The best screwdrivers for ice augers: 2023 rating, review, price, quality, photos

The pleasure of winter fishing can be ruined if a screwdriver purchased in advance for an ice auger does not withstand the frost test, and a hole in thick ice will have to be drilled manually.And this takes into account that an experienced fisherman, in search of a good place, can make up to a dozen holes. There is enough work for a cordless power tool.

What to look for when choosing

Most winter fishing enthusiasts with little experience do not think much about which screwdriver is best for an ice drill. They take a homemade one, one that was bought and is gathering dust idle in the workshop. An adapter and a drill have already been selected for it, so there are no problems.

And only beginners or true fans of ice fishing buy a special tool. The first are guided by the rating of screwdrivers for ice augers. The latter choose a tool based on their experience, trying to combine price and quality. And they are doing the right thing, since the requirements for a “Shurik” for winter fishing are somewhat different from ordinary power tools:

1. Torque of at least 50 N*m for an ice drill with carbide tips and an adapter with a gearbox. If you use a screwdriver to turn the first ice screw that comes to hand, you will need a torque of at least 70 N*m.
2. Since the ice auger cuts ice when the auger rotates to the right, and the adapter is ordinary, you will need to look for a screwdriver with the same direction of shaft rotation.
3. The gearbox must be free of grease, both on the gears and on the bearings. Any options with fluoroplastic liners will do. This is a guarantee that the lubricant will not freeze at -15OC, and the screwdriver will not jam.
4. For winter fishing, it is advisable to look for a model with additional protection of the body from moisture (water vapor). Usually these are Japanese or German models.

Any screwdriver for winter fishing must be checked in conjunction with a drill. It is very important how well the cutting edge of the auger removes ice. For some forged metal models, a drive of 50 N*m is enough; for the simplest augers, sometimes 70 N*m is not enough.

It is still advisable to buy a screwdriver with silicone protection, so as not to wrap the tool with electrical tape or adhesive tape. Ingress of moisture and vapors must be avoided at all costs. Condensation or melted snow will definitely kill the control board or short-circuit the battery.

And one more thing - a screwdriver for an ice auger, even taken from the rating of the best, should definitely be inexpensive.

Which drill is suitable for working with a screwdriver?

First we choose the diameter, usually at least 120 mm. If the ice screw is made correctly, then 150-180 mm is possible. The auger and rod itself are made of structural steel. You will need to weld a hexagon on the head to secure the adapter. The ice auger shaft should have a sliding handle to hold and guide the tool with your second hand.

The cutting edge of the ice auger is made of forged alloy steel. No carbide inserts. The ideal option is to make several replacement attachments from an old spring from a Moskvich or Volga.If properly sharpened and secured (with rivets), a homemade ice auger will last longer than the vaunted Tonars, Asseri or Alligator.

How powerful should a screwdriver be?

Since you will have to work with an ice drill in good frost, the power of the screwdriver motor is not particularly important. The weak moment can always be compensated by the adapter gearbox. Even the most inexpensive models will have enough of it.

Another thing is batteries, which quickly lose their charge in the cold. Optimally, lithium-ion batteries of 18 V or 20 V. For one fishing trip, one Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 2A*h is enough. All other options, nickel-metal hydride or nickel-cadmium, are wasted money.

Which adapter for a screwdriver is better to take?

Often fishermen immediately buy a good quality ice drill, Heipola or Asseri, in the hope of drilling into the ice by hand. After a couple of outings on the ice, it becomes clear that it is better to turn the ice auger using a battery drive. In this case, you can use a regular line adapter. This is just an adapter with which you can connect the coupling (under the bit) of a screwdriver to the hex shank of an ice drill.

For homemade ice augers and screwdrivers with weak batteries, it is better to immediately buy a gear adapter. As the batteries age, less and less energy will be generated, and the gearbox will compensate for the low torque.

How many batteries do you need?

For one output, 2 cans of lithium-ion batteries of 1.5 Ah will be enough. Sometimes even one is enough. But it’s better to take a couple for fishing if you plan to actively drill holes.

Li-Ion has a strong self-discharge in the cold, so they are stored separately from the screwdriver, usually in a woolen case (in a bag) along with a stainless steel thermos.Once the ice auger is finished, the batteries are returned to the bag.

