IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Ice Augers => Topic started by: Lake Crawler on Jan 27, 2017, 10:02 PM
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has anyone heard anything good about the ion auger?
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Love mine with 8" with the 10" it's little under powered when over foot of ice. It's 3 years old with reverse. We tested how many holes 2 years ago on 18" of ice did 48 holes and still had 1 bar on the battery at end of day
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Just got an Ion, only used it once. I absolutely love it. WAY better than my strikemaster.
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3rd year owning my ION, broke a blade last year and called them up and they sent out replacements pronto free of charge. Also have never had an issue where I read you need to keep the battery warm for good performance. On the coldest days it worked great.
:thumbsup: :tipup: :tipup: :tipup: :tipup: :tipup: :tipup: :icefish:
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Love it. Especially the reverse. Cleans the holes right out. No scooping required.
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Love mine, so far, after 3 years I have not come close to draining the battery, and I've tried!
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I hear nothing but good things about the ion and it comes with an extension gotta love that
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My Ion is arguably the best piece of gear I own. I'm into my 3rd year and it has never let me down. Drilled 3 days worthof holes for 2 guys and still had full bars of charge. Get one.
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has anyone heard anything good about the ion auger?
Sent you a PM
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Owned the ION for three years. Awesome. Bought the extra battery, only had to use it once.
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none better, never going to gas again !
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I bought one of the original Ice Gators....prolly 10 yrs ago at least. Only complaint is the weight. Weighs in at 29 lbs. What does the Ion weigh in at?
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According to the add I just read, 22lbs.
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I have a strikemaster. Electric is the way to go, doesn't seem to bother the fish much. Have watched the perch scatter when the guy next to us starts prospecting with his gas auger. Have put holes between the ones were fishing and they hardly move. They are heavy, but the battery last quite a while, and are easy to use.
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Everyone with an ion is going to say it's the best thing on earth because they spent 5-600 bucks on one. Deep down inside they wish they could just add gas to it lol
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Not quite full throttle. I was a gas auger guy. My buddy has a ion. Broke down and got one this year and it's a other better then the gas ones especially fishing early or late during the day. I fish close to homes and it being so quiet is great. Be respectfully to the people who own the homes of. The lake
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3rd yr. for mine. no smell and its lite.
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You must of had an old one . New ones are only a couple pounds more than an ion and not loud at all. And drill a lot more holes in a lot more ice . No louder than my atv
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Everyone with an ion is going to say it's the best thing on earth because they spent 5-600 bucks on one. Deep down inside they wish they could just add gas to it lol
Nope just sold a brand new clam and my 3 year old strike master after I used my ion for fequipment years never need the has any more with an 8"
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Gander Mountain has the 6" on clearance for $449 plus another 25% off clearance. Ends up $336. I bought one at that price minus some reward money I have from their card. The price was in store only and not the 8". But 6 will work fine for my needs.
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gas augers suck, mine sits in the garage the last 3 years collecting dust. love my ion!
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Electric is way to go now and even more so in future. Batteries are getting better and better. I use a cordless Milwaukee M-18 drill with my Fin-Bore and Nils augers that I had owned for 10-15 years. Works great, quiet, and super light. Never had to break out spare battery yet. Buy an extension for the Fin-Bore or you will get tired bending over. LOL. Drilled at least 30 holes yesterday and still had 3 out of 4 bars left on battery. Turning into Mr. Swiss cheese!
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I have a 2 year old propane and like it better than mixed. Kind of wished I bought the ion. I think I will get the clam plate next year lately we haven't had enough ice to justify lugging that thing.
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I have an older StrikeMaster electric auger. I love it. I think I needca new battery of at least a back up battery. I can only drill through about 10ft of ice before the battery us dead. Has been fine though since I'm a tip up guy and only drill 7 holes per day. I will def get a second battery for next year.
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I'm a Clam Plate fan. If you already have a hand auger, buy the plate and a good brushless drill, I have the Milwaukee 2704 and love it. The setup is really lightweight and cuts holes easily. We cut 40 holes a couple of weeks ago in 12" of ice with an 8" Fin Bore auger and I still had 3 out 4 bars left on my battery life indicator.
