Drills for ice fishing

dewalt 996: uwo or lb/ft, hard to trust the specs, but I know that it will melt those holes in no time. 776 not so much though, maybe some limited use with 6" augers, i personally i found it lacking.

2 x 6AH batteries: someone measured then and they have more like 4.5AH or so but they're good enough. lots cheaper than brand name. Scugog in feb has decent ice and i could drill 15 - 20 holes for the kids. In fact i never used a battery till it died to see how much i can use it for, i usually stop drilling before the battery is out And you still have a spare.

This combo worked very well for me last winter. If you have other dewalt cordless tools, it's probably worth it, just so you can reuse a battery, charger, etc. at today's prices these will be 250 tax in, so that's not too bad.



LET THERE BE ICE!

I had that drill the OP is asking about, because it was from some amazon deal 4 years ago with a 2 amp battery.

It drills 6 inch holes ok, but after 3 or 4 holes the drill will not turn because the lack of torque, so like most guys would.. you turn the drill to punch it through right? WRONG.. the bloody thing burnt out. Now come think of it, the 2 amp battery was probably the culprit as well.

Lesson learned, you need to get a good hammer drill and at least a 5amp battery. Even with those the ice can still stall your drill. You have to back it up, and go full power at it again to save the drill motor.

I run the kobalt for my ice auger or heavy drilling. Here is a video with my Kobalt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NueOm_sjvRw&t=6s

Already posted few days ago...
https://www.lakesimcoeoutdoors.com/forums/i...ndpost&p=437630
My 8" FinnBore III working fine with DeWalt 20V 996

And get ready!

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a70fYOwNvFU[/YOUTUBE]

This post has been edited by dmaster on Nov 30, 2022 - 09:19 pm

Thanks everyone for these responses! greatly appreciated!

sorry this response came so late, been crazy with work, newborn and christmas coming up fast. have had 0 free time.

Nice. By the way, you could simply embed and show your video right here in your post:

[YOUTUBE]https://youtu.be/NueOm_sjvRw[/YOUTUBE]

Thanks Xiaolu, don't do much posting so not good with that spect of social media. Thanks for putting the video on the forum.

I have been using my 20 volt Dewalt on my 8 inch auger for the past 4 seasons . No problem Cuts fine . I have a spare battery and bring it along . I can cut around 40 holes through 15 inches using both batteries .

Are any of you guys running the K drill and what do you think of it. Any pros or cons compaired to the other brands.

I'm using my Ridgid R86116 with 700 or 750 in-lb, depending on which source you use, on my 8" Mora. Cuts quite well except when it seems to hit a layer of water between 2 ice sheets. I guess I did a pretty good job sharpening the blades.

Only benefit to k-drill is reduced weight..... Otherwise I recommend Finbore III
Still on my first set of blades and it cuts just as good today as it did 10 years ago when I bought it.
Don't lend it.... don't drop it...don't bang it.

You need to make a safety plate for your set up if you're not gonna use a Clam plate.

[QUOTE=Washout,Feb 11, 2023 - 04:49 am]

I recommend Finbore III
Still on my first set of blades and it cuts just as good today as it did 10 years ago when I bought it.

Don't lend it!... don't drop it...don't bang it.

 
X2, especially DON'T LEND IT!

A good option is also a hand-auger….I am NOT suggesting it’s a fit for everyone, and in area where thicker ice forms I am sure that I would be using a cordless system also…but for Lake Simcoe where the ice I have drilled is less than 12”….I am through pretty quick. Last weekend with 6-8” of ice - each hole was no more than 10 seconds. I had never used one before picking up a decent used Finn-bore for $40 but I certainly was impressed with how fast they work. Just a thought.

I used a hand auger until a 5 yrs ago. Many people, esp the younger ones, still do. I assume the 73 in your 'handle' is your date of birth and not your age. The Finn bore tends to be easier to use than the Swede bore because one can use both arms to turn the auger. Mine was a Swede and it was becoming quite tiring. I figured if I was to continue ice fishing I would need to get electric. If you have the strength and stamina a manual auger works just fine IMO. The people using hand augers may well be the silent majority on here.