Does it really matter? I'm considering an 8 inch Pistol Bit for $159.
Let's hear it.
Ice Fishing
Best Auger for cordless drill?
Displaying 76 to 90 of 99 posts
An impact driver won't work, you need a hammer drill. I have the Milwaukee 2804 and love it, but I am already on the Milwaukee platform so have the batteries. I think 2704 is the smallest you can go. Check the torque ratings.
Stick with whatever platform you are on (Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita or Rigid). There are deals on the Milwaukee 2804 hammer drill with two 5ah batteries for $199.
What do you guys use for drills? I was told they have to be brushless or you can burn them out but I can't see how. Example, I primarily set tip ups with my son so 6 holes to start the day and then 1-2 an hour when I start moving them. Don't see how that would burn up the drill.
Reason I ask is I have a Milwaukee Impact that I don't really need and was thinking of getting an adapter & K-drill. Pros/Cons appreciated.
I have the 6" K drill and am very happy with it. I like to open old holes and fish dirty/ silty ice (river ice). I sent my blades in for free sharpening last summer, lasted two years and probably could have gotten one more. I used to have a Nils hand auger and it was noticeably duller after 1 season.
When the Lite Flight came out I heard there was quality problems, did these get addressed?
I don't need the disc because the clam plate connects directly to the drill, not the auger. So there's no way that it's coming off the drill and sinking to the bottom! That's one of the many reasons I really like the clam plate. Another reason is the torque these things put out. Hanging onto the handle bars on the clam plate I have two hands instead of one gripping it. It's much smoother in my opinion.
Those of you who have a Strikemaster Lite Flite or an Eskimo Pistol Bit...can you remove that "frisbee" on top? I am contemplating selling a couple of my hand augers (I own 3) and getting a lite flite or pistol bit, but I want to use it with my clam plate and I don't need that stupid frisbee on the top!
wish I had known the K drill was so bad when I bought it on sale early fall. I haven’t used it yet but I’ll take your word for it. I thought it looked pretty good on Jason Mitchell outdoors and some of the YouTube’s I watched prior to purchase. I held onto my gas one anyway.......
Flat blades require the least amount of torque due to the way they shave a very thin layer off the top, but you need to spin them more rotations. That makes them a good choice on the smaller drills, if you want a drill/hand auger, or have physical limitations.
Curved blades (Lazer, Nils) need more torque due to the more aggressive cut but are faster.
Traditional style chipper blades(k-drill, jiffy, old gas bits) take the most torque but are the toughest of the bunch. You can re-open old holes, overlap holes, and drill dirty ice with no worries.
There have been a bunch of new "chipper blades" showing up over the past few years. The 10" ion has a flat blade grooved like a chipper, the Lite Flite has a grooved curved blade, and there are some other variants like what's on a Nissus. Haven't really seen any comparison between these and the normal versions though.
It's been said that flat blades hold up better than curved blades in dirty ice. I have seen a Nils go bad half way through a hole, but my Lazer has held up better than my Mora and it's drilled some pretty gnarly ice.
If you are running a top end drill it will have the torque to run any bit you want to put on it so go with whatever fits your style of fishing.
I agree Ulbian I have a 750in/lb Ryobi that I've run the same bits as you and it has been a great setup. My issue isn't so much with synthetic augers in general, but with the price point on the Pistol bit. The Lite Flite is cheaper and has some sort of hybrid Lazer/Chipper blades. I'm not sure why you'd go for the Eskimo unless you are a really big fan of red.
For anyone with a Lite Flite that has also used a standard Lazer I'd be interested to hear thoughts on the different blades. About my only complaint with the Lazer is it hangs up at the bottom of the hole sometimes, maybe the new design helps?
This thread got me looking for another bit and I just found this gem.
Ask yourself this….do I have any cordless power tools already? If the answer is yes, then does that brand have a hammer drill that meets the specs suggested by Eskimo for their pistol bits?
If you are already on a battery platform why jump to another one if the batteries you have will work on a drill meeting those specs?
Addressing a couple of other things mentioned here already: The first year that the pistol was on the market they did not come with a centering point. After a bunch of user error a point was added to the 8” bits.
While I tend to agree with the sentiment of needing one of the light weight pricey bits when a basic mora or Lazer will work just fine, I do need to disagree with the weight making an insignificant difference. The lightweight bits are lighter and therefore the reduction of rotating weight will ultimately be easier on the drill itself. I still won’t say these bits are a “must have” but If you have money to burn and want one then go ahead. For 6 years now I’ve been running a 750 pound drill on 8” and 6” moras and a 7” Lazer. No issues with that drill turning those bits.
Displaying 76 to 90 of 99 posts
