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Old 01-21-2018, 11:35 AM
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DOGFISH DOGFISH is offline
 
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Default Question: Cordless drills for Ice Augers

I am not convinced that Cordless Drills are the best for thick ice 2 feet and thicker. I would be more inclined to use it early season when you have to walk out on thin ice. Are there any guys out there that have destroyed or burnt up good brushless cordless drills making multiple holes or really stressing the drill and or battery. I hear of success from some guys who have tried it or tested it a few times but has anyone wrecked their drill doing this. This is just a question as I have a power auger and do not plan on changing, but would like to start a thread to give a heads up to people who want to go this route but cant afford to wreck their drill or batteries. Dogfish
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Old 01-21-2018, 12:31 PM
the local angler the local angler is offline
 
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the only issue i had using a cordless drill attached to my hand auger is power gas augers have a point or guide when you start drilling as my hand auger does not and so when i started the power drill to drill the hole, it kept on shooting out in all directions almost taking out my shins. i had to start really slow drilling till it was like maybe a cm deep to hold the auger still to go full speed. but so far no drills burning out yet.
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Old 01-21-2018, 01:01 PM
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How many holes do you estimate you have drilled with the same drill? Dogfish
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Old 01-21-2018, 01:06 PM
the local angler the local angler is offline
 
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so far i have only drilled like half dozen with a crappy tire drill but never used it to the point the battery died. i usually stayed within a small area with a 8" blade auger
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Old 01-21-2018, 01:21 PM
kouleerunner kouleerunner is offline
 
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Originally Posted by DOGFISH View Post
I am not convinced that Cordless Drills are the best for thick ice 2 feet and thicker. I would be more inclined to use it early season when you have to walk out on thin ice. Are there any guys out there that have destroyed or burnt up good brushless cordless drills making multiple holes or really stressing the drill and or battery. I hear of success from some guys who have tried it or tested it a few times but has anyone wrecked their drill doing this. This is just a question as I have a power auger and do not plan on changing, but would like to start a thread to give a heads up to people who want to go this route but cant afford to wreck their drill or batteries. Dogfish
I burnt up a good Milwaukee 18v doing deep 6" holes. Went to a jiffy 8".

This is a video I made. I did get a lot of holes, but over did it one day.

https://youtu.be/Acm-x_Opcac
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Old 01-21-2018, 02:03 PM
dwedmon dwedmon is offline
 
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I've gone through 2ft ice with a 6inch auger on my power drill. It didn't burn out the drill but you do need to pull out to clear ice out of the hole a lot more frequently. The only real impact is that the number of holes you can drill is a lot less.

I just use a mastercraft 24v lithium ion drill.
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Old 01-21-2018, 02:54 PM
kouleerunner kouleerunner is offline
 
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Originally Posted by dwedmon View Post
I've gone through 2ft ice with a 6inch auger on my power drill. It didn't burn out the drill but you do need to pull out to clear ice out of the hole a lot more frequently. The only real impact is that the number of holes you can drill is a lot less.

I just use a mastercraft 24v lithium ion drill.
I did clean out the hole regularly, only drilled 6-8 holes in a day, but after a few years of drilling ice, screws, and holes in steel, it gave up! I used to think the same thing as you, until it happened to me.
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Old 01-21-2018, 06:40 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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We have now used an 18V Milwaukee with a K-drill 2 weekends in a row. They are a nice light setup that is great for hiking in with but I would never use it as my main auger setup.

A good drill and even the cheapest hand auger plus adaptor costs about the same as a Stingray auger. A good drill and a k-drill costs you more then any good gas or propane auger and on par with the electric ones.

K-drill with these Milwaukee drills only gets 15-20 holes per battery in our current ice thickness(18-20 in or so). That means by end of the winter a guy might only get 10 or so(and you would likely also need an extension). That is also talking brand new batteries working at their max capacity, wait a couple years and you won't even get that. Extra batteries are stupidly expensive too(better off buying a 2nd drill).

I honestly wouldn't waste my time trying to use an auger with a cheaper drill either, you are just going to burn it out and it will cost you more in the long run. To me using a drill to run an auger should not be looked at as a cheap option(unless you work in construction etc and have one of these drills on hand) and if using one I would spend the extra bucks and get a k-drill bit for it as they are much lighter, float when(not if) the chuck comes loose, and have a good blade setup meant to be used with a drill.

I also am fairly confident that although these are great drills they weren't designed with this kind of work in mind. Cutting through 8 inches of ice is not an easy task.

