gas versus electric auger

a month or two ago, I was pretty set on getting a Strikemaster Lazer Mag or Pro, I have there opportunity to get a great deal on the new Ion. Ive seen the videos and read reports of how you have to keep the batteries warm, this is no different to me the using my 6″ laser with my drill when the ice is 8″ or less. I have also seen how you can take the Ion and use the 6″ Laser on it extending battery life compared to using only the 8″ bit on the Ion. When walleye fishing I usually drill up to 30 holes, when I’m per fishing I might drill 50+ holes

My questions is, has anyone that bought the Ion regretting going electric versus gas?

Yes, Me.
I would only recommend the ION if you have a permanent house because of no fumes.
I bought an ion 2 years ago, took it up to LOTW, the battery got cold and then the auger work intermittently. Warmed the battery and started drilling, the guys with a gas auger drilled holes 2 to 3 times faster.
So I bought an Eskimo, took it up to LOTW last year, it was very cold and didn’t start well, then the recoil broke.
Went into the bait shop and bought a Jiffy propane auger. I will NEVER own anything else.
So to answer your question Ion vs Gas. I’ll take propane.

I got an Ion last season due to all the great reviews. I drilled one whole and sold it. Now I did buy a 10″ bit and most will say now that it is under powered for the 10″ which is the case. It was slow and sticky. I honestly knew on the first whole I drilled with it that I made a mistake. Might be a better auger with a 6″ or an 8″ but it cost me $100 to find out for my self. Also had a Jiffy pro and it was fine, cut well and started great but with an extension and a 10″ bit the thing was too heavy for me. I have been using the SM Honda lite and think its great. Lite, cuts fast and very little fumes. I have 3 of them now. (I rent fish houses) With that said I did blow one up last year but warranty took care of it. So we will see how they hold up but starting, cutting and the weight is awesome. I will also add that it re-opens great.

Gas has 10x the power for the weight as the very best battery. Bought a Nills last year I mix 80 to 1 very few fumes, fast light. Takes some time to get used to how it cuts and you have to avoid dirty ice, great little machine though.

ive got a strikemaster lithium lazer and will never go back to gas. i fish very high elevation (8,000+) lakes and for some reason ive never been able to get the gas to perform like it should up that high. ive punched over 50 holes in 2′ of ice on a single charge and havent looked back yet!!

Clam Plate w/the Milwaukee M18 Fuel drill that last 3-4 years. Will never go back to gas. I use lazer and kdrill augers. I do however keep a gas powerhead around for trips that may have 30″+ ice.

I purchased the 8″ K-Drill last year and paired it with the Milwaukee. It is a great setup for the wheelhouse or run and gun. My friends were skeptical, but ended up blown away by the performance, speed and weight. I would not be afraid to go electric. I still have my gas Strikemaster for the same reason as Andy.

I was always skeptical about electric augers. That is until I owned one. The last two years I ran the original Ion and will NEVER go back to gas. The ion cuts just as fast, if not faster, no mess, no smell, is super light.. Ive had it out in bitter temps and it never skipped a beat. I did have 2 batteries for mine which was always more than enough. This year I got the Ion X and I cant wait to tear through the ice with it!! 1600″ on a single battery?? Yes please..

I do not regret my decision to purchase an electric auger in the future. For now ill keep lugging around my 33# eskimo and sucking fumes in between efforts to get it started that can last 10 minutes a time, until I can afford the purchase.

Thanks guys. I must have watched 50 you tube videos last night (only half were sponsored by Ion) and I’m going take a chance on the new Ion X. I will post a review on it sometime over the winter

It’s really about how many holes do you intend on drilling? less than 40 (typical ice conditions) then an Electric will be perfect, drill more than 40 (alot more) and you’re better off buying a gas auger (or multiple batteries)

I’ve been an Ion owner for 3 years now, there’s nothing better than taking the auger off the mount and pushing a button to immediately start drilling…and at the end of the day laying it down in your vehicle with no worries of dripping gas everywhere…

what JoeMX said.

one of the main reasons I want it is for how light weight it is. When I pop holes I usually drill a hole and walk about 20-30 feet and pop another one. With my auger I cant do that more than 5x before im gassed (pun intended). I could walk around with the ION all day.