You should be able to get the plate and drill for around $325.00. Make sure you get a good brushless drill with a high torque rating and 5 amp batteries. I would also recommend the Clam Plate extension, checkout Fish 307, they are great guys to deal with and ship really fast.
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Everyone with an ion is going to say it's the best thing on earth because they spent 5-600 bucks on one. Deep down inside they wish they could just add gas to it lol
wrong...I Own 3 Gas augers...The ION Is A Great Tool THAT Makes Gas Augers obsolete..
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The ION is my first power auger. I spend most of my time punching holes for pan fish with a 4" Lazer hand auger. Never felt a need for anything bigger. I've pulled up to 12" bluegill, 17" Perch, and several 18" LM bass thru the hole. I only have $296 in the 6" ION. $336 minus $40 in rewards. Think it will be plenty big for anything I am likely to catch.
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Upgraded from a 30yr old Jiffy 30 auger this year (its a tank) to the new ION X. First time I used it with the 8" bit, is was great. It punched a hole almost as fast as the Jiffy with just over half of the weight (it was about 30F that day). Next time I used it, it was about 5F and the 8" bit would have so much ice build up you couldn't punch more than 1 hole with chipping the ice off. Turns out this was a common problem on the ION X 8" bits, after a call to them, they sent out a new 8" bit to me (and everyone else that had this issue that I have seen on the internet). The issue is fixed, it works great and wouldn't trade it for any gas auger.
FYI - while I was without a bit for a few days to due shipping of the new one, my 6" lazer fits on the extension for the ION - also works great
I used the 8" bit this weekend and punched 25 holes thru 12 to 15" of ice and it still says full charge
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gas augers suck, mine sits in the garage the last 3 years collecting dust. love my ion!
I Own 3 Gas augers...The ION Is A Great Tool THAT Makes Gas Augers obsolete..
^^^^^^^^^^ YES & YES ^^^^^^^^^^
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Never have used an Ion myself. We did a speed test between a brand new 8" Ion X and my 8" K Drill. The K Drill drills close to two holes to every one the Ion X can. I have nothing against the Ion augers but I like my K Drill better. Its twice as fast at half the weight.
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Never have used an Ion myself. We did a speed test between a brand new 8" Ion X and my 8" K Drill. The K Drill drills close to two holes to every one the Ion X can. I have nothing against the Ion augers but I like my K Drill better. Its twice as fast at half the weight.
Good post on one of the other electric options. I've watched videos on this & it was quite impressive. To each their own, people will get what they feel comfortable with & can afford. Either way, both set-ups are electric & will only get better & gain even more popularity in the future. This wave of popularity w/the future technological advancements will eventually make the gas/propane options almost obsolete.
As far as speed tests go, I really don't get this so I have to ask. DO HARDWATER FISHERMEN SERIOUSLY TAKE TO THE ICE THINKING ABOUT HOW FAST THEY CAN PUNCH A HOLE??
When I hit the ice I'm just hoping I can find & catch fish.
Everyone stay safe & enjoy the rest of the season !!
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Good post on one of the other electric options. I've watched videos on this & it was quite impressive. To each their own, people will get what they feel comfortable with & can afford. Either way, both set-ups are electric & will only get better & gain even more popularity in the future. This wave of popularity w/the future technological advancements will eventually make the gas/propane options almost obsolete.
As far as speed tests go, I really don't get this so I have to ask. DO HARDWATER FISHERMEN SERIOUSLY TAKE TO THE ICE THINKING ABOUT HOW FAST THEY CAN PUNCH A HOLE??
When I hit the ice I'm just hoping I can find & catch fish.
Everyone stay safe & enjoy the rest of the season !!
If you are cutting holes for a few tipups then speed doesn't matter much. If you are drilling holes half a dozen at a time and then prospecting each for a minute or two, then speed does matter. Now that I have a fast and convenient power auger (6" lazer with an M18 drill) my fishing style has changed. I move around a lot!
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Ran my uncles ion this week end.
