Author Topic: Made-for-drill vs hand augers  (Read 5467 times)

Offline GBguy

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Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« on: Dec 02, 2019, 02:49 PM »
I've got my Rigid Octane drill paired with a strikemaster hand auger bit. I got the hand auger because it was cheap ($20 CL score with the handle). But I see lots of threads and comparisons that discuss the k-drill vs the strikemaster LF and others, but dont see many mention the hand augers. Except the Nero and the Nils I guess.

What are the major benefits of the augers like the K-drill and the Strikemaster LF that justify the big jump in price? Is it a weight savings? Can't imagine they weigh that much less than the bit from my hand auger, but maybe.

I know the k-drill has chipper blades and can reopen old holes, a pro for permanent shacks, though I've heard others say other augers can do that as well. Though I dont have a permy so that's not a feature I need.

Help me out here. Is it just one of those things, like a tarp over some poles will block the wind, but a top of the line flip over does it better? They both drill holes in the ice.

Offline GBguy

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #1 on: Dec 02, 2019, 02:52 PM »
I'd like to add an 8" option to my arsenal, just trying to see if I'm missing something by going with an 8" hand auger vs one of the others mentioned.

Offline R.S.

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #2 on: Dec 02, 2019, 03:07 PM »
I have only used a 8" laser and a 6" jiffy on my drill so cant say about the chipper kind.  they turn harder I think from what I read.  could mean less holes?

Offline GBguy

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #3 on: Dec 02, 2019, 03:11 PM »
Just trying to wrap my head around why someone would pay double, triple, or even quadruple the price of a Lazer or Mora for one of the others.

Not knocking anyone who has them, not what I meant with this post. If I'm missing some of the benefits, I want to know, before I get my 8" auger.

Offline burgerunh

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #4 on: Dec 02, 2019, 03:22 PM »
At the end of the day you get a hole in the ice!  Thats the goal and thats what any/all of these augers do.

I personally run the K-drill because they are super light weight and my back appreciates this at the end of the day.

Offline colby157

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #5 on: Dec 02, 2019, 03:22 PM »
I just ordered the strikemaster LF. One advantage is weight reduction over an auger like a mora. Also, the LF has a centering pin which reduces spinout when first starting the hole. The LF also comes with an adapter which may be more of a hassle when using a lazer or mora. Lastly, I also feel the higher end drills have more durable blades than a mora.
Is all that worth the price difference? Maybe not. A mora on a drill is still a great drill. I spent the money because I got a good deal on it during black friday.

Offline Sierra57

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #6 on: Dec 02, 2019, 03:25 PM »
I just picked up an 8" Eskimo Pistol Bit this past Friday, the thing is ridiculously light. That combined with the center point, shield around blades, and the plate to keep it from going through the hole if it were to slip out of the chuck are what made me buy it. Does all that make it worth the money? That is all up to you, but it is a pretty slick unit.

Offline MC_angler

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #7 on: Dec 02, 2019, 03:33 PM »
Honestly, my 2 cents are that people like the latest and greatest thing. And there's personal preference too. Kind of like asking why someone would buy a Lexus instead of a Toyota, or a Lincoln instead of a Ford.

Also, they are paying for the convenience of an auger you can directly attach a drill to. No adapter needed, no extension bar to make it their preferred height, etc


I think the weight thing is mostly overblown marketing hype. I mean, an 8" lite flight weighs 5.3 pounds... 8 inch pistol bit 3.9 lbs....an 8 inch Mora weighs 8 lbs.

The Milwaukee 2804 with a 5ah battery weighs about 3.6 lbs. So your total setup of a mora and milwaukee is about 12 lbs... vs 8 for the lightest setup.

A difference of less than 4 lbs for an entire setup is not massive. The biggest gain would be coming from a giant gas auger to a drill setup




Offline Iceicemike

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #8 on: Dec 02, 2019, 03:55 PM »
I seen no reason to jump onthe wagon lol had my 8 inch lazer for 11 years. Sold the 2 stroke to buy the octane and clam plate. Do not miss the fumes or the hand drilling lol
 Works great!
 I seen no sense in spending that much for these new augers. Hook them all to octane or Milwaukee, they all drill! I don't care if it catches at bottom Or if one is a second faster or etc! Gets the job done and way plenty fast for me.
Now when or if mine goes to poop, I would at least get something with center point just for extra safety.

Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #9 on: Dec 02, 2019, 04:09 PM »
I seen no reason to jump onthe wagon lol had my 8 inch lazer for 11 years. Sold the 2 stroke to buy the octane and clam plate. Do not miss the fumes or the hand drilling lol
 Works great!
 I seen no sense in spending that much for these new augers. Hook them all to octane or Milwaukee, they all drill! I don't care if it catches at bottom Or if one is a second faster or etc! Gets the job done and way plenty fast for me.
Now when or if mine goes to poop, I would at least get something with center point just for extra safety.
yep im thinking the same.why pay 200$ for a auger when a 50$ auger rips ice.fast enough for me..

Offline Seamonkey84

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #10 on: Dec 02, 2019, 04:27 PM »
The biggest benefit is the weight reduction. It’s not just easier to carry, it’s easier for the drill to turn it. The center point is a valid use too, as our hand augers are now a power tool. For those not prepared, it’s an accident waiting to happen. I would hope they accounted for the tendency of larger hand augers grabbing at the bottom of the ice when breaking through.
That all said, I have two regular hand augers to pair my 725lb M18 with. A 7” lazer that hasn’t failed me in 4 seasons, and a 8” eskimo shaver (cheaper version of mora and blades are interchangeable) for when I just need a few bigger holes.

Offline R.S.

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #11 on: Dec 02, 2019, 05:03 PM »
jiffy don't turn backwards that's how, I guess.  or id run it in reverse.


Offline BaitBucket

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #12 on: Dec 02, 2019, 05:32 PM »
The biggest benefit is the weight reduction. It’s not just easier to carry, it’s easier for the drill to turn it.

Some fun facts:

The 6" Kdrill weighs in at around 4lb 5oz..$239
The 6" Pistol bit is around 3lb 2oz..$180
The 6" Lite Flite is right around 4lb 4oz.. $180

My 6" 50$ Mora is right at about 4lb 4oz...And they can be found used for about 20$.. A spare set of blades will run you around 15-20$ as well. Being so cheap, some guys have gone so far as to remove some of the flutes, reducing weight to under 4lbs..



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Offline stinkyfingers

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #13 on: Dec 02, 2019, 06:57 PM »
I've got my Rigid Octane drill paired with a strikemaster hand auger bit. I got the hand auger because it was cheap ($20 CL score with the handle). But I see lots of threads and comparisons that discuss the k-drill vs the strikemaster LF and others, but dont see many mention the hand augers. Except the Nero and the Nils I guess.

What are the major benefits of the augers like the K-drill and the Strikemaster LF that justify the big jump in price? Is it a weight savings? Can't imagine they weigh that much less than the bit from my hand auger, but maybe.

I know the k-drill has chipper blades and can reopen old holes, a pro for permanent shacks, though I've heard others say other augers can do that as well. Though I dont have a permy so that's not a feature I need.

Help me out here. Is it just one of those things, like a tarp over some poles will block the wind, but a top of the line flip over does it better? They both drill holes in the ice.

The features hyped on the new lightweight auger sections don't represent sufficient value to me to justify the extravagant costs. Every auger out there has features and benefits,

some of which, like center pints, ripper blades, light in weight, etc. will find someone who wants that feature and will disregard the rest. Human nature. In my opinion. stick with

what you've got until your true needs reveal themselves.
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Offline 32footsteps

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #14 on: Dec 02, 2019, 10:06 PM »
it’s easier for the drill to turn it.

^This

The weights are advertised and people pay attention to them as just a simple non moving weight. What they don’t usually consider is the positive impact of reducing rotating weight.

Reduction of one pound of rotating weight is comparable to 10 pounds. So to the drill/engine/etc. turning that object, a 4 pound item will “weigh” 40 pounds less than an 8 pound item.

I’ve built and tuned on dirt race cars for over three decades and we always apply this concept when setting cars up. Reducing rotating weight allows everything in the drivetrain to function more efficiently and makes movable parts last longer. In the ice fishing world this can be tested in a very simple way. Take a composite auger and a traditional metal auger with the same blade type and pitch. So....an 8” Pistol and an 8” mora and run them on the same drill and add up the inches of ice drilled with each bit. You’ll get more with the lighter composite auger than you will with the heavier metal auger....and the drill won’t be pushed as hard.

Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #15 on: Dec 02, 2019, 11:43 PM »
IMO the synthetic augers are mostly marketing, and jumped on the light weight drill auger craze. For the most part hand augers and synthetic auger weights are very minimal in difference. The only true upgrade to the synthetics IMO over the hand augers are the ones that have a center point. Which isn't that big of a deal if you keep sharp blades and put a touch of down pressure on the hand augers to get them started.

It really started with the K drill and Milwaukee brushless drill. Then the clam plate came to turn them into dedicated light weight augers.

