Using a cordless drill for ice fishing has grown in popularity among ice anglers in recent years. More and more fisherman are getting away from the traditional gas augers and moving towards electric. Electric augers are much lighter and can be more reliable on the water. However, it is critical to have the right drill for the job. In this article, we’ll simplify your search by diving into the best drills for ice augers and what you need to look out for.
The Angler’s Line is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program as well as other affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites at no extra cost to you.
The Best Drills For Ice Augers (Quick Summary)
- DeWalt 20V Max XR Hammer Drill
- Milwaukee M18 Brushless Cordless Hammer Drill
- DeWalt FLEXVOLT Advantage 20V Max Hammer Drill
What To Look For In A Drill For Ice Augers:
Power
The power that a cordless drill is indicated by its voltage. The higher the voltage, the more power the cordless drill has. When using an ice fishing auger, you’ll need a cordless drill that has enough power to handle the heavy work load. Generally, look for a drill that is at least 18V or higher. If your drill is underpowered, you may end up burning up your drill rather quickly. Trust me, this is based on first hand experience.
Another added benefit of having enough power is that your drill will cut much quicker. This allows you to get more holes cut and prevents battery lose throughout the course of an ice fishing trip.
Drilling Speeds
For a cordless drill to be adequate for ice augers, they must have variable speeds. When you’re using a drill to cut holes, you’ll generally want to keep it on the lowest or second lowest speed. Drills that only have one speed are likely to have too high of an rpm for an auger. Furthermore, these tend to be the cheaper drills.
Handles
Another thing to keep in mind is the handle of the cordless drill. Typically, the higher powered drills come with a side handle while the lower powered drills do not. The side handle is a nice added feature since it allows you to have more leverage and control over the auger when cutting a hole through the ice. If you’ve ever used a drill with an ice auger before, you know that it can catch on the ice and twist your wrist pretty bad. Having a side handle helps prevent this.
If your drill does not have a side handle, there are other attachments that you can purchase to serve the same purpose. Clam makes a drill plate which works pretty well.
Brushed vs. Brushless Drills
When it comes to brushed cordless drills vs. brushless cordless drills, what you need to know is that brushless drills are better for ice augers. They provide more power, torque, and speed and tend to last longer as well. These make a big difference when using a drill for an ice auger, since this is quite a difficult task that can take a tole on an inadequate drill.
Chuck Size
Almost all ice augers on the market intended for a cordless drill come with a chuck size of 1/2″. You’ll need a drill that accommodate this size of bit in order to work.
Batteries
Last, but certainly not least is batteries. You may think that just any 18V or 20V battery will work, but that is not the case. Most drill batteries are lithium ion, which is preferred. The biggest thing to keep in mind is battery size. This is indicated by the Amp Hours that a battery has, with the higher numbers representing longer battery life. For an ice auger, you’ll want a drill battery with at least 6Ah.
Drilling a hole in the ice with an auger takes a lot of power and can drain batteries rather quickly. Additionally, the larger the auger size you plan on using, the more battery you’ll use. Regardless of what drill size you use, we recommend having at least two batteries for your drill. This should allow you to cut plenty of holes throughout the day without any issues.
The Best Drills For Ice Augers (More Specifics)
DeWalt 20V Max XR Hammer Drill
Features:
- DEWALT-built high power, high efficiency brushless motor delivers up to 57% more run time over brushed
- The DCD998 Hammer Drill has 3-speeds, high performance, all-metal transmission to optimize tool-to-task for fast application speeds and improved run-time for drilling in masonry materials
- Heavy-duty 1/2-in ratcheting nitro-carburized metal chuck with carbide inserts for superior bit gripping strength
- 3-mode LED provides lighting in dark or confined spaces up to 20x brighter than previous model
- LED spotlight mode features 20 minute shutoff function allowing for extended work time in dark or confined spaces
Review:
This is a drill that we have extensively tested for ice fishing and it has preformed extremely well. The DeWalt 20V Max XR Hammer Drill paired up with the XR battery is arguably the most powerful drill combinations DeWalt makes. This drill has plenty of power to handle an ice auger and plenty of battery life to drill lots of holes on one charge. Additionally, this drill comes with the side handle for extra leverage and comfort when drilling. If you already have a DeWalt drill with batteries or a battery charger, this is the way to go. Furthermore, if you’re purchasing a drill for the first time you can’t go wrong with the DeWalt 20V Max XR Hammer Drill.
Milwaukee M18 Brushless Cordless Hammer Drill
Features:
- POWERSTATE Brushless motor: purposely built for the M18 FUEL 1/2 in. Drill Driver to provide up to 60% more power than the competitive set
- REDLINK Plus intelligence: ensures optimal performance and provides overload protection to prevent damage to the tool and battery during heavy applications while still maintaining compatibility across the entire M18 system
- REDLITHIUM XC5.0 Battery pack: delivers more work per charge and more work over the life of the pack than competitors
- Up to 60% more power: 1,200 in-lbs of torque
- LED on foot of tool for better lighting in dark spaces
Review:
The Milwaukee M18 Brushless Cordless Hammer Drill is another popular ice fishing drill on the market. Milwaukee makes great products, and the M18 is no exception. This drill is 18V which is slightly lower than the other DeWalt drills listed. If you plan on using a large ice auger (over 8″), a 20V drill may suite your needs better. However, this will handle an 8″ ice auger or smaller just fine. If you already have a Milwaukee batteries or battery chargers, this is a great option.
DeWalt FLEXVOLT Advantage 20V Max Hammer Drill
Features:
- DEWALT 20V hammer drill has up to 42% more power** when paired with FLEXVOLT batteries
- The cordless hammer drill is compatible with all DEWALT 20V MAX* and FLEXVOLT Batteries
- GREAT BIT GRIP: Heavy-duty 1/2-inch ratcheting nitro-carburized metal chuck with carbide inserts for superior bit gripping strength
- 20X BRIGHTER LED: 3-mode LED provides lighting in dark or confined spaces up to 20x brighter than the DEWALT DCD985
- EXTENDED WORK TIME WITH LED: Spotlight mode features 20-minute shutoff function, allowing for extended work time in dark or confined spaces
- Tool Connect Chip Ready: Chip pocket accepts Tool Connect Chip DCE042 and connects with Tool Connect Site Manager app for easy asset management on the jobsite. (DCE042 sold separately)
- OPTIMIZE TOOL to task with 3-speed transmission
Review:
DeWalt released the new and improved FLEXVOLT system a few years back. As a result, this line has grown very popular in the ice fishing community. The benefit to flex volt is that the battery switches voltage depending on the DeWalt tool that you hook it up to. If you have lots of other DeWalt tools that you regularly use, this is a huge advantage. Instead of needing to purchase multiple batteries which are quite expensive, you can use the flex volt batteries in all the tools. Another thing to note is that it is very important to use the flex volt batteries in the DeWalt FLEXVOLT Advantage drill to get maximum power. If you use other DeWalt batteries, you won’t get the same result. One downside to this drill is that the power may not be quite as high as the DeWalt 20V Max XR based on our research.
More Information
Thanks for making it to the end! Hopefully you found this article helpful in determining which cordless drill to use for your ice auger. Remember that ice augers are heavy, and cutting a hole with one is no small task. You’ll need a heavy duty drill that has enough power for the job.
If you’re looking for an auger for your new drill, check out The Best Ice Augers For Cordless Drills
The Angler’s Line is all about building a community centered around fishing and conservation, so that we can all enjoy this great resource for years to come. If this sounds like a mission you can get behind, consider signing up to our newsletter here
More Ice Fishing Articles:
