School Me On Battery Powered Ice Augers

[russ]

What works? What about using a drill powered one, which drills work? Is it better to invest in a dedicated auger? Am I better off going with gas powered? Opinions please!

[SamSteele]

I’ve had my 40V Strikemaster for 4 years. Gave away my gas powered Strikemaster and have never looked back.

As far as using a drill, lots of folks go that route using the Milwaukee Fuel M18. If you do early ice or don’t drill a ton of holes this is a good option. If you drill a bunch I would go dedicated auger.

SS

[58thecat]

Went it’s a dedicated ice auger, strikemaster 40V 8”
Reasoning was I can set up shack and cut holes without fumes, don’t fart around with gas or mixing etc
8” hole is enough for most fish, easier draw on battery and if I need a bigger hole I drill two side by side. Technology with regards to battery’s lasting long is amazing as I never needed a second one to come into play just keep it in the tent,shack with you.
I don’t find it heavy at all just a very efficient piece of ice fishing gear that allows you to fish and that is how I like it.
Good luck on your quest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TROLLER]

I gave up my Strikemaster gas last winter and went to the Strikemaster 24Volt 8"

No issues drilling is as fast as my gas one was, but my main reason for switching was weight. Much lighter and easy on my old bod.

[spin]

I have Dewalt hammer drill paired up with a HT Nero auger and really like the set up. Two 5 AH batteries will drill dozens of holes even late in the season with 30+ inches.

With the drill set up, you can buy the ice screw attachment which makes tying down your pop-up tent a breeze.

I am planning to upgrade to a pistol bit if I can find a deal on one. The lighter weight and centering bit are nice bonuses.

If you do end up going this route, make sure you get a brushless hammer drill.

[Zip-in-Z]

I had 4 augers just sold my gasser a Jiffy Model 30-10”. I really like the Milwaukee M18 it turns my 10” Strikemaster bit with no effort for early to mid-season ice and the Eskimo HC40-10" Propane for the rest of the season, no issues with cold or batteries, it’s one of the most powerful units made.

Won't be needing the propane unit this year, heading back to California after X-Mass for 3 months.

The yellow Iceberg mini is 4.5”, just for dropping the camera down to find the spot-on-the-spot structure.

If I could only have one then I’d consider the 40V Strikemaster, the HC40 is heavy.

Cheers

D.

[LJalberta]

Originally Posted by russ

What works? What about using a drill powered one, which drills work? Is it better to invest in a dedicated auger? Am I better off going with gas powered? Opinions please!

What works:

Strikemaster and Ion both make proven electric augers. I have no experience with other brands. If you are going to use a drill-powered one, not any drill will suffice. You will want a drill with sufficient torque and reliability to spin the auger. You can look at the K-Drill requirements and approved drills for a better idea of that, although there are some newer drills that are not listed that would likely out perform many of the listed ones.

Additionally, it's worth noting that lighter augers designed specifically for the drill will likely provide better performance than adapting a hand-auger to work with the drill.

Is it better to invest in a dedicate auger?

The answer is it depends. Maybe you are running and gunning and would appreciate the light weight drill, or the ability to quickly drill in ice screws with the drill. Maybe you don't mind the extra weight of a dedicated ice auger and like having a more secure grip when drilling.

What about Gas?

I will never go gas after using electric. The downside of electric augers is certainly that batteries are expensive and they may one day stop making batteries that fit your particular model. That being said, they're quiet, light, low maintenance, and make quick work of the ice. Electric is the way in my personal books.

I looked at a bunch and after using a drill setup I have currently switched to the Strikemaster 24V 8" model. I like it for what I do, but I may buy another Pistol Bit, as you really can't beat the drill setup when you're hiking in a ways or moving around looking for fish a lot in my books.

[RACKER]

It comes down to your specific needs and what you can afford.I used a 8"hand auger for many years then upgraded to a jiffy gas model and thought that was the worlds best invention.I also have owned other gas models that worked very well and this year I have a Ion 10" electric.It has been a treat not having to maintain a motor/recoil etc.The electric can sit in the cab of any vehicle with no worries.No fumes when drilling and so quiet .The newest models have excellent battery life as well.They are alot more expensive but in my mind totally worth it.

