Cabela’s EZ drill

[brewster29]

Cabela’s has these on sale. Is anybody here using one? Looking for feedback…
I have several Milwaukee M18 fuel drills for powering it.

[CNP]

I bought one also. Haven't used it yet but looking forward to. I bought it for an extra auger for my ION X 5A/H. It's 2 lbs lighter than an ION 8" auger. I'll be using it this coming week for sure.

[SakoA7]

I got mine yesterday, went out today and was able to drill 5 holes. With a Makita 18v and a 3ah batt the ice was 27-30".. it cut really fast and the holes were nice and clean.



Al

[JSAUTO]

It's basically same as the woods eze drill from CT, but woods has a much better drill adapter, it also prevent it falling into the lake.
I bought a eze drill from cabela's last year won't cut the ice, this year I installed a woods auger blades and the drill adapter, paired with a dewalt drill, it cuts smooth and quick. For the price I should have just bought the CT one. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220117/a05c905ae29b749b88136eec3369fe6f.jpg

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[HuyFishin]

I’m pretty sure The eze drill and the woods drill is made by ht enterprise. It looks nearly identical to the HT E drill.

Many reports of the eze drill from cabelas experiencing blades breaking where the screw hole is. Also happened to a friends eze drill after one season of use.

There is a YouTube video with someone that installed pistol bit blades on his cabelas e z drill and apparently it fits.


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[curtis_rak]

JSAUTO - how do you find the Dewalt xr for drilling? What Amp Hr battery are you using?


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[JSAUTO]

JSAUTO - how do you find the Dewalt xr for drilling? What Amp Hr battery are you using?


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkThe model should be DCD996. with 5 ah battery. I bought the drill and 2 battery combo for around $240 few weeks ago from Lowe's, it's on clearance.
It has no trouble go through the ice so far. With the 8 inch eze drill. Drilled 8 holes yesterday at coal lake, the battery still shows full.

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[aragor764]

I’m pretty sure The eze drill and the woods drill is made by ht enterprise. It looks nearly identical to the HT E drill.

Many reports of the eze drill from cabelas experiencing blades breaking where the screw hole is. Also happened to a friends eze drill after one season of use.

There is a YouTube video with someone that installed pistol bit blades on his cabelas e z drill and apparently it fits.


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The main difference between the EZE and the Woods drill is the attachment. The Woods is far superior IMO as it has a fixed handle as opposed to the EZE which rotates independently of the drill, I purchased the Woods this year and it's great! To each his own but IMO the Woods is better.

[HuyFishin]

The main difference between the EZE and the Woods drill is the attachment. The Woods is far superior IMO as it has a fixed handle as opposed to the EZE which rotates independently of the drill, I purchased the Woods this year and it's great! To each his own but IMO the Woods is better.


Yea I like the woods drill attachment forsure!


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[aragor764]

It's basically same as the woods eze drill from CT, but woods has a much better drill adapter, it also prevent it falling into the lake.
I bought a eze drill from cabela's last year won't cut the ice, this year I installed a woods auger blades and the drill adapter, paired with a dewalt drill, it cuts smooth and quick. For the price I should have just bought the CT one. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220117/a05c905ae29b749b88136eec3369fe6f.jpg

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I have the exact same setup, and its deadly, went through 16" of ice last weekend in a few seconds no problem.

[curtis_rak]

Good to know the dewalt will work. I have the same drill so that will save a few bucks eventually.

Thanks!


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[trophyhunter]

I got mine yesterday, went out today and was able to drill 5 holes. With a Makita 18v and a 3ah batt the ice was 27-30".. it cut really fast and the holes were nice and clean.



Al


Where are you located? That’s a ton of ice


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[Andrzej]

I looked at EZ drill but after reading reviews I"ve got Jiffy Torch with a ripper blade this last Friday from the Fishin Hole in Calgary. I have an Extention for my gas Jiffy and spare blades, and Torch has
the plastic shield that prevented it from going down the hole this past weekend.

I used a compact DeWalt drill but is not strong enough. We still managed to drill 11 holes of 24 " ice on one 5 AH battery but we had to let the drill rest after a couple of holes.
So ...I am waiting for the DeWalt DCD999B hammer drill from Amazon.ca for a total of 270.09.

