Power Auger Recommendations

[nateicefisherman1984]

 I find myself in need of a new power auger. Id prefer it to be light. What would anyone here recommend and why ?

[tbern]

Helpful info for everyone to know to respond better for you would be, what size of auger do you like to use? How thick of ice do you usually have ( chance of drilling in dirty ice) ? How many holes do you drill during a outing? Should get you lots of suggestions .

[nateicefisherman1984]

I am looking to get an 8 " auger. I fish all over New England. Ice depth can be deep enough that I use an extension. Depending on the day I could be drilling 5-50 holes.

[bee]

Clam Plate, Quality brushless drill, Add an 8 inch hand auger of your choice.

[MadFisha]

Ion

[3300]

if you don't want to buy a dedicated auger here is an option.

the lightest auger is the eskimo pistol. i use strikemaster lazers in three sizes.

the plate will add weight and bulk and not needed. and they are having wobble issues with them anyway.

the strongest right angle/pistol grip drill, which is 1300 inch pounds is the ridgid octane and it is free when buying ridgid"s octane 9amp battery/charger kit at home depot. comes with a lifetime warranty. simply register your tools.  this will turn any hand auger bit.
https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=362605.0

[TroutWorm]

Ion

[SilverSides]

if you don't want to buy a dedicated auger here is an option.

the lightest auger is the eskimo pistol. i use strikemaster lazers in three sizes.

the plate will add weight and bulk and not needed. and they are having wobble issues with them anyway.

the strongest right angle/pistol grip drill, which is 1300 inch pounds is the ridgid octane and it is free when buying ridgid"s octane 9amp battery/charger kit at home depot. comes with a lifetime warranty. simply register your tools.
https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=362605.0

I just went with this setup. Waiting for my "Free" drill to arrive to test it out. The Pistol auger weighs under 4 pounds so the whole thing should end up around 10 pounds. Way lighter than my Jiffy Propane that shall primarily remain in the shack to drill jig holes.

[9huskies]

I don't know anyone who doesn't love his Ion. I am very impressed with my 40 volt Strikemaster Lazer after one season. I don't feel confident about the drill and clam plate setup. Cordless drills are better and stronger than ever but none of them is designed to drill 8" holes through 2 feet of ice.

[nbourque]

Ion or strikemaster electric.

[Jadler311]

Ion

The Ion is one of the top ice fishing invesments I've ever made. It is a wondeful Auger-- light, durable, and performs really well even in the harshest conditions. 

[Boglake]

Ion.

Stay away from jiffy, products don't last and terrible support.  Experienced both first hand with my propane jiffy, junk.

[Moosekill]

if you don't want to buy a dedicated auger here is an option.

the lightest auger is the eskimo pistol. i use strikemaster lazers in three sizes.

the plate will add weight and bulk and not needed. and they are having wobble issues with them anyway.

the strongest right angle/pistol grip drill, which is 1300 inch pounds is the ridgid octane and it is free when buying ridgid"s octane 9amp battery/charger kit at home depot. comes with a lifetime warranty. simply register your tools.  this will turn any hand auger bit.
https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=362605.0

Don't rely on the numbers posted by the drill companies.  Not saying they are necessarily wrong, just there is no real way to know for sure how accurate they are.  Not saying it won't work, or that it isn't a good drill, but there is a reason most professionals use yellow, red, or blue tools.

[tipman14]

My vote would be the ion the technology there is just were it’s at . I have the 8” ion and 8” propane Eskimo I thought I loved my Eskimo until I bought the ion. I have owned jiffy gas and propane and had terrible experiences just my $0.02 .

[gamefisher]

I just got caught up in all the ridgid octane hype because I needed a new drill and battery and already had a hand auger to pair it with for double duty and early ice.  I have used it three times thus far and rips ice once it gets started although we only have 6-8".  I am impressed with the 9ah battery,  I have purposely been leaving it on the ice in the cold to test, still at three bars.

Having said that,  it would not be my primary auger if only had one.  Although not light as far as your criteria,  the old jiffy will be riding on the digger auger amount once we get fishing for real.  The jiffy will be around long after these drills, ions, etc. are dead and buried.  With a quart of true fuel, you'll drill all winter and have no ethanol related issues.  I bet you can find a good used model 30 with a little effort.  Stay away from propane augers, heaviest and struggle in really cold weather, atleast the ones I have seen.

[esox slayer]

I'm extremely pleased with my Trophy Strike 120 volt auger.

Great battery life, fast drilling (last year I drilled 3 holes through nearly 2 feet of solid black ice in just under 30 seconds)...

I can punch 70-90 holes through that same thickness black ice and still have plenty of battery charge remaining...

