powered auger

[tbulhead]

If I was going to invest in a powered auger, should I skip gasoline and go get one that runs on propane.

[TileMan Dan]

Probably. Then u wont have to deal with ethanol issues

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Yankee Troller]

A friend of mine has one, and it is very nice. Just read the directions. There are certain positions you cant rest it in or oil will leak out.

[Sk8man]

I gave my power auger away to a friend several years ago. I have been using a Bosch Hammer Drill with a conversion kit (use the bottom half of a 7 inch lazer auger with it ) with lithium batteries and as long as you aren't fishing in places with 3 ft of ice I have drilled over 50 holes in 6 inch ice on one battery and no messing with gas, no fumes, no noise, environmentally friendly, lighter to carry etc. The batteries are rechargeable and come with a quick charger. You set the drill for high torque rather than high speed.

Edited September 10, 2014 by Sk8man

[Chas0218]

I like the regular gas style as I don't have to worry about carrying extra propane cylinders with me. Also If I'm not mistaken the propane is heavier and that is a big deal for me when pulling my sled by hand on early ice.

[carpedium]

I gave my power auger away to a friend several years ago. I have been using a Bosch Hammer Drill with a conversion kit (use the bottom half of a 7 inch lazer auger with it ) with lithium batteries and as long as you aren't fishing in places with 3 ft of ice I have drilled over 50 holes in 6 inch ice on one battery and no messing with gas, no fumes, no noise, environmentally friendly, lighter to carry etc. The batteries are rechargeable and come with a quick charger. You set the drill for high torque rather than high speed.

Les - If possible, could you please post a picture of your setup, or a link to the bit that you use?

 

Thanks!

[Chas0218]

Also the propane regulator can freeze pretty easy. My buddy has one and after drilling 10 holes he set her down and it wouldn't start back up until he thawed it in his shanty.  I have never had an issue with my gas auger it sits outside my shanty when I'm fishing.

[Sk8man]

Sure Matt - The total thing is 42 inches long and the Bosch 1/2 inch hammer drill is the key to it...I tried a Makita, Black and Decker, De Walt  etc. They all failed to do the job. The Bosch is an animal it could pull you into the hole if you're not careful   It is probably the best investment in anything in my whole life. It has had about 5 years use and the batteries are still going strong. I think the conversion kit was about $30 about 5 yrs ago.  I think the hammer drill was about $300 plus and I just used the bottom of a 7 inch Lazer auger for the rest.  I wouldn't go bigger than a7 inch blade though.

Edited September 10, 2014 by Sk8man

[GAMBLER]

I have the Jiffy Pro 4 propane auger and it is awesome.  I did have it freeze up last winter but it was below zero that day.  I used one can of propane all season.  No gas to get all over your hands or gear, quiet and the exhaust is not going to make you choke after one hole. 

[Pequod1]

The newer propanes by Jiffy are quite a bit lighter but but having Gambler or Gator drill holes for me is the way to go!

[Chas0218]

The newer propanes by Jiffy are quite a bit lighter but but having Gambler or Gator drill holes for me is the way to go!

That's why my buddy brought his propane auger to drill my holes too! haha

[carpedium]

Sure Matt - The total thing is 42 inches long and the Bosch 1/2 inch hammer drill is the key to it...I tried a Makita, Black and Decker, De Walt  etc. They all failed to do the job. The Bosch is an animal it could pull you into the hole if you're not careful   It is probably the best investment in anything in my whole life. It has had about 5 years use and the batteries are still going strong. I think the conversion kit was about $30 about 5 yrs ago.  I think the hammer drill was about $300 plus and I just used the bottom of a 7 inch Lazer auger for the rest.  I wouldn't go bigger than a7 inch blade though.

Nice!!! I don't do a lot of ice fishing, so I was looking for something quick and easy that doesn't take a lot of room to store. Thanks for posting pics. 

[John Kelley]

Hell, you boys in New York never have enough ice to even warrant a power auger of any kind. If I were you, I would just buy a hand auger. They are lightweight, and are just as fast as any power auger up to about 7" of ice. Besides that, you get a nice aerobic workout if you drill a few holes, too.

[Silver Fox]

Hell, you boys in New York never have enough ice to even warrant a power auger of any kind. If I were you, I would just buy a hand auger. They are lightweight, and are just as fast as any power auger up to about 7" of ice. Besides that, you get a nice aerobic workout if you drill a few holes, too.

You must mean New York city right?

[John Kelley]

Haha, well I wasn't including the Adirondacks, but the lower tier only ever got about a foot maximum, the two years I was out there ice fishing.

[final flight]

Look into a ION electric auger, lite weight and fast! We drilled 50 holes in 20" of ice it still had 50% battery. Best purchase I've made in years of hard water fishing.

[Chas0218]

Where I was fishing on Lake O last year we were burying our augers up to the gear boxes just to get thru all the ice...I am willing to bet in that area you wouldn't be using an electric auger.

[GAMBLER]

Battery augers are nice but the cold and batteries are not a good mix.  That was my reason for going with propane over battery. 

[tbulhead]

I see Eskimo just came out with a propane auger which is about $100 cheaper than jiffy.

[Chas0218]

Nice I have a Eskimo, love it. My buddies is a jiffy that thing is heavy at least 5-8 pounds difference. Lots of people don't think that it's much but when you pull the sled by hand and by yourself you'll be happy it's lighter.

Sent from my thinking chair...

[chasdc1]

My 8" NILS hand auger goes through 12" of ice in 15 seconds, leaving a mound of sno cone sized ice shavings.

There is an attachment that mates the beast to a cordless drill.

I think that arrangement would be preferable over monkeying with either gas or propane.

Chas

[Silver Fox]

My 8" NILS hand auger goes through 12" of ice in 15 seconds, leaving a mound of sno cone sized ice shavings.

There is an attachment that mates the beast to a cordless drill.

I think that arrangement would be preferable over monkeying with either gas or propane.

Chas

Those things are the cats ass!

[Sk8man]

I believe this is what you are talking about. I've used one for the past 5 or 6 seasons and it truly is "the cats ass". You need a very powerful drill (I use a Bosch 18 volt 1/2 inch  Lithion Hammer Drill with a 7 inch lazer auger). The 8 inch auger will work but you won't get quite as many holes  per battery. Tip: keep the batteries warm in your pockets or jacket and they will last a lot longer. I always carry the spare but have never needed it thus far even for over 50 holes. I have never used it in more than 8-10 inch ice either.....

Edited October 25, 2014 by Sk8man

[FleetTracker]

Nothing beats a NILS auger. Hand or Power... If you haven't used or seen one in action you need to. Your mind will be made up and you'll be smiling every time you need to drill a hole.