Author Topic: Drill/Ice Auger, Love em or Hate em… There is a moral to this... (Read 7773 times)

MT Hank · « **on:** Jan 29, 2011, 05:05 PM »

I for one (so far) “love em”.

DeWALT 18 volt (DC927) with Lithium Ion Battery (I got a deal NOBODY could/would refuse).
StrikeMaster (Mora) 6” hand auger.

They are: Light, Quite, No yankin to start (mine gas auger starts on 1 or 2 pulls), No exhaust fumes in your ice house, No gas or exhaust smell on your hands to contaminate bait/jigs.

And I got 35+/- holes drilling one right after the other on one battery before… I quit or was forced to quit, you will understand when you finish reading.

BUT… A GREAT BIG BUT!!!!

The first time I used it…

YUP no tether on the auger put drill in reverse on the 34/35 hole and watched (and said some not so very nice words about me knowing what I am doing) as my (NEW, 1st. time out) auger disappear right down the ice hole with the adapter!

Now I know I was warned over and over here on “IS” about some sort of tether to save your auger when the drill chuck "DID" loosens up, but I said to myself...

SELF “I know what I am doing

and I'll just check it often”. Never thought about Reverse! It was “GONE”

OK, I never had this kind of luck EVER!!!

I was in close to shore as I just came down onto the ice to “TEST” this set up before going fishing

(I do have 2 batteries, only using one for testing). Just for the hell of it I pulled my sleeve up and shoved my hand/arm down thru the 16” of ice full of slush and leaning against the very last inch of the bottom of the ice was the very tip of my adapter on my auger, 1 inch deeper I would have gone back in the spring to get it… I grabbed it and never let go. TOTAL LUCK

This would never happen again… EVER! I have now made a tether for the auger.

See Pic’s!!

The moral of this story for everyone? If you use a drill on your hand auger… TETHER IT!!!

This set up works really well

if you are not going to be punching 100 holes...

I also hope this saves somebody else from loosing their auger and not being as lucky as I was this time because "I knew what I am doing" attitude

I have less than $2 in this tether...

PyroZuki · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 29, 2011, 06:39 PM »

Where did you get your adapter? I wouldn't mind tryin out this setup! With a few extra batteries, I don't see the need to bother with my Strikemaster gas auger!

To answer the initial question, LOVE EM!!!

Pyro

MT Hank · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 29, 2011, 06:48 PM »

Quote from: PyroZuki on Jan 29, 2011, 06:39 PM

Where did you get your adapter? I wouldn't mind tryin out this setup! With a few extra batteries, I don't see the need to bother with my Strikemaster gas auger!

To answer the initial question, LOVE EM!!!

Pyro

Snappy's has the adapter... BUT!!! Make some sort of tether, don't do like I did, K?

Cornbread · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 29, 2011, 06:54 PM »

I saw a guy on Smith lake with one of those, he had a 4" hooked up like that. I thought it was about the neatest idea I have seen in a long time. Made me wish I had a drill like that, that I could do that with. Can you hook it up to an 8" with the same results? Reason I ask is even with an 8" hole sometimes it's hard to get pike turned and up through the hole if they are big enough and I have lost quite a few at the hole because of it so I wouldn't want to go down to a 6". Now that the ice in a lot of places is 15+ inches going through it with my hand auger is becoming a pretty good work out and I don't move around as much as I'd like to but there is no way I have the cash for a gas one nor do I want to pack a gas one around. The drill trick looks like about the perfect way to roll. Can you give us any more info on using it? Do you have to drill all your holes right away or can you drill, fish for a few hours then drill a few more etc?

PyroZuki · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 29, 2011, 07:07 PM »

MT Hank, I promise to make a tether!!!

Pyro

fish to live · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 29, 2011, 08:16 PM »

first ice this is the best tool, sad but true i lost mine on fist hole

so now i made a wood disk and it never will fall down the hole

lundin-loading · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 29, 2011, 09:55 PM »

the bigger the auger the fewer holes you get, a guy on lake mary ronan had pvc t-pipe rigged up for his failsafe, i was blown away with speed he drilled holes!

MT Hank · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 30, 2011, 09:31 PM »

Quote from: Cornbread on Jan 29, 2011, 06:54 PM

Can you hook it up to an 8" with the same results? Reason I ask is even with an 8" hole sometimes it's hard to get pike turned and up through the hole if they are big enough and I have lost quite a few at the hole because of it so I wouldn't want to go down to a 6". Now that the ice in a lot of places is 15+ inches going through it with my hand auger is becoming a pretty good work out and I don't move around as much as I'd like to but there is no way I have the cash for a gas one nor do I want to pack a gas one around. The drill trick looks like about the perfect way to roll. Can you give us any more info on using it? Do you have to drill all your holes right away or can you drill, fish for a few hours then drill a few more etc?

Cornbread...
You can hook up any size "hand" auger to the adapter but like it was said above I am sure that the bigger the auger and the thicker the ice the less holes one battery will drill. I am going to try my 8" auger the next time out (maybe on Wed.), I'll post what my results are. Like I mentioned above the 6" did 35 holes in 15/16 inches of ice before I dropped the auger... I am thinking it would have done at least 40 holes. I had already drilled 20 + / - holes before I drilled 15 more one right after another. I drilled 2 or 3 holes, fished for a while them moved and drilled 2 or 3 more, move again and again and again. Seem to work really well either way... All at once or a couple here and there.

