Icegator Review: Attacker Model with 12 ah Batteries
Icegator in Action This is my first attempt at putting together a small video in my review.
Like my past reviews I’m posting this late in the season. The reason is to get as much field testing in as possible and to make this as honest as possible.
Features:Made in the USA.
Light weight aluminum output shaft parallel to motor shaft supported by large (20mm6004) low friction ball bearing.
Single stage high speed, high torque gear reduction.
Powerful PMDC brush type motor rated .5HP (4.4 peak hp at 24)
High speed – approximately 285 RPM at the cutting edge for the 8” Icegator, 430 RPM for the 6” Icegator and 195 RPM for the 12 volt Icegator.
Integral forward-off-reverse switch that also serves as the current carrying conductors.
Reverse feature allows for back flushing the ice slush, that remains after drilling, away from and under the ice hole.
24 volt power source with the ability to run from 12 volt, 9ah batteries or 12 volt, 12ah batteries. This offers an onboard battery source that allows for faster drilling and more holes to be drilled per charging cycle.
Install the 12 volt block system and you can run the unit on 12 volts by clamping to any ATV battery or an inside the shanty battery.
Batteries are securely held in place by an easily removable bolt down cover.
Handles are CNC machined from ¾” HDPE plastic making for an indestructible handle.
Test Conditions:The test conditions varied from the air temperature, to ice thickness and weather.
During testing the power head, with batteries, was stored in my unheated garage. I checked the garage temperature regularly and the average temperature was 33 degrees.
When charging the unit I removed the power head from my Nils Master 8” shaft and brought the unit in my house. I let the batteries warm for about an hour and then charged. It was again stored in my garage until the night before an outing and then the auger was stored in my Explorer over night before going ice fishing. Again the overnight temperature varied from 3 degrees to 38 degrees.
The cutting head (blade) on my Nils is 5 years old and still cutting well.
The ice thickness varied from 6” thru 18” during testing.
Testing:I took notes on all the excursions I had taken with the Icegator. In the notes I tried to include as much information as possible relating to the conditions that might affect the performance of the auger. This may also aid members in drawing their own conclusions.
Here’s an excerpt of the notes:
Thursday Jan 29, 2009
Brought power head in the house and waited an hour and charged. Attached power head to shaft and stored in the garage. Garage temperature was 33 degrees. The auger sat in the garage until Friday night.
The auger was loaded in the Explorer Friday night. Outside temperature was 27 degrees.
Saturday Jan 31, 2009
Demonstrated the Icegator at our derby and cut holes for 3 of us. We cut 54 total holes thru 12” of ice. The auger never slowed down. Stored the auger in the garage until Monday.
Monday Feb 2, 2009
Brought the power head in the house for an hour and charged. Total charge time was 1 hr 55 minutes. Stored auger in the garage. Garage temperature was 37 degrees.
Saturday Feb 7, 2009
At 8:00 pm took the auger from the garage and stored in the Explorer. Outside temperature was 38 degrees.
Sunday Feb 8, 2009
The outside air temperature was 35 degrees and we had rain/sleet in the morning. We cut 62 holes thru 18” of ice without slowing down. I was clearing the holes about half way thru.
Monday Feb 9, 2009
Brought power head in the house for an hour and charged. Total charge time was 2 hrs 25 minutes. Stored in garage and the temperature was 34 degrees.
Saturday Feb 14, 2009
Loaded auger in Explorer at 8:00 pm. Outside air temperature was 30 degrees.
Sunday Feb 15, 2009
We cut 58 holes thru 14” of ice and again the auger wasn’t slowing down. The outside air temperature was 28 degrees. Stored auger in garage. Garage temperature was 29 degrees.
Monday Feb 16, 2009
Brought power head in the house for an hour and charged. Total charge time was right at 2 hrs.
There were outings before and after but the list was long.
Your results may vary based on the ice thickness, the temperature and also the auger blade style and the sharpness of the blade.
