whats the best inexpensive drill to buy for my auger

[musky8it]

I live in Indiana so the ice doesn't get much past 10-12" in a good winter on the lakes I fish, on the average probably 6-8" at most.  I would be using a 6" Mora, my 7" Lazer needs blades. Plus from what I read the smaller the auger the more holes you can get and its easier on the drill.

I have been looking around for the best I can buy and not cost me a arm & leg. I don't want to spend big bucks for a Dewalt or Milwaukee, around $100 is about the most I want to spend.

In my town I only found 2 in that price range.
 
Sears has a Craftsman 19.2-Volt C3 Compact Lithium Drill for $99.99. Sears also sell one just like it but reconditioned for $62.89. The specs says it has 340 torque, 24 position torque clutch, 1/2" chuck, a 2-speed gear box, allows both low and high speeds.

Wallyworld has a Skil #2898LI-02 18-Volt Lithium for $87. Now skil I have always considered a cheap made drill but the specs on it look good but I still wonder if it can take it drilling holes. Specs says all-metal gear-train, 400 torque, 24 position clutch, 2 speeds.

 I don't have my adapter yet so I can shop around.

[esox_magnum]

Problem with cordless drills is if you arent always using and charging the battrys won't last and replacements are about as much as a new set up. I would suggest buying a 6 or 8" Nils hand auger, fast and nearly effortless. We run cordless quipment at work every day and have for years, sometimes yu'll get several years out of a battery sometimes a month. As far as brands basicly you get what you pay for, cheap drills sold at Wal Mart are basicly junk, Crafstmans are ok but not built like the industrial types like Bosh, DeWalt, Makita ect.

[musky8it]

I am wanting to get away from the hand crank auger, shoulder/back problems. I do have a Gas Strikemaster but stopped using it to lighten up my load. with the snow on I can't walk a city block without stopping 2-3 times for a rest. Man I am in the worst shape of my life and I'm only 56.

[SPADED]

check out your local pawn shops.. you can get good tools for cheap. i was at a few today looking for an air compressor and price checking them.. they all had 20 or 25% off for valentines specifically on tools. i imagine you could get an awesome drill for way less then any store and combine that with any deals they might have and your set man,and remember you can try to haggle them and get it cheaper i always do lol

[Sullymon]

I think that's a tough one. I just don't think that you will find a good inexpensive drill that's quite up to the task.  Sure you could cut some holes with a Crapsman drill or Skil, but not for very long. As mentioned above, you need an industrial drill.  Get the biggest meanest drill you can find. I've used an 18v DeWalt and 18v Makita with both my 7" Lazer and my 6" Mora, but neither of them performed very well under such a tough load ... and either of those will blow away the 19.2 Crapsman. The only drill I know that does well for this application is the one I own now, a 36v Bosch. The 36v DeWalt will do also. I was able to get mine cheap on eBay (under $200)... but it requires some searching, patience, luck, and timing. Don't ask me for the link because it no longer exists.

[gusdoneit]

Problem with cordless drills is if you arent always using and charging the battrys won't last and replacements are about as much as a new set up. I would suggest buying a 6 or 8" Nils hand auger, fast and nearly effortless. We run cordless quipment at work every day and have for years, sometimes yu'll get several years out of a battery sometimes a month. As far as brands basicly you get what you pay for, cheap drills sold at Wal Mart are basicly junk, Crafstmans are ok but not built like the industrial types like Bosh, DeWalt, Makita ect.

i have to agree i made my drill auger for the short trip but the drill i use i also use atwork drill automotive frames (32v DeWalt) and it set me back around 500 bucks but i can drill 25 holes in 14" of ice on a warm day (around 20-40 degrees) on one battery,but this weekend it was -20 and i only got 17 holes in 20" of ice temp and thinkness killed it faster

[icefreak55]

My little 18 Lith Hitachi says your wrong .... You cant power through the ice ... You have to finesse it.

[musky8it]

from what I read in here, you have to keep them warm, stick them in your pocket.

done checked out the pawn shop, didn't find one Lithium and I don't want NICAD.

