20 Best Drill For Strikemaster Lite Flite (2023 Updated)

I previously purchased a 6″ auger but wanted the extra room the 8″ provided. It’s well worth the upgrade. I opted for the electric due to ringing in the ears, and trying to preserve my hearing from old gas augers.

I was worried about drill power and losing battery life on the cold day but never had issues pairing my Dewalt with a 9mah battery. I’ve since converted a few buddies who swear by the old school mentality of “gas and oil smell in the morning”.

Super lightweight and easy to drill. I read alot of bad reviews on these augers and am honestly happy I didn’t pay them no mind.

I have drilled plenty of holes with this auger to give it a proper review. I have it paired with a Milwaukee fuel hammer drill. It cuts ice like a dream! Blades are super sharp, and it seems to be very well balanced when using the drill.

The last thing I like about it is that the drill adapter piece seems to be very easy to line up in the drill. I would give this product a 5 star review and would definitely buy it again! Check out my YouTube channel fishing Michigan to see it in action.

After much deliberation over which brand to get for my first electric auger, I went with the SM Lite Flite. It was a new SM product this year. It works awesome! It’ll drill ice in seconds. The laser blades chew through ice like nothing and it’s super light.

I bought the 8″ model (a true 8″ diameter hole). Another thing is the quality of the hole it drills is great; totally smooth with no rough edges. I paired it with a new Milwaukee Fuel M-18 with a 5 amp hour red lithium battery.

I have used it numerous times this year. It can drill 30 holes through a foot of ice and barely lose any charge. Be advised that you need a drill with the right specs to have this work well. That’s one of the only downsides is that you will have to buy a drill if you don’t already own the right one.

I will say that I got nervous once I bought it because many online reviews started to surface about the wobble it develops after drilling a few holes. This was a factory design flaw with the adapter it comes with to attach to the cordless drill chuck.

There are two flaws with the stock adapter. One is that there’s a gap where the adapter goes into the auger shaft. The other is the end that fits into the drill chuck doesn’t always seat well because it has a rounded, somewhat mushroomed end.

SM has already fixed the problem. I emailed them and they sent a new adapter free of charge. The new one has a plastic spacer to fill the gap and the mushroomed end is ground off. I used it numerous times this year and have not had any problems at all.

Can’t say enough good things about the SM customer service. So don’t worry about it. I have to imagine that by next year’s ice season SM will have swapped in the new adapters in all the augers they sell.

Oh the other good thing is that this will attach to any existing SM auger head you have (gas or electric). Get this. You won’t be dissappointed.

I bought this 2/2022 and was very excited to use it, until I did. It wouldn’t drill a hole without stopping a 2-3 times per hole. The ice was about 11”. Drilled about 8 holes and the battery was dead.

We’ll I figured I’d charge the battery again and try another time. Went out again and same thing. Called Strikemaster and they said there was a recall in the blades and sent me some new ones out. Go the new blades and still the same problem.

Very frustrating, I wish they would return it. In the last five years I never had a problem with my hand auger with a drill adapter. Figured I would upgrade to something better, what a mistake.

I’ve used this auger consistently for the past 2 months. I’ve drilled hundreds of holes, I’ve caught dozens of fish. This auger has been powerful, it has torque for days, and I haven’t had any battery issues, even after leaving the battery in minus 20 in the auger, it still fires up and drills.

My father, who is a mechanic, tried it for the first time last weekend, and is switching to battery. The Strikemaster 24v is a game changer. I also don’t have a snowmobile, and I don’t drive onto the ice where I fish.

It weighs 14 LBS! If you got this you would not be disappointed.

First time owning an electric auger. This auger lives up to the Strikemaster name. It’s reliable and works great. Definitely keep the lithium battery in the ice shack with you though. Noticeable performance difference between when the battery is warm and cold.

Fantastic drill for ice fishing. Much lighter than a gas drill. It worked perfect for cutting through 2 feet of ice. I decided to buy the clam drill plate to increase the ease of using the electric drill with the auger.

Excellent quality and it works well for opening up a previous hole. Highly recommended using an electric drill setup for ice fishing. So much lighter and actually enjoyable to use for drilling holes.

Was hesitant to buy because of the light weight. Thought it might not hold up to thre punishment a ice auger takes over a season. I took a chance mainly because of the light weight. Boy am I glad I did.

