Ice Fishing
Best electric drills for augers
Muskyjo....you’re trying to move the goal posts.
Gear ratio isolated on its own still stands at those ratios regardless of engine size. You’re trying to associate bottom end with top end. Take a 400 small block Chevy and compare it to a 350 small block. The 350 in a racing application has more bottom end than a 400 which has more top end. So you gear them accordingly. With a 33cc stingray sitting on top of a 25:1 transmission she will spin just as fast with no resistance than a 71cc engine will with no resistance provided the engine RPM’s are the same. Put a 50:1 transmission under those same engines with zero resistance and they will turn the same. Now compare them with zero resistance the way they are packaged and sold. The 25:1 will turn faster than the 50:1. Try it. No resistance, identical RPMs on the motor.
As for the conversion plates...again, goal posts being moved as you diverted it to “having two hands on the drill.” Sure, that’s why some people get them but that has nothing to do with gear ratios. Set that completely aside. What is the purpose of the gear boxes? To reduce wear on a drill and to allow guys with lower torque drills to use them on an auger. The Clam gear box is a piece of crap. The Clam plate is a nifty set up. Plate...which gives the two hands on feel is not the same as the gearbox. The ice kicker, which is far superior to the junk that Clam put out with their gear box, is a 2:1 ratio. I ran that plate on a very light black and decker 20v for a few years with zero issues. It slowed the bit down because of the gearing, the drill survived. Took it off of the ice kicker and a 7 inch lazer, put it on a 5 inch mora with less aggressive blades than the lazer and it smoked it after 3 holes. Why? 1:1 the bit was faster than on the kicker. More pressure was on the drill. The drill couldn’t handle a lighter, less aggressive bit. Settings were the same. So...why did that happen based on your interpretation of gear ratios? Why couldn’t it handle 1:1 but had no issues at all with 2:1?
I've ran someone's Z71 with a 10" auger. That's a very fast cutting auger. The Sting Ray I believe I ran that one also and too me it was doggy/slow. The Mako also I have drilled with and fits somewhere in between the Z series and Stingray. Only have seen video review's on the F1 Rocket models and one person said he felt the Rocket was lighter, but not as fast as his Z51.
Gear Ratio in my last statement make's perfect sense when you take into regards how many CC's your power head is. The Z71 with a 25:1 gear ratio is going to fast because you have a bigger implant of a motor. So, when you take and compare the Sting Ray with a higher gear ratio than the Z71, but a smaller engine, sure it's going to be overall slower because the lack of CC's to bore ice hole's. Now you can take a older Jiffy Blast who's gear ratio is 25:1 I believe and a 2hp motor on it and it's going to out perform the Sting Ray as far as cutting speed because in designing Jiffy Blast, the motor and the way the gearing is made, it make's more of a match versus the Sting Rays poor design.
Big motor, little motor, when that engine's power is transferred to a set of gears the end performance of whatever it's being applied to such as a Auger's/Drills speed and power is just a fact.
As far as the Clam and the other manufacture's conversions or cordless drills/auger's, gear ratio is replace by the cordless drills RPM's and Torque. So whether there conversion kit's are 1:1 or 2:1 make's no big difference in cutting speed because the power is being transferred from your Cordless Drills power source and design. That power and torque from the cordless drill is essentially direct to your auger whether using a conversion kit with 1:1 gear or 2:1. If you have a two or three speed Cordless Drill though you want to operate it in conjunction with your auger or conversion on it's lowest speed because the drills highest Torque settings are maximized. All these conversion kits are for those who like to have two handles to hold on too and a hand throttle. Take your chuck of your Cordless Drill, mount it on the conversion and then attach what ever size or brand auger.
Note: Yes a smaller motor based on it's build can put out more horsepower, hence the build of even of today's new Cordless Drills design's and today's better make of batteries and Amp Hours for longevity on a charge for drilling more hole's thru the ice.
“If your gear ratio say on a gas powered Auger are 12 to 1, then you have more Torque typically and power, just not the speed. If it the gear ratio is 25 to 1, then you have less Torque typically, but the speed is faster.“
This is incorrect. Based on what you’ve said in that quote, an Eskimo Z71 with a gear ratio of 25:1 turns slower than an Eskimo Stingray which has a gear ratio of 50:1. Nope. It makes zero sense to have a 33cc engine spinning a bit faster than a 71cc engine. My Mako (43cc) at 30:1 turns a bit considerably faster than a Stingray...but slower than a Z71.
