Experienced hard-water anglers know that ice fishing can be tough work, especially when you’re drilling hole after hole for your tip-ups. And the thicker the ice, the more powerful that auger needs to be to chew through to the water below again and again.
That kind of power used to be available exclusively in heavy gas-powered augers, and lugging these bad boys out onto the ice was no fun.
And of course, the colder it got, the more finicky they became to start. Struggling to get an ice auger running is something every old hand on the hard water can tell you about.
But now, a new generation of electric ice augers are available that offer the power you need at a weight you can handle. They start instantly, no matter how cold it gets, and eat ice with the best of them.
Below, you’ll find reviews of the best electric augers on the market, as well as a complete buying guide to get you up to speed quickly.
Quick glance at the best electric ice augers:
Table of Contents (clickable)
Best Electric Ice Augers Reviewed
StrikeMaster Lithium 40-Volt Ice Auger – Best Electric Ice Auger for the Money
Diameter: 10”
Length: N/A
Blade Type: shaver
Weight: 27 lbs.
Reverse: Yes
StrikeMaster’s electric auger is an amazing performer, often out drilling gas- and propane-powered rivals.
Available in a ten-inch diameter tipped with the awesome, and justifiably famous, Lazer shaver blade, this auger loves to eat ice. A pilot spike helps you get started, preventing the blade from wandering, and once it starts to bite, the hole is practically done. At least as fast as any gas-powered auger we’ve seen, you lose nothing but weight and mess by moving to this battery-powered system.
Batteries hate the cold, so to conserve their power, it’s a good idea to keep them warm. Simply tossing them in a small cooler with a hand warmer or two will do the trick, and we strongly recommend you take this precaution. If you do, several dozen holes in thick ice won’t even begin to test the batteries on this auger.
But don’t just take our word for it:
Augers are expensive – we know that – and you want head-to-head matchups to really see the performance differences between your options. Take a look at this comparison:
It’s also as quiet as they come, with a reverse gear that’ll keep most of the slush in the hole where it belongs.
Its price point puts it in direct competition with the StikeMaster Lite-Flite, so the comparison is as inevitable as it is necessary.
Which is the better auger for the money?
If weight and raw speed matter, I’d go with the Lite-Flite. Its Lazer blades are as hungry as they come, and I seriously doubt the 40V ION can keep up with the StrikeMaster in head-to-head speed.
But if you want longer battery life and plan to drill more than 600 inches of ice on a single charge, the extra battery capacity on the ION lets it pull ahead of the StrikeMaster. Ditto if you’re drilling really thick ice all the time.
In the end, that’s a decision only you can make, but I’d probably give the 24V StrikeMaster the edge.
Pros:
- Great price
- Pretty light
- Fast
- Usable inside your shelter
- Quiet
- Reverse
Cons:
- Limited to roughly 1000 inches of ice on a single charge
ION R1 10″ Ice Auger
Diameter: 10”
Length: N/A
Blade Type: shaver
Weight: 24 lbs.
Reverse: Yes
ION’s R1 with the 10-inch blade is a step up from the first generation models that made this company famous. Geared for greater speed, you’ll notice a difference immediately if you run the R1 side-by-side against the original model.
ION says the difference is roughly 30%, and that feels about right to us.
It also features a long-lasting 5Ah 40V battery, but keep in mind that a series of 10-inch holes chews a lot more ice than the same number of 8-inch holes, eating battery life as quickly as hard water.
As a result, you can expect about 600 inches of ice per charge, according to ION, though plenty of anglers find it’ll eat through a lot more than that before discharging.
Two 4Ah Gen 2 batteries power this awesome lightweight motor, and again, it cuts just as fast – and perhaps even a tad more smoothly – than the much heavier 40V StrikeMaster.