In the very early years many people were very skeptical that a drill auger could work as well has they do. I was one of the early adaptors. I paired a v2 clam plate with a 725in lb brushless Milwaukee. I was skeptical.....but tired of draging a 45lb jiffy model 30 out in my flipover by hand.

Most people were making claims back then that you couldn't turn a 8in auger you could only do a 6in.

So I used a 6in lazer hand auger....no problem.
Then I got a 7in mora hand auger no problem.
So then I put 8in mora blades on that.....no problem.
Then I got the conversion kit off eBay and made that into an 7in lazer auger no problem.
Then I picked up an 8in nils that cut easier turned that no problem.
Then I upgraded the Milwaukee drill to a 1200in#drill.....that will turn a 10in mora hand auger.

I kept my 45lb jiffy model 30 for 2-3 years then realized....yes the drill setups can drill 3ft of ice and work fine. So I sold the jiffy.

It has been huge for people dumping 30-50lb power augers going to 10-15lb drill setups. Once people started to see just how well they actually worked, a lot of people switched over. Has for the weight savings.....once you get to 10-15lbs it's a light freaking auger....shedding a pound or two isn't near the return/difference has when you shed 15-35lbs.

Once the companies started to realise just how big the drill craze was becoming, they wanted to play in the market....but why sell $40 hand augers you don't make much on. Especially when we are loosing a $300-$500 gas auger sell. They figured K drill is selling for $200-$250....which was more then some low end gas augers. So they followed suit.

Eskimo came out last year with the pistol.....which was a mora auger with plastic flights.....but charged $200 for a 1lb difference in weight vs the hand auger version that sold for $40......they sold out. Which tells you they were testing the market an did not over produce them. Now strikemaster jumped in....it will be interesting to see if we get enough in the market to eventually bring them down considerably in price.


Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #16 on: Dec 02, 2019, 11:52 PM »
they can be found used for about 20$.. A spare set of blades will run you around 15-20$ as well. Being so cheap, some guys have gone so far as to remove some of the flutes, reducing weight to under 4lbs..




I've been trying to find a decent used hand auger on Craigslist for my buddy to put on his drill......They are getting to be hard to find around here anymore. If you do come across one they ask with $5-$10 of the cost of a new one, and have dull rusted up blades that need sharpened or replaced......There are a Few of the super old screw on handle types cheap......but the eBay adaptor to put them on a drill is $30.....

I think the masses caught onto the drill craze and the cheap used hand auger market is starting to dry up around here.

Offline Fishwacker1

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #17 on: Dec 03, 2019, 04:18 AM »
I'll gladly shave extra weight off the auger so I can pull more beer in my sled.

Offline Iceassin

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #18 on: Dec 03, 2019, 05:26 AM »
Here's my take on the whole weight thing...1) A heavier set up does require less manual down force to drill a hole. Maybe not much...but some. 2) A lighter setup is much easier to carry, even a few pounds will make a difference after awhile, especially if you plan on dragging it around to drill a gazillion holes.3) Ice will build up on an auger over time making any set up heavier...maybe not so much on the plastic augers.

For me? I went with the light set up. My drill/laser auger combo is about 10#. Sprayed the flutes with graphite spray to prevent ice build up. On an average day I will drill 2 6" holes for my tip ups and "maybe" a dozen 4" jigging holes. Don't understand why some guys will say "I can drill 50 to 100 holes a day with my setup".
Why? If I needed to drill that many holes to find and catch fish, I'm on the wrong lake. Unless I go to a lake that I've never fished, I know where they're at.

Bottom line. I don't overthink, overkill or "macho-ize" my setup. Just drill a few holes and fish.
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Offline MC_angler

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #19 on: Dec 03, 2019, 06:32 AM »
I've been trying to find a decent used hand auger on Craigslist for my buddy to put on his drill......They are getting to be hard to find around here anymore. If you do come across one they ask with $5-$10 of the cost of a new one, and have dull rusted up blades that need sharpened or replaced......There are a Few of the super old screw on handle types cheap......but the eBay adaptor to put them on a drill is $30.....

I think the masses caught onto the drill craze and the cheap used hand auger market is starting to dry up around here.

You might be right but I think it's more that Craigslist is getting fragmented by Facebook Marketplace. If you have Facebook...check out marketplace. There's like 2 augers near me on CL... and about 15 moras on Facebook Marketplace within 40 miles of me. Average price of less than 15 bucks. Some posts even have multiple augers in the same batch

Offline GBguy

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #20 on: Dec 03, 2019, 06:52 AM »
And now a glutton of gas augers for sale as well, mine included. Used to be a running Model 30 was a steal at $100, now an auger at that price will sit while the cheaper ones sell out.