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by Zip-in-Z

The yellow Iceberg mini is 4.5”, just for dropping the camera down to find the spot-on-the-spot structure.

Cheers

D.

You've been holding out! I need more details on this 4.5" flite please.

[Frank_NK28]

A friend of mine bought the Strikemaster 8" lite-flyte that you use with a drill as he is a contractor and has no shortage of power tools and batteries. On the same day I bought a Strikemaster 40V lithium auger with 10' flyte. This is my third season and the past two winters I was off work due to knee replacement surgeries recovery. I fished 5-6 days a week. After running both units I am glad I went the dedicated auger route. The other is great for a part-time fisherman or someone needing to pack light but if you are like me and wait until there is enough ice to drive your truck on or pull a large sleigh by foot short distances the dedicated auger is the way to go in my opinion. I've had two gas augers over the years, a TML 35 I bought new in the mid 80's and a Jiffy I bought in the mid 90's. I'll never go gas again after running the 40V....

[Seli]

I just went from a 6” Cabelas hand powered to a 8” Ion batter powered and I could not be happier! I have gone out a few times this year and my battery is still at full charge. I know lots of people love the 10” and maybe I should have spent the extra money to get it but so far I have not had any issues pulling pike through the hole.

I am excited to drill 2ft of ice with battery power and giving my arm a rest !

[Zip-in-Z]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

You've been holding out! I need more details on this 4.5" flite please.

I got the Minii Iceberg auger while I was in Palm springs 2 years ago, did the BIN off E-Bay for I believe it was about $69.00 USD shipped to Cali. I made a Stopper Disk from an old Kitchen Poly cutting board, it saved my auger a couple time from going under.

It sure makes looking for structure fast, today it went through 13" ice in 5-6 seconds, with my new Marcum Pursuit HD-L camera we were able to cover a lot of unproductive area and focus on good structure.

It also doesn't burn up my M18 batteries.

Cheers

D.

[AlbertanGP]

Thanks David. I want it for the *exact* same application you are using it for. Sounds like a winner.

[trouty]

Bought the 40v Strikemaster and tried it out yesterday. Got the blade recall notice so they are sending new blades but worked awesome. No smell no fumes are ripped right through 12” in three seconds. Auger is half the weight of a gas job too.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by trouty

Bought the 40v Strikemaster and tried it out yesterday. Got the blade recall notice so they are sending new blades but worked awesome. No smell no fumes are ripped right through 12” in three seconds. Auger is half the weight of a gas job too.

Starts reliably too hey
Congrats on the smart purchase. You will like it even more as the season goes on.

Yep, amazing auger. I think Russ got his fill of ideas on this thread.

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Starts reliably too hey

I didn't really think of this until I had to loan my auger to a fellow whose gas auger wouldn't start on the ice on Saturday. He said it fired up perfectly at home the night before. You do have to keep your batteries warm. But beyond that, the electrics are very reliable.

[HuyFishin]

funny how half the guys on AO all used to rave about the Eskimo Shark z71 because its a beast 10" auger and it has the power when you need it.
Then a few season later everyone reporting problems on the eskimo Recoil cords ripping out.

Hopefully all the Battery power recommendations happening now never come back with major issues biting us in the booty.

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by HuyFishin

funny how half the guys on AO all used to rave about the Eskimo Shark z71 because its a beast 10" auger and it has the power when you need it.
Then a few season later everyone reporting problems on the eskimo Recoil cords ripping out.

Hopefully all the Battery power recommendations happening now never come back with major issues biting us in the booty.

4 years on mine, original batteries, and zero issues.

SS

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by SamSteele

4 years on mine, original batteries, and zero issues.

SS

Same here.

[bearb8er]

For the guys that went with the Strikemaster what was the reasoning over Ion? I've been reading reviews till my eyes go blurry and ended up with an Ion. But I sure went back and forth between the 2. I found a 1st generation Ion brand new on a crazy good sale for just over $500. That's probably the thing that convinced me to buy the Ion. Everything I've read says the newer batteries with fit it so can always upgrade to a bigger AH.

