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Author Topic: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man  (Read 5088 times)

Offline ronbgood55

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Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« on: Mar 10, 2022, 06:41 PM »
Hi guys...age is taking its foll on me. I still punch 6/7 holes each trip with my 5" auger . I had spuds from 1940 Ford rear axles, straight blade auger spoon auger and 8" Jiffy which I gave away to my grandsons. An electric drill  seems right up my alley , The grill type I have NO experience with that is why I'm reaching out to you guys for some in puts. I don't need a Cadillac type at 84 yrs. old I just want something that is better than man power..If you get with what I mean.nothing to beak the bank but gets the job done.....Take Care

Offline PerchMan45

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #1 on: Mar 10, 2022, 06:53 PM »
Good on you for getting out at 84. That’s something to be proud of.

Electric augers are a big cost but they are definitely the best option. I do not personally own one but plan on getting one soon to replace gas/hand. The Ion augers are the top of the line but they run upwards of $800. I have a friend that swears by Strikemaster electric augers those are probably the next grade down from Ion. Thunder Bay electric I am not familiar with but are cheaper than Ion and Strikemaster.

Offline lowaccord66

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #2 on: Mar 10, 2022, 06:54 PM »
Ron I like reading that you get out there still.  Would recommend a brushless drill for sure and a clam plate to protect from sudden shock from the drill so you dont risk your wrists. 

Offline tomb raider

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #3 on: Mar 10, 2022, 07:59 PM »
Don’t know where you live but since you ice fish Forge pond in Granby. I’m guessing you live in the general area.Go see Paul or his kids at Granby Bait. I’m pretty sure they will put you on one that won’t break your bank.

Offline Chawk190

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #4 on: Mar 10, 2022, 09:19 PM »
Ron I like reading that you get out there still.  Would recommend a brushless drill for sure and a clam plate to protect from sudden shock from the drill so you dont risk your wrists.

Exactly as lowaccord said above. Only thing I have to add is get a composite auger bit too. You can have speed and power for about what a 6” hand auger weighs. My kids bought me a Dewalt DCD999 Flexvolt and an 8” Eskimo pistol bit. With the 6AH Flexvolt battery the combo weighs about the same as my 6” Mora3 steel hand auger. I don’t have a clam plate but I believe they don’t add much more than a pound. For reason of wrist protection as lowaccord mentioned it’s a worthwhile addition. I probably should get one but I’m a stubborn dumbass 65 y.o. “Yute”.

Offline Ryan51993

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #5 on: Mar 11, 2022, 06:23 AM »
Unfortunately everyone thinks their setup is the best so you will get a million answers and going the cheap route can end up being more expensive in the long run. I went with the Milwaukee fuel hammer drill (you have to get the 250-300$ one, I've seen people with the cheaper ones and they barely work). I also went with the strike master lite flite auger. I believe its both the lightest and the fastest drilling auger so its easier on your drill and batteries than some others. Don't do the hand auger conversion, its nowhere near as good, much heavier and rougher on the drill. The clam plate is 100% a gimmick, if you can put a screw into a 2x4 you can drill a hole through ice with nothing more than the handle that comes with the drill. I've drilled thousands of holes with my setup and never once found it dangerous or thought it needed to be any easier in any way.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #6 on: Mar 11, 2022, 07:18 AM »
This may be the cheapest option out there will get the job done not my first choice .. as I run a cordless drill set up . Do you want a 6" hole or are all options open?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBL6C7V?pd_rd_i=B07GBL6C7V&pd_rd_w=g3h9e&pf_rd_p=6cdbaaba-9971-4351-a601-4ac01495563f&pd_rd_wg=rKxwk&pf_rd_r=3JSH9Y67Y2B46WQD3Q2E&pd_rd_r=41b72156-085e-4bd4-b8e1-26bf1fa7ba45
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Offline lowaccord66

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #7 on: Mar 11, 2022, 08:01 AM »
Unfortunately everyone thinks their setup is the best so you will get a million answers and going the cheap route can end up being more expensive in the long run. I went with the Milwaukee fuel hammer drill (you have to get the 250-300$ one, I've seen people with the cheaper ones and they barely work). I also went with the strike master lite flite auger. I believe its both the lightest and the fastest drilling auger so its easier on your drill and batteries than some others. Don't do the hand auger conversion, its nowhere near as good, much heavier and rougher on the drill. The clam plate is 100% a gimmick, if you can put a screw into a 2x4 you can drill a hole through ice with nothing more than the handle that comes with the drill. I've drilled thousands of holes with my setup and never once found it dangerous or thought it needed to be any easier in any way.

