electric auger question?

[Hawg]

I still don't know why anyone would need an extra. If you have a house with a generator,charge it, if not and you're a hole hopper then buy gas. I've never needed an extra battery and mines 2 years old now.

[Lawrence Luoma]

Here is a video I made last ice season. Mille Lacs middle of winter and a 7" Lazer Bit. I was getting 35 holes per battery that day. With DeWalt's new 20V 5Ah battery coming I would imagine 45-50 holes per battery next season.

Clam Drill Plate and DeWalt XR 20V is where it's at!!

[JoeMX1825]

I had the Adapter Plate for a few weeks and sold it. Cool idea for early ice, but it will kill drills when the ice gets thicker and the blade catches an edge or gets off center, I know from experiance....

[Lawrence Luoma]

Joe, Mine lasted all season and 11 tourney weekends. The one in the video drilled well over 5000 holes last season without a glitch. It's good for all season long!!

[aanderud]

Joe, Mine lasted all season and 11 tourney weekends. The one in the video drilled well over 5000 holes last season without a glitch. It's good for all season long!!

I've heard from some folks that have burned up multiple drills in one season on these adapter plates.

For every person that has $300+ invested in a very high quality electric drill with extended life batteries to last all season, there are probably 10 others who ruin $100 to $150 drills in a matter of weeks.

[Hawg]

I agree, expensive drills don't need to get ruined.

[Lawrence Luoma]

You're right on that one. Someone that buys the top of the line DeWalt or Milwaukee Drill with a brushless motor is going to have a great product. Someone that buys a drill in the bargain bin is going to have an bad experience and will have to replace those drills in a short matter of time.

To me though that is just common sense. You get what you pay for. The DeWalt Hammerdrill XR 20V you see in the video rocked all season and every person I know that owned one now sold their gas auger.

[Hawg]

I noticed you were pulling up a few times. My ION will do the same thing with a bigger 7 3/4 drill. Buy the time you buy the plate, the drill, and the auger you're close to the same price.

[B-man715]

MEH, I'll pass on the Clam drill plate.

[hayseed]

I noticed you were pulling up a few times. My ION will do the same thing with a bigger 7 3/4 drill. Buy the time you buy the plate, the drill, and the auger you're close to the same price.

Very true! However with the Ion you have a single purpose unit where I use the heck out of my drill. It will be interesting to see how long I get use out of the drill with the Nils 8" head plus using the drill on nearly a daily basis.

[Redlineracer12]

Very true! However with the Ion you have a single purpose unit where I use the heck out of my drill. It will be interesting to see how long I get use out of the drill with the Nils 8" head plus using the drill on nearly a daily basis.

So you use your drill on a near daily basis during the winter too? Do you know that you take the chuck off in order to mount it on the clam adapter plate? It's not exactly throwing your cordless drill on top of an auger blade and start drilling.

It only really becomes practical if you have a beefy cordless drill laying around that you only use in the summer. Which I do, and have considered the clam plate more than once to replace my Electra

[aanderud]

To me though that is just common sense. You get what you pay for. The DeWalt Hammerdrill XR 20V you see in the video rocked all season and every person I know that owned one now sold their gas auger.

It's not common sense to everyone, or you wouldn't hear stories of people burning out their drills. Also, look at the way they're marketing it -- even in their own marketing videos they basically claim that it'll work with nearly any 18 or 20 volt drill. I've heard the following (paraphrased) quote in several videos:

"It works with almost any 18 or 20 volt drill, which almost everyone has laying around their garage already".

Personally, I don't know many (any?) folks who have a spare $300 drill laying around their garage, whereas I do know plenty of folks who have drills in the $100 to $150 range sitting around. Drills in that price range do a fine job of drilling for the occasional homeowner, but WILL NOT stand up to this application.

Am I arguing that it's not a good product? No, just trying to let folks know that their $150 dewalt drills aren't going to work with it, so don't be looking at this solution as a cost savings. By the time you buy the right drill, the right batteries, the plate, and the auger, you're probably as much as an Ion.

[MuskieJunkie]

I have the clam plate with a dewalt drill, have used it last season and would recommend that.

A few people have said the clam auger is the same price as an Ion.

I paid 140 for the clam plate and auger and 260 for a 20v Dewalt hammer drill, impact driver and two batteries. So $400 (assuming the impact driver that came with the kit is worthless).

The ion is $500 and a spare battery is 150. So $650.

[Lawrence Luoma]

I have the clam plate with a dewalt drill, have used it last season and would recommend that.

A few people have said the clam auger is the same price as an Ion.

I paid 140 for the clam plate and auger and 260 for a 20v Dewalt hammer drill, impact driver and two batteries. So $400 (assuming the impact driver that came with the kit is worthless).

The ion is $500 and a spare battery is 150. So $650.

Bingo! Plus to buy extra batteries you get two 20V 4Ah DeWalt batteries at $160. (New 5Ah batteries at $190 for a pair) Compared to only one ION battery at $150.

[hayseed]

So you use your drill on a near daily basis during the winter too? Do you know that you take the chuck off in order to mount it on the clam adapter plate? It's not exactly throwing your cordless drill on top of an auger blade and start drilling.

It only really becomes practical if you have a beefy cordless drill laying around that you only use in the summer. Which I do, and have considered the clam plate more than once to replace my Electra

[Crappyfisherman]

I have the Clam plate with a Milwaukee Fuel and a blue Mora 6 inch. I also have a Nils power auger. After using the Clam plate set up I'm thinking of selling my Nils. I used the Clam all last winter and loved it. For. Me it is perfect. For hole hopping and walking out it can't be any easier. My wife likes a 8 inch hole, I'm going to try a 7 inch Mora on it this winter. When I fish with her we don't move much. I already had the drill and the auger so the plate and the extension were all I needed. For me it was a good choice as I have a Pace Maker and any weight I can eliminate really helps.

[Crappyfisherman]

Lawrence, thanks for the video. Looks like the 7 inch will work. Have you tried the Mora?

I used a 6 inch Mora and Lazer and the Mora seemed to cut better and smoother. I'm going to try a 7 inch Mora this winter and will post the results.

[Lawrence Luoma]

I have the six inch mora also but really don't like a 6 inch hole for tourney fishing. When fish come off at the hole then they are able to turn back down it. For tourney's I use a 5 inch Lazer and for walleye's I was using the 7 inch Lazer you saw in the video.

[Crappyfisherman]

Is the 5 better at keeping them coming up the hole? I notice with the 6 that I loose a few in the hole.

[Tod Todd]

Don't forget the K Drill been using this set up for two season and have no complaints and in the summer time I can use the drill for something else other that a hat rack.

Here is the ultimate drill assembly designed for hand held cordless electric drills. Using high carbon steel chipper blades, this Drill assembly is designed specifically for re-drilling old holes. The unique centering pin greatly reduces blade jump and allows for a quick and clean hole time and time again when using permanent fish houses. The composite flutes are not designed to throw ice shavings around the inside of your fish house, but instead is designed to make it very easy to remove the ice without getting ice all over the floor.

The K-Drill has its own floatation system to prevent it from sinking down the hole if it comes detached from the drill. Requires a minimum of an 18 volt, high-torque drill for best results.

The K-Drill requires a 1/2 inch drill chuck electric drill. We've found the best drill for the job is the new Milwaukee M18. M18 drills comes with two battery packs and a charger. Each battery is capable of drilling 20 holes in 24 inches of ice.

◾Cutting Speed: 1 inch per second

&#9726;Total Weight: < 10 pounds

Best Electric Ice Auger - Milwaukee M18

8 " K-Drill: $249.95

6 " K-Drill: $199.95