Milwaukee Fuel Batteries - they ROCK!

[Gunflint]

I went our today very early and, stupidly, I forgot my battery for my Milwaukee Fuel Drill on my Nils Auger.  I realized it when I arrived after a long Snowdog ride.

Gladly, I also power my Livescope with a 12 AH Milwaukee Fuel Battery.  I pulled it to drill my holes.

Bottom Line:
- I frill 20 holes today in 30 inches of ice.
- I also ran my Livescope for 8 hours on the same battery.

Very impressed. If I bring 2 like I am supposed to I will never run out!

[Pudsky]

Those 12ah batteries are huge.  Unless you drill tons of holes, one is all you should ever need. For a full day of fishing, I'll bring two 5ah batteries.   One for the Pistol bit, and one in my Helix 5.  If the flasher battery goes dead, I've got the spare to switch too. 

I'm sure the live scope uses more juice than my helix 5 though.  Always good to have a backup though!  I am loving the conversion to use M18 batteries.

[JohnnyO19]

I've got a 5ah & 6ah. Ran down the 6ah once, after at least 50+ hole and freezing weather all day. Glad I had a spare. These batteries ROCK!

[hnd]

i too bought the 12 ah battery.  we drilled 50-60 holes through 6" of ice yesterday and thing still shows 4 lights of battery.   

[SLAYERFISH]

Emptied the 5AH batt on the Fuel. Took the 4AH from the Marcum and drilled holes till the fuel wouldn't turn anymore. Put it back in the Marcum and it lasted till the end of the day.

[Gunflint]

Emptied the 5AH batt on the Fuel. Took the 4AH from the Marcum and drilled holes till the fuel wouldn't turn anymore. Put it back in the Marcum and it lasted till the end of the day.

Smokin...there is no doubt that being frugal on batteries is NOT what a Livescope is best at. Marcum scores a point!

[Bubbadoyle]

I’m loving the m18 batteries. I’ve got two 12.0 one 9.0 three 5.0 and one 3.0 amp hour. I run a livescope and a separate garmin 93 sv plus with an ice transducer with these as well as my drill for my 8” pistol bit.

[GBguy]

I’m loving the m18 batteries. I’ve got two 12.0 one 9.0 three 5.0 and one 3.0 amp hour. I run a livescope and a separate garmin 93 sv plus with an ice transducer with these as well as my drill for my 8” pistol bit.

Jeez with that many batteries you could power your house if the electricity ever goes out! 

[Bubbadoyle]

Jeez with that many batteries you could power your house if the electricity ever goes out! 

I didn’t buy any batteries by themselves. They’ve all been part of some kit. I definitely have more power than I’ll need but I’m happy to have them. I also have accumulated five m18/m12 combo chargers as well a two m12 chargers. Starting to feel like a milwaukee hoarder. Lol

[TimK]

You guys that are running your sonar off an m18 battery, I assume your using something like this? Didnt know this was possible!

[Pudsky]

You guys that are running your sonar off an m18 battery, I assume your using something like this? Didnt know this was possible!

Yep, something like that plus a voltage reducer to drop it from 18v to 12v.

[Alternative Reefer]

I have a 12ah and a 9 ah.  Drilled 40+ holes through 14" ice.  Never touched the 9ah.  The 12 was on one bar when I got home.    i caught three dink perch.  I have a kdrill with the mud mixer.   Happy with the battery but when a 9 year old catches more fish than you there are bigger issues.......lol.

[Gunflint]

Yep, something like that plus a voltage reducer to drop it from 18v to 12v.

I didn't need the voltage reducer on the Livescope. But yes, that is the type of connector that I used.

[52isntbigenough]

I just bought that power adapter from Amazon. Anybody know the size of the male/female connectors on a Helix?

[esox_xtm]

I just bought that power adapter from Amazon. Anybody know the size of the male/female connectors on a Helix?

If it looks like virtually all of the H-bird connectors in the last couple of decades it's not really a "standard' size anything. It's proprietary...



A 6 footer with a connector is gonna set ya back about $20. If I were gonna do that I'd put a more universal plug/jack on the other end so you could swap in whatever power source you wanted to: rental boat battery, cigarette lighter, etc.

Or you could Red Green it, neatly solder up a couple of wires that just fit in the pin holes on the unit and duct tape it on.    I will confess I have made a couple poor man's plugs this way though I finished 'em off with a gob of silicone neatly formed around the wires to support them. Gotta be sure to mind your polarity!

[52isntbigenough]

I'm looking for the blade connector size so I can add them to my new power supply. Sorry for the confusion. My unit is about 300 miles from me.

[esox_xtm]

Ah! Those arestandard. Spade connectors available at any reasonable hardware store. You can crimp on or solder if you have a mind. I like the insulated crimp ons these(except I don't overpay for the tree-hugger version):



They are color coded to fit specific sizes of wire. You'll probably need the red ones (16 - 22 AWG) but blue (one size bigger can work if you double over the wire.

[52isntbigenough]

Thanks!!

[markinohio]

There is some magic in the Milwaukee batteries, and I would switch over to them for all my ice electronics…….If, I didn’t already have 1000’s of dollars tied-up in Makita tools. No real complaints about Makita, but Milwaukee batteries are king on the ice.

[ran7ger]

 i don't think there's any need for a voltage regulator.  12v comes from the barrel jack, i just bought a couple barrel connectors and added some spade connectors.  run some lights or charge your phone off the usb budda bing budda boom.

 what a world we live in...running an auger, fishfinder, lights and charging devices from one battery