I don't drill allot of holes and I don't go everyday. So I would not be using it allot. A guy I know who lives on Nyona Lake has a Craftsman, He's out there every mourning and evening and drills lots of holes. He uses a Craftsman 19.2 lith. So until I can get a better one I am leaning towards the Sears so far.

I sell on ebay, except for this time of year when I take a month vacation. So I go to allot of estate auctions. Maybe I can pick up a good used dewalt in the future and sell what ever I end up buying on ebay. Even Dewalts go bad. My son bought one new 2+ years ago, uses it at work and he said the clutch is going out. So I guess even the best ones can go bad.

[Sullymon]

Never said you can't cut holes with a 18v, I don't think anybody implied that.  It's just that an 18v is not designed for that kind of torque. It will work, but you will burn it out. I've been there, done that.

[jknep]

I have a Hitachi 18v lith ion 460 inch pounds of torque. Last year when new , 25- 30 holes in 10 inches of ice with a 6 inch lazer. This year I get 8-10 holes with the one battery and at most 20 with the other. I use the drill around the house all the time and batteries are kept charged on my work bench after every use. My brother has a Bosch 18 volt ni-cad 430 inch pounds of torque same result but this year it is even worse than mine. Uncle just bought a 20 volt craftsman lith ion $215.00 last week with 540 inch pounds of torque. Tried it today on my auger 28 holes in 13 inches of ice. While I was fishing tonight the wife call me and said my 6 inch Nils just arrived. Cannot wait till towarrow to try it out. And for the 19.2volt ni cad craftsman they won't even cut 2 holes, till they start smmmokin.   So in my opinion don't  by a Wally World special.

[nhpikeking]

i bought a tanaka gas drill on ebay got it under 200 gonna try it out with my nils 8 inch tomorrow i had the adapter and tryed using it on my 18v ryobi and the batterys would just crap out in no time

[musky8it]

.....And for the 19.2volt ni cad craftsman they won't even cut 2 holes, till they start smmmokin.   So in my opinion don't  by a Wally World special.

Ya, I wouldn't buy a NiCad, both I mentioned are Lithium. Like I said, on the average we're lucky to get 8" of ice here. I see allot of guys using them here in Indiana, I can see farther up north them not doing good since the ice is thicker. One thing about Sears and Wallyworld, anything can be returned up to 90 days.

[Sullymon]

My last DeWalt 18v caught fire ... so that didn't work too well. My buddy gave me his new 18v lithium ion Milwaukee and the transmission broke after just a few holes. Bought another 18v Dewalt, this one a new Lithium Ion 18v nano, the screws popped out while the frame torqued under load, then the battery died and gave me an error code when I went to charge it! P.O.S. ... so I brought that back and bought a Makita 18v Lithium Ion. Now I only use that for work, period.  That's why I did the research and bought a new Bosch 36v Lithium Ion just for drilling holes with my auger.  Just can't pull double duty with a drill and expect it to last. I'll never buy DeWalt again, I have given them way too much money as it is for inferior over-priced products. Craftsman are total junk, everyone I know who has one has regretted it. If they were any good you would see them on job sites, which you don't, for a reason. Take it from guys like me that use drills every day for a living, although opinions will differ.

The NiCad batteries fail after just a short period of time, I know I bought over 10 DeWalt batteries over the years just for work ... done with that.  The Lithium Ion batteries are great, but you need to keep them warm, they do not like the cold (below say 25 F). I use a neoprene cover over my battery and it works great. I've used this setup for the past few seasons and it still works awesome.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44lGhx4x2XM

[musky8it]

My little 18 Lith Hitachi says your wrong .... You cant power through the ice ... You have to finesse it.

Thats exactly what the guy at Nyona told me. He has a Lazer and a Mora. He said he will not even use the drill on the Lazer anymore because the lazer is more screw like and goes thru the ice to fast which is harder on the drill, he has to hold it back. He will only use it on his Mora and he said he eases thru the ice with little pulselike pressure. I watched him drill several holes and it took about 20 sec each. That was with about 7" of ice. Anyway, I haven't got the adapter yet so still got lots of time before I buy a drill.

