IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Ice Augers => Topic started by: ringo on Dec 05, 2008, 07:07 PM
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Does anyone have a (Electric) Ice Gator Auger? Just wondering how it performs and how much they cost?
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from what i hear they are the best auger drive out there. if i had the money id take one over a jiffy.
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I got one 1 month ago but didnt have chance to use it yet - no ice here
No preformance test yet but you can check prices on their website
Fish307 has them too
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I got mine last year puts more holes in than ya wanna fish in a day. The reverse is great i don't know why i still carry a spoon. Have never had it let me down. Unlike the gas one i had that wouldn't start!!!
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Hey Ringo since when are you serious about ice fishing,last time I met you at Chaumont you had a hangover and was sleeping in your shanty.You might as well start buying all your stuff now so when you retire next year you will have plenty of time to use it, ;D
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Hey Bob: Say all you want about my Ice Fishing. Next year I'll have all the time to relax on the hard water while your working. Maybe I'll even take your wife along with me since she can ice fish better than the both of us. Hope they have some info at the Ice Show about those Icegators.
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Hey Bill Deb says anytime ;D
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I bought one last year and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. It is straight up AWSOME.... Excellent service, knowledgable staff (Ice fisherman)....I get nothing for saying this stuff. It just is a great auger, Period. If you have any questions I will be glad to share what experiences I have with the auger..... :tipup:
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I bought one last year and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. It is straight up AWSOME.... Excellent service, knowledgable staff (Ice fisherman)....I get nothing for saying this stuff. It just is a great auger, Period. If you have any questions I will be glad to share what experiences I have with the auger..... :tipup:
That's great to hear. Another good reason to consider one, (Like I am), is so that you can use a power auger where they don't allow gas augers 'cause ther's no gas to spill in the drinking water. Even the batteries are gell so if you and the auger go through the batteries won't pose as severe a problem as a full tank of auger fuel, and you can re-charge in your car on the way to where you're going. Yea... ;D
Only hope the folks in charge see it that way too. Maybe the Ice-Gator folks could be a help there in a brochure or something. Or even some of their own testing to prove the non-poluting status of them. Thanks for sharing your experiences with it.
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I have bought so much new gear already this season I dont think I could afford one even If I wanted, hopefully next year the price will come down a bit. for such a simple operating system I dont see where they could be going for $389, and thats just the head!!!!
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One of the two best pieces of gear I have.
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Man o man I sw one in action today and I'm hooked will buy one as soon as I can sell the gas one or next year ::)
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Man o man I sw one in action today and I'm hooked will buy one as soon as I can sell the gas one or next year ::)
you mean the one dan had out on loon, ya it kinda makes your mouth water a little bit
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you mean the one dan had out on loon, ya it kinda makes your mouth water a little bit
Yeah
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Yeah
ya he kept on saying that I could try it but I knew if I did I would be swiping my my card on another piece of gear I cant afford
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ya he kept on saying that I could try it but I knew if I did I would be swiping my my card on another piece of gear I cant afford
Tell me about it....I just keep dreaming
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I saw one in action Tuesday. If I can sell my Jiffy 30 my wife might let me get one. They are sweet.
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What size are you guys using? I've been wanting to upgrade to a power head and I have an 8" nils hand auger at the moment. Can these things handle a day with 8"?
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What size are you guys using? I've been wanting to upgrade to a power head and I have an 8" nils hand auger at the moment. Can these things handle a day with 8"?
Absolutely the Competitor and the Attacker are made to use with an 8"bit
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If you want to see one in action i will be on lake Adirondacks from 25th for 10 days
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I ordered my IceGator yesterday. They are on a 2-week back-order. Should have it by Christmas.
