Batt. drill for a ICE AUGER

[Tailchaser]

Hi guys & gals
 I'm new to the site & a senior ICEMAN. I'm also retired & been fishing for over 60 years. Some of my retired fishing friends & I have been using various augers through out our lives. We started with a spud bar on Lake Erie & went to the spoon & even gas augers. The last few yrs. , I have been using A laser 6inch which has been fine.Now here is the scooby: we are getting "OLD" and don 't move like you younger people.We have been Averaging around 9 to 12 inches in Ohio & Southern Mi. Even with a laser to much work.Pulling  sleds we have a weight problem. No more gas, too much weight, plus the mess. Icegator still to heavy and too much $$$. Over 27lbs.for reg. batt. & over 300.00. The new Litheon batt. 19lbs & 600.00. To much $$$ for us   & the Icegator is going to sit in a garage for 9 months. I bought a litheon compac Bosch 18 v. drill & adapter for my laser. With the 2 batteries in about 12 inches of ice we can do about 30 holes. The drill & batt.  only weigh about 2 1/2 lbs. Now if your young have a lot of money & do swiss chesse on the ice. The drill is not the way to go. If your older want a dual purpose tool. The litheon drills are the way to go. Cost, weight & being able to use the drill around home & work projects. Check your  bank book & you decide. Good Luck,  Don, the older timer, Toledo,Oh.

[bearbgone]

Welcome aboard Don!!!

[firegems]

Words of wisdom Don!....You should see what kind of tricks the new Bosch 36v can perform!!

[Latebite]

I have been looking at that 36V, the drill/hammer drill is cheaper than the drill/ driver for some reason.  O and about a pound heavier?

[Tailchaser]

Thanks fellas:
 That 36 volt is getting a lot of play. It weighs a little more but I'm sure it punches some holes.

[Drill4gills]

I use a craftsman 19.2 volt 1/2 inch drill , that critter will twist the drill right out of your hand if you don't have a good hold on it . when i first built the adapter for my old laser "it's handle screws on not the new pin on" we had 6 inches of ice i drilled 24 holes on a single battery know with 12 inches it drills 8 - 12 holes depending on how warm i keep the batteries . i worry about blade life more because of higher rpm but my blades seem to be holding up . i may try a craftsman 24 volt next year because i can charge them on the same charger as my 19.2 and not have to buy a whole set or combo just the drill and a couple batteries to start. nevermind the fact i have 12 19.2 batteries at home for various cordless tools most of which are used twice a year and set the rest of the time  , but you think you need them for something sometime , you never know.!

[esox_magnum]

Add in replacement battery costs in a couple years, those times you forget to recharge, that oooops when you soak the drill and it freezes, when gears go out due to the added torque of the auger. If I wanted to stay light and easy a Nils hand auger, way faster and easier than a Lazer ( my 8" Nils will out drill a 5" Lazer) Myself I'll stay with my Nils power auger, I can drive out or use my snowmobile for transportation if we get deep snow, weights not a factor. Up to and sometimes over 30" ice here, don't want to be stuck in 1 place when my batteries are dead.

 Just pointing out the downside from a guy thats tried it in the past.

[Drill4gills]

i came to the conclusion that with burrsitis in both shoulders that i was done hand cranking an auger , and if you use your battery drill on a regular basis you just naturally charge your batteries . I myself never lay my battery drill on the ice or in the snow that would be just STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .why would anyone buy a 100+ dollar battery drill then lay it down in the snow , water , slush . i always drill a hole and stand it up with a 5 gal bucket to cover it , it fits perfect to cover drill motor and upper auger and keeps it dry no matter what . as for service life of the drill that remains to be seen , but i will never have to go to the gas station for gas other than for my vehicle , no fuel spills on the lake , no gas on my hands, and no shoulder pain , and no hard starting gas auger , just grab and drill . yes if i carry all 12 batteries it adds a little weight to my sled but not enough to bother my shoulders. battery life is quite good considering i just last year replaced the original batteries i got with my first craftsman combo set , back when they were still in grey cases , they were at least 8-9 years old and still worked but were weak and didn't hold a full charge any more . i would say thats reasonable longevity.