I have used this auger half a dozen times this season and believe me it tough. It cuts a very clean hole with little effort. No hang ups in the hole like my old auger( nearly broke my wrist). I fyour a serious ice fisherman you need this auger.

I bought the 8″ StrikeMaster Lazer hand auger. I was thinking about trying it out and eventually getting a good drill and adapter. I don’t think I need to at all. This rips through ice. I don’t have to apply downward pressure; it just pulls itself through the ice.

I got through 14-16 inches of ice in under 30 seconds. This thing is cake. It does seem to catch a bit at the last inch or so, but nothing terrible. I could maybe see if I were cutting 20+ holes maybe I’d want a drill/adapter, but for 5-10 holes, it is a waste.

I am using this along with a Milwaukee drill as a power auger. Cuts through the ice quickly but is sometimes difficult to extract from the hole. May have to reverse the rotation of auger to get out of drilled hole.

As a manual auger it works excellent.

I used the 7″ auger with a Dewalt 20V Lithium Ion drill. Worked awesome through 8″ of ice. Haven’t used it in thicker ice yet but assume it should work fine. Combined with an electric drill, the lightweight setup is way better than my gas auger.

Just some advice, always clean the hole out after a few seconds of drilling until you break through. I decided on this auger vs the Nils because of blade sharpening.

I bought this in the middle of February. Have used it on 5 separate outings. One of the outings I drilled about 15 holes. Last two outings I drilled 12 holes through 16 to 20 inches of ice. Battery still indicating full charge(3 bars).

I take the battery off when travelling and put in small soft cooler wrapped in shirt. Had some difficulty redrilling through the same holes the one day so drilled new hole right beside it. Overall, very happy with the auger.

My main concern was with battery and how it would hold up. So far it couldn’t be better. Only got it in February so looking forward to seeing how it will hold up in the years to come.

I bought this auger before Christmas time. I have used it on 3 weekends out and frankly am extremely disappointed with this product. I watched countless videos and reviews on the auger and all positive reviews show testing in moderate Temps.

Below minus 10 this battery simply does not hold charge. I have drilled x4 holes through 2ft of ice and then it’s dead. 2 hrs of charging in the truck is just painful when wanting to punch more holes.

Had big hopes for the R1 but it’s simply a piece of crap and totally useless for multiple day outings.

Bought this auger with 8 and 10 inch flytes and found it great on open ice and in my shack. Cuts well through up to 36” this year. I was very disappointed when I got into slushy conditions though. The flyte clogs up and needs to be manually cleared multiple times or will not cut, also it’s very had to get the auger up in slushy water.

You can feel the suction as you try to raise the power head. Gas or propane just power through the slush. I’m mostly happy but keeping my old jiffy for late season use.

Bought this product cause I didn’t want to fork out the money for a gas auger but didn’t want the slow laborious work of a hand auger. I had some concerns when purchasing but those concerns are since gone.

I ended up with the 6 inch as the 8 inch was all sold out as they were both on sale. Wish I had got the 8 because the 6 inch doesn’t have the centering guide which helps when overlapping holes and the 2 inches makes a big difference if you ever hook into a large fish.

Not to many fish won’t fit up an 8 inch hole but there are definately a few lurking that won’t fit up the 6 inch hole and overlapping drilling is the pain. So the product itself is great. It drills very quickly with clean holes and with a bit of technique there is no need to scoop ice/snow out of the hole.

I was concerned about the plastic auger bits in the cold but has stood up to -25C without any issues so far. Drill battery life is decent with the 6 in. but battery life can be dictated by how cold the batteries are, there are ways to mitigate this but I’ve had them only drill 8 holes in -25C.

Beware if the drill applying torque to your wrists with this product, it’s best to only apply light pressure and let the blades do their thing, it’ll still cut very quickly and you get a feel for what’s too much pretty quickly but a proper setup drill with a handle would work better.

You will get some ice build up on the auger and the blade guard is a pain at times to put on but nothing to worry about. I very much enjoy this product and wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one however I think both the 8 and 6 in.

need the centering guide.

I’ve had this for 4 years now. I can’t ever see myself going back to a gas auger. I live in northern Ontario and fish early ice to ice out so I’ve ran this auger in 3” of hard ice, 36” of hard ice and all the slushy crap in between.

Slushy ice is the hardest to drill through but on average I’m getting 8-12 holes through 20ish inches of slushy crappy ice. Hard clear ice I’m double that easily. The drill I’m using with it is a Dewalt XR 18v brushless and 5 amp hour batteries.

