This is the new ION Electric Ice Auger.  It's powered by a lightweight Litihium Ion battery and the whole thing weighs 22 lbs.  It'll drill over 800 inches of ice on a charge.  That's 40 eight inch holes in 20 inches of ice!  That should be enough for a day's worth of fishing - for an army.  Even if you are hole-hopping for crappies, there should be way enough juice to get you through the day.  If not, you need to  make better use of your Showdown Fish locator or your Vexilar or Humminbird.  Target your fish before drilling and then take drill your holes with your very quiet ION.  NO gas motor making noise.  Nobody on the lake can hear you.  Drill your hole, catch a few, and move on.  Except for the ridiculously bright green color, it's like a stealth auger.  

Regular gas ice augers run around 28 to 33 pounds and that includes Strikemaster's Electra which is a still a great auger but slower, heavier and drills less holes than the ION.   But, it is cheaper too and replacing the batteries is less expensive.  But, I've been told the lithium battery does last a really long time, like 300 charges.  You'd be really lucky to get 300 charges out of a lead acid battery plus the power in a your average ice fishing gel cell 12 volt battery really drops off when it gets a little older especially with the fast draw down the auger motor takes in cold weather.  They work great when they are new, and in some rare cases, I've seen gel-cells go 5 years in a  Strikemaster Electra, but you usually need to replace them after 1 to 1.5 winters assuming you kept it charged up throughout the summer months.  (I ALWAYS forget - dang it!)

Lithium Ion batteries are different.  I don't know all the details but they do hold their charges differently.  In the ION Ice Auger, it is designed to draw down the power from the battery evenly across the cells in the battery itself. A regular electric auger grabs power nearest the positive terminal when you push the button and  takes a big bite out of the power reserves which drills a hole.  Initially it has some torque but then as the battery tries to fill the big initial void with it's remaining power from the rear of the cell, it slows down the auger decreasing torque when you are almost ready to break through the ice.  You can hear it conking out as you are drilling.  Then, when you set the auger down and let the battery equalize for a few minutes, you get a nice strong burst of power initially, but it weakens in torque before you get as far as you did with the first hole.  

The ION Ice Auger has a delay in the trigger for about 3 seconds or so.  You pull the trigger and nothing happens, then it kicks in.  What is actually happening at that point is the onboard computer is calling for power but from the entire battery across the top of the cell.  It doesn't just take a huge bite of power from one end and then make that battery require rest to equalize itself between holes.  It draws the power it needs evenly from the battery which makes the battery last much longer from a charge standpoint and does not cause the ION to hit the ice hard and then fizz out right when you need it at break through.    Being a Lithium Ion battery keeps the weight way down and the smart, efficient, even use of power is how you get so many more holes drilled in the ice.  That's what makes the ION ice auger different from other electrics, or at least the Strikemaster.  I can't claim to be an expert in any of this, but it was explained to me and it all made a lot of sense.  Take it for what it's worth.

All I know is for drilling in the pop-up for perfect hole placement, this is going to be really handy.  No smoke, no noise, no carbon monoxide. 

8" Diameter 
22 lbs. 
42" tall with extension included in the box. 

Order Your Ion Ice Auger Here from Red Rock

This is the ION ice Auger company Info

ION is the game changer! 

ION gives you the power-auger performance without the hassles. It is powerful, fast and will drill up to 40 holes through two feet of ice on a single charge. No more gasoline or oil leaking out in your vehicle or on the fish house floor. 

This is the perfect auger for ice fisherman who prefer convenience, light weight, and fast driling in 6" to 24" of ice! No smoke, no mess, just holes!

Drill up to forty 8-inch holes through two feet of ice on one lithium-ion charge! The Eskimo ION Electric Ice Auger gives you power-auger performance without the hassles. The ION is fast, powerful and lightweight, making it easy to carry. In fact, at only 22 lbs., the ION weighs nearly 40% less than many gas-powered augers. This Electric Ice Auger features lithium-ion technology, and is so quiet, you won’t scare the fish. ION's 8-inch steel auger cuts holes like a gas-powered auger, but without the usual noise and bone-jarring action. Better still, there’s no gas, no oil, and no fumes to contend with! The ION Electric Ice Auger features a Spot On centering ring that allows you to reopen frozen holes. A Straight Through blade design translates to a smooth, no-catch breakthrough with no jagged ice at the bottom rim of the ice hole to fray line. Other features include an onboard, high-energy 40V MAX lithium-ion battery, easy-grip handlebars, large ergonomically positioned trigger, and a compact, lightweight transmission with planetary gears 

This is Red Rock's Info

When we actually touched the first one, we all saw Shang Ri La along with the Holy Grail of ice fishing. This auger is wicked! Charge your ION up and go crazy drilling! Crappies will be no match as you run around the ice setting up your crappie minefield with the ION. It's light, it's fast, it's green - no really, it's actually green colored and looks a bit like a superhero weapon for fighting the monster in Alien. One thing we know for sure is - no muss, no fuss, just hole-drilling heaven will be in your gloved hands come this winter when you get an ION from Red Rock! Push a button, fish away!

MNicefisherman