In regards to drills, when you look at the ice kicker or the clam gear box those are 2:1. If what you laid out above is true (it’s not) then those gear boxes that are 2:1 will turn a bit faster than hooking it directly to the bit and running them at 1:1.
Have had my complete set-up now for a couple of weeks. Haven't drilled many hole's, but it really rips thru the ice!! Went with the Nils Trekker 6" and a Milwaukee 18V Fuel 2704-20 5ah battery.. I don't think no matter what auger you have these days, it's going to cost a person to replace or have the blades sharpened, unless you can do it yourself. I found the drill on Ebay and it was advertised as the 2706-20 Model and got sent the 2704-20. No big deal to me, the guy did have the right model I thought I was getting and offered a exchange, but I was happy and didn't want to wait since Ice Fishing is in full swing. Was a good deal on the drill/battery/charger, $185.00 and the seller gave me a refund back to my Paypal of $30 for sending the wrong model. Just ordered a second battery this week for $12 even though it looks the same as mine, but think it's made in Japan. Course all Milwaukee Batteries might be made there, lol!! I also ordered a Coldsnap.com cover for my Nils, since their cover guards aren't the best. Still might get the Clam Newer Auger Conversion Kit(just like the concept and having handles and a throttle. Almost was going to go with a Kobalt Cordless drill carried by Lowes exclusively, good warranty and heard money back up to one year if your not satisfied.
I can still see people being confused with torque, volts, amp hours, watts, etc.. if your not electrically educated and how it apply's to Electric Augers whether it being a Cordless Drill or all in one Auger with batteries/packs included or in a pack form that you attach to the Auger Head which is the same concept as any cordless equipment. All you need to be concerned with drilling hole's thru the ice with Amp Hours is how long your battery is going to last you on a outing(s). Torque, well that is coming from the motor itself and how gear's are geared. If your gear ratio say on a gas powered Auger are 12 to 1, then you have more Torque typically and power, just not the speed. If it the gear ratio is 25 to 1, then you have less Torque typically, but the speed is faster. Bigger the unit your operating the more Volts you need to achieve maximum performance on how the unit works as a whole. Your not gaining anything if you have a setup like mine and go with a higher Volt Cordless Drill except more added weight.
Just started using drill set up this year. I have a ridgid brushless drill that was purchased as a combo with the driver. 4 aBattery is still full after drilling 30 or so holes thru 4 inches of ice. The combo cost was around 170 from direct tools in the Johnson creek outlet mall. I have been impressed with the drill both on and off the ice.
"Just about every brand makes a high torque brushless drill now that are 500-750 in/lbs and if you already use that brand and have batteries they might be a better option for you."
This is the most sane comment about using a drill I've seen in a long time. The Milwaukee drills are nice but they aren't the only ones out there that will work despite what the fan boys of that brand will tell you.
-Minimum torque of 500 pounds...the higher the better...obviously
-Brushless
-Large capacity batteries. Minimum of 4ah. Many drills will be sold with 1.5 or 2.0ah batteries. Those won't get you very far.
-Keep batteries warm
-Hammer drills are necessary. They will have higher torque ratings and will typically have beefier gearing inside of them
-Set drill on low speed
-Set drill on "drill." Not on "hammer."
-Crank the torque setting way up.
-Make sure your blades are sharp
-Understand blade types...which ones are aggressive, which ones are not as aggressive
-Mate the drill with a bit that will not kill the drill. A 500lb drill turning a 10 inch bit is dumb. You'll kill the drill. If you want bigger holes you'll need a drill with more torque.
Milwaukee offer enough drills to create confusion. The 2703 is 1200in/lbs. The 2704 a s the hammer drill version at 1200in/lb. The 2701 and 2702 is 750 in/lbs I think. There is a small brushless that is 500 in/lbs. These are the newest models, there are other older models that all work, but the 270X models are kinda the end all be all right now. And price comparison to others is close enough to just go that way since Milwaukee batteries are really ahead of others Imo. Just about every brand makes a high torque brushless drill now that are 500-750 in/lbs and if you already use that brand and have batteries they might be a better option for you. Bacon