[Andrzej]

The model should be DCD996. with 5 ah battery. I bought the drill and 2 battery combo for around $240 few weeks ago from Lowe's, it's on clearance.
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That is an excellent price. Two 5 AH batteries alone are about 170 C$.

[HuyFishin]

I looked at EZ drill but after reading reviews I"ve got Jiffy Torch with a ripper blade this last Friday from the Fishin Hole in Calgary. I have an Extention for my gas Jiffy and spare blades, and Torch has
the plastic shield that prevented it from going down the hole this past weekend.

I used a compact DeWalt drill but is not strong enough. We still managed to drill 11 holes of 24 " ice on one 5 AH battery but we had to let the drill rest after a couple of holes.
So ...I am waiting for the DeWalt DCD999B hammer drill from Amazon.ca for a total of 270.09.

damn only being able to drill 264" of ice and having to rest the auger after 2 holes is rough. I was able to do 540" straight with with a 6ah flexvolt on the DCD999 with no rest. Try upgrading the battery since the torch is so demanding. I'm pretty sure the dcd999 with only the 5ah will still die fast.

[Andrzej]

damn only being able to drill 264" of ice and having to rest the auger after 2 holes is rough. I was able to do 540" straight with with a 6ah flexvolt on the DCD999 with no rest. Try upgrading the battery since the torch is so demanding. I'm pretty sure the dcd999 with only the 5ah will still die fast.

I will wait for a new Drill and try again. I have 2 5AH Batteries already.
The drill is ready for Flexvolt so I might get one bigger down the road.
Thanks.

[aragor764]

For those looking to save a few $$$, you can buy the dc991 which has the same motor as the dc996 but without the hammer function.

[Andrzej]

I've got my DCD999 yesterday.
Made in China now...
The battery connector is loose and bend on one side.
The switch above trigger is not solid ... I am sending it back
It says Manufacturer: Dewalt US.

The seller accepted the return request so all is good. Just PITA.

https://i.imgur.com/SHYdu1P.png

[HuyFishin]

The tool alone is not worth buying. I suggest buying the entire combo which includes a battery

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/dewalt-20v-max-lithium-ion-cordless-brushless-combo-kit-with-flexvolt-advantage-hammer-drill-xr-impact-driver-6ah-flexvolt-battery-2ah-battery-charger-and-bag/1001553486

buy this dcd999 combo which includes the 6ah flexvolt and resell the impact driver and 2ah battery. For atleast 100 to 140 dollars minimum and you come out on top.

Thats my life hack. Buying a drill alone for 250 and no battery is just so expensive. So the cabelas auger and drill will only come out to 460 haha cheapest good auger.

[CNP]

Bought a Milwaukee 2803-20 M18 Fuel 1/2" Drill/Driver (Bare Tool)-Peak Torque = 1,200 in-lbs for a crazy $138 from Amazon a couple days ago. Today the price is in the vicinity of $300 for that drill. I'm a Milwaukee tool guy and already have chargers and batteries. Have a couple of 5 a/h batteries but then I went shopping on Ali Express and bought a 9 a/h battery for $60 :) I've bought the knockoff batteries before and years later they are holding up as good as the OEM batteries.

[ruffy71]

I've been following this thread closely, as I am hoping to get into ice fishing. Had been looking at the electric augers, used a buddy of mine's Ion last year, and no doubt, it is very nice, but in the $800-1000 range my wife is asking "how much ice fishing are you actually going to do?"

I don't need to drill 200 holes in a day. I ain't into that kind of fishing. Following this thread, if I can buy a good drill, I can be in the electric auger game for 500 bucks. I can pack up my little hibachi and some venison smokies, and bugger off to a lake so I am out of the damn city. I gotta get out of this city soon or I'm goin to lose it.

and wife happy too.

But I am getting anxious about the drill I buy. Can I buy any of the hammer drills (dewalt, Milwaukee, makita) the first one I find on sale?

Is it that critical which drill I buy? 996, 991 M18.....? I was going to go with the Wood's auger as I like the look of the drill attachment thingy on it.

Gentlemen, I need a consensus opinion here.

