Cordless drills for ice auger.

Anyone else out there doing this? I'm seriously going to try it out this year.
Clam researchers drilled through 700 inches on a single charge but that was using an 18v Panasonic litium ion drill that used a 3.3ah batter with I believe 400 lbs of torque. I'm going to get a 20v Mastercraft lithium ion hammer drill that has 375 lbs of torque. The only problem is that the biggest battery size you can get is 2.6ah battery and it only comes with a 1.3ah battery.

I do a lot of panfish fishing and drill a good number of holes while chasing those little buggers around.

So I guess my question is really for people with experience doing this and guys with a bit of cordless tool knowledge. Will the upgrade from 18v to 20v help in regards to the drop off in battery longevity? Also, will 375 lbs of torque be enough considering 400 lbs of torque rips through 16 inches of ice with a 6" auger?

I know I could go the route of a $400 drill but I'm also trying to cut costs and still be portable. Not interested in having all my gear smell like gas anymore either.

You need to keep the batteries warm and never use the hammer setting as that could change the angle of your blades.

I tried it and for me it didn't work

Do you have a bike to carry a battery on? Or just power a drill from the 12v bike battery...If so it opens a whole bunch of options. Otherwise go propane (or Jiffy gas)

I use my Cordless Dewalt 18 Volt drill. Depending on how thick the ice is, I can usuall get 4-6 holes drilled using two batteries fully charged (12-18" ice thickness). I wouldn't use an expensive drill to use for ice fishing.

Definately do not use a hammer setting.

my buddy has this set-up with a pretty standard cordless drill (nothing fancy), we swiss cheese the ice (12" thick on avg) and I actually have not noticed him change the battery once...maybe he has. he brings extra bats, but I am super impressed with this set up. soooo small and easy to transport.

I do a lot of holes with my drill.

I have an 8" and a 4" auger. The drill is a high quality Snap-On. I am using Nickel Metal and Nickel Cadmium batteries.
Lithium is OK, but there is a tendency for the protection circuits to trip out on them due to the very high sustained torque.

On the 8" auger it is hard to hold the drill and it can chew 3-5 holes in 24-30 inches of ice.
On the 4" auger you can drill lots of holes (we had an ice party with 24 guys fishing, I think i changed the battery once).

You do NOT have to keep the batteries warm. Batteries generate a lot of heat when you use them, you may find that there is little power when you first start the hole, but the batteries will warm up and by the time you get to the end of the hole (where you need the most power) they are up to full power. We even left the drill out on the ice overnight once, -22C, worked fine the next morning.

I also tried a cheap 18V "Job Mate" (piece of crap canadian tire drill). It would turn the 8" auger, but couldn't break it through. I was lucky to get one hole. HOwever, for the 4" auger it worked pretty good drilling about 12 holes (this is an old drill too).

A 6" auger takes 250% more power than a 4" auger to turn.
An 8" auger take 400% more power than a 4" auger.

We pulled an 7lb bass through the 4" hole no problem last winter. Lots of other posts from last year on hole sizes and fish sizes.

Hope this helps.

I wanted to add that you MUST add a plate to the top of the auger, I had to make mine myself. The plate should be larger than the auger (so a 5 inch diameter plate on a 4" auguer).

Why?

Because when the auger falls off the drill, and it will, it will spin itself down the hole and be lost forever.

You don't even realize the auger is loose on the drill since the pressure of the ice pushing back keeps it in place. Then the auger breaks through the ice and the downward force as it suddenly bites through will rip it right out of the drill chuck. The plate on mine has saved the auger at least a dozen times.

The reason I say Metal is because my first plate was made of thick plastic and it shattered when it hit the ice (still saved the auger).

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Originally Posted by scarkner

I wanted to add that you MUST add a plate to the top of the auger, I had to make mine myself. The plate should be larger than the auger (so a 5 inch diameter plate on a 4" auguer).

Why?

Because when the auger falls off the drill, and it will, it will spin itself down the hole and be lost forever.

You don't even realize the auger is loose on the drill since the pressure of the ice pushing back keeps it in place. Then the auger breaks through the ice and the downward force as it suddenly bites through will rip it right out of the drill chuck. The plate on mine has saved the auger at least a dozen times.

The reason I say Metal is because my first plate was made of thick plastic and it shattered when it hit the ice (still saved the auger).

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Great post and tip Steve...especially coming from an expert!..:goodstuff:

Went with an 18v Litium ion drill with 480 lbs of torque. Batteries are thermal guarded for work in cold weather. Bonus feature. May go with the $50 clam conversion kit as then I won't need a plate to stop the auger from going down the hole as the clam conversion kit has you remove the drill's chuck and directly attach it to the auger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FynLfcMFYTU

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scarkner

You do NOT have to keep the batteries warm. Batteries generate a lot of heat when you use them, you may find that there is little power when you first start the hole, but the batteries will warm up and by the time you get to the end of the hole (where you need the most power) they are up to full power. We even left the drill out on the ice overnight once, -22C, worked fine the next morning.