Ordered this from their on line catalog and selected standard shipping. I expected to receive it in a week or so as I live in Massachusetts. Product was delivered in two days and I have used it so far to drill holes on 3 different occasions.

Works awesome! Two of my fishing buddies are selling their gas augers to purchase one like mine from L & M.

light weight yet plenty strong enough , straight as an arrow no wobble , i wish they made 1 that would allow to use my strikemaster 40 volt with all of the hand auger blades !!!!!!

Auger Extention, great product and and a needed accessory if going to travel.

Works perfect. Got me threw over 50″ of ice last winter

I was reluctant to purchase because at that price, I figured they were a Chinese knock off. Pleasantly surprised that they were the real deal, Sweden made.

While ice fishing in Canada I noticed that my auger was really working to drill holes, so when I got home I purchased these replacement blades for my auger. At first I was a little concerned because the blades werent seraded, but wow! these things work awesome!.

Had trouble finding “fin bore” blades. These are extremely sharp and fit great. Cut through ice with little effort.

Purchased this Dec 10, failed 3rd time out less than 10 holes. It will work if I seat the battery “just right”, but as time has progressed that is getting tougher and tougher to do. 1st time it failed I assume it was just too cold, as the auger sat in the car, and it was well below 0F, battery had been kept inside though.

2nd time out auger and battery inside up until 20 minutes to the pond. Reseated battery a few times and it started working. Contacted Strikemaster, they told me I need to go to a service center to “see if it’s a warranty issue”.

NOT very happy with that solution. I get that tools can have issues, but having something happen essentially brand new, and then getting a 1 sentence response from service is less than satisfying. When this auger works, it IS amazing, but not worth having to deal with this, that is for sure.

I bought the 10 inch model a few weeks ago and I love it. I didn’t notice how loud gas augers were until I started noticing other people using them and making a racket. I feel bad for any of the neighbors on the lake I may have woken at 6 am in the past! The reverse is nice but a minor feature to me given how I drill holes (the slush comes up the one next to it when I push it down, also i feel it bangs up the corners of the blades).

My only issue is the curved power head blades, you can’t really sharpen them, at least I havent found a successful method yet and at 50 dollars a set its a pocket knocker when you are drilling through dirty ice (wyoming wind blows a lot of sand onto the lakes which freezes into the ice).

Pros: drill holes after setting up the tent without smoking yourself out reverse/backflush slush quiet 10inch holes freeze more slowly fast cutting good battery life Cons: blade cost could use a little more torque, will brake when it gets bound up and does so when tweaked or blades get dull.

wish it was a hair lighter but I guess it is pretty light compared to gas models. battery goes fast when blades get dull I love this auger and I will never go back to gas or propane. I highly recommend this product, my one regret is that I didn’t spring for the two battery package when it was available! Having an extra battery when the blades start to get dull would allow me to be more flexible by drilling more holes.

Bought in late Dec 2020. Started using and had problems with auger binding and stalling in the hole. Thought maybe it’s operator error due to my experience with gas augers. Problem kept happening for a month and then the handle broke due to the torque involved.

Called Strikemaster customer service and explained my problem. Service rep Mike Dysart completely understood my problem. Informed me that my batch number had a recall on blades causing the binding issues.

Sent out replacement blades. Also sent out a brand new power head. Auger works like a charm and could not be happier with Strikemaster backing their product.

What a terrible experience with this auger. Nothing wrong with Blain’s, but entirely with Strikemaster. After my first outing of using this auger, the blades chipped. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary with it, I literally just drilled holes in the ice.

I called Strikemaster to get the blades replaced, and they told me not only are they not covered by warranty, but “blades can last anywhere from years to hours, so we don’t cover them. ” Who would buy an auger that has blades that last a few hours?? They also called from a restricted number to make sure I couldn’t call back, and told me to use their generic email for any more questions.

I will never buy from Strikemaster again, absolutely ridiculous!.

Amazing price for 50$ on sale. Had to buy both 6″ & 7″ since these are actual original Mora, SS made in Sweden Blades. You can barely replace your blades for that plus it is perfect adapter set-up for Cordless drill.

Just make sure you buy the Strike master disc (if you can find it) or make your own Frisbee safety disc, otherwise its down the hole if your chuck cracks loose.

I purchased this auger to use it with my drill and an adapter. I, of course, forgot my drill but did remember to bring the handle. It worked great. The handle is adjustable so that those of us who are more “vertically challenged” can still use it effectively.