Offline Gunflint

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #21 on: Dec 03, 2019, 06:58 AM »
And now a glutton of gas augers for sale as well, mine included. Used to be a running Model 30 was a steal at $100, now an auger at that price will sit while the cheaper ones sell out.

What is really funny is that a used gas auger in GREAT condition now sells for less than a non-motorized auger with a drill attachment.

Go figure...not that one would have expected 20 years ago.

We are now old, but at least technology is moving ahead of us so we can still ice fish.
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Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #22 on: Dec 03, 2019, 07:04 AM »
I still have dreams of the old days here in Michigan where the ice gets 2ft thick.yeah my drill auger can cut it up but im saving my jiffy pro4 lite for the time i ever see thick ice again.its not heavy,no gas spills or gummed up carbs.think i have 3 other gassers in the shed.my old 1970 jiffy1 armed bandit has sat for awhile now.im keeping it as a museum piece.lol

Offline SirCranksalot

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #23 on: Dec 03, 2019, 07:10 AM »
Very interesting discussion. Ice Shanty site at its best!!
Keep yer stick on the ice!

Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #24 on: Dec 03, 2019, 07:14 AM »
I still have dreams of the old days here in Michigan where the ice gets 2ft thick.yeah my drill auger can cut it up but im saving my jiffy pro4 lite for the time i ever see thick ice again.its not heavy,no gas spills or gummed up carbs.think i have 3 other gassers in the shed.my old 1970 jiffy1 armed bandit has sat for awhile now.im keeping it as a museum piece.lol

I'd sell the gas auger and get yourself a large/big battery.....problem solved.

Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #25 on: Dec 03, 2019, 07:22 AM »
I'd sell the gas auger and get yourself a large/big battery.....problem solved.
yeah i really havent seen ice over 12” thick in the last 6 years around my area.most times it’s sketchy thin ice with a ft of slush and snow.pretty much why i got the ridgid with 9ah battery.it cuts great and fast on the skinny ice we get lately.

Offline Gunflint

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #26 on: Dec 03, 2019, 07:28 AM »
I still have dreams of the old days here in Michigan where the ice gets 2ft thick.yeah my drill auger can cut it up but im saving my jiffy pro4 lite for the time i ever see thick ice again.its not heavy,no gas spills or gummed up carbs.think i have 3 other gassers in the shed.my old 1970 jiffy1 armed bandit has sat for awhile now.im keeping it as a museum piece.lol

I still have my old Johnson 2.5 hp outboard, as a relic of nostalgia to show grand children if they ever appear. The new 4 strokes are so much better, but I put thousands of hours on the green Johnson that had been my grandfather's at the time. That is the fate of Jiffys and spoons. We will have to explain how they worked to an incredulous youth.
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Offline BaitBucket

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #27 on: Dec 03, 2019, 08:05 AM »
^This

The weights are advertised and people pay attention to them as just a simple non moving weight. What they don’t usually consider is the positive impact of reducing rotating weight.

Reduction of one pound of rotating weight is comparable to 10 pounds. So to the drill/engine/etc. turning that object, a 4 pound item will “weigh” 40 pounds less than an 8 pound item.


Not entirely true. The type of blade has an impact on "how much the drill works" as well. Chipper blades require more energy to do their job. This is why hand augers use shaver blades (easier to turn) and gas augers (with the extra power) mostly use chipper blades.

Im going on my 5th season with approximately 4000 holes drilled with my 6"mora and my original gen4x Rigid hammer drill.
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Offline 2muchleft

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #28 on: Dec 03, 2019, 03:25 PM »
Not sure if I could justify the cost of a new 8" StrikeMaster Lite Flite auger either.  But the old hand auger needed new blades and my daughters needed Christmas ideas so problems solved! 

Offline NateD

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Re: Made-for-drill vs hand augers
« Reply #29 on: Dec 03, 2019, 04:02 PM »
Not entirely true. The type of blade has an impact on "how much the drill works" as well. Chipper blades require more energy to do their job. This is why hand augers use shaver blades (easier to turn) and gas augers (with the extra power) mostly use chipper blades.

Im going on my 5th season with approximately 4000 holes drilled with my 6"mora and my original gen4x Rigid hammer drill.

More energy yes, as in more revolutions. Hand drills use shavers because they cut more ice per revolution, which means they are actually harder to turn, but faster. Chippers are about durability, like straight blade vs. serrated, more blade surface area means it stays sharp longer. At least that is what I've gathered based on using both types for awhile.

 



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