It says that SM Lithium ion can get 56 holes on a battery charge throw 24 inch of ice. Now if a person has a full tank of gas how many holes do you think you could get from a tank of gas throw 24 inch of ice. I know my old SM that is about 20 years old drink gas down like water down the drain. I have not seen anything about how many holes with gas.
Since most mix their gas a gallon at a time, I would look more at how many holes per gallon. Point being, refilling takes notime where as recharging both in time and the ability to recharge are much more detrimental to getting holes in the ice. One could look at buying spare batteries, but I bet they are not cheap.
Last Friday I’m guessing I drilled around 125-150 holes before I had to refill my 3hp solo.
it’s more about the convenience of not having to deal with spilled gas in the car or flipover tub than Holes Per Gallon…
If you drill more than 40 holes per outing, stick with gas, if you drill less than 40, why not get a battery auger and be done with the hassle of gas?
I never drill close to 40 holes, so getting an Ion auger was a no brainer for me….just pull the trigger and start drilling…
Get a Tanaka power head and have the best of both. Never leaks gas always the best motor.
It has yet to be proven, but my hesitation for a battery powered auger is the lifetime of the battery, not the run time. All batteries I have used in time go bad. Some last a year, others a few years. If you have to replace them after a couple of years that wouldn’t be cost effective, but maybe that won’t be the case.
it’s more about the convenience of not having to deal with spilled gas in the car or flipover tub than Holes Per Gallon…
If you drill more than 40 holes per outing, stick with gas, if you drill less than 40, why not get a battery auger and be done with the hassle of gas?
I never drill close to 40 holes, so getting an Ion auger was a no brainer for me….just pull the trigger and start drilling…
You can pickup new Ion batteries for a little over $100 in the spring time clearance sales… It’s upto what you value when ice fishing if it’s worth it to you or not… I value less weight, no hassle of gas and instant hole drilling vs a heavier auger, spilling gas, Messing with a choke to get a cold auger running…
I always hear about the mess and spillage of gas, but to be honest, in 30 yrs+ of ice fishing(including many years of rough, backcountry travels) I have yet to spill a bunch of gas in my otter or in my vehicle.
Seriously – are people spilling gas all the time?
My major hangup for the ion auger is the requirement to keep the battery warm. That is a hassle that if overlooked, could be detrimental to getting holes drilled……
T
I don’t understand the hassle of gas theory. My solo doesn’t leak gas and netiher does my 1gal can they both ride in my covered otter all season mostly being towed by a wheeler with out issue. With a battery powered auger I’m limited on how many holes I can drill and I’ve also got to keep the battery warm. That sounds like more of a hassle than gas.
Gas for me. I’ve only spilled it once and that was because someone left the gas cap open… I drill lots of holes and batteries wear out and cost a lot of money to replace! Plus on top of it all if my “Battery” Ice auger breaks I have NO CLUE how to fix it! if my gas auger breaks I can usually have it back up and running within 2 mins! I would never buy a battery auger but that’s my personal opinion…
I agree with Tim. Gas is the only way for me to fish. If my auger runs out, I fill up and keep on drilling. The reliability of gas augers is so darn good these days, I never worry about it not starting. I also buy pre-mixed fuel specifically made for small engines. So in reality, there isn’t any hassle with mixing gas either. I run VP premix, which is 94 octane and 100% ethanol free. It makes cold starts super easy, and my auger just runs so good on it.
That being said, Lithium battery augers like the Lazer, have there niche for sure. For some guys, the electric is the way to go. Not everyone drills 100 holes a day like some of us do. With a battery life like the Lithium Lazer, one can still do an awful lot of drilling before needing a charge.
Here is the premix I use. It’s awesome. VP makes race fuel for almost every kind of motorsports. If guys trust their $40-80K race engines on VP, I’ll trust them for my auger fuel.
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My major hangup for the ion auger is the requirement to keep the battery warm. That is a hassle that if overlooked, could be detrimental to getting holes drilled……
T
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$5 soft sided lunch box with a couple of hand warmers makes that argument moot…Personally I have the ION battery bag that has pockets on the sides for the handwarmers, I picked up re-usable microwave hand warmers for $8 on amazon.
I have an SUV, so the gas can used to sit it the back and you could smell the fumes after an hour or so in the car…plus no pull starts or warmup period, I get to my spot and i’m drilling holes 5 seconds later…but to each their own..
For those arguing about the limited amount of holes you can drill with a battery auger, you’re completely missing the point….They are not intended for those who drill 50+ holes a day, they are meant for wheelhouses (no fumes) and for those who routinely fish the same spots throughout the winter and don’t drill more than 40-50 holes a day. I’ve never heard Ion or Strikemaster claim to be anything more than that, so lets’ put that argument to bed please…and revert to my previous post on the cold battery issue, use common sense, if you leave anything sitting outdoors in below zero weather for any amount of time, its going to be affected…with the Ion, you simply take the battery off and keep it in your shelter (or soft sided lunch box) bring it back outside, snap it in and drill vs with a gas auger, you’re most likely gonna be choking & pulling for awhile and waiting for it to warm up…
I’ve owned gas augers in the past, the Ion fits my ice fishing profile perfectly, for some it won’t…
Hey, let’s get back to addressing the ORIGINAL POST, the guy is asking about how many holes in the ice gas vs battery. Gas will drill more holes than electric period. Gas is historically less expensive in the long run based on battery longevity both in time to recharge and eventually going bad although I think the jury is still out on the latter. Myself personally I have an Eskimo Z71 mounted to the Wheeler, and a Strikemaster Big Volt in the fish house. I also wear a belt even when I have suspenders on. On a last note, I an not a mega hole driller and if having no auger would seriously consider the SM lithium as an only auger.
Thanks all for the in-put. It is very interesting reading.
I can sympathize with the I’ll effects of gas fumes, but what about the EMF (electromagnetic frequency) given off by an electrical device? Does the manufacturer give directions on making a tin foil helmet?:???:
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