# Auger hole count? Propane and Electric



## sly222 (Dec 11, 2010)

I'm wondering how many holes can be drilled before you have to replace propane tank/battery? Lets say.. 6"-12" of ice on average.

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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

You'll get more holes out of a tank of propane than you will out of a single charge on a battery.


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## Junio58er (Dec 21, 2008)

You'll get 25-30 holes in that thickness of ice with an electric. I carry two extra batteries in a pouch in my sled. If I need to drill 75 holes in one trip ice fishing I might as well go home because the fish are obviously not biting anyhow. 

You'll get more holes out of a tank of propane like said.


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## gillcommander (Oct 19, 2011)

My Icegator with a full charge will get way more than 30 holes. I have only ran it dead one time and that was due to a faulty charger and there wasn't a full charge on the battery. Even when I am carpet bombing and looking for fish I never have a problem with battery life.


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## MECDave (Dec 28, 2010)

Junio58er said:


> If I need to drill 75 holes in one trip ice fishing I might as well go home because the fish are obviously not biting anyhow.


:evil:


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## sly222 (Dec 11, 2010)

I'm assuming the batteries are getting better now.. Maybe last a little longer.

What about propane augers? Does anyone know how many holes you can get with one tank of propane?


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## Junio58er (Dec 21, 2008)

Battery systems depend on which electric auger you look at. The Ice Gator series can be 24v to 36v systems where the batteries vary from $80 to a whopping $280 for the Lithium Ion batteries. They will give you more holes obviously but I would never pay that for an auger and batteries. I also read constantly about poor quality and poor service from Ice Gator. The strikemaster uses one basic 12V 9amp batteries that you can buy an extra for around $29.00 as it comes with one.

The propane augers will get you over 75 holes per tank. You need to answer for us what exactly type of ice fisherman you are. Are you a shanty user that might move a handful of times a day? This is where an electric is perfect. Are you a lunatic with an auger that moves every ten minutes to find fish making swiss cheese out of the ice. If you are then a propane will suit your drilling need better. Like I said, If I have to drill 75 holes to find some perch on a single outing I'm heading home to drink beer and watch football instead. When I go home I throw my batteries on the chargers and don't have to worry about shi+ the next time in regards to the auger starting or anything else. How do you ice fish?


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## sly222 (Dec 11, 2010)

Junio58er said:


> Battery systems depend on which electric auger you look at. The Ice Gator series can be 24v to 36v systems where the batteries vary from $80 to a whopping $280 for the Lithium Ion batteries. They will give you more holes obviously but I would never pay that for an auger and batteries. I also read constantly about poor quality and poor service from Ice Gator. The strikemaster uses one basic 12V 9amp batteries that you can buy an extra for around $29.00 as it comes with one.
> 
> The propane augers will get you over 75 holes per tank. You need to answer for us what exactly type of ice fisherman you are. Are you a shanty user that might move a handful of times a day? This is where an electric is perfect. Are you a lunatic with an auger that moves every ten minutes to find fish making swiss cheese out of the ice. If you are then a propane will suit your drilling need better. Like I said, If I have to drill 75 holes to find some perch on a single outing I'm heading home to drink beer and watch football instead. When I go home I throw my batteries on the chargers and don't have to worry about shi+ the next time in regards to the auger starting or anything else. How do you ice fish?




Actually I was looking at the Jiffy products mostly.. I know they have well known augers, but not sure about there electric or propane ones. I have a cousin that owns a jiffy Gas auger not sure on the model number but it works well and his buddy owns a propane one. Im just stuck on the performance and reliability factor of the the electric or propane ones. 

As for what type of fisherman I am.. I mostly sit in a shanty with tip-ups set around me and will move a handful of times looking for the best spot.


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## catfisher69 (Nov 3, 2011)

I bought an Eskimo ice auger new 2 weeks ago heard viper motors are the best out rite now! I got on you tube and watched the z71 Eskimo 10 inch smoke the jiffy propane so I bought a z51 with a custom 9 inch bit from Eskimo haven't tried it out yet but can't wait! Im a mover if fish aren't biting although im a beer drinker hut kinda guy also 2 augers 3 clam 5600 tip ups and 3 marcum flashers and a fish tv were ready to rock from Iowa 

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## Junio58er (Dec 21, 2008)

sly222 said:


> Actually I was looking at the Jiffy products mostly.. I know they have well known augers, but not sure about there electric or propane ones. I have a cousin that owns a jiffy Gas auger not sure on the model number but it works well and his buddy owns a propane one. Im just stuck on the performance and reliability factor of the the electric or propane ones.
> 
> As for what type of fisherman I am.. I mostly sit in a shanty with tip-ups set around me and will move a handful of times looking for the best spot.


Then an electric is what I believe would suit you. Pick it up, push button and drill, lay it down. There aren't more reliable augers in my opinion. Like I said, when you don't have carbs, plugs, lines, hoses, leaks, gas, oil, filters, pull ropes you don't have the problems that all augers get eventually from them. Can you have a problem with an electric auger? .... Sure. Have I ever?....no. If your idea of performance is simply speed then your gas/propane augers are going to win. Some people feel that augers need to be part of a drag racing club like you win a prize for getting through a hole first. I sold my faster gas for an easier to maintain, easier to use, more reliable solution. It works best for me.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

sly222 said:


> I'm wondering how many holes can be drilled before you have to replace propane tank/battery? Lets say.. 6"-12" of ice on average.
> 
> _OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors._


 Use a hand auger for 6" that is not worth pulling the cord to start a gas auger. On an average trip I drill 10 or more holes by hand through 24 to 30 inches of ice. I wish that all that I had to cut was 6 inches of ice. That is about 20 seconds with my auger. I laugh:lol::lol::lol::lol: at guys who pay $400 to cut through 6 inches of ice on a regular basis.


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## sly222 (Dec 11, 2010)

Junio58er said:


> Then an electric is what I believe would suit you. Pick it up, push button and drill, lay it down. There aren't more reliable augers in my opinion. Like I said, when you don't have carbs, plugs, lines, hoses, leaks, gas, oil, filters, pull ropes you don't have the problems that all augers get eventually from them. Can you have a problem with an electric auger? .... Sure. Have I ever?....no. If your idea of performance is simply speed then your gas/propane augers are going to win. Some people feel that augers need to be part of a drag racing club like you win a prize for getting through a hole first. I sold my faster gas for an easier to maintain, easier to use, more reliable solution. It works best for me.



I not looking on how fast an auger can get through the ice, only how well it performs. Will I have to keep on replacing parts, will have I have to fuss around with it to get it to start, those are the things Im trying to eliminated. I'm looking at something that will last me for many years and not on how fast I can get through the ice, just how many holes I can drill without having my auger quit. Really I'm only looking for quality not speed.


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