# Ice Auger



## ajwildcat (Mar 27, 2008)

Well after 17+ yrs of ice fishing it is FINALLY time for me to purchase a gas powered auger. So what should I look for, what should I try to avoid? I want one that will run for years when taken care of. Is there a certain brand that is better than others? Any info on these would be greatly appreciated as Santa is looking to bring me one for Christmas (thankfully me and Santa are rather tight in my house )


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

are you dead set on gas auger? Power hand drilll ones are pretty sweet. I'm gonna make one this year after seeing how well my buddies did. Never have to worry about it starting or anything, just carry a couple extra batteries for it and good to go, and faster than gas augers.


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## ajwildcat (Mar 27, 2008)

utahgolf said:


> are you dead set on gas auger? Power hand drilll ones are pretty sweet. I'm gonna make one this year after seeing how well my buddies did. Never have to worry about it starting or anything, just carry a couple extra batteries for it and good to go, and a lot faster than gas augers.


A friend of mine had a power hand drill one and needless to say the experience was not a positive one.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have had a Eskimo power auger for about 20 years now and have no real problems with it. You just have to remember that it is a 2cycle engine and needs to be maintained each year. The only problem that I had with it is when we had to auger through 6' of ice one time, it didn't make it. We did have a manual auger in the truck and used that to finish off the hole. 

If you have any doubts about it starting when you get to your fishing pond you really need to start it up before you leave the house, that way your trip will not be ruined if it doesn't start out on the ice.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

ajwildcat said:


> A friend of mine had a power hand drill one and needless to say the experience was not a positive one.


what happened? You just have to have the proper one, a powerful enough one with a low torque setting. We ice fished the gorge last year and that was plenty thick and drilled a ton of holes, same as the berry and bear lake. A good power drill ain't cheap but what a great excuse to get one cause you'll use it for a lot of things other than ice fishing.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)




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## ajwildcat (Mar 27, 2008)

utahgolf said:


> are you dead set on gas auger? Power hand drilll ones are pretty sweet. I'm gonna make one this year after seeing how well my buddies did. Never have to worry about it starting or anything, just carry a couple extra batteries for it and good to go, and faster than gas augers.


Do you have a link for one that works well?


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

the link I posted is the same setup I think my buddy uses, 18 volt drill with that torque setting. I do know the bigger the blades the more it sucks battery down, I believe 7 inch blades are ideal and can drill quite a few holes. but you can make that attachment for it so you don't have to worry about the auger falling down the hole or you can buy it off of a couple different sites.


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## ajwildcat (Mar 27, 2008)

That link shows one very similar to what my friend was using, it was a total piece of crap. Probably just old batteries or an abused drill.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

look up "Nils Ice Auger", on youtube. its hand held but I think it will change your mind about buying a gas auger. I don't have anything against gas power, but what if you get out and it doesn't start?? less complications with hand held in my opinion


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

goosefreak said:


> look up "Nils Ice Auger", on youtube. its hand held but I think it will change your mind about buying a gas auger. I don't have anything against gas power, but what if you get out and it doesn't start?? less complications with hand held in my opinion


I have been ice fishing now for around 20 years and have never had a problem with my gas auger starting out on the ice. At least 2 trips a week with multiple holes each trip.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Critter said:


> I have been ice fishing now for around 20 years and have never had a problem with my gas auger starting out on the ice. At least 2 trips a week with multiple holes each trip.


+1

The key is summer storage. Drain the fuel, fog it with a fogging oil as it runs runs dry. In the fall, use fresh gas with some seafoam added. My only issue I've had with my 15 year old auger was from a leaking gas cap that cost $6 to replace last year.

-DallanC


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

i'v never had a problem starting my nils hand auger, and would would square off with some gas powered ones any day, i'v cut holes with that auger just as fast as a gas powered one has. to each is own right??


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

goosefreak said:


> i'v never had a problem starting my nils hand auger, and would would square off with some gas powered ones any day, i'v cut holes with that auger just as fast as a gas powered one has. to each is own right??


I won't say that hand augers are not fast and easy but I will say that after drilling a dozen holes in the ice for the kids and others that your arms may feel like they are about to fall off if you get that far by yourself.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

goosefreak said:


> i'v never had a problem starting my nils hand auger, and would would square off with some gas powered ones any day, i'v cut holes with that auger just as fast as a gas powered one has. to each is own right??


I've been at Strawberry with 40" of ice to get through... with my wife and kid, 2 pole permits, that's easily 7-8 holes for fishing, fish finder and camera.