Not everyone, why I didnt even mention what I run...and the reduction gears in a clam plate will absolutely save an older persons wrists and I know someone much younger whose milwaukee broke their wrist this year....Ive never had an issue either but it does happen and also neither of us are 85....

Offline Chawk190

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #8 on: Mar 11, 2022, 08:23 AM »
Ugh, now I have to tell my kids they bought me the wrong drill/auger for Christmas according to Ryan51993…

Offline OldTowner

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #9 on: Mar 11, 2022, 08:35 AM »
I'd stopped ice fishing when I moved to NH because of a hundred reasons, a new heart valve being one. For Christmas my son-in-law bought me a Vevor auger off Amazon. Not a name brand but so far, with my Ryobi 18v drill, I've drilled well over a hundred holes with no problem. Yesterday it drilled through 28" of ice and used one bar on an older battery. I had the drill so it was worth a shot and so far I'm more than pleased. I wouldn't go with the Vevor over others mentioned as it's an off brand. As far as wrists, I don't push down hard and it slices through the ice fine with no kickback.

Offline pmaloney86

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #10 on: Mar 11, 2022, 08:51 AM »
Similar discussion on the NY board at the moment.  This is by no means the only way to go about it but gives you a few options along with pros/cons.  I do agree with Jon that a clam plate would be a good idea and I recently saw one with a gear reduction box and it makes the system much less accident prone and allows you to use a slightly less powerful drill.

Dewalt DCD991

Dewalt DCD996

Dewalt DCD997

Dewalt DCD998 must use 6ah or better Flexvolt battery to achieve the higher advertised torque

Dewalt DCD999 must use 6ah or better Flexvolt battery to achieve the higher advertised torque
 
Milwaukee 2804-20

Milwaukee 2803-20

Spec for the proper drill

18V or Higher Brushless Drill

5 Amp Hour or Higher Battery

1/2” Chuck Type

Side Stabilizer /  Handle

Minimum Torque Rating of 84 Nm / 750 in. lbs/800 UWO

DRILL SETTING ....DRILL MODE.. Speed Setting 1  NO HAMMEER MODE !!!


Quote from: grubdropper on Mar 07, 2022, 11:42 AM
Which one do you like best eskamo pistol or strikemaster lite flute?   And why?

They all cut well with the right drill and battery set up ..as I have a 7.5" K-Drill...8"Pistol Bit ..8" SM Lite Flite and a 10" ION Ultra Lite..and had an 8" HT E-Drill..but each has its nuances


All about the blades .1).K-Drill has Chipper style great for dirty ice Slowest and uses more battery ..2)Shaver style blade or Mora type ..Pistol Bit ..HT E-Drill ..Cableas Eze ..pretty fast and can be hand sharpen with some practice ..replacement blades fairly inexpensive . 3) Lazer style blades ..Lite flight .. ..fastest but if used on dirty ice game over ..ie paper weight..replacement blades lil pricey.. I am not familar with the Razr ..but believe they have Lazer style blades .. next is weight ..metal heavier ..composite lighter . Having a center point is a great option ..most hand augers do not ..so skipping on glare ice is quite possible/dangerous . As for the Drill you will be using ..Brushless 725 in/lbs or better with 5ah battery or better..IF YOU GO WITH A UNDER POWERED UNDERTORQUED PICTURE HANGING DRILL SET UP IT WILL BE AN EPIC FAIL EVENTUALLY..Buy the right drill and battery set up .

HT Enterprise E Drill..   Mora/Straight
Eskimo Pistol Bit.......   Mora?Straight
Strikemaster Lite Flite.  Lazer/Curved
K Drill...                      Chipper
Cabelas Eze Drill..........Mora/Straight
Nils.................. ..........$$$
Razr Scout................. .Lazer/Curved
westernmas on the finder

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #11 on: Mar 11, 2022, 09:30 AM »
ronbgood55   do you currently own a cordless drill if so make/model and the amp hour battery ?

Best deal on the Clam Gear Drive w/free ship

https://www.thornebros.com/products/clam-auger-conversion-kit-w-gear-box-15501

You can use your current auger drill unit but going to need some height ..Clam Extension fixes that

https://www.thornebros.com/products/clam-drill-auger-extension-9561

I am a Milwaukee fan boy as well as the Clam Plate ...no learning curve with thw plate ..one bad grab w/o the plate ..may result in a twisted wrist or shoulder..could be out for awhile or a season .

