You’ve heard of claims about what some adapters can do. The truth is no adapter will drill more holes than another.

It’s a device between an existing auger and drill. What controls the amount of holes is the equipment (Drill and Auger) (See recommendations), ice depth, and weather conditions. The only reason you will get less holes is if you use an adapter without the necessary features, and the following happens:

1. Your auger and adapter goes to the bottom. Can’t drill many holes without the auger, plus you get the cost of replacing the auger and adapter, if irretrievable. That can ruin your day on the ice. And who wants to waste time fishing it out. I’d rather be catching fish.

2. The chuck pin is rounded with no flats, and the adapter spins at the pin/chuck connection. Let’s face it if the pin is spinnin (not the auger) you won’t get many holes. There is a claim of a special metal that won’t spin. I own a machine shop and haven’t run across this miracle metal. If it does exist it would have to be soft like lead. So what is eventually going to happen with a soft metal adapter pin? Soft metals bend, and if threaded it could strip. If bent, it could cause the configuration to be out of concentric (circular balance) and wobble. This could lead to chuck damage. And replacing drills can be expensive.

3. If your protection from going to the bottom is a soft plastic disk it could become warped. This might cause that same, out of concentric wobble effect, putting your chuck at risk. A hard plastic disk could be brittle from the cold and break upon impact with the ice. And they may only be 6”-7” in diameter. What if you have an 8” auger? There is one with a propeller-looking piece of metal. Do not bring your children around it. It might hurt a little to hit your leg with it, . Then again, some ice fishermen take a little medicine out to keep warm, so they probably wouldn’t feel it until the next day.

The Ice Master Conversion Kit has all he best features on the market for the same price or less . It’s the only one that helps protect the drill chuck from the weight of the auger. The auger is protected from dropping down as well. You can adapt both adjustable pin and threaded augers with the same kit. It is easy to take along in your pocket, bucket, or leave it on the auger. There’s no cumbersome disk to deal with. And it has flats on the chuck pin to avoid the chuck from spinning.

Q) How many holes will it drill?

A) It depends on the auger size, power of the drill, sharpness of the blades, batteries (the newer the better), weather, and ice depth. The average recommended set up, about 20-25 holes. You probably can get  50 with a new 24V drill, a 4” auger, new blades, new batteries, 6” of ice, and about a 55-degree day. But if you drilled that many holes, when were you fishing?

Q) Why should I buy one? Why not make one?

A) It is actually cheaper to buy one. The Ice Master is priced low enough (because of mass quantities) so it is less expensive to buy one than make one. The crimping tool for the bungee fasteners is a $20.00 item. If you have a threaded auger, the tap is $38.00. Then there is material costs. Metal, plastic, bungee cord, and the bungee fasners. Plus the time to machine it and put it together.

Q) I hooked up my threaded auger and spun the drill around in the air, when I stopped, it started spinning loose. Will it come loose when I’m drilling?

A) It’s not recommended spinning it in the air for either type auger. When you stop it, most drills have brakes on them, you may damage the chuck with a sudden stop and no pressure on it. Because of the thread design, after drilling your first hole it should seat itself tight. Just like it did with the original handle. Check it for the first few holes to be safe.

Q) Why isn’t the pin longer?

A) Safety reasons. It is safer to start drilling with a little downward pressure.  If your starting above 90 degrees, it is harder to control.

Q) What if I need it longer to get through the ice?

A) All the augers tested where about 29”. Some are shorter. This is usually plenty. If it’s not, Strikemaster  has extensions available on their web site. But still try to start below 90 degrees and add it on after you can stay below the 90 degrees.

Q) Can you really drill as fast as the video?

A) The 12" block is real time. The last segment of 35 holes is sped up 2x’s. Just to help the video download faster.

Q) Do you sell wholesale to retailers or distributors?

A) Yes, you will need a tax ID # to buy wholesale. Go to the contact page  e mail or call for pricing.

Q) There is no store in my area. Can I buy it in Canada or in Europe?

A) Right now we have no stores in Canada or Europe with it available. You may contact us, or go to a web distributor, on the Store locator page.

Q) WHERE ARE THE FISH?

A) BELOW THE ICE. BUT YOU NEED TO DRILL A HOLE FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Setting up your conversion involves a few factors. Doing it properly will ensure the best results for your needs.

The factors that are the most important are the drill, drill batteries, auger, and auger blades that you’ll be using. The North American Fishing Club tested the Ice Master with many variations of drills, augers and ice depts. Based on all the testing done with this product, the following is recommended.

1. ADAPTER: Use the Ice Master for your hand auger conversion. It protects both the drill and auger. It adapts both adjustable pin, and threaded augers. Has flats so the chuck doesn’t spin. It’s priced below similar products

2. AUGERS: There are many brands, most work about the same. The two factors that are most important is the auger size, and blade sharpness. The blades must be sharp or new. Like with any cutting tool, they won’t work well if dull. If you need more holes use a  4”-6” auger. They displace less ice saving on the batteries power. It will turn 7”and 8” augers. You will need a more powerful drill and you can expect less holes.

