Electric auger

My buddy and I are looking to buy an electric auger. We mostly panfish and hop around a lake quite a bit. We drill at a minimum 30-40 holes per day unless we land on them right away. I was thinking the strikemaster Electra lazer due to the fact we can charge it on the ice. Anyone have any thoughts on this auger? They are cheaper than lithuiums and are cheaper. Just don’t see much on these. Thanks

Lithium setups will charge way faster than any older setup. Milwaukee makes a nice AC/DC charger.

I have an Electra Lazer and would give it a neutral rating. It is nice in that you just push the button and start drilling. Obviously the thickness of the ice is the most significant factor. 6-10″s of ice you might get 30 holes on a single charge…maybe. 20″s of ice, you might be lucky to get 10 holes drilled. It really is best for those that only need or want to drill a few holes, like me. One feature however is it does have an external option you can plug in and then connect to a car, truck, or other larger battery and keep right on drilling. That does limit runnin and gunnin though. It fits it’s niche but is not best for every application.

I also have this auger. Agree with Andy on his comments. Works for me at a dozen hols or less on a trip.

-J.

I agree also with everyone else. Would make a great wheel house auger but don’t expect more than 25 holes if the ice is thicker than 12″. Changing batteries on it can be kind of a pain too vs the other battery augers where they pop on and off easy.

Thanks guys. That’s the info I was looking for. Looks like that might not be the best option for us.

not to beat a dead horse but I would not buy an electric auger unless a guys only fishing in a wheelhouse. to me the extra weight from a gas auger would be better hole hopping for the trade off of drilling faster and not charging or running out of a charge. very interested to see the reviews on the batteries 2-3 years from now.

K drill

I have this auger as well, and I don’t drill 30 holes a day, but I love it. Easy to transport, less expensive and the replacement/extra batteries are only $20. I would rather switch batteries 3 times a day than mess with a gas auger.

$20 is a lot better for a battery than I was hearing on the other electrics. that may be worth checking out. no gas in vehicle big plus!

K drill sounds like a good option but what if your the guy(myself) that would only use the drill for ice fishing and stuff around the house I could do with a cheapo drill anyways. seems like better to buy an auger and skip the drill route unless your using the drill for other stuff often.

copete44 wrote:

I have this auger as well, and I don’t drill 30 holes a day, but I love it. Easy to transport, less expensive and the replacement/extra batteries are only $20. I would rather switch batteries 3 times a day than mess with a gas auger.

I have the same auger and get about the same results. Since it uses the same battery as my Vexilar I always carry a few extra with me. I move around a lot and do fine. I will say that if I had to do it all over, I would now just buy the K Drill and go with that. Again have a few extra batteries, but MUCH lighter weight.

I use the Strike master Lithium lazer with the 8 inch shaver bit and I drill approximately 30 holes a a day sometimes more right now through 14 inches of ice with out any hesitation. I do charge my battery each night before the next day which charges very quickly so if in a pinch you could get a battery charged quickly if you ran short in the morning you could quickly charge for the evening.

Paul Delaney wrote:

I use the Strike master Lithium lazer with the 8 inch shaver bit and I drill approximately 30 holes a a day sometimes more right now through 14 inches of ice with out any hesitation. I do charge my battery each night before the next day which charges very quickly so if in a pinch you could get a battery charged quickly if you ran short in the morning you could quickly charge for the evening.

Yep, therefore is the difference between the Electra and the Lithium. That and the price! I would surmise that the next auger I buy would be the newest Lithium, whenever that may be. By then I would hope it will be my last, not planning on drilling holes at 70 years old!

Joel VandeKrol wrote:

K drill

X2
34 holes drilled in 18″ of ice off 1 battery.
By the time I’ve drained my 1st battery, my 2nd one is recharged.
And I’m not even sponsored by them for me to say this. (Even though I wish I was!)

What is the weight of any of the augers mentioned above? I would factor that in if your going to use it as a hole hoping auger. Shawn

Going off subject a bit but my father in law has a SM chipper lite and that thing drills like a dream. I’m thinking of getting the chipper magnum or the lite as well. Any feedback on those?