This set up is trick and I am not wanting to even take my gas auger with me, let alone out on the ice. AND the drill set up drills holes as fast as I have ever seen and it is lite!!! It has spoiled me!

deadeyechris · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 30, 2011, 10:23 PM »

i have a Milwaukee 18 volt with a home made adapter , i use a 4 1/2 nils, the adapter has a 6 inch aluminum disk i mounted above it so when it comes loose it can not fall threw the hole. with a fresh batterie and the temperature at 20 degrees outside. the ice was 13 inches thick. i decided to see how many holes i could drill . i drilled 70 holes and my friend got tired of cleaning them out and i got tired of drilling them ,as we wanted to fish and were drilling a grid work in a new area of lake in search of perch . the batterie has 4 led lights to show how much is left after the 70 holes 3 were left , after fishing this area for three hours we went to another section and i drilled about another 20 holes still two leds lights were left. after this test i only bring one batterie.i use to bring like three with me. i use this set up for lookiing for fish. then if i find good spots i have larger nils hand auger also. this is the way to go just push the button it drills threw 12 inches of ice in a about 3 seconds. so it is no wonder the batterie last so long. this is my third year with this set up and the nils still cuts like when it was new i never have to push down on it with any pressure.

MT Hank · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 30, 2011, 10:34 PM »

Quote from: deadeyechris on Jan 30, 2011, 10:23 PM

i have a Milwaukee 18 volt with a home made adapter , i use a 4 1/2 nils, the adapter has a 6 inch aluminum disk i mounted above it so when it comes loose it can not fall threw the hole. with a fresh batterie and the temperature at 20 degrees outside. the ice was 13 inches thick. i decided to see how many holes i could drill . i drilled 70 holes and my friend got tired of cleaning them out and i got tired of drilling them ,as we wanted to fish and were drilling a grid work in a new area of lake in search of perch . the batterie has 4 led lights to show how much is left after the 70 holes 3 were left , after fishing this area for three hours we went to another section and i drilled about another 20 holes still two leds lights were left. after this test i only bring one batterie.i use to bring like three with me. i use this set up for lookiing for fish. then if i find good spots i have larger nils hand auger also. this is the way to go just push the button it drills threw 12 inches of ice in a about 3 seconds. so it is no wonder the batterie last so long. this is my third year with this set up and the nils still cuts like when it was new i never have to push down on it with any pressure.

Thanks deadeyechris...
Some folks don't believe me when I say this works well... They really do work!

Cornbread · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 31, 2011, 09:25 AM »

This is really good info, thanks guys. The thing I need a battery drill much worse than I need a power auger and the drill was already on my list of things I need to pick up this winter so if I can get a homemade power auger out of it I kill two birds with one stone. I have a blue hand auger, not sure who makes it but once I get my drill I am definitely going to give this a go. With a tether of course

Robbi · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 31, 2011, 09:47 AM »

I see an adapter on Fish 307 for HT augers............For the price I have to get one. I currently use a Ryobi 18 volt for work, but like all construction guys my batteries are crap.........so, I've been thinking of upgrading my drill anyway. This also solves my problem of a power auger since I can justify a drill for work also......

Robbi · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 07, 2011, 12:23 PM »

Was reading thru this: http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=183711.0

Sounds like not all people are impressed with the drill set up. I'm currently looking for a drill and thought I had it narrowed down to a makita or Milwalkee........but now I'm wondering........any input would be good from guys in Montana that are using a setup..........

ah gee bobba · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 07, 2011, 02:25 PM »

Question for those that use this drill/auger set up. If the ice is about 18" to 24" thick, how many holes can you normally drill before the battery is dead?

MT Hank · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 13, 2011, 02:47 PM »

dumpld1 · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 13, 2011, 05:16 PM »

Just ordered mine off e-bay hope to get before ice goes off .

Robbi · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 13, 2011, 06:40 PM »

I ordered the adapter from fish307 for my HT auger........now to decide on a drill. I know my Ryobi I use for work will not cut it.........so........a new one is in order......

skidly · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 11:08 AM »

I tried this over the weekend, the 18v portable 1/2" drill (new) didn't have enough power (torque) to even get 1 hole drilled ! what drills have the most torque?

I have a massive Milwaukee 110v I'm tempted to try now using a generator or 12v marine battery with a inverter.

MT Hank · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 01:54 PM »

Quote from: skidly on Feb 14, 2011, 11:08 AM

I tried this over the weekend, the 18v portable 1/2" drill (new) didn't have enough power (torque) to even get 1 hole drilled ! what drills have the most torque?

I have a massive Milwaukee 110v I'm tempted to try now using a generator or 12v marine battery with a inverter.

Seems like that is just a whole lot of trouble.... I would just stick with a gas auger...

Robbi · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 04:12 PM »

Well.......the package for my drill adapter came in the mail today........only problem was the adapter wasn't in the package!!! Bubble wrap type envelope had the end ripped out. A two pound chunk of steel probably won't stay in a paper envelope between NY and MT. Called Fish307 and they are out of them for the season so they are refunding my money. Very good service from them on both the quickness of getting the order out and of the customer service of refunding the money. I'm bummed, but there is always next year.......

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Author Topic: Drill/Ice Auger, Love em or Hate em… There is a moral to this... (Read 7773 times)