3. DRILLS: The more powerful the better. But power isn’t always in the volts. The brand and amps have more to do with a drills power than volts. That’s why I won’t say use an X volt drill. The best one I found, for price, and power, is the Sears 19.2 volt drill. Especially when they are on sale. I also like their warranty and 2 year replacement service contract (extra).

4. DRILL BATTERIES: The newer the better. Old warn out batteries will discharge much quicker powering an auger. Make sure you have the batteries fully charged.

5. You must run your drill in Low power, High torque. The auger spins too fast in high and is hard to control. You don’t need the high speed to drill.

6. Make sure your connections are tight before each hole drilled. On adjustable pin augers, both the connecting auger pin and the chuck connection should be checked. On threaded augers, make sure the pin is butted up to the auger shaft and again, the chuck is tight.

I have done the testing for over 3 years. If you follow the recommendations, You will have a rewarding experience with the Ice Master Conversion Kit. You can use an inexpensive 9V drill with an 8” auger, dull blades, and old batteries and have a dissapointing experience. But I wouldn’t recommend it.

My goal is 100% customer satisfaction. Please contact me today if you have any questions or concerns.

BE SURE AND GO TO TIPS FOR SOME MORE GOOD STUFF!!! CLICK HERE

1. Run the drill in reverse for easier extraction from the hole.

2. Do not push down hard when you are about to go through the ice. You really don’t need to push hard, the drill will do most of the work. When you are about to go through be careful. Especially with 7”and 8” augers. The sudden release of back pressure, combined with the propeller type motion of the auger can cause you to be pulled down. You may take a header if you are pushing too hard. I know this for a fact! That’s one video no one will see.

3. Don’t leave your batteries on the ice. The cold could discharge them. I drill a hole and leave mine standing, then, I cover the drill with a Thinsulate waterproof bag.

4. If you plan on keeping the pin on your auger, all the time, you may want to buy a bolt to replace your pin on adjustable augers. Make sure it is the proper diameter and thread of the pin your replacing only longer. Then you can add a nut with a lock washer so you don’t need to worry about it coming loose.

5. On specific auger models, you should not leave your plastic wing nut in a 90-degree position. It could hit the underlying bungee cord where it is wrapped around the disc.

6. If the tension of the bungee cord seems a little loose for your drill, you can adjust it. There are just too many drills out there to make a 1 size fits all length. I received both comments from the survey, “It’s a little tight” and” It’s a little loose”. The “too tights” were normally people with arthritis, They had a little trouble pulling the bungee cord behind the handle. So I tried to make fit the most drill but not too tight. If you feel it is loose, you can tighten it. Take the end of the bungee cord where it is fastened at the disk. Use a pair of pliers and pull it through the fastener till you reach a good length (Check it by setting up the kit and leave the chuck all the way open) . If the auger stays up against the chuck when lifted it is good. You may then cut the cord and burn the end to stop fraying. Contact me with any problems or questions on this.

7. Have a drill life line. Many drills come with a cord that you can put around your wrist so it doesn’t fall if you drop it. If your drill has a long cord you can use that. If it is short, I suggest you make or buy a longer one. If you were to lose your handle on the drill after breaking through the ice, it could fall through the hole if your using a larger auger. The reason for using a longer one is to ensure you don’t hurt your wrist, if the drill twist.

8. This one is from Dave my brother-in-law. Take the drill and put it up against the outside of your left thigh. Use your left hand to squeeze the trigger, put your right hand on the back of the drill to give it some downward pressure. Start drilling. You will find the drill goes down smoother with less of a risk of it turning your wrists.

Claude Miller, Algonac, MI: “I drilled through 10 inches of ice in half the time it would have taken by hand.”

Gomer Withrow, Ottawa, OH: “The adapter was easy to use and worked great with my 18-volt drill. It saved a lot of time and effort.”

Rick: “Used the IceMaster today. Wow!! Worked better than I hoped it would! With my 18v DeWalt, I was able to make 6” holes through 10” of ice in about 10 seconds! Faster than a gas powered auger, by far. It’s a great product, Dave, and I will recommend it to everyone who’s interested.”

Tom Dousman, WI: “This Ice Master Adapter for my Lazer Strkemaster ice auger is the way to go. My previous set-up from Yo-Auger was no comparison. On the first use I drilled 20+ holes in 12”’s of ice. In addition, this unit is guaranteed for life! Way to go Ice Master, what a quality product. ”

Eric Janesville, WI: “Hey you guys make the best adapter on the market bar none! I had 2 different makes and they have not held up! My ice-master has drilled about 5,000 holes in the last year or so. Congrats on a quality product for a reasonable price. I only wish the local baitshop who sold them was still in business. I guess all my buddies i will direct on line to order one as they are all envious of mine. Once again thanks for a great product.”