I used one all last year and it worked just fine. I would not expect to turn a large auger, but it worked well on a 6″ Lazer. How many holes you will be able to drill will vary on the actual drill you use. I used mine on a 12V Dewalt XRP, and a 18V Ryobi and the Dewalt seemed to last a little longer, both had no problem drilling the hole in 18″ of ice, or reopening ice holes in the permanent… but it would hang up some where you would have to lift to get the RPM’s up to break through the bottom of a redrilled hole.
A larger drill (24V) would have been ideal with the 2nd handle for better leverage… even a 12V dewalt will twist the wrist good when the auger gets stuck.
I am going to invest in an electric strikemaster auger after using the drill… I am very happy with battery power, I just want a bit more reserve capicity, or the ability to hook it up to a different power source when needed.
Oh.. keep an extra battery on hand if using a drill, and try to keep your batteries warm before use. A car charger(I dont have) would be ideal. Thick ice will take some juice.