[CNP]

Can't have too many options lol

Cabelas ez drill mounted on an ION powerhead

https://i.imgur.com/e8YL8Pn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BYnmTR1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UhXb1Kx.jpg

[CNP]

I've been following this thread closely, as I am hoping to get into ice fishing. Had been looking at the electric augers, used a buddy of mine's Ion last year, and no doubt, it is very nice, but in the $800-1000 range my wife is asking "how much ice fishing are you actually going to do?"

I don't need to drill 200 holes in a day. I ain't into that kind of fishing. Following this thread, if I can buy a good drill, I can be in the electric auger game for 500 bucks. I can pack up my little hibachi and some venison smokies, and bugger off to a lake so I am out of the damn city. I gotta get out of this city soon or I'm goin to lose it.

and wife happy too.

But I am getting anxious about the drill I buy. Can I buy any of the hammer drills (dewalt, Milwaukee, makita) the first one I find on sale?

Is it that critical which drill I buy? 996, 991 M18.....? I was going to go with the Wood's auger as I like the look of the drill attachment thingy on it.

Gentlemen, I need a consensus opinion here.

You don't need a hammer drill and if you get a hammer drill do not use the hammer selection. Just use the drill selection. Torque is the big issue. Do not buy a drill with 500 in/lbs torque as it is not enough. I'd suggest 750 in/lbs at a minimum. And nothing smaller than a 5 a/h battery. All the manufacturers you mentioned are good................Rigid too. I use Milwaukee M18 Fuel tools.

[HuyFishin]

I've been following this thread closely, as I am hoping to get into ice fishing. Had been looking at the electric augers, used a buddy of mine's Ion last year, and no doubt, it is very nice, but in the $800-1000 range my wife is asking "how much ice fishing are you actually going to do?"

I don't need to drill 200 holes in a day. I ain't into that kind of fishing. Following this thread, if I can buy a good drill, I can be in the electric auger game for 500 bucks. I can pack up my little hibachi and some venison smokies, and bugger off to a lake so I am out of the damn city. I gotta get out of this city soon or I'm goin to lose it.

and wife happy too.

But I am getting anxious about the drill I buy. Can I buy any of the hammer drills (dewalt, Milwaukee, makita) the first one I find on sale?

Is it that critical which drill I buy? 996, 991 M18.....? I was going to go with the Wood's auger as I like the look of the drill attachment thingy on it.

Gentlemen, I need a consensus opinion here.

Any flagship brushless drill will work. make sure its 5ah or higher. I find if auger blade design and efficiency is more important then the brand of drill. I do have some drill/auger test videos which will give you an idea of what you're looking for.

[aragor764]

I've been following this thread closely, as I am hoping to get into ice fishing. Had been looking at the electric augers, used a buddy of mine's Ion last year, and no doubt, it is very nice, but in the $800-1000 range my wife is asking "how much ice fishing are you actually going to do?"

I don't need to drill 200 holes in a day. I ain't into that kind of fishing. Following this thread, if I can buy a good drill, I can be in the electric auger game for 500 bucks. I can pack up my little hibachi and some venison smokies, and bugger off to a lake so I am out of the damn city. I gotta get out of this city soon or I'm goin to lose it.

and wife happy too.

But I am getting anxious about the drill I buy. Can I buy any of the hammer drills (dewalt, Milwaukee, makita) the first one I find on sale?

Is it that critical which drill I buy? 996, 991 M18.....? I was going to go with the Wood's auger as I like the look of the drill attachment thingy on it.

Gentlemen, I need a consensus opinion here.

DC991 + 5AH + Woods E-drill, you will never get consensus from all of us on this, but that is in my opinion a fairly cheap and solid option, it is exactly what i have and it has not let me down yet, the only thing i will add to my setup is an 8AH battery in the future but it is purely for peace of mind.

[Andrzej]

The tool alone is not worth buying. I suggest buying the entire combo which includes a battery

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/dewalt-20v-max-lithium-ion-cordless-brushless-combo-kit-with-flexvolt-advantage-hammer-drill-xr-impact-driver-6ah-flexvolt-battery-2ah-battery-charger-and-bag/1001553486

buy this dcd999 combo which includes the 6ah flexvolt and resell the impact driver and 2ah battery. For atleast 100 to 140 dollars minimum and you come out on top.


