Clam drill auger conversion kit

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Trout_83
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Clam drill auger conversion kit

Post by Trout_83 »

Hey guys,
I'm brand new to ice fishing and I picked up a manual 6 inch auger (Sail brand) and I'm looking to to use the Clam power drill conversion kit and I need help figuring out what drill to use. It says to use a high torque 18v drill. I currently own a standard 18v ridgid cordless drill as well as a Dewalt 20v dcd796 with a 1.5 ah lithium ion battery. I don't know how much torque either of these have. Would either of those work? I don't even know how thick ice gets where I'd be fishing (Shirley's bay, stocked Calabogie lakes, white lake....). If anyone can help me out with this I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!
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Troutskiii
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Re: Clam drill auger conversion kit

Post by Troutskiii »

I would go for the Dewalt 20v Li-ion battery. A good battery seems to be the make it or break it with the auger drills.
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reefhawg
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Re: Clam drill auger conversion kit

Post by reefhawg »

I have a 6 inch auger and use it with a Rigid 18v. Works like a charm.
What I find though is if it's cold, punch a bunch of holes right away. Seems I get some power loss when batteries are cold. Even if I switch to a fresh battery. But on arrival I punch 6 or 8 holes in a row without issue.
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Trout_83
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Re: Clam drill auger conversion kit

Post by Trout_83 »

Thanks for the replies! I'll probably just bring both out and see how it goes. I was trying to figure out if I needed to go out and buy a specific "high torque" type drill for the clam kit to work, but from what it sounds like I should be good to go with a basic drill. Thanks again
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Re: Clam drill auger conversion kit

Post by reefhawg »

I read about the torque device for the electric drills but I was cheap and just went 18v. Boy was I surprised how well it works. With the torque thingy it must go through like butter.
I'll be using my 18v again this season for sure. I always bring the original auger handle just in case.
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