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The best screwdrivers for ice drills by price/quality for 2022-2023

To drill ice you need a reliable and powerful tool. Winter fishing conditions can be considered extreme for the operation of a cordless screwdriver, so the risk of breakdown increases several times.

The best screwdrivers for ice drills with a torque of 60 N*m

When paired with a simple linear adapter and a regular drill, it is advisable to use a powerful model from one of the well-known brands.

Third place in the top best is Ryobi ONE+ HP RDD18X. A powerful tool with an 18V motor and a torque of 95 N*m. The advantage of the design is that it has a brushless motor and is equipped with 1.5 Ah batteries, but any of the 18V series from the Ryobi brand can be used with the screwdriver. Price – 8980 rub.

Second place – AEG BS18G4. Torque – 65 N*m, supply voltage 18 V, the screwdriver is equipped with 2 batteries with a capacity of 2 Ah. There is a bracket to which you can tie a cord so as not to drop or drown the tool while working with the ice auger. Price – 11200 rub.

First place – Makita DF002GZ. It is equipped with a 40 V brushless motor with a torque of 64 N*m.

The design uses electronic speed control, as well as XPT technology for enhanced protection against moisture and water vapor. Works with 1.5A*h lithium batteries. Price – 10,500 rub.

The best screwdrivers for ice augers with an additional handle

For short ice augers, you can use a tool with two handles. In this case, most of the load falls on the adapter and on the side handle of the screwdriver.

One option is a screwdriver BISON “Professional” DB-201-22. The tool is equipped with a 20 V brushless electric motor and a dry gearbox that develops torque up to 70 N*m. The side handle is removable. The kit includes two batteries (replaceable and main) of 2Ah each. Price – 11820 rub.

It is better to turn the additional handle upward rather than sideways. In this case, the ice screw can be held with both hands, much like the handlebars of a bicycle. It is possible to rest your feet, the load on the arms is approximately the same. And there is also less chance of dropping the ice screw into the hole. This happens, so a screwdriver is used to thread a tape through the bracket on the handle. Attach to the arm or neck, as you like.

The main thing is to pick up the ice screw in time and prevent it from diving into the hole. There will be no harm to the auger, but a cordless screwdriver may burn out from diving into water due to a short circuit in the battery.

Another model is Hanskonner HCD1865BLC. It is possible to install an additional side handle. The 18 V brushless motor provides a torque of 65 N*m. It is equipped with two 2.4 Ah batteries. Warranty for 25 months, price RUB 13,350.

The screwdriver turned out to be really convenient. But the engineers clearly overdid it; there are too many ventilation holes in the tool body to cool the motor. Before going fishing, it is better to seal them with tape or adhesive tape.

Among domestic models, you can use the Vityaz DA424-2 with an additional removable handle, a 20V brushless electric motor and lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 3 Ah. The design feature is a huge torque of 100 N*m, so the screwdriver can be installed on an ice drill with a simple adapter.The tool’s capabilities are enough to drill the most difficult ice to a depth of 70 cm.

The model is powerful, so it’s better to immediately buy a branded titanium ice drill and a stainless steel adapter for the screwdriver. If the ice drill is collapsible, then under heavy load you can easily cut the key on the connection, and the lower part of the auger will simply dive into the hole.

The only negative is the significant weight of the power tool, 2.3 kg. Price 13,200 rub. with a 1 year warranty.

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The best screwdrivers for ice augers with two batteries

If you choose the right characteristics of the gear adapter (gear ratio 1.5-2), then to turn the ice screw, an inexpensive screwdriver with two batteries of 1.5-2 Ah will be enough.

Among the most reliable tools, we can note the Resanta D-20 2 LK-B 75 screwdriver with a five-year warranty.

Characteristics:

• operating voltage 20V;
• torque 55 N*m;
• there is a reverse and low battery indicator (on the case);
• The kit includes 2 batteries (Li-Ion) with a capacity of 2A*h.

The weight of the device is only 1.3 kg, so the screwdriver will not be a burden during winter fishing. Price RUB 7,600, 60 month warranty.