I hope to get back out on the ice soon and remember the drill this time!.

Very disappointed with the quality of this tool. Bought the orange 8 inch auger to be driven with a brushless battery operated drill. First couple times using it the auger worked great After 3-4 uses though the spiral flighting thats sharpened starts bending upwards and soon cutting production is at zero.

Theres no central point on the bottom to locate the auger so it just bounces around too. The blades stay sharp sure, but that doesnt help when they cant even reach the ice. And I didnt hit any rocks or dirt either.

always handled it gently and used the protector. Ive looked at competitors products and I can see they reinforce and brace the cutting bit to prevent bending at least. For me however, the price for a new Nils cutting bit and the inability to sharpen them yourself will never be appealing again.

I thought I was buying the best made auger out there. made a mistake. I will however consider throwing the Nils bit away and making my own system, although i will also need to reinforce the top end where your drill attaches.

Its chewed up like like another reviewer here mentioned. Likely I will choose a more reliable product from a different manufacturer.

Have had this auger now for 3 years. Still cuts through the ice like it was butter. Word of caution. Was drilling a hole and just started to drill when the auger skipped on the ice when it first started.

Hit my boot and did not think anything of it. Got home and looked at my boot. Big 3″ long gash in boot. Sooo lucky. Also the blade cover is garbage for these. Will not stay on at all. Buddy saw me using it first year I had it and wanted to buy it right then and there from me.

He did end up ordering one as well and loves it.

I bought this Nils 8″ auger as a Christmas gift for my dad. I have the Nils 6″ model, and love it. Cuts through the ice like butter. Have had it since 2013, and it’s still as sharp as the day I purchased it.

Works great with a good electric drill (1/2″ chuck), and if batteries are low on juice you can use the hand attachment as well. These augers are hard to find in my area, and Al’s beat the local prices (if you can find them in stock) significantly! Shipping was fast, and the auger came as expected.

Will definitely be shopping here again!.

I have owned my 8″ Mora Ice Auger for 20 years, and it is still my main cutting tool. The first year I had it, my wife and daughters used it to cut snow tunnels in the frozen, plowed snow bank at the end of our road.

I figured the blades were shot, but took it out on the lake and tried it anyway. It still cut through 6″ of ice, although I did replace blades later that year. Since then, I am on my 4th set of blades.

I never sharpen them. I usually cut 10-20 holes per outing and fish at least once a week. The best method seems to be, cut a hole, cover the blades, set your tip-up or jig and move on to the next. I have found, through the years, that once you get over 12″-15″ of ice, it is a bit of a struggle because you get bent over to far.

The key is, protect the blades. Do that, and this auger is an excellent value and all you need to cut your holes for a great day on the ice.

TERRIBLE AUGER! I BOUGHT THIS AUGER AND IMMEDIATELY WENT OUT TO TEST IT. IT DOES GRAB THE ICE AT ALL TO MAKE A HOLE. IT JUST SKIPS AND DANCES LIKE A BALLERINA! DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON A STRIKE (junk) MASTER!.

We have been using the K-Drill for scouting on the lake. We take out our locators and underwater camera, drill a series of holes along the break to find the weeds, and locate our spot! We can drill the holes quickly and easily with the K-Drill with a minimum of effort, and we are quiet so we are not disturbing the fish below! They recommend a 20 volt, brushless 1.

2″ drill to run the K-Drill. I have tried a couple to see what they can do. You CAN use an 18 volt Ryobi BRUSHLESS a bit, but it will cut out about twice per hole which only requires a release of the trigger and to squeeze the trigger again (so you don’t have to spend $250-$350 on a new drill if you have Ryobi tools already).

It works wonderfully with DeWalt, Milwaukee, or even the new Craftsman V20 20 volt brushless 1/2 inch drills.

After receiving this auger, I hooked up my Milwaukee M18 Fuel drill and headed to the ice. I can not believe how light this auger is and how well it cuts through the ice WOW and WOW Great product, after setting up to start my ice fishing and drilling several holes I had sever other fishermen and women come over to see this new drill in action, I heard several comments as I let others use it.

comments like ” I can’t believe how light it is ” “wow it sure cuts fast” two of the women that were watching also drilled a couple holes each, they each wanted one so they could drill their own holes for fishing.

drilled around 30 to 40 or more holes ( ice only 6″ thick ) and also drilled holes next day all on the first battery.