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After using my bros I know you will love it jbird. The problem with me owning it is the fact I have a kid graduating this spring hopefully and have to finish up the honey do list as best I can before that can happen. I guess though the days my bro isnt fishing I could just keep stealing his to use. lol
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That's great to hear. Another good reason to consider one, (Like I am), is so that you can use a power auger where they don't allow gas augers 'cause ther's no gas to spill in the drinking water. Even the batteries are gell so if you and the auger go through the batteries won't pose as severe a problem as a full tank of auger fuel, and you can re-charge in your car on the way to where you're going. Yea... ;D
Only hope the folks in charge see it that way too. Maybe the Ice-Gator folks could be a help there in a brochure or something. Or even some of their own testing to prove the non-poluting status of them. Thanks for sharing your experiences with it.
I bought one of the first run gators and itis quite a piece of equipment. It was comparable in price to a gas one but lots of plus with the gator.I havent heard anyone have a negative reply on them. My charger was bad from the git go and I had a new charger in the mail that week.You cannot kill the batteries in a days fishing even after drilling holes just to drill holes.I find myself drilling holes for other guys who want to know how it orks. One thing though I see on this thread is Chainsaw says it can be charged in your car.I didnt know they had a car charger out or I would have one. The chargers are all 110 volt I saw. As for being expensive, like anything, you get what you pay for and once you have one will ask yourself why would I EVER use a gas one again??
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I am still waiting for mine to arrive. I was hoping to have it by Christmas. But I might be wishing too hard. Maybe by the week after Christmas. I just can't wait to try it out.
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Still no Gator in my possesion. I thought for sure It would be here by now.
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give them a call! has it been shipped yet? did you get a tracking number? the customer service is great , I would just call and inquire ;)
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just got mine. ordered on the 16th. oooohhhhyyyyaaa!!!
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I called and talked to sales rep. He was going to check and see where it was in production and then call me back. I ordered mine on the 11th and he seemed to think it should be in shipping now.
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I ordered mine on Dec. 6Th and received it on Dec 27Th. I tried it yesterday and loved it. I went thru 8 to 10 inches of ice very quickly. Less than 10 seconds. I didn't have a stop watch but I would start counting in my head and would usually get to 6 or 7. I ordered the 8" and used a Nils auger. I was very impressed from the first hole.
Scott
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I got home and it wasn't there. I was hoping to have it for tomorrow. I am going to use an HT Arctic Express 7" auger with mine. I never heard back from the sales guy today either. Now watch it'll come tomorrow while I am on the ice. :'(
Got an email tonight. It is supposed to ship on Tuesday Jan 6th.
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I would buy one if my power auger crapped out on me (and if I had the money)
I have heard they work awesome. I would have never thought a battery powered device would work well in the cold but I guess they do!
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Batteries never been an issue with mine unless i'm not on fish then i wish they would run out so i could enjoy my beverage or go home LOL!!!
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they dont make a car charger but..... do this at your own risk...... what I did was attach a 12 volt plug to a regulator used for a solar panel that has a max output of 1 amp so if I forgot to charge it before I left I could or so I could charge it off a solar panel at home so it doesnt cost to charge lol as I had all the stuff Just made a green machine greener!
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They seem to do well with cutting if the ice is less than 3 ft anymore more than that and you will get a lot less holes and not good to use at temps below 20 below outside in the ice house you could drill all day. I did a trial for them and it broke on me and I'm still waiting for them to contact me to see about trying the new and improved version I had some input into how to make it better.
Are they tough I think they are but not in extreme cold climates because I or anyone else has never documented their performance at say 20 below or even down to 40 below with drilling more than a few holes through 4 ft of ice with an eskimo bit. I thought they would give me the chance but so far they are not living up to their great customer service they claim to have.
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Last year I bottomed it out with a lazer bit told them about it it was last time I could drill that year and it was still going strong and now they make the extention that is no longer available from strikemaster!
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they dont make a car charger but..... do this at your own risk...... what I did was attach a 12 volt plug to a regulator used for a solar panel that has a max output of 1 amp so if I forgot to charge it before I left I could or so I could charge it off a solar panel at home so it doesnt cost to charge lol as I had all the stuff Just made a green machine greener!