Id go with a SM Lithium Laser. My buddy has one and is able to get well over 600 inches for a full charged battery. I believe you can still by a reconditioned unit for like $450. They just installed the recalled parts. Im not saying $450 is easy, just better than the normal $600. Hope this helps.

stevenhand01 wrote:

Id go with a SM Lithium Laser. My buddy has one and is able to get well over 600 inches for a full charged battery. I believe you can still by a reconditioned unit for like $450. They just installed the recalled parts. Im not saying $450 is easy, just better than the normal $600. Hope this helps.

Where do I find the refurbished units? I’ve looked and haven’t had much luck finding them.

http://www.scheels.com/shop/scheels-catalog/strikemaster-lithium-lazer-refurbished-auger-22677-ll-8bu This is the link to Scheels. Its at $449 now. The reconditioned were at $399 but it seems they are out of them. Still a great deal at $150 off.

Has anyone owned or tried the RAZR Lithium Ice Auger by Vista International Corp. out of Minneapolis? I watched a guy on youtube drill around 127 holes in a foot of ice on a single 40v charge battery. Looks impressive.

The refurbished StrikeMaster Lithium Lazer augers available at Scheels are a good buy. They’re brand new augers with an upgraded switch. That’s what I have.

I drilled about 40 holes through 22″ of Mille Lacs ice last night and had plenty of juice left. My battery gauge read 2/3 full.

six inch kdrill and milwaukee m18 fuel on clam plate adapter. best for run and gun hands down

what’s the life of the lithium battery? how many years will last? that is another concern of mine when looking into the electric augers.

I’m guessing 5-6yr average. Many will fall under, but many will get used right and keep ticking. My current drills are all the first gen Fuels with 4ah; I think they are all at least 2 yrs, oldest is over 3 for sure. I don’t see any battery issues with the 6 i have. I use them for powering everything winter and summer and still get plenty of holes off each.

I use the sweet looking Strikemaster nova setups. They match my boat.

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______________ wrote:

I’m guessing 5-6yr average. Many will fall under, but many will get used right and keep ticking. My current drills are all the first gen Fuels with 4ah; I think they are all at least 2 yrs, oldest is over 3 for sure. I don’t see any battery issues with the 6 i have. I use them for powering everything winter and summer and still get plenty of holes off each.

I use the sweet looking Strikemaster nova setups. They match my boat.

thanks. i go ice fishing about 15-20 times per year and that would be all i would use the battery for. sounds like i shouldnt have an issue with it lasting at least 5 years.

rico13gt wrote:

My buddy and I are looking to buy an electric auger. We mostly panfish and hop around a lake quite a bit. We drill at a minimum 30-40 holes per day unless we land on them right away.

I would recommend a 6 inch K drill powered by DeWalt 20 volt 5amp batt Lithium BRUSHLESS drill. This set up will do what you want to do. No Clam plate needed just the drill and auger. Lightweight, quick and efficient.

rico13gt wrote:

thanks. i go <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing about 15-20 times per year and that would be all i would use the battery for. sounds like i shouldnt have an issue with it lasting at least 5 years.

Any Rigid drill sold through Home Depot stores come with a lifetime tool warranty that is also applicable to the batteries that come with the tool. Many folks use the Rigid GEN5x for that reason alone. It’ll turn an ice auger just fine.

I would not recommend the K drill unless you already have a drill that would work, otherwise it is the same price as a strikemaster lithium lazer.

I’m not sure on the difference between the older Electra and the Lithium augers, but I have a friend that had a Electra Lazer and tried a guy’s Ion last year. The next day he went out and purchased the Ion and give the strikemaster to his kids. Said the amount of torque with the lazer was significantly more and the Ion was much easier to drill and was quicker. With that said, nothing beats the speed of a Lazer Pro!

I don’t care what the power head, 100% K-Drill for me. I can switch it from Milwaukee driver drill to Ion, to Strikemaster 3hp Solo with the use of the Univers-all adapter. The shaver blades are too thempermental for me. I sold my Laser drill bit, and the old style 6″ Ion bit that came with it just sits around as a backup in case of emergency.