stopping for a second and going again isn't cooling them down.. Just run it with the bit off the ice..Sounds like a good idea.
<°)))>{
If you guys want to cool your drills off you should run them without a load for a little bit, that way the integrated cooling fan can work. Just stopping for a second and going again isn't cooling them down.. Just run it with the bit off the ice..
<°)))>{
get the 9 amp hour battery and it should fix the issues. fyi I have the Ridgid sawzaw and it will cut out if I really work it and it heats up...no biggie wait 2 seconds
I agree with what you say Frank. With the way i fish, I set up in one spot and drill 12 holes. If the tool won't do that for me without shutting down, then it's clearly the wrong tool. I'm going to have to use something else I guess. :(
Just a suggestion?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/clam-plate-geared-adapter-made-by-ice-kicker-adapter-only/163495362728?hash=item26111540a8:g:F6wAAOSwXHxb9uJC (https://www.ebay.com/itm/clam-plate-geared-adapter-made-by-ice-kicker-adapter-only/163495362728?hash=item26111540a8:g:F6wAAOSwXHxb9uJC)
I'm thinking I'd like to try exchanging my drill out, perhaps a swap would help my issues. Problem is that there is literally non in stock within 100 miles of me (bare tool). Basically it's all in stock bundled with a small battery now. Has anyone ever had any luck exchanging a bare tool for a combo unit and just swapping out the tool in the combo?All you can do is try. Worst they can say is no. It's like playing the Lottery,if you don't buy in you can't win.
The k drill is built to spin fast I don't think it would work with the kicker. My friend has a kicker and it is slow, it is nice and built really strong though.
Maybe a mud mixer or super hawg type tool would get the job done.
Actually, Kdrill recommends setting the drill at its lowest speed..
Proper Drill Setup
1) Ensure that you have an adequate drill, meaning a half inch chuck and at least 725 in/lbs of torque.
2) Ensure the drill is set to its DRILL mode, not ratchet
or hammer.
3) Ensure the drill is set to its LOWEST (slowest) gear
setting.
4) Ensure your drill has a side-arm attachment so you
can maintain a secure two-handed hold on the drill.
I'm thinking I'd like to try exchanging my drill out, perhaps a swap would help my issues. Problem is that there is literally non in stock within 100 miles of me (bare tool). Basically it's all in stock bundled with a small battery now. Has anyone ever had any luck exchanging a bare tool for a combo unit and just swapping out the tool in the combo?Honestly, from what I’ve seen I don’t see where your Octane has a problem. I do agree that the Octane paired with your KDrill, with your style of fishing isn’t a good combo. Like you mentioned, drilling multiple sets of overlapping holes is the problem, causing your drill to go into protection mode. I’m well over 500 holes with my Octane/Nils combo, and have experienced no cutouts. I’m up to 30” of ice, and it eats it’s. Had it out in -15D weather unprotected, still no problem. The protection mode is a love/hate relationship. I love it, I personally would not like pushing a drill to the point where it smells like it’s burning, like you referenced with the dewalt. Just my opinion, but if I was in your scenario fishing for sturgeon, I’d pick up a 4.5-6” auger, and an ice saw. Drill 3-4 holes, connect with the ice saw and your off.
No, they just swapped drills for me and kept the charger and battery, but said "here why don't you keep the bag". I was like ok sure. :)
I already got the LSA swapped too.
Oh, by the way, this kit I linked is $159 and I seen a bare 9ah batteries on the shelf on sale for $99, so $259 isn't a horrible deal for the drill, 2 batteries (9ah and 3ah), and a bag.
Related, has anybody bought the $39 mini radio that pairs with this battery? Thoughts? I bought the phone charger, works great.
I bet that's bright!
Related, has anybody bought the $39 mini radio that pairs with this battery? Thoughts? I bought the phone charger, works great.
no, but i was wondering what toys I could buy to run!
I can't think of any ice fishing application... but the ridgid 4 angle grinder is pretty impressive. We bought one of the 5 tool kits for work and added the 4.5" angle grinder. Ended up using it far more than I would have expected and it has held up very well.
Smitty was that the 9.0 ah battery? Any guess on how many holes you drilled?Yes it was the 9.0 Ah battery. Not sure on the hole count.
I have a ridged x4 (returned it for cut out problems) got the x5 brushless with 4ah batteries. seemed to work good for a season with mora 8". Then this year is has been cutting out really bad, both batteries even fully charged.. sent the drill for warranty and picked up the new Octane. right out of the box, first attempt on my old 4ah batteries it shut down after quarter turn! So now im thinking it must be my batteries! Ridgid sends me 2 new 4ah batteries..give them a full charge and SAME PROBLEM! So now I have 2 Ridgid drill (x5 and octane) 4-4ah batteries and I get quarter turns out of every tool...Not sure what the deal is. Mora cuts great when it will spin..but I am about to give up on ridged.You would think that luck had 2 phases. Good and Bad but it looks like you only got the later. Sorry to hear that.