[Chris338378]

Depending on how light you want to go I'd get an Eskimo Mako, which has a 43cc motor and weighs 32 pounds or if you want to go really light I'd go with the Eskimo F1 Rocket, which has a 33cc motor and weighs 22 pounds.  Either of these are good augers that won't put you in the poor house and will last as long as you don't beat the crap out of them.  Personally I'd be willing to deal with a bit more weight for the added power, especially if you're in an area that gets lots of ice, because I'm so use to my auger weighing around 30 pounds but that's just me.  I saw a few videos of the F1 Rocket and it definitely get's the job done.  I haven't used one personally but if and when I do I might be thinking the other way around.

Mako:

https://www.geteskimo.com/Product/8840/8-inch-f1-rocket-auger

F1 Rocket:

https://www.geteskimo.com/Product/8840/8-inch-f1-rocket-auger

[IceMan100]

I have the 8" and 10" ION X and the 10" Jiffy Propane,   I prefer the ION X,   Great customer service!   when they first came out the auger bottoms weren't designed correctly and when I called them to ask they sent me the upgraded augers no question.     The ION is MUCH lighter than the jiffy!   

[Moosekill]

I got the Kdrill setup last year with the Milwaukee drill.  I used it for a bit, then got the clam plate, more for ease of storage than anything else.  It adds a little weight but it sure makes it easier when setting it down after drilling, and truthfully, for me, it is a bit easier when you are drilling through a lot of ice.  A buddy got a jiffy 8" auger last year and was kind of bragging about it, so we lined them up and my set up was much faster going through 18" of ice. I use the drill all year, so while it is an expense it isn't just an ice fishing expense.  It is light, easy to use and I bring two batteries with me and haven't had any issues yet.  Sebago Bait was great to work with when I bought the Kdrill.  Now can't wait to use it again this year!

[BH2]

I have had good luck with my Ion. Its light, easy to handle, drills with ease and always starts!

[Fishhead680]

I LOVE my Ion 10" so far... got it at the beginning of last season and it was great until I buried the blades in sand! d'oh! Replacement blades are only $40 so not too bad (because I have yet to find a way to sharpen the curved blades with any perfection...)

[chillywillie]

Get an older Jiffy.  For $5 a year in gas and oil it will be running much longer and for way less money than anything electric.

[jethro]

Get an older Jiffy.  For $5 a year in gas and oil it will be running much longer and for way less money than anything electric.

But you will go broke on Advil and Tylenol after drilling 50 holes with a 60 lb auger. My Jiffy 30 has been retired for the electric age. The weight is one part of it... the real bonus of the drill based augers is how much smaller the footprint of the equipment is. I have actually been able to retool my entire pull sled into a much smaller, lighter and mobile setup. I will admit to missing the 10" holes... those are pretty nice. But other than that...

[woodchip]

I don't miss the 10" hole . People were stepping in them  and lost my biggest Brown because he was able to turn around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Seamonkey84]

I only started ice fishing 5 years ago, and went with the drill and clam plate rout from the start. I can’t imagine hauling one of those gas engines around, especially for the run and gun hole hopping I do. Absolutely no problems with lithium batteries and the cold. The only time my drill ever stop on me from overheating, was during a torture test.  I was checkerboading the pond, punching a hole every 5 paces non stop to see what it was capable of.

[Linedogg104]

I have an older 3 horse Jiffy (15 years ) strong as an ox and rips 10 inch holes no problem. I tried to upgrade to a propane jiffy last year. Not impressed. Keep the propane bottle warm and it starts right up even at 10 below. But it's pretty weak in all honesty. Just my 2 cents

[MarkNFish]

Get an older Jiffy.  For $5 a year in gas and oil it will be running much longer and for way less money than anything electric.

X2.  Plus there's nothing like the blat of a Jiffy auger at first light on a cold morning

[swnoel]

I have the K Drill with a Milwaukee drill Clam plate setup. It's quiet, no smelly fuel, and light weight. What a difference without the Jiffy ... my back doesn't hurt anymore and my hands don't stink! My son has the Ion and loves it. Either one would make you happy. If you go with the Milwaukee make sure you get at least the 9ah battery.

[chillywillie]

But you will go broke on Advil and Tylenol after drilling 50 holes with a 60 lb auger. My Jiffy 30 has been retired for the electric age. The weight is one part of it...

My ATV doesn't complain about the extra weight of carrying it around 

[jacksmelt71]

all the electrics are great until you have some slush layers, then they are useless. i have the ion 8in . i just sold and strikemaster 10in lazer electric 50 amp and both completely stall out drilling w/ any slush in the hole. ask temper. he has the 8in kdrill w/ the same issue. keep your old jiffy for the late season ice.