[53andout]

I've been using an 18V drill and 5 and 6" auger for 2 years now. 10 pounds total weight. I usually have holes drilled before the guys with the gas augers have them running. No doubt there is a good place for gas augers, but usually they are overkill where I fish. Oh, I own a gas auger, never took it out this year. Maybe I should sell it.

Hi guys & gals
 I'm new to the site & a senior ICEMAN. I'm also retired & been fishing for over 60 years. Some of my retired fishing friends & I have been using various augers through out our lives. We started with a spud bar on Lake Erie & went to the spoon & even gas augers. The last few yrs. , I have been using A laser 6inch which has been fine.Now here is the scooby: we are getting "OLD" and don 't move like you younger people.We have been Averaging around 9 to 12 inches in Ohio & Southern Mi. Even with a laser to much work.Pulling  sleds we have a weight problem. No more gas, too much weight, plus the mess. Icegator still to heavy and too much $$$. Over 27lbs.for reg. batt. & over 300.00. The new Litheon batt. 19lbs & 600.00. To much $$$ for us   & the Icegator is going to sit in a garage for 9 months. I bought a litheon compac Bosch 18 v. drill & adapter for my laser. With the 2 batteries in about 12 inches of ice we can do about 30 holes. The drill & batt.  only weigh about 2 1/2 lbs. Now if your young have a lot of money & do swiss chesse on the ice. The drill is not the way to go. If your older want a dual purpose tool. The litheon drills are the way to go. Cost, weight & being able to use the drill around home & work projects. Check your  bank book & you decide. Good Luck,  Don, the older timer, Toledo,Oh.

[Tailchaser]

Very well stated drill4gill. I don't have a quad or snowmobile, so, weight in heavy snow is a issue. I even put a light weight boat seat on my mid. size otter to move easilier. With the heavy snow & warmer temps. , my clam stays home. The drill is not for every type of fishing, but, I'm really impressed with my 18 litheon. 2 more of my friends are going to the batt. drill for next season.When done with a hole , I stand if up near me. & pop the Batt. off & place in my coat pocket. If there is a water issue I just take the small drill off & place in a bag with my spare batt. If you go to the drill option for next year. Here are some things to consider. At least 18v.Litheon batt. So much smaller then reg. batts. & hold a charge better. Try to get a drill with at least 500lbs per inch .(torque ) I already built a platform for my boat seat using the drill with self tappers. My auger was standing in the garage & making faces at me. It won't be long & we will be storing all the ice gear. The drill will still be ticking .Good luck all for the soft water season, Don the Oldtimer.

[tooffless]

i had a surgury this last spring and still have a very hard time turning a 7 in mora, after reading some posts on here i thoought i would try the drill thing . my 18 ryob would not turn ir and i was going to buy a new drill but my neighbor let me borrow his 18v dewallt, that did the trick so i'm going o buy a new drill this spring but am leading towards the 18 lith milwakee as it has 650in lbs tourque, more than the dewalts 450. any on have any higher specs or thoughts on thier drills ?

[Tailchaser]

I would buy  at least a 500 lbs.per inch litheon batt. drill for sure. with my Bosch i have the torque & it is not heavy as some drills. good luck.

[wilenard]

Don:  For a lot of additional information on this subject click on the search button just below the site sponsors and search for a key word like "Battery drill". You will be amazed by the amount of previous posts on this subject. Good luck and good fishing!!!

[mojoice]

 I would love to see the way you guys addapt your auger to fit the drill. sound like a winner to me.

[53andout]

Here's one I found on eBay;

I would love to see the way you guys addapt your auger to fit the drill. sound like a winner to me.