So in short I would buy a drill/k-drill if you want something light for hiking in with otherwise I would look at a dedicated auger if you want a main auger. You can buy a dedicated auger for not that much more then a good drill.
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Old 01-21-2018, 11:40 PM
newscientist newscientist is offline
 
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This is my second season using the cordless drill on a manual auger and I could not have been any happier. I am not worried about burning the drill as most new ones will shut down if they have too much load. You do not need the expensive Milwaukee ones, any drill with a torque rating above 500 in.lb will work fine on a 6" auger. For an 8" auger, a 700 in.lb torque is sufficient. My 4 Ah battery cuts at least 10 8" holes in 2 ft of ice, before I need to use the other battery. I keep the charger in the car so I can charge the batteries with my 12 v inverter, never needed to so far though. And yes you would likely need an extension for such thick ice. I found that extensions of the Ion auger fit Mora hand augers (FinBore, Swede Bore, etc.). Even in thinner ice, the extension makes thee process much easier as you bend less.

As for the cost of new batteries down the road, I guess it won't be too much of a cost for the many benefits of this setup. It is light, fast, and versatile. No smoke, no smell, no leaks.

Last edited by newscientist; 01-21-2018 at 11:45 PM.
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Old 01-22-2018, 06:35 AM
slamilton slamilton is offline
 
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I have been using mine for 2 seasons and have had great results. My drill is an 18v Bosch bought on sale at Can Tire for $100 with 2 batteries. I have drilled up to 20 holes per day thru 2 feet with 6"auger, although most days are much less than that and have had no issues. I am careful to take a break and not overuse.
I bought an auger for $50, and adapter for about $15 so my out put on this is $165. It is still going strong and see no reason it wont last a few more seasons. It definitely does the job for me but I likely dont move around as much as others.
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Old 01-22-2018, 05:55 PM
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Been using my rigid 18 v for years. Cant imagine how many holes. Have two large batteries. Used with 8 inch...not many holes can be drilled. More with a 6 inch. Even more with my 4 inch. If I was hitting a big lake I would take a gas drill due to so many holes drilled. If you know where you are going and don't need lots then the drill is a breeze. Just gotta keep the batteries warm when not in use. A thinsulate bag or old jacket with a heating pack would work fine.
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Old 01-29-2018, 06:24 PM
Mitchner21 Mitchner21 is offline
 
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I was out last weekend and the Milwaukee fuel 18volt drilled at least 20 holes with the nils 8" auger(also had extension on) on a single battery. 24-30 inches of ice.
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Old 04-01-2018, 08:18 AM
newscientist newscientist is offline
 
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Just for the record, my Bosch drill made 15 holes yesterday in 3 ft of ice on one 4 ah battery (one year old) with the 6 inch auger. I did not need to use the other battery.

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Old 04-01-2018, 08:41 AM
Dubious Dubious is offline
 
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20v dewalt with 4ah battery will do 13 holes in ~24” ice with an 8” head I won’t go back to manual and I’ll never by a gas job or anything else. They work great and the adapter is cheap.
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Old 04-01-2018, 09:39 AM
calgarygringo calgarygringo is offline
 
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The drills can work quite well especially if you dont cheap out and do it right.

Use a drill made for the job like a Mil. Fuel.

Buy one of the better auger systems and sharp blades. For la creme de la creme spend the bucks for a Nils. Best hand auger cutting system out there and has been for years. Most can cut as fast and easy by hand as a gas. Put a drill on it and forget the gas. Hard to find around here and not cheap but portability and cutting are amazing.

K Drill would be my second choice. Less dollars easy to find and cut the best of the rest.

Just do it right and unless you have to have a 10 inch auger or run and gun all day either above will do the job for most fishermen. My next will be one of the above. Even thinking of storing my Eskimo and going drill style.
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Old 04-01-2018, 09:47 AM
Dweb Dweb is offline
 
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Dewalt 20v brushless drill with 5ah batteries and a 6" nils auger.

Goes through 30+ inches of ice like a hot knife through butter.

Zero effort.

And get close to 12 holes on a battery charge.

When you know your getting close to punching though you have to feather it or sometimes the bit jams.
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Old 04-01-2018, 11:01 PM
newscientist newscientist is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Dweb View Post
When you know your getting close to punching though you have to feather it or sometimes the bit jams.
Good point. That's especially important with these powerful drills as they can twist your wrist if the auger jams. Bosch drills has a safety feature that detects the bet jam and shuts the drill before it hurts your hand. They do not compare to Milwaukee speed and torque though
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Old 04-02-2018, 09:28 AM
newscientist newscientist is offline
 
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Just came across this video. The guy made 50 holes on one battery and an 8 inch hand auger
https://youtu.be/plhlVFzY-ek
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Old 04-04-2018, 11:27 AM
kouleerunner kouleerunner is offline
 
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I started out using a 18v Milwaukee drill with a 6" auger. Burnt it up in a couple short years. It is very hard on the drill, I was warned, and didn't listen. I even made a few videos saying how great it was! It did work fantastic, until I had to fork out the $$ for a new drill!

If its all you can afford, don't try to drill 30 holes a day and go every weekend.
It works in a pinch, dont make it your go to setup! Hindsight would dictate that buying a decent used gas auger would have been much cheaper! I ended up buying a new drill, and and good used 8" gas auger.