Bought this drill to get rid of the headache with trying to depend on the gas models starting. Very happy with the drill. Works like it says it does online! Was skeptical after watching YouTube videos so I decided to see if they were as good as everyone says they are.

You wont be disappointed with this purchase. I have a m18 fuel drill and it works great.

Bought this auger as a refurbished unit in February 2019. Dealer said unit had never been used because it wouldn’t start. Ran great and cut ice flawlessly until March 21, 2019. Could not pull over engine after cutting 10 holes.

Pulled head off and found that a piece of metal from inside the muffler had made its way into the top of the cylinder preventing the piston from making a full cycle. Also caused the top ring to crack.

Went to local dealer only to find out that you cannot purchase internal engine parts for these units so they cannot be repaired. The only option is to purchase a new power head. Dealer did not tell me when I purchased this auger that it was a throw away.

Thought I was purchasing a unit that with proper maintenance would last for many seasons. Even more frustrating is that one month prior I had to replace the coil pack as the spark plug cap broke off when I attempted to change the spark plug.

Also had to purchase a second recoil to keep in my tool kit as this unit has a recoil that fails regularly and may need to be changed while out on the ice. Had I known that these engines could not be repaired, I wouldn’t have spent the money on these other parts.

Had I known this about the auger prior to purchasing it I would have gone with a different make of auger. This will be the last purchase of any Eskimo product I ever make, and you can be assured that I will be advising all of the people that I know who ice fish, that they may want to give the purchase of this Eskimo product a second thought.

I have had this auger for 3 years now. At first I thought it was junk because it never wanted to start, i then diagnosed that to be operator error. This thing doesn’t even need 1 primer pump go get started in 1 pull.

It chews ice quite well, I burned 4 holes at 3 ft of ice yesterday no problem at -39°c. The only reason I’m giving this a 4/5 instead of a 5/5 is the on/off toggle switch broke internally while drilling those holes rendering the whole unit useless.

I’d like to see Eskimo use a better quality switch and this auger will get a 5/5. If you plan on using this auger at temps below -20, replace the on/off switch with a good quality switch and you’ll never run into problems with this machine.

This Eskimo 43cc 10 inch auger was purchased in September of 22 so it’s not been started as of yet as there was a screw missing to attach the auger head to the Quantum auger within the sealed boxe. Eskimo is sending the missing screw.

Could not be happier with my online experience with Sail. Not only are there prices very good but delivery times of instock items was more then acceptable.

Just purchased this for fishing on the lake. Could tell right away I got someone’s return. Looks like where the blade attaches the weld is not great. Needed the auger for planned weekend so decided to give it a go.

So far ok. Seemed like it would be a hassle to return. Also the blade protector fell of on the way to the ice so that’s gone.

I purchased this not for ice, but as a means of digging holes for planting! The yard is filled with problem areas, like roots and buried gravel, that make it extremely challenging to plant. I didn’t want to cultivate large areas, so this auger is a perfect solution.

It is very sturdy and easy to churn through roots without the need for a shovel–which was useless most of the time.

Just came back a few days ago from an ice fishing tournament Saturday. This tool worked great on a very thick layer of ice probably 12 to 15 inches or more. I could bore a hole with little effort and in a minute or two the hole was thrpugh.

Just bring a scoop of some kind to clear the hole of floating slush. Well built and easy to use. Why buy one with a motor? I reccomend this 100%. Happy fishing!.

Great price, packaged well, so far goes thru the ice quickly (probably about 40 holes) from 6 to 10 inches of ice–bolts that came with blades are different than original ones that came with my auger and do not fit unless i would have them re -machined to fit counterbore on my old auger.

Used original ones to attach blades to auger–no problem. works fine. Tom.

I started ice fishing in 1984, and these are the only replacement blades I will purchase. They last several years, with a little care. They hold an edge the best I have ever used. I am totally sold on these blades.

I don’t need the added weight of a power auger, I know I can zip thru 12″ of ice in a few seconds and be fishing while the others are still yanking on a rope!! IOWA ICE ANGLER.

The blades showed up taped together inside a plastic package with no label. They’ve got some surface rust on them, which isn’t a big deal but certainly doesn’t make them seem to be “new” like the description says.

Our ice all went away early this year so I haven’t gotten a chance to see how sharp they are yet. Overall, not what I was expecting.