[jettro]

i came to the conclusion that with burrsitis in both shoulders that i was done hand cranking an auger , and if you use your battery drill on a regular basis you just naturally charge your batteries . I myself never lay my battery drill on the ice or in the snow that would be just STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .why would anyone buy a 100+ dollar battery drill then lay it down in the snow , water , slush . i always drill a hole and stand it up with a 5 gal bucket to cover it , it fits perfect to cover drill motor and upper auger and keeps it dry no matter what . as for service life of the drill that remains to be seen , but i will never have to go to the gas station for gas other than for my vehicle , no fuel spills on the lake , no gas on my hands, and no shoulder pain , and no hard starting gas auger , just grab and drill . yes if i carry all 12 batteries it adds a little weight to my sled but not enough to bother my shoulders. battery life is quite good considering i just last year replaced the original batteries i got with my first craftsman combo set , back when they were still in grey cases , they were at least 8-9 years old and still worked but were weak and didn't hold a full charge any more . i would say thats reasonable longevity.

i dont know anyone that tosses thier drill in a snowbank. you need to find smarter friends

[Drill4gills]

esox magnum made the original comment on soaking the battery drill  i was just commenting on his comment .  i built my adapter with a 10 inch across welded solid  T  handle so my gilldrill don't get wet

[Commando]

Here's one I found on eBay;

(Image removed from quote.)

This I Like! I've been using that damn Nimrod and it's been a pain in the ass ever since I got it, back then it was the only one availble.  The part that goes in the chuck is ROUND! Poor design.  I saw guys doing the drill thing for two seasons and now I'm the only one I ever see donig it. I use a 24 volt B&D Firestorm.  I need an adapter like this one, or one that's a hex even.

[53andout]

What I like is the washer on the top of the hex. The washer keeps it from coming out of the drill if the chuck comes loose. The drill chuck needs to be opened all the way to work it out.

This I Like! I've been using that d**n Nimrod and it's been a pain in the ass ever since I got it, back then it was the only one availble.  The part that goes in the chuck is ROUND! Poor design.  I saw guys doing the drill thing for two seasons and now I'm the only one I ever see donig it. I use a 24 volt B&D Firestorm.  I need an adapter like this one, or one that's a hex even.

[Commando]

What I like is the washer on the top of the hex. The washer keeps it from coming out of the drill if the chuck comes loose. The drill chuck needs to be opened all the way to work it out.

I dig it man...I grew up by and in twin lakes. there's no way you live in twin lakes without knowing my best buddy- The freak of nature that lives on McKenzie in the log cabin he built...

[firegems]

For a drill / auger adaptor check out "ice kicker" on ebay - I use the straight shaft adaptor on my 36v bosch - 6" mora set-up.

[Commando]

For a drill / auger adaptor check out "ice kicker" on ebay - I use the straight shaft adaptor on my 36v bosch - 6" mora set-up.

Right on, thanks man. I use the 6" too. i don't care what anybody says, 5 is to small and 8 it to big for panfish.  Thanks

[kchamp]

i need to get one for my nils

[CHICKENFOOT]

Add in replacement battery costs in a couple years, those times you forget to recharge, that oooops when you soak the drill and it freezes, when gears go out due to the added torque of the auger. If I wanted to stay light and easy a Nils hand auger, way faster and easier than a Lazer ( my 8" Nils will out drill a 5" Lazer) Myself I'll stay with my Nils power auger, I can drive out or use my snowmobile for transportation if we get deep snow, weights not a factor. Up to and sometimes over 30" ice here, don't want to be stuck in 1 place when my batteries are dead.

 Just pointing out the downside from a guy thats tried it in the past.

YES Nils all the way left my drill on the ice and it was shot 

[53andout]

I'm in Twin Lake, Twin Lakes is another area.

I dig it man...I grew up by and in twin lakes. there's no way you live in twin lakes without knowing my best buddy- The freak of nature that lives on McKenzie in the log cabin he built...