If you want to race drilling 8 holes in those kinds of conditions just hollar 8)

-DallanC


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

goosefreak said:


> look up "Nils Ice Auger", on youtube. its hand held but I think it will change your mind about buying a gas auger. I don't have anything against gas power, but what if you get out and it doesn't start?? less complications with hand held in my opinion


Nils are nice, in about 6" of ice. If the ice is thicker and you move around and drill 30 or more holes in 24" of ice, you'll want something powered by something other than your arms.
Something else to consider, a Nils hand auger is almost half the price of a gas auger.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I'm young and strong, I'm a 27 year old Framer, my arms see some action. I usually punch out 10-15 holes for the group by myself in 20 min.. its no problem. DallanC, I didn't say I'd beat you in a race, but why not make it an even 10 holes just to make it fun dude I'v punched through 19" of ice in 35 sec with that nils hand auger. look up some of the demo's they do with that auger. I know, i know its hard to believe a hand auger can be so good, but look it up... all i'm saying is that if people want to they can go out and buy a $120. ice auger that is almost as fast as a $500 one or $300 if you go cheep.. however, I do hear what your saying. Your auger kicks azz! so does my Nils.


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## ajwildcat (Mar 27, 2008)

I am NOT interested in a hand auger of any type, I don't need to prove my toughness or whatever anymore by hand drilling. I am looking for ease of use in drilling multiple holes and now that I can afford a nice auger, I want a nice POWER auger.:grin:


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## OKEE (Jan 3, 2008)

Wildcat your going to wonder why you waited so long for a power auger. I have a Eskimo auger( like critter) and it does the job . I fire it up before leaving the house never had any starting problems. I've seen better out on the ice with more power. I'm just not up on all the brands. Mine was a Christmas present also. If Santa is buying get a gas powered auger you wont regret it.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Gas-powered augers are the spawn of the devil. Get an electric auger.

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/10-equipment/40090-ion-electric-auger.html

I also use a 6" Nils.

Both of my augers start every time.

Oh, and my dad can beat up your dad.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I've been using a gasoline powered ice auger since 1977 and I'm done with them; had enough of the no-starting SOBs. Good bye, good riddance, see ya later alligator. I will quit ice fishing before I will pull on another rope starter in order to drill a hole in the ice.

So I got an ION electric ice auger!!









No more gas, no 2-cycle oil, no mixing, no spills, no fumes.
No mo gas cans
No mo pulling on a rope starter
No more Seafoam or Sta Bil
No mo annual draining the fuel tank
No mo annual changing of the fuel pump diaphragm 
No mo small engine repair bills
No mo carburetor kits
No more carrying an owner's manual and a tool kit
No mo noise

Made by the same company that markets Eskimo augers and equipment, their advertisement claims:
40 holes in 24" of ice on a single charge
NO COMBUSTION ENGINE
Charges in 2 hrs
No catch design for a clean bottom hole 
22 lbs, 21 lbs without the shaft extension; 60% less weight than most gasoline-powered 
See: http://www.ioniceaugers.com/

Top of the page!!

.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Do you get a kickback or something everytime you (re)post on the Ion?


-DallanC


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Do you get a kickback or something everytime you (re)post on the Ion?
> 
> -DallanC


ah, ha, ha, ho, ho, hee, hee......no

Hey, we should all get together and have an ice drilling contest; hand augers, electrics, gas augers.

How 'bout January 7, give the gasoline-powered auger guys time to get their drills running. :mrgreen:


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I'd honestly love to hear how the batterys hold up over time. Pretty much every lith-ion battery powered tool I've owned has had the batteries die way too quickly. I am very biased against them and feel like I've wasted too much money. I have a few brand name cordless drills & cordless saws all pretty new just sitting in a drawer because the batteries are toast and replacements are too expensive for what life you get out of them.

Some quick googling shows a few people with ION auger battery failures, hopefully that is the exception though.


-DallanC


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## OKEE (Jan 3, 2008)

That would be fun to see wyogoob. please post the video.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> I'd honestly love to hear how the batterys hold up over time. Pretty much every lith-ion battery powered tool I've owned has had the batteries die way too quickly. I am very biased against them and feel like I've wasted too much money. I have a few brand name cordless drills & cordless saws all pretty new just sitting in a drawer because the batteries are toast and replacements are too expensive for what life you get out of them.
> 
> Some quick googling shows a few people with ION auger battery failures, hopefully that is the exception though.
> 
> -DallanC


My quick Googling shows people with good luck with their Ion batteries. Geeze, maybe I cherry-picked some to prove my point. :grin:

A battery or two a year wouldn't hurt me at all. Anything but a gasoline-powered POS. I don't own snowmobiles or any of those ATV thingies so I have money to throw away.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

OKEE said:


> That would be fun to see wyogoob. please post the video.