I’m happy with buying the 12V 3/8 Drill/F-Light Combo. I was going to go a little pricier but I thought what the heck! I have a nice craftsman (heavier) already but wanted to pick up a light utility for around the house.

That way, I didn’t have to make extra trips to the garage to put back tools when done (so my regular drill was in place when needed. ) Everyone knows when a guy needs a tool it better be where it’s supposed to be! Since buying the drill, (haven’t used the light YET!) I used it while working on a medium job to see how it held up after about 6 hours of charge.

Worked out pretty well! It didn’t die out on me while using for about 3 hours with average use. (about 4-5 holes drilled, dozen or so screws put in various materials, and tossed around lightly) So I’d say it will work and if fails (right when warrantee runs out ;)) So what! Sorry, no video!.

But I saw this little Warrior set of drill and flashlight for an unbelievable price and decided to check it out. I thought I would need to purchase a charger and battery with it but when I was checking out the gal asked my if I really needed another charger? I queried her and she said all that stuff is in the box.

Now I was really curious, how good could this be at this price? Well, I’m hear to tell you it has quickly become my, ‘Go To’ drill for small jobs around our property and even inside our house. Plenty of power, long lasting little battery, one of those products you ask yourself, “How do they make it so Good and make it so Cheap?”.

The 40V lithium cuts much smoother than the gas alternative (I’ve used both-same auger bit/blades, with each motor attached). After a couple 2 foot holes with the gas motor – I’d be tired. Yesterday I drilled 7 holes in 24″ of ice back-to-back and barely felt it!! Wow – really amazed at the difference.

Biggest issue was that the auger was ‘binding’ right at the bottom of the hole – I have read this can be due to thick ice where slush builds up during drilling. Trick is to empty the slush before drilling the full hole, and not pressing down much on the auger (let the blades do the work).

Easy to punch through the last inch after binding. Much much smoother cutting of the ice than the gas version. And after drilling approximately 150″ total ice, returned home and battery was still reading full charge!! Some people have recently complained of their blades – Rapala has a recall on blades from the past year on certain strikemaster augers.

I ordered the Strikemaster 40v 8” ice auger after pouring over tons of reviews on different sites. Today the ice was finally thick enough for my wife & I to head out to a local lake and try out our new auger.

Wow! Took only a few seconds to drill through the 4” of clear ice on the lake. And QUIET! A neighbouring fisherman fired up his gas powered auger, drilled a couple holes and my wife commented on how loud it sounds compared to ours.

If you’re serious about upgrading to a powered auger, I can say with confidence, the Strikemaster 40v is a winner.

I’ve had mine for two seasons now and am very pleased with the product. I have drilled somewhere in the ballpark of 200 holes with it at this point. My 11 year old was able to drill his own holes. Occasionally, it will act like it doesn’t want to bite but if I add just a bit of pressure it takes off and punches a hole.

I purchased a spare blade so that when I do need to get the original sharpened I won’t be left without an auger. At a time when everyone else is using the battery operated augers I appreciate that I never have to worry about running out of batteries or carrying around extra tools (I did get the version that allows me to use a drill if I wanted).

The weight is minimal, I never have to mix gas, I don’t have to worry about propane or spare batteries. I usually drill around 20 holes each time I go out. This auger is probably one of the best ice fishing purchases I have ever made.

As a disclaimer, mine is the 6″ model. I’m sure the 8″ model would be a bit more work. A friend I fish with has a 10″ gas powered eskimo and it’s just as much work to pick up, balance, and drill out a hole as my Nils.

I know everyone is different but sometimes I think simpler is better.

I bought mine years ago. The handle is cantilevered so you use both hands to turn- no downward pressure at all. Super sharp and super fast. Can drill 4 holes in 8″ ice before the guy next to me started his gas auger.

It finally went dull, sent it to guy in Saginaw to sharpen. Super service at a reasonable cost. Added the drill adapter and now just have to hold the drill to punch holes.

This auger bores through ice with ease. The two-handed off-axis design actually doesn’t take any time at all to get used to. The first time i used it, i startled myself, when it punched through the ice i was standing on in about 12seconds.

I thought, “Whoa!? How thin is this ice?” and was half worried to move. There was actually 6inches of solid ice that the Nils had just cut through, with about 15 cranks and very little effort. I drilled about 10 holes that morning and each time it was the same.

It took longer to bait my hook than to drill the hole. It’s solidly built, but weighs just a few pounds. With the Nils, i can’t really justify a powered auger.