But it doesn’t smell as good…just saying

Had an electric and a gas side by side for a winter because I love my husqvarna and my buddy loves his ion so we always bring both out.
Weight wise, they are practically the same except the center of gravity is in different locaations.
Quickness, about the same.
Longevity, we’ve been able to use most of the battery but the gas held up.
But for my ears, the Ion wins for being quiet.
Pull start happens in 2 or less pulls every time so I guess the husky has that going.

I owned and sold an Ion within the short season last year. Was it fast? yes. What I couldn’t get over is I would kill 2 batteries in less than an outing. I would have to lug the batteries around in my inside coat pocket to keep them warm. The weight of my Nils tanaka is less than the ION, specially with the extension to bring them to the same length.

I will take the little bit of smoke I get at 80:1 over having to deal with dead batteries. If my gas augers “battery” dies, I know where I can get more juice instantly! Wish I could say the same for the ION without spending an additional $150 on another battery. I’ll do a breakdown of cost of owning for 10 years…now this is all IMO, so don’t flame me.

Ion: $579
2 spare batteries: $320
Total: $899

Strikemaster Honda Lite:$600
2 gal gas/yr+oil for 10 years: $82
Total:$682

This is not a flame reply, just information

The whole cold battery issue is easily solved with a dish towel & $10 soft lunch bag at Target or splurge $25 and get the paddled Ion battery bag with hand warmer pockets…Do the math on how many holes you typically drill in an outing before making the decision to buy your auger, if it turns out you’ll need 3 batteries (120 or so holes) to get through your ice fishing day, then you should stick with a gas auger as the Ion would not be cost effective.

There’s a large sub-set of icefisherman like myself that don’t drill more than 40 holes in an outing, for that purpose the Ion can’t be beat, this is the customer the Ion is built & sold for. I picked up an extra battery during the spring clearance sales for less than $100, so I always have a backup if more than 40 holes are needed just in case.

There’s also a sort of unwritten price premium with an electric auger in regards to avoiding the hassles of a gas auger (hard starting, hot exhaust vent after use, dealing with gas spilling, lots of moving parts = more maintenance, did I lay it down on the proper side, etc) I was willing to pay the small price premium to avoid all of that added work/stress/drama…I just pull the trigger and drill..

Figure out how you typically ice fish (# of holes drilled in an outing) the auger solution should then easily present itself…

crappie55369 wrote:

I do not regret my decision to purchase an electric auger in the future.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

There’s a large sub-set of icefisherman like myself that don’t drill more than 40 holes in an outing, for that purpose the Ion can’t be beat

I couldn’t agree more. I guess I forgot to mention that…A good friend of mine bought my old ION and he absolutely loves it. He isn’t a swiss cheese fishermen and it works great for his application. Different stroke for different folks. I happen to be partial to 2-strokes

JoeMX1825 wrote:

The whole cold battery issue is easily solved with a dish towel & $10 soft lunch bag at Target or splurge $25 and get the paddled Ion battery bag with hand warmer pockets…Do the math on how many holes you typically drill in an outing before making the decision to buy your auger, if it turns out you’ll need 3 batteries (120 or so holes) to get through your ice fishing day, then you should stick with a gas auger as the Ion would not be cost effective.

Unless you’re out there on foot pulling a sled, you don’t need additional batteries.

For cordless power tools, I discovered years ago when working in locations that don’t have power, a $30 inverter plugged into your truck, ATV, or snow machine’s lighter plug will charge power tool and auger batteries just fine.

Just bring your charger and plug in the inverter. After a few holes, throw the battery on the charger and top her up.

Grouse

I have a 10 year old Strikmaster 9″ rebuilt the carb once and never have any problems, always starts and drills holes like butter. Do not know what people are doing that they hate there gas augers but I am 100% in love with mine.

There’s no hate, just some folks want to avoid as many potential issues when they finally get to their spot on the ice, using an electric auger eliminates several if not all from an auger standpoint…

bigcrappie wrote:

I have a 10 year old Strikmaster 9″ rebuilt the carb once and never have any problems, always starts and drills holes like butter. Do not know what people are doing that they hate there gas augers but I am 100% in love with mine.

I had to rebuild mine every year until I found out about using non-ethonal gas. Mine can still be tough to start the first use but with normal use, it’s pretty good.