Resanta D20 is one of the few screwdrivers that can be taken fishing with one battery. The DC motor does not kill the "battery". Therefore, the tool lasts quite a long time, and in addition to driving an ice drill, a screwdriver is actively used in household repairs.

In addition to Resanta, we can recommend the Whirlwind 24L-2K/B. A fairly light screwdriver, only 1.3 kg. Operating voltage 24 V. Equipped with a brushless DC motor. Torque 55 N*m.But in terms of characteristics, the electric motor turned out to be not as economical as that of the Resanta D20, so to drive the ice drill it is better to take both batteries included in the kit for fishing. The capacity of each battery is 2 Ah.

Best Chinese

One of the Chinese manufacturing companies has developed and is producing the SUMITACHI 10101 screwdriver model specifically for driving an ice auger in winter fishing conditions.

The design uses a powerful 25V brushless DC motor. The gearbox develops torque up to 120 N*m. Moreover, the weight of the model is only 1.64 kg. There is a battery charge indicator on the case; 4 Ah batteries are used for power supply. To hold the tool, an additional handle can be installed on the body. Moreover, it is entirely made of metal, and not plastic, like its competitors. The price of the model is 16,900 rubles, the warranty from the date of sale is 12 months.

A less powerful, but more reliable Chinese model Crown CT21075HMX-4 BMC uses a 20 V brushed DC motor. The torque on the gearbox is up to 60 N*m.

The fact that instead of a brushless electric motor there is a regular brushless motor, but more powerful, does not in any way affect the performance characteristics of the screwdriver. Crown CT21075HMX is designed for fairly harsh operating conditions with high discharge current.

Moreover, the system has a gearbox with gears and satellites made of metal. It is almost impossible to break such a gearbox, even if the ice drill gets stuck in the hole. The only condition is that before working with an ice drill, you need to run the screwdriver at idle speed. This will warm up the lubricant in the gearbox and raise the battery. The capacity of one battery is 4 Ah.So one battery should be enough for two trips to the ice.

If you choose from inexpensive screwdrivers, you can purchase the P.I.T model separately to drive the ice drill. PSB20H-13B.

This is a budget, but quite powerful Chinese tool with a brushless electric motor and a torque of 75 N*m. The gearbox is steel, but the housing is plastic. Weight – 1.3 kg. The device runs on 20 V lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 2 Ah. The cost of the tool is 4700 rubles.

Best inexpensive

The price of a screwdriver directly depends on the engine power. The higher the torque on the gearbox, the more expensive the tool.

Among inexpensive models for fishing, you can use Interskol DAU13/18VK. The torque is 45 N*m, but from practice it is known that it is quite enough to turn the ice screw on ice up to 40 cm.

The advantage of the model is the all-metal gearbox, designed for the most severe operating conditions. The operating voltage is 18 V; in order to drill through ice with an ice drill while fishing, you will need at least two batteries. Price – 4300 rubles, 1 year warranty.

From the line of budget models for ice fishing, you can use a screwdriver from the Russian brand STAVR ST20UBDA.

The design features a brushless motor that provides a torque of up to 50 N*m. The power tool runs on a 20 V battery with a capacity of 2 Ah, 4 Ah or 6 Ah. That is, if desired, you can make a triple supply of energy to drive the ice drill. Price – 5300 rub.

The best solution among inexpensive screwdrivers can be considered the Makita DHP 482Z model. Operating voltage 18 V, conventional brush motor, powered by a 2 Ah battery. In this case, the gearbox provides a torsional moment of 62 N*m on the shaft. The weight turned out to be 1.8 kg. Price – 6800 rub.This is one of the few models that, at a low price, provides reliable operation with an ice auger at any air temperature.

An ice drill doesn't have to be too expensive or powerful. A tool for 20-30 thousand rubles. It would be a shame to lose it or accidentally burn it when swimming in a hole. Therefore, experienced fishermen take a regular tool, select an adapter for it and a good ice screw. But you can also buy a premium version if ice fishing remains your main hobby and way of spending leisure time.

Which of the proposed models would you choose? Share in the comments. Save the article to your bookmarks so as not to lose your rating. Perhaps it will be useful when choosing.