Is anybody running this setup? Do you need an adaptor to make it work?
Ice Fishing
Pistol Bit\Clam Plate question.
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I think were good to go for a while with that setup or until something new is designed. I was trying to see if I could modify the plate so the light from the drill would shine down to where your drilling ice but probably not enough clearance and the drill light might not be bright enough at that distance. Head lamps are cheap or maybe a puck light mount on the bottom of the plate. Good luck on the ice.
I USE AND OLD c3 craftsman drill with and adapter burned out my first one trying to drill 6 inch holes with it ,,,I use a 5 inch lazer on mine ..I also own a plate I use for an 8 inch auger .....but prefere the 5,,,,,,been using this set up sense 03 .......had a busted shoulder back then ....... i own a strike lite gas and old 2000 amd a mag lite but use the electric 90% of the time ,,,,,,,retired and ice fish 3 to 5 days a week as soon as we have safe ice we never ever have safe ice but you know what I mean..retired in 2000 so I have more than a few hours on my auger...........
So, it may seem like I'm making this all up. I was on an ice team forum and a guy from Michigan complained that some ideas were actually being suppressed because of ice team's sponsored products. I private messaged and politely he sent me a picture of a Bosch 24v ni-cad cordless with the lazer hand auger mated with a steel adapter that had a disc welded to it. I was truly amazed and understood because Strikemaster was marketing the electra, powered by a DC motor. I had a machinist friend make a replica and my Black and Decker failed to run it so I bought the same expensive Bosch. Another machinist made one with a plastic disc positioned by clamps so no buzz saw effect. My partner and I did the tournament trail, the Trap Attacks and I drilled 5" lazer holes with my left hand so the battery pack slid down my leg to brace for the wrist straining break through. I was surprised though when Dave G. actually told me that I was the first he saw using the cordless set-up with an auger. He has seen alot. I called Ray P, original co-owner of Strikemaster and he advised me against developing it though, something about whirling knife blades, combining two tools and insurance for lawsuits. He and Randy H were friends that always supported me as sponsors. I decided to keep using it because I liked the idea and it worked.
At an Ice Team Pro meeting in the twin cities, Matt J asked who made fishing holes with a cordless drill and surprisingly I was the only one in the room who raised their hand. After the meeting, Matt and Tom W the engineer plopped in front of me a prototype drill plate with a DeWalt (this was before brushless) drill on it, charger and two 4A batteries. I explained that the device added unnecessary weight and bulk, I never had a problem and didn't need it. I greedily asked about the chuck, but Tom said they needed it in the shop. This was the original version where the chuck was removed and the drill plate adapter shaft replaced it.
I fished with my friends as I always do and when people asked about what that contraption was, I said, "Try it out." EVERY single person liked it and was curious how much it would cost. I told them I didn't know, I was just supposed to kick the s_ out of it. It kept the drill off the ice and slush, but mainly the drilling position was ergonomically correct, like a gas auger. You can brace for break through to protect your wrists where the lazer always grabs. This was before the extension though, so a 5" lazer flighting had me bending over though. It fit fine in my gear wasn't heavy and nothing failed.
I brought it to my fishing club meeting once that winter and my friend Duffy emailed Matt a picture. I was scolded because of the non-disclosure agreement and the competition might beat clam to the punch. Needless to say, no one did and it sold out several years in a row. Unbelievable.
BadgerRedd get a clam auger\drill plate you won't be sorry.If you have drill try it, if it does not work get the $100 dewalt.If you don't have an auger that works i have a 7" lazer i would give you.
I would reccomend at least a 4 amp battery though.
I know somebody will call BS you don't need it but it works very well.
You can get an adapter that fits in the shaft of the auger and the other end in the drill chuck. When going with a plain set up like this, good idea to have a frisbee or something up top to prevent it from dropping down the hole if it comes loose.
Clam plate incorporates it all into one. Super easy to use and you can keep your drill off the ice when not in use.
Please excuse my ignorance but I’m not understanding how an older hand auger works with a cordless drill? Since I’m now retired I can get out more often and wanted to upgrade from the cardio workout I’m used to when leaning over the auger and going around and around. Thanks for explaining this set up for this novice.
Badger Redd as ulbain said if you already have a drill your half way there.
I've used a 99.00 dewalt for 5yrs.No problems.I have used it with a 6" lazer and it worked fine before i had a clam plate and works better with it.I usually drill 30-40 holes and rarley go through a battery unless it's late season 15-18" of ice.I have 4 and 5 amp batteries.
If you have an auger get a decent brushless drill and have at it.
BadgerRedd…
Ask yourself this: “What kind of cordless power tools do I already own?“ If you are already on a battery platform stick with it. Milwaukee, Dewalt, Ryobi, Makita, Rigid, etc. all have drills that can handle an ice bit. There’s no need to drop a few hundred bucks on a brand you don’t have when you already are set up on a battery platform.
Next, 15-20 holes a day? Pretty simple here. You don’t have to drop a couple hundred bucks on a pistol, K-Drill, or lite-flite. You can cut that cost down by finding a straightforward hand auger like a mora. Mate the size of the bit up with the torque on the drill you have. I have a Ryobi brushless hammer drill and with a 6“ mora and a 4amp battery can drill around 90-95 holes in 8 inches of ice. I’ve run that drill on an 8” mora and a 7” Lazer with no issues at all. I used to connect it with a clam plate but ditched that after one season and went with a Kovacs ice master adapter. I’m much, much happier with this set up than I was with the clam plate. Plus, that thing is half the price of a clam plate.
At the end of the day, you can have a pretty decent set up without letting others convince you that you need a $200 bit with plastic flighting and a drill with 1200 pounds of torque.
Regarding the unnecessary piece of equipment comment, while I will admit it's not needed, there are benefits to it. The biggest I can think of is the ability to lay it on the ice while keeping the battery off the ice. Never been a fan of drilling partial holes to keep it upright.
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