[Sullymon]

Dude that little bug at the bottom freaked me out ... tried to smack my monitor. "Dag-nam fruit flies"

[esox_magnum]

My 8" Nils does 21" in 8 seconds with the motor, 8-10" about the same hand crankin. I still say try the Nils you may be surprised at how easy it is with the off set handles, you can still add the drill if you like and will easily drill faster and alot easier than either the moras and lazers.

[musky8it]

I really appreciate all the input. Like I said, I have a gas strikemaster but with all the other equipment(viking 2man,UW Cam, Vex, minnow bucket, etc...). I just can't pull the load anymore with the gas auger and the hand auger bothers my back/shoulder. I am looking for other routes and that only leave the drill. One thing for sure, next year I will have a big drill. I see many used one sell at auctions but didn't have a need before now so I never bid on one.

[Hooligan]

Buy the Craftsman.  If it ever breaks, lifetime warranty.  They'll replace it.  I used my 18v Milwaukee on a friends 6" lazer the other day and punched 27 holes on one battery in 8".  I'm very happy with that kind of performance.  I'm ordering the conversion unit myself.  And I'll likely be using the same 18v drill; though I've several in 18 and 24 volt to use.  The NiMH has a better power flow than most other batteries.

[blufloyd]

This is pretty funny read. Drills started being used with 9.8 v or whatever drills before 12 v came out then as voltage increased people used them. Main thing is it was perch fisherman that made the first ones for 5 inch bits. You start cutting 7-8 inch pike holes your in for disappointment. Also remember its rpm not pressure that cuts.  Carry on...

Also I been there and done that, I'll take my offset handle any day over screwed up wrist. And it cuts faster.

[Bailbuster]

I have a dewalt 18v  with a 6" mora on it ,6"to 8" it is just ok, after that I take the power auger.I have a tanaka tapper ,might just as well carry the auger as that and the gear ratio is alot slower.But run what you brung.

[acnicholson]

from what I read in here, you have to keep them warm, stick them in your pocket.

done checked out the pawn shop, didn't find one Lithium and I don't want NICAD.

I don't drill allot of holes and I don't go everyday. So I would not be using it allot. A guy I know who lives on Nyona Lake has a Craftsman, He's out there every mourning and evening and drills lots of holes. He uses a Craftsman 19.2 lith. So until I can get a better one I am leaning towards the Sears so far.

I sell on ebay, except for this time of year when I take a month vacation. So I go to allot of estate auctions. Maybe I can pick up a good used dewalt in the future and sell what ever I end up buying on ebay. Even Dewalts go bad. My son bought one new 2+ years ago, uses it at work and he said the clutch is going out. So I guess even the best ones can go bad.

Are you talking about the guy on the yellow 4 wheeler that always wears the green coveralls and orange hat?

[mote1977]

And for the 19.2volt ni cad craftsman they won't even cut 2 holes, till they start smmmokin.   :%$

I've been using a Craftsman 19.2 volt for 3 years now and have had no problems with it. I use a six inch Mora and can get around 20-25 holes in 10" of ice. You have to keep your blades sharp though.

[graybeard1]

I am wanting to get away from the hand crank auger, shoulder/back problems. I do have a Gas Strikemaster but stopped using it to lighten up my load. with the snow on I can't walk a city block without stopping 2-3 times for a rest. Man I am in the worst shape of my life and I'm only 56.

Don't take this the wrong way, but maybe get into better shape? I was in the same shape a year ago, 55 years old, pushing 290 lbs, and couldn't drag my gear 100 yards w/o resting. I lost 55 lbs since then, and work out 2-4 times a week. Amazing what I can do now that I couldn't then.

[GCD]

Don't take this the wrong way, but maybe get into better shape? I was in the same shape a year ago, 55 years old, pushing 290 lbs, and couldn't drag my gear 100 yards w/o resting. I lost 55 lbs since then, and work out 2-4 times a week. Amazing what I can do now that I couldn't then.

I thought the same thing when I read the OP.

