Well I finally made a move. I wound up answering most of my own questions from before.
To start, yes a 7” hole is a huge improvement over a 6” hole for fishing bigger fish.
I had been just running the 7” mora by hand the better part of the season. As of the past few weeks it has been getting really strenuous. Walk through 2 feet of snow to then have to drill 26” of ice by hand. Have literally been doing my 3 holes and calling it a day lately. If one wasn’t a perfect spot then too bad.
So I buckled up and just bought the 996 dewalt. Man am I impressed. For my fishing I can’t imagine needing anything more powerful.
Tested it today on my 2 ah battery. Left it sit overnight in the truck at 30 degrees and got 7 holes in 26” of ice. So around 175” total. Plenty for me. Plus I have 2 spares if I’ll need it.
My biggest question is on break through. I know you need to let the drill do the work but I am still jarring my wrists. Is there any extensions available for the side handle to get a little more leverage? I would like to avoid spending the cash in a clam plate quite yet.