The old Goob, a 62-year old cripple, drilling 24" of February ice, one-handed in 12 seconds:






That's after I already drilled 15 holes or more.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> ah, ha, ha, ho, ho, hee, hee......no
> 
> Hey, we should all get together and have an ice drilling contest; hand augers, electrics, gas augers.
> 
> How 'bout January 7, give the gasoline-powered auger guys time to get their drills running. :mrgreen:


I left out spuds. To be fair we have to let the guys with ice spuds compete against the girls with power augers. There are Utahns with ice spuds aren't there?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

It sound great, but the more I google the more I am finding people having problems with batteries.

http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/wfn-ambassadors/post/ion-ice-auger-review

It seems the root problem is that the batteries get too cold. It works fine while its warm but when it gets too cold it stops completely. ION recommends you keep the core at 40 degrees or warmer... they recommend you store your battery in a pocket or in the car between holes if its too cold. -O,-

A response from ION a person posted:



> From: "Ardisam INFO" <[email protected]>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 12:09:27 PM
> Subject: RE: Ion Auger
> 
> ...


Saw some clever people using insulated crock-pot "warmers" and a few handwarmers to keep their batteries warm, they report it works great... but its added hassle.

I would like to replace my old gasser if / when it dies... and ION does look interesting.

-DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

PS, not trying to come off as bashing the ION, it does look snazzy... I just want to make sure I understand the pitfalls and short comings up front. Its pretty expensive, more than double what my gas auger cost.


-DallanC


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

DallanC said:


> PS, not trying to come off as bashing the ION, it does look snazzy... I just want to make sure I understand the pitfalls and short comings up front. Its pretty expensive, more than double what my gas auger cost.
> 
> -DallanC


what about my Nils hand auger?? isn't it snazzy? no batteries needed and a lot less downward arm pressure than most hand augers


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

goosefreak said:


> what about my Nils hand auger?? isn't it snazzy? no batteries needed and a lot less downward arm pressure than most hand augers


No, my days of using a hand auger are done forever. :mrgreen:

-DallanC


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Just curious Goob, how much is a spare battery for the Ion?
IMO, it should come with one for that ungodly price! Nice auger though. Wish I had the dough.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

brookieguy1 said:


> Just curious Goob, how much is a spare battery for the Ion?
> IMO, it should come with one for that ungodly price! Nice auger though. Wish I had the dough.


Looks like around $160'ish

http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Performance-Auger-Replacement-Battery/dp/B00A80C8J8

-DallanC


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> Just curious Goob, how much is a spare battery for the Ion?
> IMO, it should come with one for that ungodly price! Nice auger though. Wish I had the dough.


I paid $140 at L&M but I really don't care how much they are. :-? I found out there's 36 volt batteries made for power tools at a much lower price that work on the Ion. So I took my Ion to the hardware store and found some that worked but they didn't have any in the Lime Green color.....I'm sayin', ya gotta look good out on the ice. 

I read all the reviews I could then I talked to some friends from Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota, people that really know ice-fishing They convinced me to get one.

This is from my Ion Auger thread:

So I've used the thing twice, drilled 30-32 holes in 24" of ice and the battery gauge shows 2 out of 3 lights of power left. Yesterday it was 20°, today it was 7° when I left the ice. The Ion drills faster than any of my gas-powered augers did. The internet reviews say the lithium ion batteries are temperature sensitive (seems dumb) so I kept the battery in the house between trips.

Eskimo says the Ion batteries are good for about 500 charges.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> PS, not trying to come off as bashing the ION, it does look snazzy... I just want to make sure I understand the pitfalls and short comings up front. Its pretty expensive, more than double what my gas auger cost.
> 
> -DallanC


Yeah, makes sense. Hard to just retire a gas auger that's working fine. So far the battery thing hasn't been an issue. I get way more holes per charge than what Ion claimed in their advertisement.

By the way if yo uread my thread on the Ion, I alluded to the batteries not liking the cold. But note that one day it was around 7° and I purposely laid the Ion on the ice in the snow all day to see what effect it would have. Seemed to be OK and that was after I drilled a bunch of holes the day before without charging the battery.

It's one of the coolest things I ever bought outside of tap water in a plastic bottle.....uh just kiddin, I don't buy water in a plastic bottle.


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