What you could do is purchase an Inverter (12V to 110V) and then plug your Gator charger into the 110V. Not the most
efficient, I know, but I'm sure it would work, and after all you wouldn't be using it unless you were driving down the highway....
MD
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What you could do is purchase an Inverter (12V to 110V) and then plug your Gator charger into the 110V. Not the most
efficient, I know, but I'm sure it would work, and after all you wouldn't be using it unless you were driving down the highway....
MD
Oh that works also been there done that esp with the new charger from icegator puts out 24 volts and you charge both batteries at once with the inverter
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I finally got mine yesterday. The adapter shaft seems a bit long. I won't really know until I try it out on the ice. Seems like the power head is about head-high as it sits on upright on the ice. Does that seem too high to start drilling? I don't normally drill any more than about 18" of ice. I can modify the shaft length at work if I need to. Would be nice to have some directons in the box. Doesn't say anything online about charging it up? What does the Full -Run lights mean. I understand Full charge. Is the Run light mean you have enough juice to run or need to be charged?
How about throwing in a 1/4" hex wrench and a way to store it on the handle for making sure your bolts are tight all the time?
How do you carry it in your sled? Do you transport it with it all together or put the auger on it when you get to your fishing hole?
I've never owned a power auger before. I am just wondering how you guys with power augers transport it? I have a one-man flip-over shanty.
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red is charging green done
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I bought one this year and I and I can't believe how it cuts! Like a hot knife going thru butter! I got the 12 volt Its a little heavy but its still great! The best part no smell and no smoke!
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the length of the shaft is 14". this fits the strikemaster lazer.
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Wow, I just ran into a problem............... .... ???
I charged the batteries then took them out and was putting the plastic protective covers on the little terminals and one of the terminals broke off. I couldn't believe it. The pressure I was using was merely finger strength. I am thinking there must of been a manufacturer faulting with it. There is no way it should have broke. I put pressure on the other terminals to see if they would break and they didn't they felt solid must be this one was week at the bend or something. I have called the president and Vice president , waiting for a call back. The batteries aren't even a year old and now I can't use it (them) was going to fish a tourney tomorrow and the gator would have gotten a lot of attention....... Anyway I am hoping they will work with me on this. I really did nothing wrong on this, at least nothing I am aware of. I will keep you updated on the happenings....
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You are referring to the terminal on the battery, not the Gator or the hook up lead?
Could you solder it back together? Is there enough metal sticking out of the battery still?
Without melting the top of the battery?
Have a spare flasher battery? It might do in for a short period of time...
MD
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One of the guys just called me and I explained what happened and he said he would just send me a new battery. I will keep you informed of when I get it.
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You are referring to the terminal on the battery, not the Gator or the hook up lead?
Could you solder it back together? Is there enough metal sticking out of the battery still?
Without melting the top of the battery?
Have a spare flasher battery? It might do in for a short period of time...
MD
terminal on the battery. Just before the bend, under 1/4 of an inch sticking out of the battery. That terminal is thinner then all the other terminals, very weird. Has to be a manufacturer default.
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Hey jbird how do ya like that thing?
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I haven't cut any holes yet. Going out in the morning to give 'er a try. I am not used to the weight of it. I had to buff out the ID of my hand auger. It had a burr in the threaded hole on the collar. And I made a new bolt to fasten the adapter to my auger. The one that came with my hand auger was made out of aluminum and was bent from me having to rotate it hard to break through the bottom of the ice. I added a rod across the head of the bolt to make a "T" so I don't have to carry a hex wrench with me to make sure it is tight. There isn't enough room to do that to the bolt that came with my Icegator. It's too close to the bottom of the powerhead...so I have to carry a 1/4" hex wrench for that.
The paint on the Icegator adapter wasn't that great. And there were marks on the OD from the jaws on the lathe. Before I polished the ID of my auger a guy at work polished the paint off of the end of the adapter with some emery cloth to see if it would slide together(didn't help). He had some machining coolant on his gloves and where he handled it the paint is now dull and sorta gummy feeling. I might have to polish it off and repaint it. I might shorten the adapter if I feel like it's too tall before I start drilling holes.