Fool me once....
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Old 06-09-2018, 06:02 PM
newscientist newscientist is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kouleerunner View Post
I started out using a 18v Milwaukee drill with a 6" auger. Burnt it up in a couple short years. It is very hard on the drill, I was warned, and didn't listen. I even made a few videos saying how great it was! It did work fantastic, until I had to fork out the $$ for a new drill!

If its all you can afford, don't try to drill 30 holes a day and go every weekend.
It works in a pinch, dont make it your go to setup! Hindsight would dictate that buying a decent used gas auger would have been much cheaper! I ended up buying a new drill, and and good used 8" gas auger.

Fool me once....
Buddy, are you sure it was not water damage that ruined your drill. It is kinda hard to believe that a 6 in drill burned a Milwaukee. I agree it is hard on the batteries, though. I guess a good warranty will take care of that. Ridgit drills come with a life time warranty that covers the batteries too.

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Old 09-16-2018, 01:49 PM
newscientist newscientist is offline
 
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Originally Posted by newscientist View Post
Good point. That's especially important with these powerful drills as they can twist your wrist if the auger jams. Bosch drills has a safety feature that detects the bet jam and shuts the drill before it hurts your hand. They do not compare to Milwaukee speed and torque though
Milwaukee is finally adding this kick-back safety feature to their OneKey drill that is coming this October. Looking forward to try it

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Old 03-12-2019, 09:31 PM
lfv2004 lfv2004 is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Mitchner21 View Post
I was out last weekend and the Milwaukee fuel 18volt drilled at least 20 holes with the nils 8" auger(also had extension on) on a single battery. 24-30 inches of ice.
What battery did you have on?
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Old 03-12-2019, 09:34 PM
lfv2004 lfv2004 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kouleerunner View Post
I started out using a 18v Milwaukee drill with a 6" auger. Burnt it up in a couple short years. It is very hard on the drill, I was warned, and didn't listen. I even made a few videos saying how great it was! It did work fantastic, until I had to fork out the $$ for a new drill!

If its all you can afford, don't try to drill 30 holes a day and go every weekend.
It works in a pinch, dont make it your go to setup! Hindsight would dictate that buying a decent used gas auger would have been much cheaper! I ended up buying a new drill, and and good used 8" gas auger.

Fool me once....
Ridgid has a lifetime service warranty.
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Old 03-13-2019, 06:19 AM
FishHunterPro FishHunterPro is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kouleerunner View Post
I started out using a 18v Milwaukee drill with a 6" auger. Burnt it up in a couple short years. It is very hard on the drill, I was warned, and didn't listen. I even made a few videos saying how great it was! It did work fantastic, until I had to fork out the $$ for a new drill!

If its all you can afford, don't try to drill 30 holes a day and go every weekend.
It works in a pinch, dont make it your go to setup! Hindsight would dictate that buying a decent used gas auger would have been much cheaper! I ended up buying a new drill, and and good used 8" gas auger.

Fool me once....
Your Milwaukee drill from a few years ago likely only had 500inch pounds of torque.
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Old 03-13-2019, 06:40 AM
FishHunterPro FishHunterPro is offline
 
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I just came back from Namur lake and I tried out my new Milwaukee fuel drill and eskimo pistol bit setup and that thing cut through the ice like butter.The has something called redlink plus that cuts the drill off before you can do damage to it. I did 7 holes with 37” of ice and 2 more at 26” of ice and had 2 full bars on the battery.I view the investment in the drill as an all around win for everyday use. It cut over 300” of on Half of one of my 5ah batteries.
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Old 03-13-2019, 12:18 PM
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crazyfish crazyfish is offline
 
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Here's a thought , Rigid 18V LI Brushless drills come with a greet warranty , go chat with the home depot guys. Can also get 9AH battery
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Old 03-14-2019, 09:39 AM
FishHunterPro FishHunterPro is offline
 
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Here's a thought , Rigid 18V LI Brushless drills come with a greet warranty , go chat with the home depot guys. Can also get 9AH battery
I bet it would work very well
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Old 03-14-2019, 06:01 PM
Timothy Timothy is offline
 
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My k drill with dewalt hammers through over 2’ no problem. I usually only drill about 5 holes every time I go out.
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Old 03-14-2019, 08:36 PM
newscientist newscientist is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crazyfish View Post
Here's a thought , Rigid 18V LI Brushless drills come with a greet warranty , go chat with the home depot guys. Can also get 9AH battery
The new Ridgid is a monster 1300 in.lb drill. I had no problem with their older brushless drill that was 700 in.lb only. The new drill will have fun going through ice. Best part is, it is currently on sale. Buy 2 tools get the third free. I think this sale is on for another week or so. I got one yesterday and can't wait to test it this weekend.

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Old 03-16-2019, 01:27 AM
newscientist newscientist is offline
 
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Here is the drill in action
https://youtu.be/QlTrxKdM7Es

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