Debating Electric Augers

[JBKING]

Hey guys,

I've been looking at a few different electric options. Including some of the drill powered flites, as well as dedicated electric augers. I currently own a 10" 2 stroke auger and also have milwaukee fuel drill that I use for work.

The old gasser is a little leaky, with a bent flite and she needs a new recoil as well. Cant decide if it's worth the tune up. If I did fix it up, I was considering running something like a k drill, pistol bit, lite flite, ect. with the drill. Then using the 10" for late season as well as Lakers and pike.

Also considering the strike master 40v or an ion g2. Didn't love the way the strike master my buddy has would bind on some holes, and the battery life running 10" is just ok. Looks like the g2 drills nice and smooth,but it's pretty pricey.

Considering going with a milwaukee hole hog or super hawg, either paired with one of the new light weight flites or a steel one. Thinking I might get a few more holes with a 12A battery. Not sure if it would be too much torque for a non steel flite or how it would handle a 10" hole.

ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. Sorry for the rant, haha. I know the topic has been damn well beat to death, but I cant make up my mind. I don't hear much about hole hawgs and the rpm seems ok for traditional flites, and they are spec'd for larger holes than the hammer drills.

[RavYak]

I've used a k drill with Milwaukee Fuel drill, they are pretty neat but I wouldn't use one as my main auger, too hard on the drill imo. Broke one drill and you have to watch you don't overheat them if trying to drill a bunch of holes. Also have to be aware of how many holes you can drill or have lots of batteries.

I haven't seen much about using a hole hawg, a number of guys seem to like the mud mixer. Ice shanty has tons of info on the subject if you search there/google.

I still prefer gas or propane for a 10 inch hole, and would buy an HC40 if I could find one or else probably a Z71. The 10 inch ions were no good but maybe they fixed that with the g2s, strikemaster electric was and probably still is the best option for electric 10 inch holes. Either is fine for 8 inch holes.

[mooseknuckle]

Strikemaster 10" electric, find the 2 battery deal $799 and never look back. If you use 2 batteries in a day of ice fishing (200+ holes) your doing something wrong. Nothing like travelling 3hrs and pull the cord right out of your gas auger, or it wont start, stinks.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by mooseknuckle

Strikemaster 10" electric, find the 2 battery deal $799 and never look back. If you use 2 batteries in a day of ice fishing (200+ holes) your doing something wrong. Nothing like travelling 3hrs and pull the cord right out of your gas auger, or it wont start, stinks.

This all day

By the way on the binding with the SM, I`ve learned to cut straight and/or back off at the end of the hole to prevent this. A bit of practice and you are good to go. I think it happened to me maybe a total of 2 times over the entire ice season and I drilled hundreds of holes.

[Jigsalot]

Strikemaster 40 v is the way to go. I have ice fished for many years and I think it’s 4 gas units that I had over the years. Jiffy and Eskimo gas units. I’m convinced electric is the way to go. I have the 8 inch and love it. Don’t need a ten inch.

[35 whelen]

Originally Posted by Jigsalot

Strikemaster 40 v is the way to go. I have ice fished for many years and I think it’s 4 gas units that I had over the years. Jiffy and Eskimo gas units. I’m convinced electric is the way to go. I have the 8 inch and love it. Don’t need a ten inch.

They also have deal on right for 2nd battery $799 10 flyte 2 battires

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

They also have deal on right for 2nd battery $799 10 flyte 2 battires

Where is this deal at?

[35 whelen]

fishing hole till November 22nd

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[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

fishing hole till November 22nd

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Thanks!

[ATF]

Nothing on the Fishin Hole website about a second battery.
Is that in store only?

[35 whelen]

Deals on till November 22nd they told me

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[Bear Ballz]

I just bought one today at Fishin Hole South.... 2nd battery is a true story. $779

[AlbertanGP]

Having recently logged in to the forum again, I'm curious about the infatuation with the SM 40v around here. It's cheaper sure than an Ion G2. But it's half again as heavy as a G2, has 2/3's the warranty of the G2, and I've never come across a test where the G2 didn't outperform it. Granted you have to put up with the nasty color with a G2. But I've was nothing but happy with my G2 8" last season, and have a new G2 10" latched on the Digger on my Ranger for this season.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by dhigson

Having recently logged in to the forum again, I'm curious about the infatuation with the SM 40v around here. It's cheaper sure than an Ion G2. But it's half again as heavy as a G2, has 2/3's the warranty of the G2, and I've never come across a test where the G2 didn't outperform it. Granted you have to put up with the nasty color with a G2. But I've was nothing but happy with my G2 8" last season, and have a new G2 10" latched on the Digger on my Ranger for this season.

Because they keep offering a good deal on the 2nd battery, it is cheaper, and works pretty much close to as good

That and G2 wasn't an option when I bought.

[AlbertanGP]

Can't argue with the price for sure. My 10" G2 was $1,000 *on sale*. And my old StrikeMaster gas auger I got back in the 90's when we had a staff purchase at TFH still works like a charm as a backup.

Still, you can't put a price on a 17lb auger that can lay a whoopin' on most anything on the ice. My 20-something kids can't keep up with me on their gas augers. Whichever electric auger the OP decides on, I think he'll be astounded and never look back.

