Any thoughts on all these electric units? May be in the market for one once my Dewalt starts hitting the fan.
Anyone have good experience with their’s? Any insights into the difference in longevity of the unit, battery quality, weight etc. would be great!
Hopefully mother nature takes it easy on the white fluffy stuff so we can get some more consistent hard water.
I have run a strikemaster 40v for three seasons, great performance and no issues. If the 24 volt had been available at the time I would have gone that route, as I always have ample battery life with the 40v, and the weight savings is worth it to me.
They are all good and unless you’re drilling 200 holes through 40″+ of ice they have completely replaced gas augers…I don’t consider the early Strikemaster that used jumper cables in the same class as today’s Lithium battery brands…Ion started the craze, then as hand drills went brushless guys started using augers with them, then Strikemaster entered the game and is now on the same level as Ion…
They all pretty much perform the same nowadays and the race is who can be the lightest with the most holes drilled on a charge…
Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong…
I agree with Joe you really cannot go wrong with any of them. I would say that I would rather have a dedicated electric auger vs going with the drill route merely because I like the regular handle. I have a 40v Strikemaster and its been flawless.
I agree with Joe you really cannot go wrong with any of them. I would say that I would rather have a dedicated electric auger vs going with the drill route merely because I like the regular handle. I have a 40v Strikemaster and its been flawless.
Same hear, love my 40V
I agree with Joe you really cannot go wrong with any of them. I would say that I would rather have a dedicated electric auger vs going with the drill route merely because I like the regular handle. I have a 40v Strikemaster and its been flawless.
X3
My uncle has the Strikemaster 40v and it’s amazing. That will be the next auger I purchase. I don’t care for the hand-drill set ups either.
I’m another happy owner of a SM 40V going on 3rd season. If you were to go this route, try and find an ice show special kind of thing where you can get a second battery free or discounted. These run around $100 a pop.
Whether it’s the Strikemaster or Ion, you can’t go wrong with either. I’m more of a fan of a dedicated electric auger since these are products designed to cut through ice. Also, by the time you piece together a decent drill and auger set up, you are spending about the same amount as a dedicated auger anyway.
I use a Dewalt XR 20V on a clam plate. Last year I was using a Swede bore 8″ with no issues drilling several holes. I upgraded, I hope, to the Eskimo pistol this year. Just waiting to try it out
Recently tried an Ion Alpha Plus. While I enjoy my 40v, the ion puts it to shame.
I’ve got a strikemaster 24V as do a few friends. I prob drill more holes than all of them but never once has this been an issue.
The 40V costs more, more over the 24V than an extra battery would. That battery is lighter and can be left until you need it. To me that’s a no brainer
I have a first gen Ion and have no complaints. I have never run out of battery charge but admit I don’ t typically drill a lot of holes.
I fully charge it before every outing and try to keep the battery warm.
Lighter than the ancient gas one it replaced. I can’t see ever using anything but an electric for me.
I have a strikemaster 40v and used it several trips to northern LOTW and drilled through almost 4′ of ice with an extension. It worked flawless and it was way below zero. I carried the battery separate from the auger to keep warmer. The guys I went with had gas augers as they said mine would get stuck in the hole and have to leave the auger in the ice. Well after 1 day they left their gas auger on the rack and were using mine! The reverse was key to flush the hole half way down. Great auger you can’t go wrong with one. I never needed a second battery. .
I’ve owned a 40v 24v and now the ion alpha. The ion is the best. Power of the 40v w weight of 24v. Faster than both. Can’t go wrong w any of them. Shop the best deal
You’ll typically find all augers heavily discounted in Late February/early March at the bigger chain stores, heck even Costco had the Ion G2 heavily clearenced last spring…
I’ve owned the original Ion since it was released before upgrading to a G2 two years ago, i’ve happily never looked back…
I have an Ion and my buddy uses a SM. Neither of us can see much difference.
I can’t add on much to what others have already said about the SM40v. So simple, cuts great, has forward and reverse so once you get the hang of it you really don’t even need to scoop any slush out of your hole.
I’ve never drilled hundreds of holes in one day so I haven’t put the battery through extreme use but I’ve never had battery issues. When I bought the 40v it came with a free extra battery and I’ve never touched that one.
reverse so once you get the hang of it you really don’t even need to scoop any slush out of your hole.
That’s one feature I generally dont use on mine. Ive found that the slush ends up under the ice and then when you are bringing up a fish and trying to navigate it through the hole it brings it all up anyway. Especially when the ice is several feet thick.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dan wrote:</div>
reverse so once you get the hang of it you really don’t even need to scoop any slush out of your hole.That’s one feature I generally dont use on mine. Ive found that the slush ends up under the ice and then when you are bringing up a fish and trying to navigate it through the hole it brings it all up anyway. Especially when the ice is several feet thick.
yes, and if using live imaging, the ice particles makes it look like a snow globe for awhile..I still scoop…
I also can’t stand pushing the slush down my hole. I scoop it out.
Just noticed Reeds season end has started; SM 40v 8″ on sale for $479. Not a smoking hot price but normally around $550.
I have the 40v strikemaster and very happy with it. I have two batteries and I have never needed the second but I have a livescope which greatly cuts down the amount of holes I drill compared to when I had a flasher. If I had a flasher I’d need the second battery on most trips.
My buddy has the 24v and it feels like it’s a toy. It is nice for early ice but I wouldn’t want to use it in 2+ feet of ice.
Can’t go wrong with the ion’s either. I have never heard of anyone that has had issues with theirs.
I still own my propane in case I do late season trips chasing perch or Winnipeg walleyes where lots of holes will be drilled in very thick ice.
ION Alpha Gen 3 Auger Electric Ice Auger at Scheels currently $479 for the 10″, $429 for the 8″.
I also can’t stand pushing the slush down my hole. I scoop it out.
X4
And X12 on the SM 40v
I have the ion X and like it. Was going through L&M the other day and was surprised how light a couple of the new augers were. Ion and SM both had light 8” augers that were about 15#’s. They had the plastic augers instead of metal. I would think they would hold up just fine, but maybe somebody that bought and used one could let us know how they like them.
I have the ion X and like it. Was going through L&M the other day and was surprised how light a couple of the new augers were. Ion and SM both had light 8” augers that were about 15#’s. They had the plastic augers instead of metal. I would think they would hold up just fine, but maybe somebody that bought and used one could let us know how they like them.
I too am interested. It cost more than a hundred bucks more for the weight saving but not worth it if they can break easily.
The plastic flite on the strike master is a lite flight bit.
I assume ion is the same but there own bit
The Ion Alpha with the composite bit is the cats meow.
I’m going on year 3 of my Ion G2 with synthetic auger blades, still cuts like new, blades look new…
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