I can't wait to use it!!!!
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What did ya put on it? I put a 8" laser on mine last year and it works like cutting butter!!
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What did ya put on it? I put a 8" laser on mine last year and it works like cutting butter!!
I put a 7" HT Arctic Express Auger on it. Works like a charm. Still getting used to the weight of it. I am used to grabbing my hand auger by the middle of the shaft. Now I have to grab it right under the powerhead to keep it balanced. There is room to weld a "T" on the end of the bolt that came with the IceGator. I brought a hex wrench with me but for some reason the long end would'nt fit in the bolt. Must have been dinged on the end. I didn't have any problem with the shaft loosening up on my auger. But the adapter shaft did work loose from the drive shaft.
I caught about a dozen crappie until the snow started to fall. Then I caught a 14" LM Bass. I fished from about 8:30 am to 11:30 am. Been having good luck with the Forage Minnow Fry from Northland Tackle. Might have to take next weekend off from fishing. Wife is getting a little PO'd.
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Wow, I just ran into a problem............... .... ???
I charged the batteries then took them out and was putting the plastic protective covers on the little terminals and one of the terminals broke off. I couldn't believe it. The pressure I was using was merely finger strength. I am thinking there must of been a manufacturer faulting with it. There is no way it should have broke. I put pressure on the other terminals to see if they would break and they didn't they felt solid must be this one was week at the bend or something. I have called the president and Vice president , waiting for a call back. The batteries aren't even a year old and now I can't use it (them) was going to fish a tourney tomorrow and the gator would have gotten a lot of attention....... Anyway I am hoping they will work with me on this. I really did nothing wrong on this, at least nothing I am aware of. I will keep you updated on the happenings....
Well just keeping everyone updated. My battery showed up today (would have been here Yesterday but Fed Ex guy dropped it to the wrong house) anyway the Guys at Ice Gator are on the money. I am pleased with my entire experience dealings with them and when I fished a tourney last weekend everyone there was amazed at the power. They all had been skeptical until I let them try it out.....
Again I am very Happy with the Ice Gator and the experience has been excellent....
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How can I get in contact with the ice gator people ??? I tried with the link here but it just goes to a blank page. I live in New Brunswick Canada and would really like to see one. Bangor Maine is only about 4hrs away and would be willing to go that far to see it.
Paul
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I got one here in Limestone
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That's near Floranceville on the NB side right? May have to check schedule with wife and kids and come check it out.
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closer to grandfalls
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after useing a gator for the last 3 weeks and now not haveing it I decided to get one, should be here by the weekend :thumbsup:. I cant justify hand drilling with one of thoes avalible. im hardcore but not "that" hardcore :D
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Why isn't anyone talking about them?
http://youtu.be/N1ChMsOpOlQ (http://youtu.be/N1ChMsOpOlQ)
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Anyone still running a gator?
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I don't have either machine, still running a 20 year old 8" Jiffy Model 30 and I may be talking out of my rear BUT with almost 3 to 1 holes the Ice Gator is pretty impressive plus it kept going long after the Ion crapped out. Some of the comment made with the video cried foul because the Ice Gator wasn't using the same blade as the Ion. From the advertising I've read and posts that I've read I though the auger/blade setup that was on the Ion is the optimal setup for it and anything more aggressive would kill the battery sooner. As were the Ice Gator you could put on whatever auger/blade setup YOU thought worked best and from the performance in the video it was a pretty aggressive auger/chipper blade setup so it was working the Ice Gator pretty hard.
If I was to upgrade to a electric auger I think it would have to be a Ice Gator.
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a couple years back they were a big thing on here. Then there were multiple reports of bad customer service/not standing behind the product. Couple that with a lot of broken units and you have a recipe for disaster.
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Ditto Toolfuss's comments , If you would like an opinion on the Ice Gator and it's durability contact a member user name of Maine Hazmat . He purchased one when they first appeared on the market. He also took some ribbing for standing behind the company when the problems Tool fuss mentioned started being reported here on Ice Shanty.
