Rookie Wheelhouse question

[MotleyDan]

Just bought my first wheelhouse.  So.... her is my roomie question.  Once I drop the house on the ice.  Is it best to cut the holes before i place the hole sleeves in or place the hole sleeves and then cut the holes?

[Wanderer]

I haven’t used hole sleeves in my house even though I have some.  I lower the house about half way or more, cut the holes, leave the slush piles and set the house down the rest of the way with the slush making a seal around the holes.

I’m still fairly new with wheelhouse myself but this works pretty well in my experience.

[1lessdog]

I do the samething, leave it up and cut the holes. Keep the mess on the ice and your floor dry.

[Nordern]

I have had a wheelhouse for several years and like Wanderer and 1lessdog say leave the house up and use the slush cones to seal around the holes.  One this I have started is to always have the extension on the auger as it is more comfortable drilling w/o having to bend down so much.

[rl_sd]

I drop mine to the ground and use the slush bucket to keep the mess out of the house. Using the bucket leaves just enough shavings around the hole to seal up the bottom of the hole sleeves. I have tried leaving the house up a bit as described above, but never seem to get the holes quite where I want them and have always worried about the slush pile raising hell with the spray foam under the house.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

We do half way down also and just squish it down on the slush pile.

[MotleyDan]

Thanks everyone.  If there are any other tips for this Rookie please add them here.

[slammer]

Do you guys block them up or drop right on the ice?

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Right to the ice for us unless there for a few days, or if it’s warmer out then going to freeze quick.  Nice thing about using the slush from the holes is we didn’t even have to bank the house the first day.  Nice to get fishing right away 

[1lessdog]

I never block mine. If you have a cable system make sure you have a couple of cables made up if you should break one. I change my cables every two yrs . I had both cables break on the same day. I wont ever let that happen again.

[rl_sd]

Only time we block ours is if there is any water on the, usually only a problem late in the season

 

[YettiStyle]

Lots of different opinions on this topic apparently.  I've done about ever single one listed so far and the best way I've found is to lower the ice shack all the way, pop the tops on your catch covers and start drilling holes (try and be as close to the center as possible, no big deal if you're a little off).  Don't clear any of the slush just yet but place the hole sleeves down your holes.  With all the slush still there you may have to step on them to cut through the slush but it makes a really good seal.  Then I sweep what shavings have come up to the house (if any) back down the holes.  Get yourself a slush copter http://www.slushcopter.com/ and start clearing your holes.  I spent the $60+ on a slush bucket and totally regret it after spending my first season hauling slush all season.  The slush copter takes 10 seconds to clear a hole filled with slush and you don't have to lift anything or scoop your holes afterwards.  By far one of the best investments I've made for my ice shack.  Never blocked my shack either but not a bad idea to at least have a spud bar with to break yourself free if you do freeze down. 

 

For some rookie advice:  Get yourself a slush copter and a set of IC Nuts https://winchdrivertools.com/.  Your back will thank you.  Also, if you have a Honda Generator it is mandatory that you get CLICK HERE to change your oil.  It makes empting your oil so much quicker and cleaner.  Other nice add-ons for a Honda generator is the extended-run fuel tank or an hour meter to keep track of hours (for oil changes). 

 

Congrats on the new toy.  Tight lines! 

 

Edited December 11, 2017 by YettiStyle

[aczr2k]

The slush copter works great until you get into the 4' ice on LOW.  I still use the slush bucket in combination with the slush copter, the Nils auger likes to throw ice/slush and it keeps more off the floor and the walls.

[rl_sd]

Electrics augers are crazy nice in wheelhouse. I know that propane and 4-strokes give off WAY less fumes then the augers of yesteryear... but the new auger setups essentially have a slush copter built in with the reverse option.

[MotleyDan]

I sold my old 4 stroke and bought a new electric this year because of the fumes.  Even drilling 4 holes nearly gassed me every time.

 

[rl_sd]

20 minutes ago, MotleyDan said:

I sold my old 4 stroke and bought a new electric this year because of the fumes.  Even drilling 4 holes nearly gassed me every time.

 

I am assuming it was either an Ion, SM Lithium, or drill setup... If it is, no need for a slush copter. I put my slush bucket over the hole... drill... then reverse. In 12" of ice I can do 6 holes with one dump of the bucket. Every 6" beyond that takes another dumping of the bucket.