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I seen no reason to jump onthe wagon lol had my 8 inch lazer for 11 years. Sold the 2 stroke to buy the octane and clam plate. Do not miss the fumes or the hand drilling lol Works great! I seen no sense in spending that much for these new augers. Hook them all to octane or Milwaukee, they all drill! I don't care if it catches at bottom Or if one is a second faster or etc! Gets the job done and way plenty fast for me. Now when or if mine goes to poop, I would at least get something with center point just for extra safety.
The biggest benefit is the weight reduction. It’s not just easier to carry, it’s easier for the drill to turn it.
I've got my Rigid Octane drill paired with a strikemaster hand auger bit. I got the hand auger because it was cheap ($20 CL score with the handle). But I see lots of threads and comparisons that discuss the k-drill vs the strikemaster LF and others, but dont see many mention the hand augers. Except the Nero and the Nils I guess. What are the major benefits of the augers like the K-drill and the Strikemaster LF that justify the big jump in price? Is it a weight savings? Can't imagine they weigh that much less than the bit from my hand auger, but maybe. I know the k-drill has chipper blades and can reopen old holes, a pro for permanent shacks, though I've heard others say other augers can do that as well. Though I dont have a permy so that's not a feature I need. Help me out here. Is it just one of those things, like a tarp over some poles will block the wind, but a top of the line flip over does it better? They both drill holes in the ice.
it’s easier for the drill to turn it.
they can be found used for about 20$.. A spare set of blades will run you around 15-20$ as well. Being so cheap, some guys have gone so far as to remove some of the flutes, reducing weight to under 4lbs..
I've been trying to find a decent used hand auger on Craigslist for my buddy to put on his drill......They are getting to be hard to find around here anymore. If you do come across one they ask with $5-$10 of the cost of a new one, and have dull rusted up blades that need sharpened or replaced......There are a Few of the super old screw on handle types cheap......but the eBay adaptor to put them on a drill is $30.....I think the masses caught onto the drill craze and the cheap used hand auger market is starting to dry up around here.
And now a glutton of gas augers for sale as well, mine included. Used to be a running Model 30 was a steal at $100, now an auger at that price will sit while the cheaper ones sell out.
I still have dreams of the old days here in Michigan where the ice gets 2ft thick.yeah my drill auger can cut it up but im saving my jiffy pro4 lite for the time i ever see thick ice again.its not heavy,no gas spills or gummed up carbs.think i have 3 other gassers in the shed.my old 1970 jiffy1 armed bandit has sat for awhile now.im keeping it as a museum piece.lol
I'd sell the gas auger and get yourself a large/big battery.....problem solved.
^This The weights are advertised and people pay attention to them as just a simple non moving weight. What they don’t usually consider is the positive impact of reducing rotating weight. Reduction of one pound of rotating weight is comparable to 10 pounds. So to the drill/engine/etc. turning that object, a 4 pound item will “weigh” 40 pounds less than an 8 pound item.
Not entirely true. The type of blade has an impact on "how much the drill works" as well. Chipper blades require more energy to do their job. This is why hand augers use shaver blades (easier to turn) and gas augers (with the extra power) mostly use chipper blades.Im going on my 5th season with approximately 4000 holes drilled with my 6"mora and my original gen4x Rigid hammer drill.