# Cordless Drill Auger?



## fishx65 (Aug 24, 2005)

Anyone hear use a cordless drill for a power auger? I tried my drill with a strike master Lazer and I'm getting way to much wobble. The drill adaptor is staight but it seems the auger itself is warped. It's jumping around to much to start a hole.


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## Chad Smith (Dec 13, 2008)

Check your chuck, your adapter may be in wrong, maybe more to one side than center.


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## Michigun (Mar 9, 2011)

Yep. Make sure the adapter is squarely inserted in the drill.


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## Quack Wacker (Dec 20, 2006)

The shaft to your chuck may be slights bet and with something as long as an auger will cause that to happen but when you use a small drill bit you wont see the wobble as much or at all.

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## buggs (Jan 21, 2011)

I keep reading these posts where people swear by them, but my 18v dewalt and 19.2 volt craftsman just cant keep up with my 6" mora (with brand new blades!!!), destroyed a dewalt last year using a 8" mora?? I seen a video with a 24 volt bosch that looked like it did a good job with a 6" auger, but unless you have a 4" auger, in my opinion the 18volt drill just dont have the torque to handle the job. I see on this site that some folks claim their 18volts drill 6 and 8" holes all day long useing mora's and strikemasters, I'd really like to see it for myself. Today I tried one last time but ended up just taking it off the brand new craftsman drill and just used the handle the auger came with, 10 seconds later I was done. The people that I know personally that have tried these with 18v drill have all, to the man, been dissapointed - yet there are those on this site that swear they get 20 holes with 6 and 8" augers useing 18v drills. If they're being honest than I guess me and you just have "lemmon" drills.


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## sstslammer (Aug 14, 2010)

Bought an ht ice auger adapter on sale so id figure I'd try it out even though I have an 8 inch lazer,not being surprised I only got an honest ten holes with an 18v porter cable Definitely getting a 6 next year


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## jehler (Jul 18, 2011)

I used an 18 volt bosh compact drill last time out drilled 8 8 inch holes, the drill was still going strong but you could smell it getting hot. We have a bosch 18 volt "big brute" 1/2" drive but it was in the work trailer I'll try that next time and report back. My son's 18 volt Ryobi was good for 5 holes with the same auger. this was on arbutus lake in tc, about 5" of white crappy ice with 3-4 of black ice underneath. Not a great replacement for a gas auger but will do for now, hard to cough up the money when the weather is so iffy


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## stillfish (Dec 5, 2005)

I want to know how people do with 12 inches or more of ice..


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## anthonyjj (Dec 5, 2010)

The volts isn't the main key. Sure it provides the amount of energy that you have for the _quantity _of ice removed, but not the strength or power needed to cut that ice. 

What is really important for cordless drill for cutting holes is *torque.

* The drill can have 36v battery but very low torque, and it will overburden the drill's motor and burn it out eventually.

If you decide to use a cordless drill, make sure the drill has:


two RPM speed setting (low and high), always cut ice on LOW rpm speed
its torque MUST be at least 400-425 inch-pounds (in-lbs) or greater. any less and you risk drill damage.
Also, drilling with an 8" auger versus a 6" auger will require the removal of significantly more ice, so the drill will have to do more work. Although only 2" inches more in diameter, the area of the 8" hole (which is PI x radius squared) is about 50 surface inches, whereas a 6" hole is about 28 surface inches. So there is a LOT more ice to remove. Which means less holes cut, unless you have larger powered (more amp-hours) batteries or more of them.

I have a Hitachi drill with 2 lithion ion batteries (18v/1.5 amp-hours each) and a 6" Strikermaster Lazer auger. I can drill about 16-20 holes in 6"-8" of ice on a single battery. My drill is rated for 460 in-lbs torque.

Tips:


Keep auger blades sharp.
Keep batteries warm (in interior coat pockets). Keeping battery out in cold lessens their effectiveness.
Good luck and tight lines.


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## Ralph Smith (Apr 1, 2003)

Either get an electric auger like the strikemaster electra, or the ice gator. If you want to use a hand drill, go big like 24v or 36v in 1/2" for the torque. Make sure to put on side handle to help keep from breaking a wrist if it slips out of your hand. There is an icegator and a 36v dewalt in the classified section on here. Looking forward to the report from above with the 1/2" drill. Also stay with either 6" or 7" at most. You gain alot of suface(sq.in.) just going up 1".


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## anthonyjj (Dec 5, 2010)

Forgot to mention. I got a pocket video camera for Christmas. 

The next time I am out, I will video tape myself cutting holes with my cordless drill. 

Unfortunately, I won't be back out on the ice until Superbowl weekend (as long as we still have safe ice).


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## zeeke33 (Feb 7, 2009)

Drill torque and the auger is the key, need an easy cutter like a Nils etc. if you want lots of holes. It's like anthonyjj said, an 8" hole is twice as much ice to remove as a 6". You just need to be realistic, you don't expect your Taurus to tow your 24ft walleye rig, but it can pull that 10ft. Jon boat to go after some gills.