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I have the Ion which i got mid last season for 25% off at Dicks ($375).
Its made by Eskimo, and will accept any strikemaster brand auger. I have personally had a Lazer and Mora on mine.
Last season i was able to punch 80 (yes 80) holes thru 13in of ice with my 6in mora and still had battery left.
The Gator has a higher RPM, so it will cut faster than the Ion. In the video linked you can see it punches through the ice 4 seconds after the Gator.
If weight is a concern, the Gator is roughly 8-10lbs more than the Ion depending on the auger. With my 6in mora on mine it weighs exactly 20lbs. Thats the same weight as just the head of the Gator.
Customer Service is another concern for many. There have been alot of negative reports about Gator customer Service.
When i got my Ion the battery was faulty, Eskimo had me a new one within a week.
Price is also in favor of the Ion. If you already have a quality hand auger (Lazer, Nils, Finbore) they are pretty close in price (499 vs 539). However if u have to purchase a hand auger the Gator jumps quite a bit. As the Ion is sold in large chain stores, you can also wait to get the on sale as I did at 25% off, making is $375 vs 539. Which is a substantial difference to me.
In the end all your getting with the Gator vs the Ion is speed. The trade off for that speed is; heavier, more expensive, bad customer service.
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Sure am! Old one still going strong but upgraded this year for the li ion battery passing old one to the kids!
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Anyone try using the Frabill 8" Curved blade auger with the Gator drives? Or have issues when using curved blades on these drives?
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I have the Ion which i got mid last season for 25% off at Dicks ($375).
Its made by Eskimo, and will accept any strikemaster brand auger. I have personally had a Lazer and Mora on mine.
Last season i was able to punch 80 (yes 80) holes thru 13in of ice with my 6in mora and still had battery left.
The Gator has a higher RPM, so it will cut faster than the Ion. In the video linked you can see it punches through the ice 4 seconds after the Gator.
If weight is a concern, the Gator is roughly 8-10lbs more than the Ion depending on the auger. With my 6in mora on mine it weighs exactly 20lbs. Thats the same weight as just the head of the Gator.
Customer Service is another concern for many. There have been alot of negative reports about Gator customer Service.
When i got my Ion the battery was faulty, Eskimo had me a new one within a week.
Price is also in favor of the Ion. If you already have a quality hand auger (Lazer, Nils, Finbore) they are pretty close in price (499 vs 539). However if u have to purchase a hand auger the Gator jumps quite a bit. As the Ion is sold in large chain stores, you can also wait to get the on sale as I did at 25% off, making is $375 vs 539. Which is a substantial difference to me.
In the end all your getting with the Gator vs the Ion is speed. The trade off for that speed is; heavier, more expensive, bad customer service.
You can get the gator head for $289 from ice gator. Put on a $40 ht hand auger your at $330.
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You can get the gator head for $289 from ice gator. Put on a $40 ht hand auger your at $330.
Thats for the lead acid battery, not the Lithium Ion. If you want to compare it to the Ion, I would think people would want the Lithium Battery..
You also still have to buy an adapter and I dont see one for an HT auger.
Not to mention that head alone weighs 27lbs. Put the extender and the auger on and your looking at about 35lbs vs the Ions 21lbs..
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Thats for the lead acid battery, not the Lithium Ion. If you want to compare it to the Ion, I would think people would want the Lithium Battery..
You also still have to buy an adapter and I dont see one for an HT auger.
Not to mention that head alone weighs 27lbs. Put the extender and the auger on and your looking at about 35lbs vs the Ions 21lbs..
So? If a person is just looking at getting in on an electric auger you don't need an ion battery. I believe the mora adaptor works for the ht. If your worried about punching holes, you are better off with a gas.
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I use the 8" lazer auger on my gator and that has curved blades works great!
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I use the 8" lazer auger on my gator and that has curved blades works great!
Ok thanks! I can't wait to see how it works with the Frabill drill! :clap: