What Power Do You Need A Screwdriver For An Ice Screw

Which screwdriver is best for an ice screw: 6 reliable models
Winter ice fishing is both active outdoor recreation and a serious hobby that requires skills and good equipment. Along with fishing rods and a tackle box, an ice drill is needed. A screwdriver will make it easier to drill holes.

Which drill is suitable for working with a screwdriver

Experienced users say it is unambiguous. With right rotation. This is due to the fact that all screwdrivers are designed specifically for standard drilling and screwing the screws to the right. Yes, they also have a reverse mode, but the chuck and inner sleeve are not designed for heavy loads in left-hand rotation.

This means that your drill must also be right-handed, while some domestic brands are designed for counter-clockwise drilling. If you have just such a drill, then for a screwdriver you will either need to change it, or overload an expensive electric tool with a reverse motion. Below we will tell you which screwdriver is better to choose for an ice screw.

Makita DHP458RFE

This model differs from the 481RTE version in its ability to hammer very quickly, which will be very useful for home repairs, but not for fishing. Despite the similar price to it. About 20,000 rubles, this screwdriver has a significantly lower torque value. 91 Nm, and the battery capacity is only 3 Ah.

What power should be a screwdriver

Experts have found out through practical tests that the minimum power of a screwdriver for use with an ice screw should be more than 60 Nm. Because most of these tools for standard use and with an acceptable price of 2,000-5,000 rubles have a torque of about 15-45 Nm, it becomes clear that this pleasure will not be cheap. According to preliminary estimates, screwdrivers with a torque of 60-110 Nm cost from 8,000 to 35,000 rubles. In addition, such a powerful device will weigh a lot. 2-3 kg, including the battery. This allows you to understand which screwdriver is best for the ice screw.

But for inexpensive screwdrivers, manufacturers have made a kind of solution. An adapter with an integrated gear reducer, which reduces the output speed, thereby reducing the load on the screwdriver itself. This way you can save on the purchase of an expensive power tool if you already have a less powerful model. But the adapter itself with a built-in gearbox costs about 5,000 rubles.

Makita DDF481RTE

This screwdriver is focused on professional use, which leads to such a high cost of the unit. About 26,000 rubles. The power of 115 Nm gives reason to hope that it will be enough for many many deep holes. Protect your main hand from dislocation when biting a drill in ice. The set contains 2 batteries, each with a capacity of 5 Ah and a voltage of 18 V.

DeWALT DCD791P2

The power of this screwdriver reaches 70 Nm, which can be called optimal for use with an ice screw. But the price here is also significantly higher in comparison with weaker brothers. The set also includes 2 batteries each for 5 Ah with a voltage of 18 V. With such a capacity, one set will be enough for you for one day fishing.

Screwdriver for ice screw: rating of the best models

Our selection includes screwdrivers that have the right torque and very reliable and durable mechanics. If you already have an inexpensive, relatively powerful screwdriver for home use at home, then it makes no sense to buy another one separately for fishing. It is best to try an adapter with a gearbox. Perhaps he will be the best screwdriver for an ice screw. The rating of the models presented below will allow you to choose which cordless screwdriver for an ice screw is better and has an acceptable price.

Bosch GSR 18 VE-EC 0 L-BOXX

This ice screwdriver has a torque of 75 Nm. The maximum number of revolutions is 2100. The lithium-ion battery has an increased energy density, which is achieved through this manufacturing technology. Its capacity is 4 Ah, power is 18V.

Makita 6337DWD

A less expensive model from this manufacturer, which is only slightly inferior in performance. Can be used if the angler does not need to drill too many holes.

Makita DDF441RFE

The screwdriver is equipped with a 3 Ah lithium-ion battery. The voltage power is 14.4V. The set includes a second battery of the same capacity. Full charge time is 1 hour. The torque in this model is 70 Nm. The maximum number of revolutions is 1.7 thousand. The high-speed mode is selected from three switch positions. Weight. 2.3 kg.

If the question arises, which wrench to choose for an ice screw, then you can focus on the same parameters and manufacturers.

Review of the best models of screwdrivers

We present to your attention a selection of the most suitable screwdriver models in terms of parameters. They are made by renowned manufacturers, this technique has been on the market for a long time and is of good quality.

Rating of the best screwdrivers for an ice ax

Winter fishing automatically implies the use of an ice screw, because in other ways it will not work to get to the water column. This tool is powered by hand or motor. However, motorized options are used to drill holes over 200mm in diameter, while the 120-150mm range is most in demand. Therefore, many fishermen began to use screwdrivers as a rotating element. They are more compact, lighter and less expensive.

In the current material, we will figure out which screwdriver to choose for an ice screw, taking into account various aspects of the technical characteristics of the tool.

Metabo BS 18 LTX Impuls

The impact driver has a torque of up to 110 Nm. The chuck is quick-release, which will allow you to forget about using a special key, which is easy to lose on the way. Power is 18V, removable battery capacity is 4 Ah.

The rotation speed is regulated by two parameters:

• At the first, it is 500 rpm;
• For the second 1700 rpm. Maximum.

Heavy Duty Performance

Agree that the rotation of the drill in ice requires quite a lot of effort from the screwdriver. My tests have shown that a unit with a torque of at least 60 Nm can cope with such work. The same figure is confirmed by other fishermen who are already drilling holes with a screwdriver. Therefore, when buying, you need to build on this value.

But in this place we must make the following reservation: not all screwdrivers, which will have a torque of over 60 Nm, will suit us. Among them there are those in which a large torque is achieved due to the impact mechanism. It is good for tightening nuts and bolts, but absolutely useless when drilling ice. Therefore, for ice fishing, models that achieve high torque due to impact are not suitable.

Heavy loads also require the screwdriver to be of a professional grade, since only then can it last a long time. Professional tools are made by the following manufacturers:

• AEG
• Bosch (blue)
• DeWalt
• Makita
• Metabo

The household class will not work, therefore we do not consider all sorts of bison, calibers, encores and other Chinese.

If you have drilled by hand before, you may remember how you sometimes got jammed during this process. Now imagine what would happen if wedging occurs while drilling with a screwdriver. Your hands can easily be twisted. To protect yourself from this, it is necessary that the screwdriver has an additional handle in the kit, which is installed on the back of the main one. This way you can confidently hold the device by grasping it from both sides. This will keep your hands intact.

Let’s summarize this part like this: a large load requires a professional shockless screwdriver with a torque of 60 Nm. And for convenience and safety, an additional handle is also needed in the kit. With the factor of heavy load sorted out, let’s move on to the need for long-term work without recharging.

Features for long battery life

On the pond, no one will let you down, so the operating time of the screwdriver will depend on the amount of the stored charge. The charge reserve is equal to the battery capacity and is measured in ampere-hours. I think you understand that for drilling ice on winter fishing it is better to purchase a screwdriver with an increased battery capacity, which is at least 3 Ah. And you need to have at least two of them. Although, as I already wrote, we need a professional-grade device, and they are always equipped with at least two batteries.

By purchasing a screwdriver with a 3 Ah battery, you can drill at least 100 holes, and if at 5 Ah, then 150-170. Although this indicator, as mentioned above, also depends on the thickness of the ice.

Thus, when buying, we give preference to devices with the most capacious batteries. Now is the time to move on to such a factor as cold.

Required characteristics of a screwdriver for work on ice fishing

Think and imagine what difficulties you will face when operating a screwdriver on a frozen water body? After a little evaluation, three factors come to mind:

• Huge pressure
• Long battery life
• Cold

To work with confidence in such conditions, it must meet certain requirements. Let’s consider these requirements depending on each factor separately.

Characteristics for working in cold conditions

This point is closely related to the previous one, since it is again about the battery capacity, which becomes less at low temperatures. Therefore, this condition again requires the purchase of a screwdriver with a large-capacity battery.

Also at this point it should be said about the types of batteries. There are three of them:

• Lithium ion
• Nickel-cadmium
• Nickel metal hydride

It is believed that nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries do better than lithium-ion batteries in the cold. However, my tests show that modern lithium-ion batteries do well in freezing temperatures as well.

But even if it turns out that your lithium-ion batteries refuse to work in a cold state, they can simply be kept warm. “And where to get heat on winter fishing?”. You ask. And I will answer: you yourself are the source of heat. Make additional internal pockets for batteries in your jacket, sheepskin coat (or whatever you go fishing in). Lithium-ion batteries are lightweight, so keeping them there is convenient. When you need to drill the next hole, you take out the battery. When you sit down to fish, you clean up.

And the next point on this point is that nickel-cadmium batteries have a capacity of no more than 2 Ah, and nickel-metal hydride batteries no more than 2.5 Ah. Lithium-ion ones can also have 5 Ah. Proceeding from the fact that we need to have more than 3 Ah, we discard the nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride types aside, especially since they gradually cease to be produced as obsolete.

So, having considered the three main factors that will affect the operation of the screwdriver in winter fishing conditions, we found out that we need a professional non-impact screwdriver with a torque of at least 60 Nm, lithium-ion batteries from 3 Ah and an additional handle in the kit.

Which models meet these requirements?

Ice screw driver. Which one to choose in 2020?

Hello! Do you love ice fishing but tired of manually drilling holes? A cordless screwdriver can make your life easier. You can easily fix an ice screw into it and drill 100-150 holes with one charge, depending on the thickness of the ice. True, not every model is suitable for this job. What characteristics a screwdriver should have in order to confidently cope with drilling will be discussed in this article. Read it to the end, as below will be presented specific high-quality models that can withstand the required load, but have the lowest price. This article is regularly updated, so it is always up to date.

I work as a sales assistant for power tools, so I am well versed in the range. In addition, I myself sometimes go on a winter fishing trip, so I can imagine the conditions in which a screwdriver will have to work. In general, having estimated these conditions, tested some models and talked with other fishermen, I figured out which screwdriver to choose for an ice auger so that he could handle this business with honor. Let’s start describing the required characteristics.

Choosing the brand and model of the screwdriver

One of the most popular models in 2020. Is AEG BS18C2BL LI-402C. It has a solid torque of 65 Nm and 4 Ah batteries. One of the main features is that it is also brushless, which means that the service life of its motor will be much longer than that of its brush counterparts. There is also an extended 6-year warranty upon purchase at Vseinstrumenty.Ru. To get it, you just need to register the screwdriver on the aeg-powertools.Eu website. This is done for free.

AEG BS 18C Li-402C

The Makita DDF458RFE screwdriver, which has 91 Nm, is also popular, but the batteries are less capacious here. 3 Ah. As you can see, AEG wins in capacity, but Makita’s torque is much higher.

With 5Ah batteries, there is an AEG BSB18CBLLI-502C screwdriver. This is essentially the same brushless device from AEG that was discussed above, but with more capacious batteries, thanks to which the holes with it will turn out to be slightly larger.

AEG BSB18CBLLI-502C

If the above models seem expensive to you, but you nevertheless do not want to give up the idea of ​​drilling ice with a screwdriver, then spit on everything that I wrote above about the battery capacity and an additional handle, and get yourself, for example, such device: Bosch GSR 18-2-LI Plus Professional. Yes, with it you will only drill about 50-70 holes, since the capacity of its batteries is only 2 Ah. Also, it will have to be held tighter, since there is no additional handle. But it costs one and a half to two times cheaper. Therefore, those who are not so active on winter fishing can get by with them.

Bosch GSR 18-2-LI Plus Professional

Well, I think this is where the article can be ended. I hope I helped you with your choice. Read also my other articles on this site! Until next time and happy shopping!

Batteries

So that a screwdriver for an ice screw does not turn into unnecessary ballast on a pond, it is important to choose the right battery for it. Today, tools of this type are most often equipped with two types of batteries: lithium-ion and nickel-cadmium. Nickel-metal hydride are less common. They all have both positive and negative sides. Below is a table that will help winter anglers make the right choice.

Battery type	pros	Minuses
Lithium-ion (Li-Ion)	Easy maintenance, high energy consumption, low self-discharge, light weight, fast charging	Poor resistance to low temperatures, rapid wear, high cost
Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd)	Works at extremely low temperatures (up to 50˚С), can be stored in a discharged state	Memory effect, rapid loss of energy consumption (10% per year), high weight, noticeably heavier instrument
Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-Mh)	Increased energy intensity, resistance to cold, low weight	Limited capacity, memory effect, high self-discharge, short shelf life in a discharged state (up to 3 years)

Which to choose?

Every angler, tired of working with his hands and making a choice in favor of improvement, is faced with the question of choosing a screwdriver. This mechanism has a number of requirements. What parameters you need to pay attention to when buying a screwdriver for an ice screw and which one to choose:

• Suitable for extreme conditions. In our case, these are low temperatures. Not every screwdriver is capable of working in frost, therefore, you should look in the device’s passport for information about at what temperature minimum it can be operated.
• Voltage. This parameter determines the performance of the screwdriver, that is, its power. There is one rule here: the higher the value, the more powerful the instrument. An 18-volt device is suitable for fishing, but it is better to stop at its professional “relative”, working from 36 volts. He will definitely cope with heavy loads.
• Rotational moment. This physical quantity, which determines the force of rotation of the working element, determines how easy the drilling process will be. Here, too, you need to follow the principle: more is better. If there is no extra money, then you can limit yourself to a device operating in the range of 40-70 Nm (newton / meter), but if finances allow, it is worth purchasing a more advanced model. 80-90 Nm.
• Battery capacity. The larger it is, the longer the device can work without recharging. Typically, this parameter ranges from 1.5 to 4 Ah (ampere-hour). It is clear that with a 4 Ah battery, you will be able to drill more holes on one charge.
• Hull strength. In difficult winter fishing conditions, anything can happen. For example, during assembly, the screwdriver will accidentally slip out of your hands and hit hard ice. In order not to be disappointed in an automated ice ax on the very first day, you need to choose a high-quality screwdriver that is resistant to impacts and other mechanical influences.
• Lever. It is very convenient to use the device with a side handle. Thanks to this additional element, it can be reliably held with both hands and not be afraid to injure the hand.

Screwdriver for an ice screw. An overview of the best models

Not a single self-respecting winter fishing fisherman appears on a frozen reservoir without an ice ax. This is as much a must-have for ice fishing as a fishing rod or a box. Of course, you can go without it, counting on the holes left by your colleagues, but even after a slight snowfall, finding them will be very problematic. Walking is also not the best option. If the ice is more than 20 cm thick, you will have to work until you sweat, after which fishing becomes not a joy. With an ice pick, everything is easier, especially if its knives are well and correctly sharpened. Drilling will take only a few minutes, and the rest of the time you can enjoy your favorite pastime.

In recent years, an improved tool has become very popular, which is a symbiosis of an ice ax and a construction screwdriver. The connection of the screw to the screwdriver is an unusual solution that allows you to get an excellent automated device for drilling ice of any thickness and structure without any effort. Today the fishing market offers drills already adapted for a screwdriver. The famous Swedish company Mora can boast of such products, but not every fisherman can afford this rather expensive tool.

But there were craftsmen who learned how to make automated ice axes from domestic products. This job requires certain skills and knowledge. It is not enough just to cut off the handle with a grinder, you need to know how to connect the auger to the power tool, and most importantly, choose the right one, because a low-power model will not cope with the task at hand. So, which screwdriver is best for your ice ax? Let’s try to figure it out, but first we will finally make sure that this really needs to be done.

Advantages and disadvantages of ice axes equipped with a screwdriver

Compared to manual models, automated ice axes have a number of advantages. First of all, these are:

• Saving time. When the fish is passive, sometimes you have to look for it for a long time, making many holes. With a hand drill, you can spend hours searching, and the winter day is already short.
• Saving energy. No physical overstrain, just a little effort to hold the tool in an upright position.
• Great opportunities. The redesigned ice ax is capable of handling any ice, even the driest and densest.
• Silence. When the ice cover is clear, without snow, there is a loud echo from the blows of an ice pick on the reservoir. After that, the fish will not fit under the hole for a long time. Another thing is an automated ice ax. It works not only quickly but also quietly.
• Multifunctionality. It is not necessary to store the fixture fully assembled. The screwdriver can be removed and used in everyday life for its intended purpose.
• Self-esteem. Not every ice fishing lover has such a device. Competitors who continue to hammer with an ice ax in the old fashioned way will glance at the work of the miracle ice ax with undisguised envy.

Unfortunately, fishing shows some of the weaknesses of the power tool.

• Ice fishing takes place at low temperatures, which is a major problem. If at 10 ° C the device still somehow copes with its function, then in a more severe frost, you have to take out the battery and keep it in your bosom.
• Devices with ice axes in which the auger rotates counterclockwise are unstable. After a certain number of revolutions, the adapter loosens and begins to slip in the chuck.

As you can see, such a tool has much more advantages than disadvantages. They made it popular.

Adapter for ice screw Which screwdriver is better

Before focusing on specific models, it is worth mentioning the attempts of some fishermen to equip the ice ax with other devices, electrical and not only. Wrenches, drills and even chainsaws are used. In technical terms, this is possible, but extremely difficult. This is especially true for the saw. Therefore, it is better to stop all the same with a screwdriver.

So, an ice ax screwdriver, which one to choose? The fishermen have tried many options, but not all of them have passed the test with dignity. In practice, only some models have shown themselves well. Let’s list them and give them a brief description:

• Hitachi DS18DSFL is a perfectly balanced tool with a comfortable rubberized handle. Voltage. 18 V. Powered by a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1.5 A / h (there are two in the set) Weighs only 1.7 kg, so even with prolonged use the hand does not get tired. A case is provided for transportation. The power is a little lacking, 41 Nm is not enough for drilling holes. Anglers who have to drill holes in the dark point out that this screwdriver could use a backlight.
• Makita 8434DWFE is a compact, fairly lightweight screwdriver weighing 2.5 kg. Powered by 3Ah NiMH batteries. At a voltage of 14.4 V, it has a maximum torque of 70 Nm. The pluses also include the high strength of the body, the keyless chuck and the presence of a side handle.
• Bosch GSR18-2-LI Plus is a professional tool with the best performance / price ratio. It has an overload protection system for the electric motor, which ensures the durability of the device. Weight. 1.1 kg, battery type. Li-Ion, capacity. 2.0 A / h, voltage. 18 V, maximum torque. 63 Nm. Equipped with a flashlight to illuminate the working area.

These models are not very expensive and not the most powerful, but they cope with drilling several dozen holes perfectly. With proper use and proper care, they will last more than one season.