[beau2]

You don't want a drill, you want a hammer drill.  They are built heavier.  You need something with at least 500 inch pounds torque and an auxillary handle.  I am using a bosch 18 volt hammer drill with lithium batts.  My auger is a lazer 7 inch.  Any drill you get that will be reliable over the long haul will probably be pretty heavy.  Any lithium battery that will drill a lot of holes will be bulky and heavy.  With all this said, I sure prefer using the cordless drill to drilling with armstrong power.  I'm 72 and have a shoulder problem.  I am right handed, but when i drill holes in the ice I hold the drill in my left hand and against my left leg with my right hand on the aux. handle.  Works great.  Good luck with your search.

[Sullymon]

Buy the Craftsman.  If it ever breaks, lifetime warranty.  They'll replace it.  I used my 18v Milwaukee on a friends 6" lazer the other day and punched 27 holes on one battery in 8".  I'm very happy with that kind of performance.  I'm ordering the conversion unit myself.  And I'll likely be using the same 18v drill; though I've several in 18 and 24 volt to use.  The NiMH has a better power flow than most other batteries.

Since when does Craftsman offer a lifetime warranty on their power tools?  Asa far as I know, they offer free replacement on hand tools, not power tools. You might want to check on that one. Heck they gave me flack when I went to exchange a broken tape measure! Don't buy one thinking you will get a free replacement, because that ain't gonna happen! I can't tell you how much I hate Crapsman tools. They used to be great, now everything in the store is from China ... total crap. Now they have made many changes to the so called lifetime warranties, so I've found out, the hard way.

The only company I know offering free lifetime replacement of batteries is Ridgid tools from Home Crapo ...

[kschech]

I've got a 7" Lazer and use a 19.2v craftsman. can get 4-6 hole in 18" of ice per battery. used my brother-in-laws 6" Lazer and jumped to 12-16 holes per battery in 18" ice.

Keep the blades sharp and the batteries warm. thats my $.02

[musky8it]

From other threads I have read. It seems to me the problems people have burning up their drills may be because they are using big augers, using a auger that takes big chucks or digs to fast(like a Lazer), putting to much down pressure instead of letting the auger cut, or trying to drill thick ice to fast. I would think the 4-5-6" MORA would be the best augers to use for a drill, they're slower cutting than the Lazer and takes smaller chucks. Which would be easier on a non industrial drill.

If you have 12-20+" of ice its not a speed contest, maybe let it rest half way thru. So what if it takes an extra minute to drill the hole. Seems like to me the more pressure you put the harder its on the drill. Like drilling thru a 1/2" piece of iron, you take your time you don't drill it like wood.

Maybe the secret is to slow down, use a 6" Mora auger or less, and ease off the down pressure may be the trick in making the drill last. Thats just my opinion since I have not tried it yet.

I have always driven my vehicles slow, I never drive them hard and most of them last 5-10 yrs. Some people go thru cars like socks, they drive them hard and the engine or trany will not last long. Same with a drill on a auger maybe?

[musky8it]

Don't take this the wrong way, but maybe get into better shape? I was in the same shape a year ago, 55 years old, pushing 290 lbs, and couldn't drag my gear 100 yards w/o resting. I lost 55 lbs since then, and work out 2-4 times a week. Amazing what I can do now that I couldn't then.

I'm 165, since I work out of my home and its mostly setting on my rear behind my PC I don't get much exercise anymore. I aggree I need to get on the treadmill, I also smoke(4pk/wk). Even if I was in better shape I still would want to go to the drill, exercising won't help the back/shoulder.

[musky8it]

Are you talking about the guy on the yellow 4 wheeler that always wears the green coveralls and orange hat?

Hey, is that you? Sorry if I can't remember your name, I'm bad on names. If so welcome to iceshanty, best ice site online.

I made a little modification on those jigs you showed me you made. Check them out, I am thinking maybe they will make a slight rattle or clinking noise since the eyes hang loose and move. Gona give them a try this Sat at the trny on Maxinkukee. You going to go? I'll be out from the ramp around the 19'hole. Was gona go to Nyona Today but didn't make it. Gona have to remake a few more of the left one, its to dark trying to get that slurple look.