So I've had an ion gen 1 for about 4 years now. When the original bit got bent from reopening holes in thick ice, I replaced it with an R1 bit. Near the end of last season, the black ring on the bottom of the bit cracked and broke off. Problems I've had with the auger included the bent and broken bits, bad ice build up on the bits in cold weather, and a burned out charger. I love in northern Minnesota. January and February ice can mean greater than 30 inches of ice and-40 Temps. I fish hard. I realize that I'm pushing the limits of an electric auger around here. But, the electric is nice in so many ways, so I'm sticking with another electric. I have no interest in going the cordless drill route. I have it narrowed down to a strikemaster 40 or the new ion gen3 alpha. The new ion sounds great, but the brand's past performance was less than great for me. For anyone that has bought the new gen 3 alpha, does the bit construction seem greatly improved? Should I just move over to the strikemaster? It has a solid reputation. Any comparisons from others that have tried both or recently purchased the new alpha gen 3. Mostly, I think I need a tougher bit. Is the strikemaster bit tougher than the old ions?