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Bah! Whatta you know about batteries, anyway! :joker:

Looking forward to trying this out. Like Scarkner said, you don't need to keep the batteries warm. I use these same drills and batteries outdoors all winter and they hold a charge unbelievably well.


http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...ps7c9fb636.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Leedog

Looking forward to trying this out. Like Scarkner said, you don't need to keep the batteries warm. I use these same drills and batteries outdoors all winter and they hold a charge unbelievably well.


http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...ps7c9fb636.jpg

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Most newer Lithium Ion batteries are thermal guarded for working in cold weather. That looks pretty slick.

I would like to try this this winter, will it work if I just buy this from CT?

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/el...-0788167p.html

Thanks

I have been using a C.T.C. lithium ion powered hammer drill for a few years now with no problem on a 6" Finn-Bore auger. I carry a second battery but don't often need it till later in the winter. ( It is cheaper to buy the drill and battery at 50% off than buying spare batteries)The transition device from drill chuck to auger shaft that Nadshuge was asking about is missing an important part that will save you from losing your auger when inevitably your chuck will loosen, and the auger may be lost in the hole. There is a better adapter device available that has a built in shock cord device that bungees around the back of your drill. This keeps the adapter which is bolted to your auger pulled tight against the drill chuck, even when it loosens off. It also allows the shaft to spin without tangling the shock cord. n I bought mine at Tremblays in Orillia. I've forgotten the name brand. They cost around $25 , and are available on line elsewhere. Good Luck

Remember that's inch/pounds of torque, not foot/pounds. If it was foot pounds I wouldn't want to be holding the drill.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nadshuge

I would like to try this this winter, will it work if I just buy this from CT?

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/el...-0788167p.html

Thanks

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That's the same adapter I have used for years. It works great EXCEPT that you have to rig up something to catch the auger if it falls out of the drill (see my previous post). I just drilled a small hole through the adapter, fitted a piece of metal, washer and cotter pin. The metal spins freely in this setup, so if it whacks you while drilling the hole it only hurts a little...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...augerplate.jpg

thanks I will try what scarkner has. Maybe some hard plastic instead of steel. I will let you know what works for me.

Thanks

Thank you for the tip and Pic Scarkner.

bobby

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nadshuge

thanks I will try what scarkner has. Maybe some hard plastic instead of steel. I will let you know what works for me.

Thanks

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I would not reccomend plastic! I did that the first year. The first time it came off the drill the plastic hit the ice and shattered. This was a thick (1/4 inch!) piece of ABS/PC blended material cut into a disc (pretty!) that I thought had plenty of strength, but the combination of cold and the force of the auger pulling itself through the ice was too much. Its hard to get a feel for, but the force of the auger coming off the drill as it breaks through the ice is MUCH higher than the force of simply dropping the auger. Because it is spinning and has inertia built up, it slams, HARD, against the surface of the ice.

I was lucky that enough of the plastic held to keep me from losing the auger.

Bringing this thread back from the dead, I am thinking of trying this out this winter, anyone care to add their experience with this setup since last December? Would an electric impact work with this set up too, or not so much as they are usually smaller and may not fit?

I don't have the handle for mine. I use an 18v drop dewalt and have punched 16 holes in 12" of ice on one battery. Don't use it on hammer and I don't think an impact would work, but then I never tried one either. When going through thick ice or drilling a lot of holes, take your time! I burnt a drill out last year. Also run it on a low speed setting to get the torque you need.

Have a 18v Hitachi, that has something like 400-460 lbs of torque. I use a 5 inch Mora auger and can usually get 6-10 holes easy depending on the ice thickness. The best part of the drill system is portability. If your not on a sled/ATV and have to hike out, this is hands down the best way to go. Just try to keep your auger blades sharp, the batteries warm/dry, and maybe carry a couple extras. Also don't worry to much about the hole size unless your targeting larger fish. Those extra inches on a augers cutting diameter will make a huge difference in the number of holes your going to get per battery.

I made a few of the adapters for the boys at work and they tell me they work good.

I used the cordless drill on a cheap auger for one year. worked fine for me. watch where you store the your batteries when out on the ice! and, where you put the drill; I had slush freeze the thing solid once.
If you are shopping for a drill anyway and this is your main purpose, I would look at Metabo because of the 5.2Ah battery packs (good product, but sometimes hard to get).
However, since I bought a Nils hand auger, I use the drill only for T-ice anchors... Need to make a few expanding anchors for the auger holes and I can leave the drill at home for good.

This season I bough the Nills master manual auger & attached an ice master adapter to use with my Rigid cordless drill.

All I can say is it works amazing!!

No gas no fumes & I can cut all the holes I will ever need with no issues...

