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I use a desk top computer with a large screen (prefer not using the phone for the internet if I can avoid it), that must be the difference. Most everybody else's pictures are normal in size, easy to view, for me, Van Noord's pictures look blown up like they were under a microscope. Anyone else having this problem on their desk top, or is it just me? Sorry to be silly about bringing this up, I assumed it was something the poster was not aware of. When I take a picture with my phone, there is an option to send it large, medium, or small, would something like that make a difference on how it shows up here on a bigger screen?
The extension looks nice Van Noord! Little update on my 24v that I sent into SM. Ups lost it. So SM sent me a new one. The new one definitely drills better. I still have to use a little force but not bad. It doesn’t drill as nice as the 40v though. Idk if it’s the extra weight those have or what, but those 8” steel bits require absolutely zero pressure to drill. They will start drilling on their own. You simply have to hold it straight. I haven’t done the battery/hole test yet, but I will.
Just a little review update on my 6" Strikemaster 24v since I purchased it back in the beginning of January. I've made about 15-20 trips already with it mostly run and gun type situation where I would drill 50-75 holes per outing. Now that our ice is thicker around here about 10"-12" in most places I still haven't been undergunned by the battery power. There was one trip where I drilled closed to 75 holes (my buddy was also using it too) and only used up 1 bar. I went out again the very next day on the same charge (forgot to recharge) and drilled 60 more holes. It still had 2 bars left at the end of the day.So far I'm very impressed. Will be grabbing a SM Lite Flite 8" next year so I can swap the bit for the bigger species.
Would just like to recommend that you guys don't recharge your batteries every trip. Each battery only takes so many charges before it goes bad. They also hold a charge much longer if you continually drain them down to nothing and charge them back up to full. What you are doing is short cycling the battery. This will shorten the lifespan. You also should long term store them at 3/4 to 1/2 charge, not full. Just some tips I've picked up along the way.
Boosting Battery LifeUsually, a combination of several factors increases or decreased battery life. For increased cycle lifeUse partial-discharge cyclesUsing only 20% or 30% of the battery capacity before recharging will extend cycle life considerably. As a general rule, 5 to 10 shallow discharge cycles are equal to one full discharge cycle. Although partial-discharge cycles can number in the thousands, keeping the battery in a fully charged state also shortens battery life. Full discharge cycles (down to 2.5 V or 3 V, depending on chemistry) should be avoided if possible.Avoid very deep discharges (below 2 V or 2.5 V)Very deep discharges will quickly, permanently damage a Li-ion battery. Internal metal plating can occur causing a short circuit, making the battery unusable and unsafe. Most Li-ion batteries have protection circuitry within their battery packs that open the battery connection if the battery voltage is less than 2.5 V or exceeds 4.3 V, or if the battery current exceeds a predefined threshold level when charging or discharging.
Well our -40C cold snap finally ended here last week so I've been fishing every day since last Friday with the 24v. I'm finding the auger definitely bucks more due to its lightweight and the lazer blades can catch at the bottom of the hole once in a while causing a bit of a rough breakthrough. The Greenworks battery doesn't do as well in cold temperatures as the StrikeMaster battery. Initially I wasn't counting inches or holes with the Greenworks battery because of the cold.I drove nearly 2 hours north of here when it was -30C and the battery didn't too well in the cold weather or sitting in an insulated bag in my cold truck after cutting a handful of holes through 31" of ice.But yesterday I did 21 holes through 26" of ice...so again right around the 545" mark. Not too happy with those numbers but with four batteries on hand and my style of fishing, it shouldn't be a problem.
I know this an old post but I have read the entire thread as I am considering purchasing the Strikemaster Lithium 24v Auger 8". Very good information across the board. Especially about LIon battery technology. Regarding your point, "the battery didn't too well in the cold weather or sitting in an insulated bag in my cold truck"/ I am wonder if storing the battery in an insulated bag with chemical hand warmers would be safe and help.
Last fall I "lost" a brand new 2ah battery at camp. Came back in spring and it had been sitting out all winter. Never took a charge again. Cold temps definitely affect the lithium batteries imo.