The ION Files (Battery operated Ice Auger)

I have an attachment for my cordless drill so I can attach my 6" Lazer auger to it. I believe the drill is an 18 volt. I get a good number of holes out of it but nothing like the Ion drills. I know that the batteries in the Ions are different in design as they appear to not lose power when cold like my drill batteries do. However, all batteries have a finite life. Is the battery in the Ion drills replaceable as they age and lose charge faster? How much do the batteries cost?

I heard the battery's won't even charge unless their above 45 degrees and that sucks cuz I like to leave my stuff in the truck to go after work. I think I'll stick with my old one arm jiffy. It starts with a couple pulls is lightish and cuts faster than most. I got it free put a 12 dollar carb kit in and a 15 dollar recoil and it's ran great for about 8 years now. I got it from my dad who got it free from from a guy he worked with. He put a carb kit in about 15 years ago. So yeah I'll stick with it 45 bucks in 15ish years and the blades sharpen with a whet stone. It cuts way faster than my dad's new 3hp jiffy and it weighs about half as much and he has them stupid chipper blades that don't sharpen very well and ice gets in them and freezes up and it won't cut. I guess newer isn't always better. Lol I'm not saying i wouldn't use a new honda lite if had it though. That's if that thing has enough power at 1.5 hp but that for a different post lol.

150 is a bit extreme for maintenance.

Went out with a buddy yesterday who just bought an ION. We drilled between 35-40 holes through 13 inches of ice. Battery still had 2/3 charge left when we got off the ice. We were out with a big group of guys from out of town who had a propane Jiffy and a pro4 Jiffy they were using.<---(the big ones) Everyone was extremely impressed with the performance. With the amount of holes I drill when I fish, I would EASILY spend 150 bucks every three years. I use at least a tank of gas every time I'm on the ice for a day. I put in a new GOOD spark plug every year. I change the blades every year. I use premium fuel and always add a little stabilizer or Sea Foam. Over the course of three years this auger would easily pay for itself. Blades x3- $90 Plugs x3- $12 Fuel (with oil) x3- $150 Don't believe I use this much fuel? Come ice fishing with me for a day on Petenwell chasing walleyes! You'll see how many holes get drilled!

Only way I would ever consider this is 1. If the battery was cheaper or 2. The battery lasted longer. No way have I gone through $150 in gas, plugs, maintenance in 3yrs with my jiffy. Not even 10 years. $5 gas per year and I'm set. So $150 "maintenance" after 3 years just sounds absurd.

I believe that when it comes to battery operated augers. That the winner is going to be the company that can crack the temp issue with the ion batteries. I use my cordless 18vlt adapted to a 6in lazer auger. It drills twice as fast as the ion. I take 3 bats with me. I store them in a small soft cooler and warmers. I tried my 8in lazer and it really bogs the drill down. Where I think the ion may have better power for use with 8in. The gearing for a 10in. auger will drastically slow the drill speed down. One nice thing about the ion battery technology is that there now is no memory on the battery for charging. You will however want to use the battery completely. If its like my cordless batteries, there is a chip in the bat. and you get so many charges per battery. If I were to purchase one of these I definitely would have at least 1 other battery if not 2. Not sure if you have to get the temp. of the battery up to a certain degree before you charge the ion battery.

I think it's fair to mention other electrics in this thread just for comparison sake. It's a market that is just starting to gain some traction and the reviews on the ION are intriguing as well as the reviews of others. To cross reference threads would become tedious and if this one is only about ION reviews it limits the usefulness of a review thread. Likewise, if there were threads devoted to other electrics it would be fair to mention the ION, the one that Jiffy has, etc. The ION intrigues me greatly and based on what was said about the Strikemaster I don't think I would go in that direction and would go ION instead. I'm sure it is a nice unit but based on what I've now read here on the Strikemaster compared to the ION, the ION would be a more useful tool for me. Hooking it up to a car battery and charging it on the water would be nice if you were only using it on a body of water where vehicle access is possible. I'll drive on the ice when I can, but a majority of the time I'm on water where it simply isn't possible (carry in lakes, backwaters, etc) so plugging it into a vehicle is only an option maybe 5% of the time. Bottom line about these electric augers is that competition is great for the consumer. When the first ones were introduced a few years ago it was sort of a novelty and they didn't move the needle. Now that more and more companies are pushing the envelope with their technology it gives us a choice and makes each company build and tweak a better mousetrap. Each brand has their pros and cons and it's good to have a defined discussion weighing the merits of one over the other...likewise, it would be good to have a similar thread specifically devoted to other brands where tidbits of comparative info on the competitors is introduced to keep those concise.

