K drill ?

[Cheers]

Can anyone share information regarding how well the k drill performs in thick ice say 3 or 4 feet thick like we typical get up north ?. Can a Milwaukee drill or any other for that matter drill  dozen or more holes on a single battery ? A local fishing store in Inl. Falls cant sell them locally and have no experience with them  .

[Tom Sawyer]

Myself no, and personally I made the K Drill purchase for the weight factor, along with the super ease of drilling for early and late ice. Don't think I'd ever want to sell my Lazer, when I can haul it out in the back of the truck for thick ice situations. It will work, but you would need to carry alot of battery power...

Make sure you clear ice chips from hole as you drill, the speed of the auger creates a ton of friction.... 

[can_cooler]

Cheers, I use a 6” K-drill on a Milwaukee M-18 Fuel drill/driver, going on 5 season now. I have successfully drilled through 36” of ice (the ice down here in the cities rarely gets that thick). Like Tom said, be sure to clear the hole of ice chips every 10” or so. The lithium ion batteries hold up surprisingly well. I would feel confident that you could drill at least a dozen holes through ice that thick. Bring a fully charged 2nd battery for anything more than that. I do this anyways, just as a back up. I hope that helps.

[BriGuy88]

To build off of what the others have said, clear the ice chips regularly when drilling in thick ice and I think you'd be fine.  I purchased the 8" K Drill in March of 2017 and paired it with the Milwaukee drill and a Clam drill plate.  Had a chance to test it on 24" of solid ice at the end of last season and came away very impressed.  I drilled 20 holes in that ice and still had over 1/2 power showing on the 5 amp hour battery I was using.  Based on my results, I'd be surprised if you couldn't get at least a dozen holes out of 1 battery. 

[Rick G]

For 3-4ft of ice...power auger 2ft or less, k-drill/milwaukee fuel.

Yes the Milwaukee will do the job you are asking, especially with the 9ah battery packs. 

[anyfishwilldo]

Im using my kdrill with the milwaukee mud mixer, and i really like it.  I also have 30" of extension on it as well.  It cuts great but with the really thick ice its best to run the ice out of the hole a couple of times.  Its also really nice to run it in reverse to push all the chips out the bottom of the hole instead of having to scoop it all out.

[IceHawk]

That mud mixer attached to that K drill has been the talk of the group I fish with. We all have Millwaukee drills on our k drills  but some of the guys are wishing they would of went with the mud mixer because of the handles looseing up on the millwaukee drills. 

[anyfishwilldo]

The loose handle issue was the very reason I went out and got the mud mixer.  Now the drill can just stay in the shop.  I did find the handle worked much better on the right side of the drill than the left.

[Borch]

I haven't had the handle loosen on my Milwaukee yet.  But I check every outing.  I've been getting 35-45 hole in 26-30" of ice with the 9ah battery and 6" kdrill. 

[nofishfisherman]

This is the my first season with the 6" kdrill and M18.  On a slow day of fishing I tested the battery with 24" of ice and drilled 30 holes on 1 battery (5ah battery), that included pushing the slush down the hole with reverse.  

Thats 720 inches of ice drilled with one battery.  With that in mind if you have 36" of ice Id assume you'd be able to drill right around 20 holes as thats also 720 inches of ice.  You might end up being a little less since your drill would also have to spin the extra weight of the extension but I'd still guess between 15-20 holes at 36" thick using the 6", less if you have the 8". You'll have to decide for yourself if thats enough holes for your needs.

I carry a spare battery just in case so in 2 feet of ice I can do 60 holes in a day which is more than enough for me. Even at 3 feet of ice 30-40 holes would probably be more than enough. I probably wouldn't want to drill many more than that in 3 feet of ice even with a gas auger.

[eyeguy 54]

Not a kdrill but I just got the M18 for my nills. The handle is quite a bit longer than the one that was on my ryobi. Hope to drill with it next week, maybe sooner. Should be fun. 

[rundrave]

why did you switch up from the ryobi model? I like the Milwaukee I think their batteries really shine over others especially when exposed to cold. My only complain about using the Milwaukee setup is the side handle isnt that great and a couple of guys I fish with had theirs break.

I am using a Makita XPH07Z and this was my first winter with it. I only went with the Makita strictly for the fact that I already only several other Makita tools otherwise I would have went with the Milwauke. I like the Makita side handle way better than the Milwaukee its much sturdier. No need for a clam plate on the Makita and I am turning the 8" Lazer hand auger. I like the bigger holes but an 8"s sure goes through the batteries quicker than a 6".

Edited April 2, 2018 by rundrave

[eyeguy 54]

couple weeks ago I was reopening a hole and it got stuck towards the bottom. I jerked the ryobi to hard and damaged it.  Small wobble in it. So I decided to upgrade since I found a great deal. I like the longer handle.  used it today for the first time. did about 25 holes and only down one bar. sweet.  

[monstermoose78]

31 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

couple weeks ago I was reopening a hole and it got stuck towards the bottom. I jerked the ryobi to hard and damaged it.  Small wobble in it. So I decided to upgrade since I found a great deal. I like the longer handle.  used it today for the first time. did about 25 holes and only down one bar. sweet.  

How much ice?

[eyeguy 54]

2 feet or so.  hope to get north next week and drill drill drill.

[grab the net]

I love my k drill.  Only issue I have had Isthe side handle on the Milwaukee. Bracket on the drill where the handle clamps on actually broke. Hoping it’s covered under warranty. As far as number of holes, yes no problems in that death of ice

[Cret Jigs]

Just curious on these k-drills 6" ... how is the torque on your wrists with the handle?   

[Tom Sawyer]

8 hours ago, Cret Jigs said:

Just curious on these k-drills 6" ... how is the torque on your wrists with the handle?   

Can't imagine using the K drill, without a handle attachment on the drill, very aggressive auger. The handle is exactly what helps prevent excess torque to your wrists. OUCH!

[monstermoose78]

i have seen ladys run the k drill with ease Cret. 

[Tom Sawyer]

11 minutes ago, monstermoose78 said:

i have seen ladys run the k drill with ease Cret. 

Moose is once again correct....

[Jim Almquist]

Using my 6" Nils with my Dewalt there is no more torgue then a 1 1/2" wood bit. No need for the handle but is makes straighter holes.

[IceHawk]

I'm running a 8 inch K drill and there is minimal torque. The setup is Very easy to handle and Ive run some of the 6 inch k drills easier yet. . I agree with Jim I ran EYEGUYS setup with that Nills bit and that thing has probably the least amount of torque of any of them. Those Nills slice through like butter. 

[bowhuntingboy1]

I am 14,kdrill could be used by a toddler. It is fast too. You have to have a dtill that meets requirements and a handle for your drill. You can't beat it.

[Rick G]

4 hours ago, Tom Sawyer said:

Moose is once again correct....

That's my girl she loves the k-drill. 

[eyeguy 54]

drill baby drill!   for sure handle on for me. easy peasy. Personally, I would not run either without a handle. If it would catch on something it would be OUCH ! !  as Tom said. 

[eyeguy 54]

1 hour ago, Rick G said:

That's my girl she loves the k-drill. 

that sure is a pretty mazda.