Works great. It is light and does the job. Here are the only negatices I can tell. It cuts a little slower. You need to keep the battery warm or it has issues cutting. 8in holes it cuts fine...the 10in auger worm is just to much for it to turn unless you clear the hole every 6in.
Between the Ion and the clam plate drill setups a lot of guys have gone electric. I've kept the jiffy model 30 incase the drill clam plate setup couldnt cut it......jiffy ain't been on the ice yet this year.
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Good post on one of the other electric options. I've watched videos on this & it was quite impressive. To each their own, people will get what they feel comfortable with & can afford. Either way, both set-ups are electric & will only get better & gain even more popularity in the future. This wave of popularity w/the future technological advancements will eventually make the gas/propane options almost obsolete.
As far as speed tests go, I really don't get this so I have to ask. DO HARDWATER FISHERMEN SERIOUSLY TAKE TO THE ICE THINKING ABOUT HOW FAST THEY CAN PUNCH A HOLE??
When I hit the ice I'm just hoping I can find & catch fish.
Everyone stay safe & enjoy the rest of the season !!
I never really cared about how fast I can drill through the ice before and I have been a run and gun fisherman forever. I just like to get out fishing whenever I can. We just tried it for the heck of it since both augers were brand new at the time. I also tried it last weekend with my 8" K Drill against an 8" Strikemaster Strikelite II gas auger (robin motor) and the gas auger was only a second faster than the K Drill only because I had to clear the shavings out of the hole because of thick ice. If the ice was 16" or under the gas auger and the K Drill would be the same speed. To each their own I guess. I have heard a lot of Ion owners that are very satisfied with their augers as well so get what works with you, and get out and fish.
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i have a 2 year old 8in. ion. only let me down once but i dug 20 holes earlier in the day, left it outside in 15f weather and when i went to use it in the afternoon, it would cut out. just need to pull the battery and keep in shelter till' you need it again. no issues. i wanted a 10in. bit and buy a spare new ion x battery but will cost me more than a new auger. plus the ion struggles w/ the 10in. bit so I'm selling the ion and just ordered the new strike master lithium laser 10in. for $545 w/ shipping from fish307. bigger battery and better w/ a 10in. bit. can't wait to get it!
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I have an ice gator attacker. Got mine when they came out with the version to use with 8" augers. I have an HT Arctic Express 7" auger attached to it. It cuts great holes...and lots of them. I've never had any problems with it...other than being a little heavy.
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I ran my clam plate with the gear reduction box and 8" Mora today for the first time, I'm very happy so far, but not a lot of inches cut yet to prove anything IMO..
<°)))>{
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I ran my clam plate with the gear reduction box and 8" Mora today for the first time, I'm very happy so far, but not a lot of inches cut yet to prove anything IMO..
<°)))>{
Lets see if 2X the holes is possible.....
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Lets see if 2X the holes is possible.....
So far it already is, simply because, I don't think I could have made the five holes I made, without the gearbox..
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Lets see if 2X the holes is possible.....
It won't. There might be a slight improvement, but over all it won't be much. maybe a few more holes out of a battery, but in no way will it double the amount of holes. Personally if you want more holes a spare battery is cheaper than the gear box. The gear box will be great for those that have an underpowered drill, one that was barely enough torque wise, or a brushed drill.
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All my cordless drills are underpowered for an 8" bit..
So for an 8" hole, the gears are needed..
<°)))>{
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i have a 2 year old 8in. ion. only let me down once but i dug 20 holes earlier in the day, left it outside in 15f weather and when i went to use it in the afternoon, it would cut out. just need to pull the battery and keep in shelter till' you need it again. no issues. i wanted a 10in. bit and buy a spare new ion x battery but will cost me more than a new auger. plus the ion struggles w/ the 10in. bit so I'm selling the ion and just ordered the new strike master lithium laser 10in. for $545 w/ shipping from fish307. bigger battery and better w/ a 10in. bit. can't wait to get it!