Attacker on 5 gallon bucket
With cover off
With a battery removed
Charging
Thermometer in garage
Conclusion:I’ve been using the IceGator this season and to tell you the truth I was quite skeptical. I expected it to be similar to past electric augers that didn’t have the torque, speed or endurance to cut many holes especially as the ice grew thicker. I found this wasn’t the case.
My very first impression was it felt heavy. The weight of the Attacker with the 12 ah batteries is 28 lbs. After using it to cut several holes it felt more comfortable. ( News on the batteries and weight will come later)
I was surprised at how well the Icegator had performed. I didn’t baby the auger nor did I abuse it. The auger was strong, quiet and had cut many holes effortlessly. I’d have to say the average amount of holes I would drill (by myself) in one outing would probably be in the neighborhood of two dozen. Even when I was out with friends we probably averaged in the neighborhood of seventy holes which the Icegator handled with no problems.
One advantage I noticed immediately was not having to start and warm up the auger to cut a few more holes. No gas, no starter pulling or fumes. Just pick it up and hit the forward button and your cutting .. whether you want to cut one or a dozen more holes. On several outings with friends everyone’s choice was the Icegator. I don’t think anyone had started their gas augers at all.
Another advantage was on lakes with auger restrictions. On many lakes they have a no power auger restriction which was by passed with the Icegator. On other lakes they have a no power auger until 8:00 am restriction which is again by passed with the Icegator.
The reverse feature was an added plus. To clear out the slush after drilling you simply hit the reverse and it forces the slush/water down under the ice. With a gas motor I normally would rev the motor and pull it out of the hole which usually splashes slush/water all over.
Another nice feature is the covered charging port on the underside of the unit. This allows for charging without the need to remove the cover or batteries. You simply open the cover on the port, plug the charger into the port and the other end into the outlet. It is best to keep the batteries upright while charging and I had my unit sitting on top of a 5 gallon bucket. The charger plug will only go in one way so be careful to line it up and not force it in.
The only problem I ran into the entire time was with the forward/reverse buttons. I accidently hit the button while moving the auger which momentarily engaged the shaft. I had contacted Icegator and I was informed they are aware of it and it is being remedied as we speak.
Overall I believe Icegator has a winning product. Between myself and several friends we’ve used the Icegator to cut literally hundreds of holes through ice of varying thickness and in varying conditions. From my experience this season I found the Icegator to be a strong, durable and reliable auger.
After speaking with Greg on the phone and via e-mail I believe Greg and his company to be very customer oriented and friendly. They stand behind their product and it’s made in the USA. What more can I say … it’s a keeper.
Some not yet released news/notes from Icegator :New Upgrades for Icegators Customers will soon be able to purchase NiMH battery packs. Cost for these packs will range from $200 to $300 but will reduce the weight down to 19 Lbs and give a third longer battery life.
( Greg also mentioned as with all new technology the price should come down after a while)
These notes will be added to future Icegator manuals but are here for your reference :Drilling through deep iceThe proper way to drill trough deep ice such as 24” or more would be to drill down about 12” then lift the drive up so it cleans the shaved ice out from the hole. Then go back to drilling more ice. Note: pay attention to how the motor sounds if it starts to slow down any at all then you need to lift up.
Off season maintenance 1. The batteries need to have a charge put through them at least once a month. If the batteries set for over 30 days without being charged it may damage the battery. So keep them at full charge during the off season.
2. Store the Icegator in temperatures from 40 to 70 degrees.
3. Charge the Icegator after each use, no matter how much you use it. Maintain a full charge. The batteries have no memory.
4. In cold temperatures below 5 degrees bring the Icegator inside and let it worm up for 30 minutes before trying to charge it.
5. Do not lay the Icegator down to charge. The batteries need to be charged in the upright position.
6. In freezing rain conditions, try to keep the buttons covered so they don’t freeze.