I'm into my third season with this MKE Mud Mixer and despite the fact it is heavier than a drill I like the handles, heavier transmission and no clutch. I've been turning an 8" K but used the adapter from the K to try a 10" Strikemaster Lazer last weekend. If you remove the "adapter" from the K, the bottom part fits exactly into a Strikemaster (and probably others) power drill (not the handhelds).
Wasn't a real fair deal with maybe 8" of ice with 6 - 10" of slush on top. I was surprised by how quickly it cut for a 10" hole. It was so aggressive I actually dialed down the speed a notch. Didn't grab anywhere in the hole or at the bottom, just powered through. I drilled around 3 dozen holes and still showed four bars on the 12 Ah battery.
Another interesting note on the QuikLok chuck. It takes a 7/16" hex OR a 3 flat secure. 3 flat is what the K-drills come with. They fit right into the chuck and secure very positively even though they have no detent near the end for the chuck to "click" into. Can't believe how secure this is. Never worried about losing the K down the hole due to flotation but that all steel 10" was a different story. Before we went out I had one of the boys play tug-of-war with me to try to wrestle that drill out of the chuck. No-go. On the ice we put plenty of reverse pressure on it clearing those last chunks at the bottom of the hole and the thing never loosened up one bit. Don't know how that works but it sure does.
Despite this positive experience I do have some SS that I'll be fabricating some adapters from. 7/16 hex and will have the detent for absolute retention. The plan is to be able to swap in whatever I might want to turn in seconds. QuikLok really is worth the price in my book. Also breaks down in seconds (no tools) for transport or storage too.