Thanks for the heads up on this deal. Looks like this charger is a 6 AH matching Flexvolt battery.

[HL_transplant]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0FdTEU-H4g0&t=835s
No affiliation with this review but it's pretty thorough.

[Elchinodiablo]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0FdTEU-H4g0&t=835s

No affiliation with this review but it's pretty thorough.Good info

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[Unregistered user]

EZ drill looks like a good deal. I have a Clam, Makita and Normark hand drill all rigged up and it works very well. Only reason I bought the Clam was I had the drill and hand auger and the clam was 50% off. If I was to buy it all separately/ new I think I would buy a gas auger instead, less $$ and more power. Your Milwaukee fuel drills are Cadillac units and will work very well with the EZ drill.

[EZM]

I've got my DCD999 yesterday.
Made in China now...
The battery connector is loose and bend on one side.
The switch above trigger is not solid ... I am sending it back
It says Manufacturer: Dewalt US.

The seller accepted the return request so all is good. Just PITA.

https://i.imgur.com/SHYdu1P.png

Dewalt has different "levels of quality" for their tools. The highest end pro grade tools are made in USA. They used to have 4 different lines (last time I looked) and only the top end one was made in the USA.

You typically will not find this line at home depot or other big boxes.

I think Milwaukee is similar with a few product lines like that too.

[OL_JR]

EZ drill looks like a good deal. I have a Clam, Makita and Normark hand drill all rigged up and it works very well. Only reason I bought the Clam was I had the drill and hand auger and the clam was 50% off. If I was to buy it all separately/ new I think I would buy a gas auger instead, less $$ and more power. Your Milwaukee fuel drills are Cadillac units and will work very well with the EZ drill.

Funny you mention that was thinking about this very thing. E augers are touching up near 1000 now. You can buy a gas auger for what - 350 bucks? There is a lot of advantages to electric augers but if you aren't concerned with the noise or the fumes kinda makes a fellow think for a second.

Will add that with the pre mixed fuels nowadays gas augers aren't quite the pain in the rump they used to be. I run tru fuel or stihl moto mix in my gas augers and it's pretty convenient to be honest. Don't summerize anything just fire them up when winter comes. Low smoke just noisy lol.

[Cigarguy]

I've ordered a few tools from Atlas and have been very happy with their price, service and obviously with the tool. Mind you I knew exactly what I was ordering and got what I got.

That Home Depot deal that Huy posted is the same as Atlas. That's a sweet deal. You can probably go to Calgary Fastener and KMS tools too who will price match. The nice thing about buying local is getting to see and hold the tool. Also read where it is made. Supporting local is good too.

https://www.atlas-machinery.com/shop/?search_query=dcd999

[Brodhead]

Great video. One thing to note when tightening the chuck is that there is a lock feature. At least on the Milwaukee, you have to tighten the chuck all the way then loosen it about a quarter turn until it clicks. I used to have the auger fall off all the time before i learned this and now it stays tight all day

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[Cigarguy]

Hmm...lot is issue I had with the video. Namely comparing a 18/20/24 volt system to a 36/40/60 volt system is not fair. First of all 18/20/24 volt systems are all the same. As are the newer 36/40/60 vols. It's how the manufacturer choose to name their system.

Having said that, 40 volt systems are the future of high torque, high power, high current tools. Cordless drills not so much but lawnmowers, chainsaw, blowers, and saws will see the most benefit. These high end drills will probably not exceed more than the 1200+ in-lbs of torque as it needs to draw a lot of current from the 20 v battery in order to produce this torque. On a 40 v system, one is able to produce the same power half the current.

So to compare a 40v Metabo/Hitachi drill to the 18/20/24 v Milwaukee and DeWalt is not fair. Of course it is going to win. All the major tool manufacturers have recently introduce 36/40/60v system and drills. If you want a fair comparison compare 40 v system to 40 v system.

Most dedicated battery powered ice augers are 36/40/60v for a good reason.

As for chucks I found that DeWalt and Makita all metal chucks to be the best. They just hold. Milwaukee is OK on their higher end stuff but the midrange chucks sucks. A chuck is the most important part of a drill for me. Nothing more frustrating than on a 20 foot ladder drilling and the bit let go or wobbles because the chuck let go.

