This year I bought a convertible Nils auger. I was skeptical, but trying to drill holes by hand or even using my drill on a conventional auger was getting too tiring. The Nils auger, at nearly $300 after tax was a huge hit... but after just a few weeks of use I can tell you that it is 100% worth it!
Why?
- It never "bites" the way a conventional auger does, even when you are punching through that last inch of ice.
- It has very steady torque, yes your drill will work hard, but I have an 18V Ryobi and used a smaller drill from work today... no problems., thats with the large 8" auger! - NOTE: Requires a 1/2 drill chuck not 3/8".
- I can REDRILL an existing hole!! I have never been able to open a hole that was partially closed up, this has caused major problems in the past in my shack when I go back to fish after a week and find the old holes are about 2 inches in diameter of open water. Conventional auguer just jams in the hole. The Nils powers right through and cleans the hole out beautifully.
- I think it clears the ice out of the hole better, seems to really pump the water through the hole leaving it with little or no slush after drilling.
- It has a perfectly sized plate built onto the end to prevent it falling through the ice if it falls off the drill
- Has good deep channels for the drill to bite on.
The ONLY downside i have found is that the blade cover is poorly designed.
I am not affiliated with the company, but I know that it comes up occasionally on this site about using electric drills, and in my opinion this is the way to go.