Best investment I ever made...

I use an 8" auger with rigid lithium no problem drilling holes for the day at all.

I Just learned a good pile of info reading this, I would never have even thought about using a cordless drill for anything like that at all. Guess what I'll be trying next year? Thanks Guys! Savage308

Using an electric drill for an auger interested me, so I tried my home drill, a Rigid with 535 in lbs of torque on my Swedish bore hand auger with a Canadian Tire adapter and to my surprise, it raced through the ice. The batteries were only 1.5 ah. It worked well until the ice got over 10” thick, then the battery capacity became an issue. Also the Rigid drill had an automatic shut off, and would shut off several times augering thicker holes.

I stepped up and purchased a Milwaukee Tool M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/2 inch Hammer Drill/Driver W/(2) 5.0Ah Batteries, Model # 2804-22 and wow! It simply races through the holes. Our ice now is 26” thick and it goes through it like a high powered gas powered auger. I am not sure how many holes I can drill, but it is a lot, on just one battery pack and you have two of them.

I am still using my Swedish Bore hand auger with a 12” HT extension. I also added an 11” by 3” piece of wood, with a hole drilled through it for the auger shaft, just to make sure if the auger comes out of the drill bit, it does not go down through the 8” hole. The auger blades were still the blades i used last year, but still had no problem going through the ice.

I highly recommend the drill, it has 1200 in lbs of torque and the two 5 ah batteries have lots of storage. It is certainly the way of the future. And I have a extra drill for the summer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Swingpure

Using an electric drill for an auger interested me, so I tried my home drill, a Rigid with 535 in lbs of torque on my Swedish bore hand auger with a Canadian Tire adapter and to my surprise, it raced through the ice. The batteries were only 1.5 ah. It worked well until the ice got over 10” thick, then the battery capacity became an issue. Also the Rigid drill had an automatic shut off, and would shut off several times augering thicker holes.

I stepped up and purchased a Milwaukee Tool M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/2 inch Hammer Drill/Driver W/(2) 5.0Ah Batteries, Model # 2804-22 and wow! It simply races through the holes. Our ice now is 26” thick and it goes through it like a high powered gas powered auger. I am not sure how many holes I can drill, but it is a lot, on just one battery pack and you have two of them.

I am still using my Swedish Bore hand auger with a 12” HT extension. I also added an 11” by 3” piece of wood, with a hole drilled through it for the auger shaft, just to make sure if the auger comes out of the drill bit, it does not go down through the 8” hole. The auger blades were still the blades i used last year, but still had no problem going through the ice.

I highly recommend the drill, it has 1200 in lbs of torque and the two 5 ah batteries have lots of storage. It is certainly the way of the future. And I have a extra drill for the summer.

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I have the DeWalt equivalent of that drill and based on my testing to date I estimate 800 to 1000 inches of 8 inch diameter hole per fully charged 5aH battery:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7862/...5937b57a_b.jpg

That pic was 2 weeks ago and on that day I drilled 350+ inches of 8 inch hole and battery was still over 60% charge left. Ice that day ranged from 25 to 27 inches thick.

The Clam drill plate is awesome. Put any good 18 to 20 V drill on it and you are good to go. I keep my spare battery in a cooler bag with two hand warmers.

I should add that I was fishing Simcoe in mid Feb and was drilling through 16 to 18" of black ice and my 2.5Ah batteries did not last long. Glad I brought my Rapala gas auger for back up...

I have been using one for 4 years. It is a 5" auger from Sail with a Riobi 18 volt battery. I always carry a spare battery in my pocket to keep it warm. I put an 8" x 2" piece of wood on the shaft in case the auger comes loose from the drill, so the auger has a check to prevent it from landing on the lake bottom. Rick in Muskoka

I finally killed my 9 year old Makita hammerdrill drilling through ice this year. Was pushing it too hard going through over 2 feet of ice and couldnt find the handle for it so was covering the vent on the back and she overheating.

Replaced it with Makitas most powerful brushless hammerdrill and though the old one did a great job the new one is a beast. Unfortunately havent had the time to drill too many holes with it but its beem excellent for everything else I use it for. Im a professional so I have about 10 batteries for it so if I bring 3-4 I can drill about as many holes as I want.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by huntnmachine

The Clam drill plate is awesome. Put any good 18 to 20 V drill on it and you are good to go. I keep my spare battery in a cooler bag with two hand warmers.

I should add that I was fishing Simcoe in mid Feb and was drilling through 16 to 18" of black ice and my 2.5Ah batteries did not last long. Glad I brought my Rapala gas auger for back up...

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I have the Clam plate as well, with a 20v Dewalt. I bought a 4ah battery. I have no problem getting through a days drilling with the 4ah. I keep the two 2.5ah batteries the drill came with as backup.

Keep the batteries warm, and have a few of them ... as others above have posted. Cold batteries are paper weights.