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by bearb8er

For the guys that went with the Strikemaster what was the reasoning over Ion? I've been reading reviews till my eyes go blurry and ended up with an Ion. But I sure went back and forth between the 2. I found a 1st generation Ion brand new on a crazy good sale for just over $500. That's probably the thing that convinced me to buy the Ion. Everything I've read says the newer batteries with fit it so can always upgrade to a bigger AH.

There were a few reasons I chose SM over the others. Firstly, I had a SM gas auger and it was great so I liked the brand already. Secondly, I liked the way the SM batteries "clicked" into place. Some other brands had rubber straps to hold the battery in place, which I didn't care for. I liked the lazer blades as well as they were fast and less felt resistance than the chipper style.

Honestly, I think it's really a Ford/Chevy/Ram situation with them. There were initial differences, but now they have all got things pretty dialed.

SS

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by bearb8er

For the guys that went with the Strikemaster what was the reasoning over Ion?

They wanted the second fastest, second lightest, second best auger.






What?!?


In all seriousness, Mark's right...SM and ION are within a hair of each other in pretty much every aspect. SM has much more aggressive marketing and it's more common to see a better deal on them. There are literal mountains of SM's at the front door of Cabelas, while ION's sometimes require a bit of hunting to find them.

[Unregistered user]

For the community lake (Small trout and Perch) I started using a Clam drill plate with a 6" Mora auger and Makita 18v drill. Hot knife thru butter and the blades on the old hand-held were due for replacement-not anymore.

https://shop.clamoutdoors.com/clam-drill-plate.html

[Brodhead]

Originally Posted by HuyFishin

funny how half the guys on AO all used to rave about the Eskimo Shark z71 because its a beast 10" auger and it has the power when you need it.

Then a few season later everyone reporting problems on the eskimo Recoil cords ripping out.



Hopefully all the Battery power recommendations happening now never come back with major issues biting us in the booty.

My 10 inch eskimo beast still has it's place in the sled/truck come late March but for 24 inches of ice or less my Milwaukee/ lite flyte 8" has been incredible. Hole-hopping all day is no problem with 2 batteries(5ah).

Just picked up this 8 amp high output battery. I plan to work it hard and try to find its limit. Who knows, maybe I'll like it so much that there will be an eskimo shark z71 10 inch on the buy and sell next year.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[mlee]

I bought my 10" strikemaster 3 years ago boxing day....I was on the fence about going electric in the first place but I was willing to be sold on one by some friends. The free second battery was the decision maker for me. I do lots of remote weekends and not being able to charge a battery for 3 days is a real possibility. I can deal with the extra 4lbs or whatever it is....and I've yet to ever burn out 1 battery in a day. Both have gotten me through 4 full consecutive days without a charge. I'm sure I'd have been just as happy with an ion though.

[SNAPFisher]

Speaking of "on the fence". What do to with my Z51 now that I have the SM40 volt and use it 100% of the time.

I Live on a farm, need to do fencing repairs in hard to get to places. Bought a 3 inch earth bit last year and changed it out from ice. I even put on the 12 inch extension which makes it the best height for post holes. Now the Z51 is happily digging holes for posts. Gets a great workout! It is not for sale

[AlbertanGP]

I’d never sell my gas-powered SM. It comes every time I hit new water and know I’m Swiss-cheesing the lake to figure it out. Everyone makes like electrics last forever on a charge. I can kill mine pronto in -30*C weather.

[HuyFishin]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

I’d never sell my gas-powered SM. It comes every time I hit new water and know I’m Swiss-cheesing the lake to figure it out. Everyone makes like electrics last forever on a charge. I can kill mine pronto in -30*C weather.

hahaha I was talking to a friend about this. Everyone doesn't measure ice its just and estimated guess on thickness and electric guys always say I can punch 180 holes a day. But the ice is only 4 inches thick

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by HuyFishin

electric guys always say I can punch 180 holes a day. But the ice is only 4 inches thick

They're lying, unless they carry a lot of batteries. I carry 12Ah total for the IONs and I can still kill them off quick in cold weather NP.

[SamSteele]

Just for info, the new Strikemaster 40V Pro comes with a 6 ah battery that has an on/off switch and a usb charge port on it. I was talking to someone with Strikemaster and they confirmed that the new battery is the same size and connection as the 5ah so they are interchangeable. It sounds like the 6ah will eventually replace the 5ah so they only carry one SKU.