Homemade electric ice auger.
I’ve just been getting into ice fishing a little bit the last few years. I’d gone with neighbours before and I’m not sure how much I’m into it, I find it a lot more boring than regular fishing.
Not wanting to invest a ton of money on equipment if I’m not going to fish a lot I farmer rigged this electric auger setup.
I found an old Mora hand auger in my barn when I moved here 8 years ago. It had a bit of a goofy bend in it that made it almost impossible to use since by the time you drilled through 3’ of ice your 8” hole would be about 14” in diameter at the top from the wobble it had in the hole.
So I cut it off just above the flighting and used this electric motor setup from an old retired neighbour. It had a small earth auger on it that I have used to drill “pilot holes” when pounding fence posts in tough conditions or starting big corral posts.
I welded a piece of black pipe to the end of the auger flighting, it was old scrap natural gas pipe I believe. Then I welded a bushing made from a large bolt and drilled a hole through it for a 1/4” bolt to hold in the drive end of the electric motor. I’m not sure what you call the motor setup exactly, it’s likely 50 years old or so, it utilizes a large 12V starter motor and solenoid setup. It has immense power and will drill through 3’ of ice in a matter of seconds. I connect it to the truck battery for unlimited numbers of holes if the ice conditions warrant driving on. If not driving on I just take a 12V battery with me with my gear in the calf sled and I’ve never come close to running it flat in an outing.
Works great!
No gas to mix, no engine to start and the best part was it was all absolutely free except I did buy myself a set of replacement blades. $25 on sale at Walmart.
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