Now I have seen several Dewalts in action particularly the DCD996 ..they worked just fine and nothing to sneeze at in my opinon.
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Offline hardwater diehard

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Offline Nysrx

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #13 on: Mar 11, 2022, 01:55 PM »
Here is a hell of deal on a bare tool. I bought it used from Jeffs garage on Amazon $82 . It is a brand new drill just as advertised. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J8JK9GW?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Offline Yachtzy

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #14 on: Mar 11, 2022, 02:09 PM »
I sold my Ion a few years back, and went with the cordless drill and kdrill. I am as happy as can be to this day.
It is lightweight, and you can use the drill around the house all year long for many projects. The Ion is only used for one purpose,  only 3 months out of the year, and is heavier than a cordless drill setup.
Clam plates are just one more thing to break, add extra weight, and more money. The side handle that comes with the drill is sufficient in my opinion.

Offline Nysrx

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #15 on: Mar 11, 2022, 03:18 PM »
I use my Dewalt on both a 6” and 8” Nils. With the Nils you don’t even have to use any down pressure and there is no kick back.  Works awsome with just the handle and 5 amp battery. Just keep the battery in your pocket  on real cold days that’s all.

Offline RickWakeman

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #16 on: Mar 11, 2022, 04:17 PM »
I was using the Ryobi hammer drill with a clam plate on a mini Nero auger. It worked pretty good but the drill would struggle breaking through and it seemed to get worse after a couple of seasons. I switch to the Milwaukee 2804 (thanks hardwater diehard) this year and it seems to work a lot better.

I haven't tried drilling without the clam plate, but it's definitely pretty easy with it, and I can lay the whole thing down and keep my drill off the ice and snow (usually).

Offline ronbgood55

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #17 on: Mar 11, 2022, 05:42 PM »
WOW!!! A lot of great info...experience...wi th all sort of procedures for   ice auger conversion..The good and the bad and the ugly ...One thing I have learnt about ice shanty  guys are that there are always willing to help...young and OLD..LOL....I use this info to put a plan together. One of the  things going for me is about 70 yrs of ice fishing...My father gave me a fishing rod when I was 3 yrs. old I remember him coming up the stairs to our cold water flat with that beautiful steel rod. My mother told me she had to keep a close eye on me because I would  go down the stairs of my grandparents house in my diapers yelling to my grandfather who was going fishing" Wait for ME!!!!. Thanks Guys for the info

Offline V Menzone

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #18 on: Mar 11, 2022, 05:52 PM »
I'd like to know if there any 10 inch bits available for a drill set up?  I'm pretty sure a 1/2 milwaukee can handle it but want to find a light weight bit for it

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #19 on: Mar 11, 2022, 07:25 PM »
I'd like to know if there any 10 inch bits available for a drill set up?  I'm pretty sure a 1/2 milwaukee can handle it but want to find a light weight bit for it

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Offline BASSQUATCH

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #20 on: Mar 13, 2022, 11:25 AM »
I'd like to know if there any 10 inch bits available for a drill set up?  I'm pretty sure a 1/2 milwaukee can handle it but want to find a light weight bit for it


Offline hardwater diehard

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Offline wardo888

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #22 on: Mar 15, 2022, 12:22 AM »
Not everyone, why I didnt even mention what I run...and the reduction gears in a clam plate will absolutely save an older persons wrists and I know someone much younger whose milwaukee broke their wrist this year....Ive never had an issue either but it does happen and also neither of us are 85....

X2. I’m 30 years old and I’ve had that auger catch the wrong way and twist my entire body around; I have the Kdrill with a dewalt. Clam plate is 100% worth it. I’ll be getting one next season.

Offline lowaccord66

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #23 on: Mar 15, 2022, 05:52 AM »
Yup Ive had some kickback but nothing that bad. 

Offline bigfoot86

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #24 on: Nov 21, 2022, 10:07 PM »
Ugh, now I have to tell my kids they bought me the wrong drill/auger for Christmas according to Ryan51993…
Yup, I agree,  I do have the dewalt 991 with a 6” nils.  Actually had the strikermaster bit like Ryan had but had an issue with it wobbling.  Ending up selling it.  Will say the nils is is a little more pricy but unmatched.  One of the fastest and most reliant.