[Prairiewolf]

Originally Posted by Bear Ballz

I just bought one today at Fishin Hole South.... 2nd battery is a true story. $779

Can confirm. I bought the floor model yesterday at their Calgary location - 2nd battery included for price quoted above. Then bought a bunch of other stuff there. The couch was comfortable last night.

[MrDave]

On thin ice I use my Milwaukee and a converted hand auger. I cut the handle off and inserted a concrete anchor, then had it welded. Didn't cost me much at all. Great for first ice. Still prefer my gas auger in thicker ice.

[Drew_53]

Cabela's is selling the original 8" ION with a second battery for 649.99 black Friday deal. ( Nov 23- Dec 2)

Is that better than the 8" SM for 749.99? Is the 2 AMP difference on the battery worth 100$?

I don't know I don't own either... but I'm gonna have to pick one and soon... lol

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by mooseknuckle

Strikemaster 10" electric, find the 2 battery deal $799 and never look back. If you use 2 batteries in a day of ice fishing (200+ holes) your doing something wrong. Nothing like travelling 3hrs and pull the cord right out of your gas auger, or it wont start, stinks.

just bought one the other day...errrrr...I mean the ol'lady did then told me she did it...I didn't get upset

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by dhigson

Having recently logged in to the forum again, I'm curious about the infatuation with the SM 40v around here. It's cheaper sure than an Ion G2. But it's half again as heavy as a G2, has 2/3's the warranty of the G2, and I've never come across a test where the G2 didn't outperform it. Granted you have to put up with the nasty color with a G2. But I've was nothing but happy with my G2 8" last season, and have a new G2 10" latched on the Digger on my Ranger for this season.

The first 10 inch ions were not very good. Strikemaster won the market and now the G2 has to try and win it back.

Most people haven't used a G2 (myself included) and the price is very high which is a turnoff for most people. The sale prices for each auger with spare battery is $1300 for G2 vs $800 for SM. Is it really worth 60% more?

[Jigsalot]

Originally Posted by Drew_53

Cabela's is selling the original 8" ION with a second battery for 649.99 black Friday deal. ( Nov 23- Dec 2)

Is that better than the 8" SM for 749.99? Is the 2 AMP difference on the battery worth 100$?

I don't know I don't own either... but I'm gonna have to pick one and soon... lol

Strikemaster is awesome. You will love it.

[SamSteele]

TFH South confirmed that they have the extra battery deal on the SM 40V right now, but low stock. I heard mention that the Ions will be on their Black Friday sale next week as well. Also the SM Lite Flight.

Only Ion G2 they had in stock in Edmonton South was the 10”.


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[LKP.80cal]

M18 fuel, lite flite, clam plate, clam k-drill adapter. I cut a sock and put it around the handle of the drill so the clam plate brackets didn't indent to much. Kms tools has the tool only on sale this month for $180, pair it with a 5 or 9 amp battery. I believe I saw the clam plate on sale somewhere recently as well. This combo works very well, cuts holes fast.

[Cold lake guy]

I have Eskimo pistol grip with a dewalt xrp 20v drill, 3 batteries last me all day in 20” of ice. First gen with out the Center point, only an issue on smooth black ice. I did break out the gas auger for 36” of ice but didn’t really have too

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by RavYak

The first 10 inch ions were not very good. Strikemaster won the market and now the G2 has to try and win it back.

Most people haven't used a G2 (myself included) and the price is very high which is a turnoff for most people. The sale prices for each auger with spare battery is $1300 for G2 vs $800 for SM. Is it really worth 60% more?

Sounds like the SM made its name against the old Ions. I’d love to try one some time, as I’d love to get rid of these ugly lime green units. When they make a 10” SM that weighs and works like a G2, I’ll buy one. Until then, 18lbs >>> all to me. Cheers.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by mooseknuckle

Strikemaster 10" electric, find the 2 battery deal $799 and never look back. If you use 2 batteries in a day of ice fishing (200+ holes) your doing something wrong. Nothing like travelling 3hrs and pull the cord right out of your gas auger, or it wont start, stinks.

Don’t have an electric however I do use a drill.

For half the cost of yours one can get a new cordless Ridgid 18 volt with plenty of spare batteries. Never had an issue with running out of juice with two large batteries. 4 would be a dream set. I would also get a small well insulated cooler with a hot pack to store batteries in when really cold.

The new fin bore curved blade hand augers that come apart in the middle is needed.

One big point is hole size. Definitely if you want 10 inch holes a drill won’t due. 8 inch is okay until the ice is over 24 inch and the number of holes drop quick as you increase the size of the drill.

4 inch and 6 inch... the drill set up is a dream.

[Half Pickereled]

Here’s my setup, and I can’t stop smiling every time I use it. I haven’t started my gas augers since.

Dewalt 996 $150 on eBay
9 amp battery $200 eBay
8” lite flite $225? Fishing hole

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0ch2...AgAFbhVTDup1Dw

[Ribolovac]

Bought an ion X 8 inch last year with the 5ah battery. Think it has been replaced model wise this year. Works like a charm. I like the “old school” metal flite vs. Polymer.

[AK47]

Tried my new electric Strikemaster 8'. Of course it was just 4 inches of ice but so far so good. Drilled over 30 holes and battery still had 4 lights on. A bit heavy to carry around but overall very satisfied.