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## fishx65 (Aug 24, 2005)

Great info everyone! I have not had another chance to try mine but inserting the auger bit to the last hole seems to have made it operate much smoother. Gonna give it another go this week. I also might spend some green on a drill with lots of torque. Anyone have a good idea of what drills I should be looking at?


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## Capt. Lucky (Jun 22, 2002)

i have a 5in. lazer that i put in a sears 19.2 drill been using it for 5 years and have had to replace 1 batt. hope this helps


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## Ralph Smith (Apr 1, 2003)

fishx65 said:


> Great info everyone! I have not had another chance to try mine but inserting the auger bit to the last hole seems to have made it operate much smoother. Gonna give it another go this week. I also might spend some green on a drill with lots of torque. Anyone have a good idea of what drills I should be looking at?


http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408417

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405909

Too late on the drill, its gone.


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## brdhntr (Oct 1, 2003)

My 19.2 volt craftsman works fine with my 6"mora. I don't start using it until we get 6 or more inches of ice, never had a lack of cutting power, but I usually carry 2 batteries. As was said, use the low setting, and be sure you have good sharp blades.


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## lookinfopike (Dec 21, 2005)

buggs said:


> I keep reading these posts where people swear by them, but my 18v dewalt and 19.2 volt craftsman just cant keep up with my 6" mora (with brand new blades!!!), destroyed a dewalt last year using a 8" mora?? I seen a video with a 24 volt bosch that looked like it did a good job with a 6" auger, but unless you have a 4" auger, in my opinion the 18volt drill just dont have the torque to handle the job. I see on this site that some folks claim their 18volts drill 6 and 8" holes all day long useing mora's and strikemasters, I'd really like to see it for myself. Today I tried one last time but ended up just taking it off the brand new craftsman drill and just used the handle the auger came with, 10 seconds later I was done. The people that I know personally that have tried these with 18v drill have all, to the man, been dissapointed - yet there are those on this site that swear they get 20 holes with 6 and 8" augers useing 18v drills. If they're being honest than I guess me and you just have "lemmon" drills.



And by the time you go through two or three high dollar drills, extra batteries and chargers. And then purchase one of the many basement made drill adapters that say they are the best. Only to go through another drill. Why even mess with the hassle of all that. These drills are not cheap. After you wasted your time and money on this. You could have done it right the first time and bought a Icegator. The drill is a great idea for first ice and to drill a few holes through thin ice. But not worth the hassle. Electric is the way to go. No hassle, no pulling of cords, no choking, no waiting to warm up, no fuel and oil mess, no more stinky jet sled or shanty. no more propane tanks, no more spark plugs and no more annoying dirt bike sounds. Plus they are acceptable on any lake at any time. Can charge in your house, car charger, off your quad or vehicle. I would put the Icegator up against any other manufactured ice auger be it a hand powered, gasoline, propane or electric. Keep your tools in the toolbox where they belong. Until Snap On, Matco or any of the other high quality tool manufacturers come out with there own line of custom ice fishing augers.:lol:


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## The_Don (Apr 28, 2008)

buggs said:


> I keep reading these posts where people swear by them, but my 18v dewalt and 19.2 volt craftsman just cant keep up with my 6" mora (with brand new blades!!!), destroyed a dewalt last year using a 8" mora?? I seen a video with a 24 volt bosch that looked like it did a good job with a 6" auger, but unless you have a 4" auger, in my opinion the 18volt drill just dont have the torque to handle the job. I see on this site that some folks claim their 18volts drill 6 and 8" holes all day long useing mora's and strikemasters, I'd really like to see it for myself. Today I tried one last time but ended up just taking it off the brand new craftsman drill and just used the handle the auger came with, 10 seconds later I was done. The people that I know personally that have tried these with 18v drill have all, to the man, been dissapointed - yet there are those on this site that swear they get 20 holes with 6 and 8" augers useing 18v drills. If they're being honest than I guess me and you just have "lemmon" drills.


I have an 18V Porter Cable i used all last year with the ni-cad batteries. I could get 8 sometimes 9 holes out of 1 battery. Could have probably got more if i drilled them all at once, but when i get there only need 6 holes and dont move for a few hours. So if i moved could get 2 sometimes 3 holes then put on the other battery and drill the rest.



stillfish said:


> I want to know how people do with 12 inches or more of ice..


 For most of the season I'm drilling through 14-19" of ice with the results above on a 6" mora. Haven't seen the need for anything bigger, pulled 11# lake trout through it.


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## fishx65 (Aug 24, 2005)

OK boys, I need a quick drill lesson. I picked up a Milwaukee 18 volt lithium ion hammer drill. Got a pretty good deal on it ($194.00) and it came with 2 batteries. Model # is 2602-22. Is this a really good drill? I'm guessing that using the hammer feature is a bad idea with an ice auger? Any other models I should be looking at? I noticed the Rigid had a lifetime warranty on the drill and the batteries.


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## IceFreek (Jan 16, 2012)

Just save another $100, wait for the Cabela's friends and family, and get an auger. The drill thing is just a money pit. Good drill, nuerous batteries, auger blades, etc. Just put the money in up front, you'll come out ahead in the end. Just bought the Strikemaster Electr-Lazer 8". Drilled 38 holes on Saturday without coming off the the green charge light.


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