Winter fishing is a responsible occupation, requiring the most serious approach to equipping and equipping a fisherman. In this case, there can be no trifles, since the absence of any detail of equipment can negate the entire preparatory work of the fisherman. Going out to winter fishing without an ice drill is completely meaningless. This tool must be present in the arsenal of any fish catcher, since it is almost constantly involved, and it is unlikely that a forgetful fisherman will be able to borrow it even for a short time. Therefore, the success of winter fishing largely depends on the correct choice of ice drill.
What is an ice drill
An ice drill is a tool for making cylindrical holes in ice up to one and a half meters thick. In its structure and principle of operation, it resembles a rot. There are many different models of this device, differing in size, weight, material of the manufactured parts and the efforts that will have to be applied while working with it. Depending on this, the tools differ in their reliability, strength and, accordingly, in price. Regardless, all ice drills consist of the following parts:
- Handles. There are several options for the design of the handle, depending on whether one or two hands are involved in the work. At electric and gasoline ice drills, the handles are located on the frame with the drive and are used for stationary fixation of the tool in order to avoid turning opposite to the direction of drilling.
- Screw. This is the spiral part of the tool, designed to remove ice crumbs from the hole. It is located below the handles and is a rod with a spiral welded metal tape. It is connected to the rotor with a special unit, which can be telescopic or removable.
- Cutting part. Most often, this is a holder with two straight or rounded knives or a monolithic cutting head.
Materials for ice drilling
Electric ice drill for winter fishing, as well as other versions of this device, is made mainly from cold-rolled sheet steel or from hardened steel with a high-quality coating. Some models are made of titanium. Indisputable advantages of titanium ice drills are:
- strength;
- ease;
- protection against corrosion.
The disadvantages of such models include:
- high price;
- loud sound when drilling, scaring away fish;
- freezing of large amounts of ice in severe frost.
The arms are made of materials that do not crack upon impact, most often from hard rubber. For the manufacture of knives stainless steel or tool steel is used.
Knives for ice drill
Knives are the most critical part of an electric ice drill. They come in two types - flat and spherical. Flat knives are mainly used on domestic products. The main advantages of such knives are:
- low price;
- compactness;
- ease of replacement;
- the possibility of independent sharpening at home.
Their only drawback is the frequent chipping of corners. Flat knives are:
- Straight, their edge is a straight line.
- Rounded off. Their edge is smoothly rounded along the entire length.
- Toothed. Straight edge with teeth.
- Stepped. They have steps consisting of two or three straight edges.
Spherical knives are most often installed on imported electric ice drills. Their main advantages:
- silent work;
- smooth running;
- efficiency when drilling wet ice and when drilling old holes.
Size and weight
The main parameters of the tool are its length, which determines the depth of drilling and the diameter of the screw, which determines the circumference of the hole. On average, an electric ice drill for winter fishing weighs about nine kilograms, but in different models this figure varies. The length of the ice drill in the working position is usually from one and a half to two meters, but it can be increased by installing a special extension cord, which is a rod with a length of 20-60 cm.
Benefits
According to the type of drive, ice drills are divided into manual, gasoline (or motor ice drills) and electric. Electric ice drill for fishing differs from other types of this tool by the presence of a powerful battery. There are models for sale with both a built-in battery and a removable energy carrier. An electric ice drill for winter fishing comes with a tool case and a charging cable. The main advantages of the electric ice drill model include:
- Reliable operation at low temperatures.
- Light weight.
- The speed of drilling holes.
- The drilling depth of the holes is up to 2.25 m.
- The ability to charge from the car’s battery using an extension cord.
- Low noise during operation.
- Ease of management.
- Little physical effort compared to working with a manual ice drill.
- Lack of exhaust gases, as when working with gasoline models.
Operating principle
Inside the battery ice drill are an electric battery and motor. They are securely attached to the drill. The unit is switched on by pressing the button located on the handle. When working with this device, additional efforts are not necessary, since the ice drill itself is immersed in ice under the influence of its own weight. In order for every fishing to be successful, the electric drill must have a sufficient level of reliability, which depends not only on the quality of the materials used, but also on the way the screw is attached. Most manufacturers use spot welding for fastening. It should be noted that for models of domestic production, the working stroke is right, and for foreign - left. When choosing a suitable model of electric drill, it is worth paying attention to the type of handle. It can be telescopic, folding or removable.
Basic rules of operation
To extend the life of the ice drill, you should follow a few simple rules.
- The main condition for the reliability of electric drill is proper battery care. Before starting work, it must be discharged and recharged. It is charged for an hour, and even with severe frost the charge lasts for a whole day of work.
- Upon returning from fishing, the tool must be thoroughly wiped, even if it has a special anti-corrosion coating.
- Blades should be greased with a thin layer of machine oil. This will protect them from rust during storage.
- The cutting parts must be securely fixed for storage, and the ice drill itself is packed in a case.
- Tool knives require the most careful treatment. From them in no case should you knock snow and ice with metal objects, or hold them over a fire.
- The joints in folding ice drills must be lubricated with machine oil after each fishing operation to prevent the mechanism from jamming.
- Any malfunctions, such as a loose nut, loose thread, etc., need to be fixed immediately to avoid more serious breakdowns due to improper load distribution.
- Places in which the integrity of the coating has been violated must be immediately painted with paint to prevent corrosion.
- When drilling holes, the ice drill should be kept upright to properly distribute the load on the tool.
The implementation of these rules will significantly extend the life of the electric drill, preserving its performance for a long time.