Author Topic: hand or power (Read 3936 times)

peple of the perch · « **on:** Feb 13, 2004, 08:58 PM »

In your opinion, is a power auger worth the expense?

walleye1 · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 15, 2004, 12:14 PM »

Buy a 6 inch Nils Master and forget about problems drilling holes. I swear they cut as fast as a power auger with no effort at all.

PERCH_INC. · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 15, 2004, 12:33 PM »

Hand is good for up to 8" of ice after that it's all power!!

BASSandICE65 · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 15, 2004, 10:14 PM »

Depends on the amount of ice had been using a hand auger last few years when ice was only 6-10 inches thick. But when the ice got about 12-18 let me tell ya the hand auger was tough. Finally bought a gas auger and let me tell ya when you want to move no problem 5 holes in minutes. Best thing I ever did! Still keep the hand auger nearby for emergency purposes.

nuke1neil · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 20, 2004, 01:51 AM »

You can cover more ground with a gas auger,especially if you take people who don't have an auger but need holes to fish with.I drill 10 holes before I even start to fish.Then you can locate fish easier.gas auger is not a nessecity but will let you cover more ground easier.Try cutting thirty to fifty holes in a day by hand and tell me you don't feel it later.If you don't I'd say you're in better shape than 99% of all icefishermen.Plus by cutting a bunch of holes all at once you give it a chance to settle back down,if noise does bother the fish.

icesaw · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 20, 2004, 05:45 AM »

powed is way better with a powered u can make 20 holes and feel good still. Try with a hand one after 20 holes u would be to pooped to fish.

jigginstick · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 20, 2004, 08:17 AM »

Use a 6" hand lazer and use it to stay in shape through the winter. But fishing in Indiana the ice might not be as thick as ice guys up north have to cut. Personaly I don't want another gas engine to keep in working order, truck, boat, mower,ect., ect.,.

tuckerdg1970 · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 22, 2004, 09:15 AM »

Personally you can't beat a gas auger. I take my 3 sons ice fishing that's 20 holes and they r to young to use hand auger. So quess who does the holes. Just bought gas this year.My 2 11year old sons can operate the gas auger. What a big help.While my one son drills holes or i do the others set tip-ups. In about 45 min. I'm sitting in my chair cooking eggs and sausage.

raleigh · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 22, 2004, 12:34 PM »

Well i started out with an Eskimo 8 inch hand augur and did about 50 holes before the blades went dull and, that was through about 12 to 24 inches of ice each time.Going up twice a week with a hand augur takes a toll on you when you start getting in the 24 inches of ice. Thats when I went out and bought a Eskimo Mako power augur, never looked back after that. I have probley drilled 60 holes or so now, and the blades so no sign of getting dull plus it takes about 10 seconds to get into 12 to 24 inches of ice. So in the long run i think you are better off getting a power augur. Just my oppinon !!!

fozsey · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 22, 2004, 01:19 PM »

We started out with an 8" Mora and it was never a problem. 3 years ago we got 22" of ice and it became a problem very quickly. I used a hand auger for years and never needed anything else, but with ice that thick you are in for a true workout. There is usually 3 of us that go fishing and we are allowed 5 lines each. Now I am no math genius, but that translates to 15 holes + one for the vex every time we move. Not good

I still use my hand auger, but not near as much. IMO, my power auger was worth every penny. Brian

P Gottshall · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 22, 2004, 05:28 PM »

I have a 6" Nils Master. It's a great auger, but as I have a desk job. . . I'm only good for 7-8 holes at a time through 7-8" of ice.

I move a lot, & drill 40+ holes a day. I'd like to have 100+ holes, but don't have the stamina. Next year I'm getting a gas auger. Absolutely.

Paul

snowfish · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 24, 2004, 04:34 AM »

How about using the hand augers with a cordless drill

I haven't heard anyone mention that. I'm getting ready to try it here soon, any advice. Thanks.

SebagoTogue · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 25, 2004, 03:37 PM »

for the past 4-5 years me,my brother, ans freinds have alwys been using an ax to cut through 1 foot or more of ice. that builds you some muscle.

now we have our buddies old jiffy that helps out alot.

Hardguy · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 26, 2004, 04:56 PM »

Key to finding fish is drilling many holes. You do not need to be slowed by a hand auger. Also I do not like to sweat then sit and fish.

Russellman · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 26, 2004, 07:05 PM »

If I knew I'd be drilling through less than ~10" of ice, I'd most likely carry the Lazer 8". It is a great arm & pec workout & a lot lighter to drag onto the ice. Plus, no gas smell on your hands and clothes.
But, once you get up to ~ a foot plus of ice, it is power all the way baby. I typically punch between 15-30 holes in a day for myself, my boys, and anybody in our party, so I'll put up with the weight and smell for the fishing time I gain back.
Just my $0.02

trapperdirk · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 27, 2004, 04:14 PM »

I own both . I have even drilled ice 3ft by hand . Now thats a workout . Since our ice usually does reach 30 inches plus . I will hang on too my Jiffy I think . LOL . I like to turn the lake into swiss cheese and I'm sure anyone that comes out the next day appreciates it too . So anything over a foot thick now gets the Jiffy bite .

tmac8 · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 01, 2004, 07:03 PM »

Snowfish...If you're still interested, I use a cordless drill with great success, and can give you some pointers to save you some headaches.

TJG · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 04, 2004, 11:53 AM »

http://cgi.msn.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3664652164&category=36152

Someone was cruising ebay looking for a deal on a power ice auger and saw a couple of ads for a an adapter to convert a hand auger into a powered one by using a 3/8 cordless drill(14.4v or higher).I think this must be a fairly new gadget on the market, I have a hard time believing that a cordless drill would have enough power to cut through a couple of feet of ice. The one comment stated that "a fully charged battery drilled over 20 holes through two feet of ice". Has anyone seen or used this adapter? I'm skeptical!!!

LoveIce · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 04, 2004, 07:37 PM »

yes

tmac8 · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 04, 2004, 10:19 PM »

Here are a few tips if you're going to try the cordless drill approach. First and foremost, "maximum inch pounds of torque" is what you are looking for. Torque gets you through the ice, voltage gives you longevity. I bought the Milwaukee 18 volt Loc-Tor drill which has 495 inch pounds of torque. That's 2/3 the torque of a gas auger, and that's not bad. Drill ran $220.00, and has a 5 year warranty. There are other 18 volt drills on the market that don't even have 300 inch pounds of torque, so you can see the importance of choosing the right drill. Next, I removed the chuck and mounted my stainless steel adapter right to the drill shaft. It will not come loose! Therefore, don't need the round disk you see on Ebay. The last mod I made was adding a "spade drill point" to the bottom of the auger so it will not walk on the ice. I have a 7" auger, and on one battery pack, got 17 holes through 14" of ice. For me this is accecptable. A smaller auger will give you more. I keep the batteries warm with "re-heaters" (found on the web), and are re-usable, which is slick. Put them in a 6 pack cooler with the batteries and you're all set. Total weight, 12 lbs. No gas, no mixing, no spilling, no hard starting, and much lighter. It's also great to watch people's expressions when I drill a hole. So in closing, I would say this is a good alternative if the ice doesn't exceed 15 to maybe 20". It's not for everyone, but it works for me. Hope this helps.

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Author Topic: hand or power (Read 3936 times)

peple of the perch

nuke1neil

icesaw

raleigh

P Gottshall

snowfish

SebagoTogue

trapperdirk

tmac8

tmac8