Offline FishingFredrik

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #25 on: Nov 21, 2022, 10:11 PM »
WOW!!! A lot of great info...experience...wi th all sort of procedures for   ice auger conversion..The good and the bad and the ugly ...One thing I have learnt about ice shanty  guys are that there are always willing to help...young and OLD..LOL....I use this info to put a plan together. One of the  things going for me is about 70 yrs of ice fishing...My father gave me a fishing rod when I was 3 yrs. old I remember him coming up the stairs to our cold water flat with that beautiful steel rod. My mother told me she had to keep a close eye on me because I would  go down the stairs of my grandparents house in my diapers yelling to my grandfather who was going fishing" Wait for ME!!!!. Thanks Guys for the info

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Offline 802livin

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #26 on: Nov 22, 2022, 10:46 AM »
I went electric 2 years ago and I regret not doing it sooner.

I bought the 20v Dewalt Brushless Hammer Drill DCD998W1 with a 9ah Battery and then went with the 8" Eskimo Pistol Bit.

Lowes had a deal where it was buy one tool and get one free so bought that with a 9ah battery and got a cordless circular saw which I was also in the market for which cost me $280 all in. I then found the Pistol Bit on sale for $160 so total cost was $440. Good chunk of change but this set up is 100x better than my old gas Jiffy and I also got a great drill to use around the house and a circular saw. I also ended up selling my old Jiffy for $150. In the end it was WELL worth the investment.

Offline jigmaster5

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #27 on: Nov 27, 2022, 12:36 PM »
Hi guys...age is taking its foll on me. I still punch 6/7 holes each trip with my 5" auger .

As mentioned above, you'll get alot of different opinions on drills + setups.  I've tried alot of them over many years....including many styles of drill adapters...

Most drills will absolutely fly thru the ice w/ a 5" auger.  At that diameter, it's just like an extra large drill bit thru ice.  6 to 7 holes is absolutely no problem at all.  If you have something like the lower half of 5" Lazer hand auger....you're half-way there already...

That 5" size is great for hole hopping, jigging smaller panfish & pickerel.  If you want to fish tip-ups occasionally, the 5" is a little small.  In a pinch, for pike or other bigger fish...drill 3, 5" holes in a tight triangle, then chisel out the center & edges....and you can fish tip-ups.

For me, I find a milwaukee fuel brushless w/ a 6Ah battery will get me thru most days - even in the cold w/ a 6" auger.  Early ice, a 4Ah battery is usually fine.  If the ice is very thick (~2'+), then I will bring 2 batteries.  If you want a 7-8" auger, you might want more batteries, as well.  Having a nice drill that you can use all year instead of a dedicated electric auger that you use maybe a short time during winter just makes alot more sense to me in terms of value.  That milwaukee drill is a beast & I use it 12 months out of the year - literally just used it today (not for ice).  Plus drills are lighter + easier to transport dragging a sled.  The only reason that I would get an ION or similar is if you're fishing an area where very thick ice is common (3'+).  I've bottomed out my drill/auger combo a handful of times - always late season & up north (Maine + NH)....never in Mass.  You can finish off the hole w/ a chisel or find thinner ice.  Just my 2c.

The drill adapter is very important...you want something w/ some kind of guard so if the chuck fails, the bottom half of your auger doesn't fall into the drink.  I've had that happen exactly once....and I learned my lesson.  There's all kinds of devices out there...bungees, metal spindles that whirl around at high speed, and metal + plastic discs sized slightly larger than the auger diameter.  That last 1 (w/metal) is my personal favorite.  A company called ice eater used to make them...can't find them for sale any more....someone on ebay has an exact copy which I still need to test this season...but looks good.  I have a bunch of other adapters that I use as backups.  They all break at some point, but some last longer than others.

As mentioned, modern drills have alot of torque which will transfer to your wrist if the auger catches (usually near the bottom of the hole).  You either need to be careful or use a clam plate (as suggested)....or you can really torque your wrists.  The side handle attachment on some drills helps alot to be able to control it - even then you need to be careful.

Good luck!   :tipup:

Offline bigfoot86

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #28 on: Nov 27, 2022, 01:26 PM »
Just to give you an example of what a 4 amp battery with the dewalt 991 is capable of on a 6” nils, not that I normally drill a ton of holes but with my uncle last year drilling holes for him and a father and son that came out on the ice only to have a missing auger blade (don’t know how) so I drilled holes for them too.  We had 14-15” of ice, popped 78 holes before I had to go to my second battery.  It was the only day I ever went to my 2nd battery.

Offline Mr.Esox

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Re: Electric Drill Auger ....Type for a grumpy old man
« Reply #29 on: Dec 06, 2022, 08:27 AM »
Jiffy came out with the Torch line affordable and composite check them out. I did and glad I did. There back in the game !!
Mr.Esox

 



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