[HuyFishin]

Great video. One thing to note when tightening the chuck is that there is a lock feature. At least on the Milwaukee, you have to tighten the chuck all the way then loosen it about a quarter turn until it clicks. I used to have the auger fall off all the time before i learned this and now it stays tight all day

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The Dewalt is also the exact same. Turn it back a quarter turn till it clicks and you're golden!

[ruffy71]

Well after reading countless pages and much like cigar guy is saying I went with metabo. I needed a new drill for projects coming up and still have a good but underpowered 12 volt dewalt. I figured to jump over 20v and got to 40v well 36 with metabo. Thanks got the drill 2, 4 amp hour batteries and charger from Lowe’s for 380 with tax it came to 405.

Most of the stronger 20v dewalts, Milwaukee, mskita with 2 batteries and a charger, we’re coming between 275-350. Most of the combo kits or ones on sale are the models with lower torque, so I skipped up and feel okay about the extra money. Will try it out tomorrow. Overkill for auger? Prolly, but I’ve got hopefully a good drill for a big project on the farm this summer too.

[Unregistered user]

Funny you mention that was thinking about this very thing. E augers are touching up near 1000 now. You can buy a gas auger for what - 350 bucks? There is a lot of advantages to electric augers but if you aren't concerned with the noise or the fumes kinda makes a fellow think for a second.

Will add that with the pre mixed fuels nowadays gas augers aren't quite the pain in the rump they used to be. I run tru fuel or stihl moto mix in my gas augers and it's pretty convenient to be honest. Don't summerize anything just fire them up when winter comes. Low smoke just noisy lol.

Good call on the fuel, gotta get me some.

[CNP]

What blades does the Cabelas e-z drill take? Looks like any Eskimo 8", (including Pistol Bit & ION) blades would work.

[ruffy71]

Tried out the 36 v metabo with woods auger on Sunday..... like budda :)

[brewster29]

So I ended up not getting the EZ drill, instead I found that Crappy Tire sells a really good drill holder/auger adapter by Woods. See attached pic. I mounted my 1200 in lb Milwaukee M18 drill and fitted the adapter to my old Mora 8” hand auger screw. For $60 and tax I ended up with a great electric ice auger. I test drilled a few holes today and it cuts at least as fast as my gas Jiffy.

[HuyFishin]

So I ended up not getting the EZ drill, instead I found that Crappy Tire sells a really good drill holder/auger adapter by Woods. See attached pic. I mounted my 1200 in lb Milwaukee M18 drill and fitted the adapter to my old Mora 8” hand auger screw. For $60 and tax I ended up with a great electric ice auger. I test drilled a few holes today and it cuts at least as fast as my gas Jiffy.

This is a very good buy!! much better then those tiny adapters. Me and a friend were using one of the small adapters and we lost the auger bit down the hole. The adapter twisted and broke in half leaving a little metal nub in the drill chuck.

[brewster29]

This is a very good buy!! much better then those tiny adapters. Me and a friend were using one of the small adapters and we lost the auger bit down the hole. The adapter twisted and broke in half leaving a little metal nub in the drill chuck.

I was actually looking up one of those stub adapters on the CT website when the Woods unit popped up. I have fabrication capabilities, but buying this thing saved about a day’s work! It’s a solid piece of gear.

[aragor764]

I was actually looking up one of those stub adapters on the CT website when the Woods unit popped up. I have fabrication capabilities, but buying this thing saved about a day’s work! It’s a solid piece of gear.

Yes, I had an Eskimo 6" auger on mine for 2 years before i upgraded to the full Woods E-drill, great unit!

[brewster29]

Today in the Huyfishing tradition I torture tested my Woods adapter/ Mora 8” hand auger conversion powered by a Milwaukee 2804-20 drill and a 4 year old 5.0 amp hour battery. Temp was -12c, battery was left in the cold. I drilled 10 holes thru 16” of hard ice while fishing. Then I decided to see just how many more holes the drill would cut on the one battery…so I finished another 14 holes rapid fire and got partway thru 15- for a total of 24 finished holes. That’s 384” of 8” hole on one battery. I was astounded.