Any update with this setup? I'm looking into a StrikeMaster Lithium with a 10'' bit but worried about late ice ( 40'' of ice on Lake Winnipeg )
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You must of had an old one . New ones are only a couple pounds more than an ion and not loud at all. And drill a lot more holes in a lot more ice . No louder than my atv
You're just jealous you don't have one. ;D After 22 years of a Jiffy, I don't regret going with an Ion.
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Any update with this setup? I'm looking into a StrikeMaster Lithium with a 10'' bit but worried about late ice ( 40'' of ice on Lake Winnipeg )
I fished with jacksmelt about a week ago. He was able to drill 5 holes in about 30" of ice with that strikemaster lithium 10". I'm sure it had more left in the tank also. I was impressed for an electric to turn the 10" bit through that much ice.
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I fished with jacksmelt about a week ago. He was able to drill 5 holes in about 30" of ice with that strikemaster lithium 10". I'm sure it had more left in the tank also. I was impressed for an electric to turn the 10" bit through that much ice.
Thanks for the response....Sounds like they can do ~38-40 - 10'' holes @24'' of ice. If I know I could get 20 holes per charge, I'm game for this auger. The 'Pros' of an electric auger really outweighs the 'CONS'......I load up a sled with gear and travel before hitting the ice. Electric auger will handle those bumps WAY better.
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Just to report my experience. I fish almost every day for pan fish and most around here use a fin bor 4 1/2 hand drill for perch and many use a nils master 6" powered by a Tanaka 2 cycle gas engine for flat fish (gills, sunnies and crappie). A few of the guys started to rig their perch augers with cordless drills either by using a clam plate or having an adapter made to screw into the spindle of the drill which requires removing the chuck. I elected to try it out and had a 16" adapter made threaded with the proper threads for a Dewalt 20V cordless, brushless drill. I chose the Dewalt rather than the Milwaukee M18 fuel due to a better side handle. I wanted a drill with a 5AH battery but the drill that came packaged with the 5AH batteries didn't have an easily removable chuck. The chuck needs a star set screw to be removed and the DCD996 drill kit had some sort of non removable pin so the chuck couldn't be taken off. I brought that back and bought a DCD995M2 drill kit/ with 4AH batteries which had the set screw and I was able to remove the chuck. The adapter screwed right on the drill and accepted the auger from a new fin bor 6" with the same attachment thumb screw as the original handle. The setup is a beast and I have cut over 50 holes through up to 15" of ice with still around half life left on the battery bar. I have yet to have the drill die and haven't seen where the cold affects the battery life. We haven't had the usual deep ice this year in Vermont so I don't know how it will do when we get the usual 24 to 30 inches or more. It is such a pleasure cutting holes with such a light weight drill and the side handle helps to control the drill torque if it catches. I paid $249 for the drill, $54 for the adapter and $95 for the fin bor. The auger is new with sharp blades but when drilling along side a 6" gas auger it is about the same speed but certainly much quieter. When you look at what the higher end augers cost this set up seems like a pretty good deal. I have a friend who set one up before I did and he fishes trout and walleye often and had put an 8" fin bor on his and it cuts good. Just another option for those who chase the fish.
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We rated the Ion Auger as our top electric ice Auger. Two different Eskimos versions came in 2nd and 3rd
http://www.bestfishingreviews.com/electric-ice-auger-review/ (http://www.bestfishingreviews.com/electric-ice-auger-review/)
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I got an Eskimo Mako 43 a couple years ago, and had issues with the power head not turning in cold weather. Yeah kind of ridiculous for an ICE AUGER. Got a new power head from Eskimo with no issues, works awesome now! But still weighs 30+ lbs and when you don't set it down the right way on the ice it leaks gas or floods the carburetor. Went fishing last winter with a guy who ran an Ion, wow! Makes little to no noise and cuts very well, it was a little slow but quiet, ran it all day and cut 40 holes or more through 24" ice. If they weren't so expensive when compared to a gas I would have bought one. Now here I am 2 years later ready to buy an ion or kdrill. Don't think you can go wrong with either.
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Got the IonX and sold my Strikemaster Honda. Have a wheel house and need to re-drill holes - the ION X does it and the reverse function helps to flush out the holes.
bestfishes - jim