I have a ridged x4 (returned it for cut out problems) got the x5 brushless with 4ah batteries. seemed to work good for a season with mora 8". Then this year is has been cutting out really bad, both batteries even fully charged.. sent the drill for warranty and picked up the new Octane. right out of the box, first attempt on my old 4ah batteries it shut down after quarter turn! So now im thinking it must be my batteries! Ridgid sends me 2 new 4ah batteries..give them a full charge and SAME PROBLEM! So now I have 2 Ridgid drill (x5 and octane) 4-4ah batteries and I get quarter turns out of every tool...Not sure what the deal is. Mora cuts great when it will spin..but I am about to give up on ridged.
or get one of the less aggressive cutting bits, like a k-drill, or a lower torque bit, like a Nils.
the octane drill likes octane batteries even tho they say it works with all batteries. i already tested it with gen5x 4amp batteries and it didn't cut anything like the octane 9amp battery does. i also tested the gen5x 780 inch pound brushed drill with octane 9amp battery and all of the combinations failed except for the octane/octane matched system. i tested it on a brand new lazer 8' lazer so i know the blades were new and cutting well.The batteries IS what I thought may be the problem...i do find it odd my x5 does the same thing on the original and new batteries (x5 4ah)..i asked ridgid if maybe a bigger battery or needing and octane battery was needed. they said no. Octane battery just has blue tooth feature, and the higher AH batteries should just be a larger "gas tank" and not direct impact on performance
a year ago, i also tested my gen5x with gen5x batteries on a 8" lazer with dull blades someone walking onto the ice had and couldn't cut one hole with it. you can listen to the drill motor to know whats going on. i could hear the motor struggle hard with the dull blades on the 8" laser.
for kicks, i tried a 6" lazer on a ridgid 12volt drill on my 6" lazer with sharp blades and it did what i expected it to and that was cut out with the results like your having now.
since you have the octane drill, you'll need the octane battery. it's not to late to return the drill and get the octane drill with 3 amp battery and charger kit for 160$. you'll be surprised the difference it makes when you use the matched system. i wouldn't want the 3amp battery, but it's almost free and comes with charger and a contractors bag.
remember you have 90 days to use anything you buy from hd.
the drill is 150$ tool only. the drill, 3 amp octane battery and charger and bag is 10$ more to try it out. you already have the 150$ into the drill. you missed the free drill with the 9amp battery/charger for 160$ deal that lasted nearly 3 month. xmas is always best time to buy tools. they do price match so if you buy the 9 amp drill kit and keep the drill, you can watch for a price drop on the 9 amp battery/charger kit to see if it goes on sale and make them match the price. i did just that and they gave me back 40$. you need the battery to be sold in a kit to be able to qualify the lsa and the charger/battery is a kit. batteries sold by themselves are not a kit and have only a 3 year warranty.
Since I have stopped worrying about keeping the battery warm and started leaving it in the garage with the drill I've been having almost no issues. I did have two cutouts yesterday related to low battery. I was on 1 bar of battery and had drilled out a large flat when it happened. Drill was starting to slow down so I knew I was nearing the end. I dont hold that against it.Again, I have cut outs on first pull of trigger on 2 BRAND NEW drills and 2 BRAND new batteries after FULL CHARGE.
Again, I have cut outs on first pull of trigger on 2 BRAND NEW drills and 2 BRAND new batteries after FULL CHARGE.
I am starting to convince myself the "new" technology is ridgid trying to keep up with warranty claims from ice fisherman and making them so they CANT break because they wont work hard enough..
just emailed them. AGAIN. I nicely asked them to upgrade my batteries or I will be returning it. I am sick of chasing this, and having my Milwaukee buddies harassing me... The bigger batteries make a big difference the 9 ah and the 12 ah on the Milwaukee drills don’t know why they wouldn’t on the Ridgid
3 seasons on my 8 inch K/milwaukee/clam plate (no gear box) combo. Only cut out I've had is a dead battery. Tried Nils, wouldn't cut anymore after half a season. Chipper blades of the K drill have gone 3 seasons without a sharpening. Is nils faster and more efficient? for sure, is it as maintenance free? Not in my opinion. The cut out issues have nothing to do with the auger and everything to do with the drill.
You should see mine. One has a bent powerpoint, dent in the cutting head, the flights have most of the paint knocked off and the shaft is actually a bit bent and still drills. I know people have issues with the nils but I've used my a lot and never had an issue. Did notice when dull...they will eat a fuel battery up fast.
Thanks for doing the vid. Quite the eye opener!You won’t regret getting a Nils. Not knocking the KDrill by any means, but they do draw more torque. If I was fishing like you, I’d have a saw.
That settles it. I guess I'll be buying a Nils next year. It appears to be superior to anything else out there and the issues I've seen with my Ridgid drill this year are very likely related to the extra torque needed for the KDrill. I still need a bigger hole than 8" though so I'll pick up an ice saw to connect holes, but this test made me a believer that I probably need to ditch the KDrill and it's not a drill issue it's an auger issue.
Thanks for doing the vid. Quite the eye opener!
That settles it. I guess I'll be buying a Nils next year. It appears to be superior to anything else out there and the issues I've seen with my Ridgid drill this year are very likely related to the extra torque needed for the KDrill. I still need a bigger hole than 8" though so I'll pick up an ice saw to connect holes, but this test made me a believer that I probably need to ditch the KDrill and it's not a drill issue it's an auger issue.