Why not get a strike master electric - battery is 15 bucks and it's the same one that's in your flasher and aqua view - I got one and fish the mud on bago so I move every 15 min till I'm on fish . I drill 25-30 holes sometimes and don't run out of juice - charges off car charger wall plug in and comes with cables to hook to a car battery if you need to - I never have and I'm drilling thru at least a 12-20 inches when out there . Sure is the best auger I ever had and the battery don't need to be warm

Great point Ulbian. That's hard to remember sometimes in the big picture, but you are spot on. I might be getting one of these very soon. I wish they made a 10 inch, but that will come some day I'm sure. The smallness of it is a plus if you are pulling it on a sled a long way-the auger fits right in there nicely. The extension solves the problem if someone is tall or if the ice gets past a certain point. I think the Ion and The Honda Strike Lite have to be the two best choices for me. I want to be mobile and have something that I can depend on. Because I'm not the guy that can fix or work small engines very well, the last thing I want is an auger where "Only the owner really knows how to use it right." I need something straightforward, simple, and efficient.

Cold weather technology is already on the market. Milwaukee's MC18-XC a lithium battery will operate on temps down to 14 degrees. If your looking for something comparable to the ION in use and price, check out the K-drill on Youtube.

The initial thought of forking over $150 for a battery is a tough pill to swallow but compare what it costs to cut holes with a gas auger. Gas, oil, plugs, other general maintenance... It's going to come out about even depending on use. Over the lifespan of that battery you would have to replace the cost will be a non-issue. It's just the initial hit you take buying a new battery. Regardless of what type you have (battery vs. gas) taking care of them is the key. I don't care what kind of equipment you have, if you don't take care of it, it will not last.

Used a buddys all of last year. Looking to buy one for myself this year. Only issue is keeping the battery warm. If its below 20 you need to put it in your coat, truck, or ice shack. They need to make a battery cover that you can put heat packs or something in there. Or some battery heater that uses up some of the juice, not sure. Great auger, just matters how you fish. If you dont want to baby the battery then its not for you, otherwise its tough to beat.

These augers look really good to me. How hard is it to remove the battery and store it in the cooler with hand warmers? Also, can you charge the battery with it removed from the unit. (bring the battery in, leave the drill in truck) Unless you have one of the two augers on the market that you don't have to keep right side up at all times, you have some reason to consider this. I've got my Strike Lite in a box with a bungie on it when I travel now, would definitely be nice not to have the "Darn it! It tipped over and fouled the plug!" experience ever again.

this auger was made for short people. I wouldn't want to bend over to use it. we all know how batteries are 3 years youll have to spend the money for a new one.

I also have the ION. We used a buddies last year and never ran low on juice. This year we have 2. no one even brings there gassers when we go. They would rather walk to use ours instead. I know we have drilled in excess of 40 holes in 15 inches of ice with no low battery problem. U are right, keep battery warm.

Batteries are replaceable, the best price I have found are just under $150.00. Does anyone know of any cheaper?? May be a market for aftermarket in a year or 2. I bought the 8" ION this fall, finally used it last week. Anywhere from 8" to 4" of good hard ice. The Auger just fell through it, no pressure, the weight of the auger is enough. Not the fastest auger I have used but the easiest. I keep my battery in a small insulated lunch cooler with a hand warmer or 2. Would like the 2nd battery, I just know I will run out of power when I am hole hopping all day.