Battery ice auger

Wanted to upgrade from the manual auger but I walk while fishing most of the time so I didn't want the weight of a gas auger. Was wondering if anyone uses a battery one if so how do you like it? Have u had any problems? What are the good ones? Should I get an extra battery? Thanks if you have any info
 
I have a clam auger plate with a 18v dewalt drill and a six inch auger and it’s amazing.
I only used what I had to try it out but could easily use a bigger drill and bit.
I wouldn’t go back after having it and spare batteries are a lot cheaper and easier to come by.
 
Saw it for the first time on the hunting fishing channel the other night ... neat ... just don't know how the batteries would last in the cold ... be a drag to get 3/4 through a hole and kaput ....
 
Ran 18v Rigid, worked really well, battery depends on temp and ice conditions
Would guess 12 holes, 12-18" ice, -20C, per battery
Be sure to add a collar or safety so the bit does not go down the hole
Keyless chuck only gets so tight apparently
 
I go ice fishing on Lake Simcoe with my nephew he uses an 18 volt drill but the real key is the Nils ice auger. We were drilling 8 inch holes through 24 inches of ice in less than 30 seconds like it was butter. The blades are so sharp and cut so easy no pushing needed just the weight of the drill. He now uses the Rapala Fin Bore III 8 inch which works almost as good and easier to get here than the Nils are from States side. I was amazed how they work, way better than the power gas auger he used before and so much faster. Here's a video which leans more to selling the drill but it's the Nils auger he is using to drill the 8 inch hole through 25 inches of ice so fast, not the drill believe me.

 
Wanted to upgrade from the manual auger but I walk while fishing most of the time so I didn't want the weight of a gas auger. Was wondering if anyone uses a battery one if so how do you like it? Have u had any problems? What are the good ones? Should I get an extra battery? Thanks if you have any info
Get a good cordless drill. I made an adapter works great can cut 30 holes easy on a battery .
 
I run an 8" Kdrill and Milwaukee Fuel. It's a very light setup and cuts well. The Kdrill uses a chipper type blade so it's slightly slower than a good shaver style blade like the Nils but the advantage is you can open old holes and the blades are much less susceptible to damage or dulling due to dirty ice or bad handling.

The one thing I was kind of disappointed with was realizing that despite being advertised as an 8" it actually cuts a slightly smaller hole. Tho you can easily overlap holes, with this setup unlike shaver blades

As I said, I use a Milwaukee Fuel for power and it works great. I grabbed a couple 5ah aftermarket batteries for around $80 and have never come close to running out of juice to cut holes. Didn't take my gas auger out at all last year...

Josh
 
Battery technology has come a long way in the last couple years.

I still like my gas auger, most of the fishing I would do with it is 18inch ice +.

The manual augers aren’t much work under 18 inches, I’m not sold the battery augers are worth the money. I would assume the need to have one would hinge on whether you have a good cordless drill before hand.

On the other hand with the Navionics app how many holes do you drill now?

It would be interesting to see the Weight difference
 
I'm also running the clam plate paired with the fin bore III, and love it. I walk, so weight was the final factor. I use a bosch drill with 4amp batteries. I don't believe I've ever drained 2 on a trip yet. I've heard some guys say they keep their batteries in a small insulated lunch bag with some hot pockets to protect the charge/life expectantly. I've never had any problems myself by I do bring the batteries into the shelter with me when not in use or travel. Ben
 
Battery technology has come a long way in the last couple years.

I still like my gas auger, most of the fishing I would do with it is 18inch ice +.

The manual augers aren’t much work under 18 inches, I’m not sold the battery augers are worth the money. I would assume the need to have one would hinge on whether you have a good cordless drill before hand.

On the other hand with the Navionics app how many holes do you drill now?

It would be interesting to see the Weight difference

I bought the kdrill and Milwaukee specifically for ice fishing without having used a similar setup before hand. I'm very, very happy with it. There's a huge difference in weight from a gas auger. My setup, being that the fins are plastic weighs only slightly more than a hand auger. The speed is on par with gas but without the noise, starting/warmup and smelling like exhaust :giggle: I wasn't completely sold until I used it, never going back to gas or hand augers....

Josh
 
I also have a clam plate with a Milwaukee fuel. Now I didnt specifically buy it for ice fishing, but I sure have used it a lot for fishing. I use a 6 inch cheap sub zero auger and it cuts like a hot knife through butter. I tested it a couple of years ago and was able to easily do well over 50 holes with a 5ah battery. I always bring a spare battery but I don’t think I’ve ever needed it.
 
Milwaukee fuel with adapter here as well, don’t think twice. I keep my spare battery in my pocket, they do die from the cold, unless you buy the dewalt 9ah batteries/drill. Use my drill around the house year round and for ice fishing in the winter 2-3 times a week. Will never look back.
 
My 10" Jiffy hasn't been used in a few years because I much prefer a cordless drill with Clam adapter. It's so much easier, lighter, quieter, healthier and convenient to use the electric power.

I run and gun on Simcoe quite often for perch and lakers and have never needed more than 2 batteries.
 
x2 on the clam plate. had a extension made for thick stuff up north. haven't touched my gas auger in 2 years. 8in fin bore and 20v dewalt, 2 batteries fully charged and im good all day.
 
Everyone here seems to be mentioning drill conversions. Looks to me like the OP was asking about electric augers. My buddy has an ION. If I was to replace my gas auger this is what I'd get. As for an extra battery it would depend on how many holes you cut per day & thickness of ice. Most would be fine with one battery unless you do a lot of run & gunning.
 
I bought a drill adapter from amazon for $20. Use it with a dewalt lithium brushless hammer drill.
I love it. Have not had any issues.
Like some others have mentioned, I keep my battery in my pocket to keep it a reasonable temperature.
Never seen the need for the clam drill adapter. But that's just me.
 
Everyone here seems to be mentioning drill conversions. Looks to me like the OP was asking about electric augers. My buddy has an ION. If I was to replace my gas auger this is what I'd get. As for an extra battery it would depend on how many holes you cut per day & thickness of ice. Most would be fine with one battery unless you do a lot of run & gunning.

Sorry, next time we’ll seek your approval before posting...

Seeing as the OP already has a manual auger and mainly walks, an electric drill auger conversion fits the bill.
 
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ch312 where did you see I said you needed my approval? I just mentioned that in my opinion that nobody had addressed the question asked. Also OP never stated where he fishes. Can make a big difference. Also where did you see anywhere I said anything derogatory to your comment?
 
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