Clam Auger Plate Review (Milwaukee M18 Fuel Drill)
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- Ive had a lot of questions about my auger setup. This should give you guys some ideas as to what I am running and what I like and dislike about it. I am in no way saying that clam auger plate is useless. I've used it for years, but since them new products have become a better option.
Thanks for watching!
Good review. Thanks for taking the time to put that together. I work for Clam, so I might be a little biased, but I have some things to add to this. First off, all of your points are valid, however, some of the main purposes of the Clam Drill Plate are to actually save your drill and your body. As a guide, I burned through many cordless drills when attaching direct to an auger bit, but since using a Clam Drill Plate I’ve burned out ZERO. Cordless drills just are not designed to take that abuse. The Clam Drill Plate, along with that floating bearing, actually take a lot of the abuse off your drill-which in turn will extend the life of the cordless drill (and your investment) drastically. I bet if most hardcore anglers are honest with you, they would say that they go through a cordless drill every ice season because of cutting holes and chucking direct to an auger bit, but I have some drills I’m going 4 seasons on while using the Clam Drill Plate (and I literally cut thousands of holes per season). Many anglers also snap off that handle attachment on their Milwaukee drills when chucking direct to the auger bit because of torque, I know of several close friends alone who have done it. Anglers have also injured their wrists cutting holes with a cordless drill chucked right to an auger bit. And last, the Clam Drill Plate will protect your drill from getting physically beat up, full of snow (when setting it down), etc. So while I know it has some cons, to me the pros outweigh the scenario. I totally understand your points though, but I just wanted to make sure people understood some of the main reasons for why the Clam Drill Plate was created 👊
Thanks for your feedback! I didn’t take into consideration that the drill head might take extra abuse if I did not have the plate. Thanks again!
he is right... i sheared the T handle off my milwaukee while drilling with an 8" steel auger. so ill probably get the plate now since my handle is messed up. drilling without a t handle is super sketch. best way to hurt your wrist.
Matt i have the first gen cam plate running an old brushed dewalt hammer drill and 6 inch auger,going on 8 years,i am going to upgrade to a brushless dewalt 998,strykemaster lite flight,and am curious to your opinion on the geared versus non geared plate,i like the idea of the multplied torque,and i don,t think the reduced speed would be an issue ?......thank you...
Yup, I watched someone snap the handle attachment right off his drill without the plate. Jacked up his wrist and hand as well.
Leave the drill on the plate, store it out of the weather. Take the battery inside.
Exactly!
True but he is negative about that
my first thought is to set up the drill at home before heading out on the ice.....
I used the Milwaukee drill with the handle directly to the auger. No good! That thing kicks your butt. Have ripped the handle off multiple times. Leg is covered in bruises and cut my finger. Drill is currently getting fixed. Thank goodness for warranty. Will be adding a drill plate. To help the longevity of my drill and for my safety. Just putting this out there so you don't have to learn the hard way like I did.
Good to know thanks !
It would be faster to leave the drill on the plate and take off the auger bit via the one wing nut
That’s a good thought as well ! Thanks !
I have had the Clam plate for 2 seasons now using a Ryobi hammer drill with 750 in lbs of torque. I have an 8" auger and it has done really well which surprised me. I have drilled through as much as 23" of ice without issue. One of the biggest advantages that I can see is the leverage that you gain by holding the two handles. I will likely get the gear drive this season. The cons I have are the same ones pointed out in the video. 1. Taking the drill on and off. 2. It is bulky
Thanks for the feedback Donovan! That’s actually impressive! I’ve been wanting to increase my auger size but never pull the trigger. Just out of curiosity what kind of auger is it ?
@@garygoes_ it's the strike master mora I believe.
I'm a retired welder with bad arthritis in my hands. So some days just pulling the trigger on the drill can be very painful so the clam plate with the rod pull handle would be easier to operate. I agree putting the drill on the plate with Numb fingers can be challenging so I would probably leave it on.
That’s a very good point I never thought about situations like that. Thank you!
I leave my Metabo HPT mounted and bring the whole plate/unit in. But I have a room just for ice fishing equipment and own extra HTP drills. I have no complaints = worth every cent.
Good to know thanks for input
Have the Clam Plate with the Power Drive and 8inch auger from Strike Master Drill Stays on the Plate, I just bring it inside where it's warm along with Batteries, Love it!
I have the clam plate and thought I would like having my battery and drill off the ice but my drill time slowed down, drains my battery more and like you said heavy!
Agreed!
My plate handle broke. I got rid of it and went to a pistol bit for the last couple of years. And I dont miss it. It takes up too much space in my tiny sled.
Yeah I feel I might be doing the same this year. I think its a great idea and concept but with new technology and super light weight sharp augers its just not needed anymore. Thank for your input bud!
They have an extension for the auger section which makes it easier to handle instead of loosing 1.5 to 2 foot of the handle you lost by taking it off the hand drill section. Also, when you jump up to an 8", there is a model with a gear box which will take the load off your Milwaukee or in my case, the Dewalt. Drill saving feature.
Thanks for the tips! I didn’t know there was a gear box style
If you have the money to do so, buy a drill for exactly and only the purpose of being on the clam plate. For sure, always bring your batteries inside, or at least in an area above 45 degrees so they don't freeze. Always use a brushless drill for an auger.
I have a 10" eskimo propane power auger, and it is an insane amount of added weight for just drilling holes when I'm out on early ice and have to drag everything out with me. Adding a pistol bit or k-drill to the plate is a game changer. I personally can drill probably 100 holes per battery, and if i have 2 batteries with me on a long trip, I'll never worry about not being able to drill a hole.
Thanks bud! Appreciate your input !
Build, or buy a gun type rack, & mount it on your sled for your auger.
That's actually something im going to work on soon!! Thanks dog!
I've got a the Milwaukee Fuel Brushless and a 7.5" K Drill, not super impressed with the battery life I get out of it but the convenience of it is super nice. I think if I had to do it again, I might get an auger with a cutting head like a Strikemaster or Nils. They seem to be a little more efficient than the chipper blades of a K-Drill
not all batteries are the same... the Amp Hour rating is what you need to know. the higher it is, the longer it will last
@@lucasbrown8775 Right, but the less efficient the cutting design of the auger, the less battery life of the drill.
Get the 6.0 High output battery I got one for my fuel Drill and it doubled the power of the Drill. I am using a 10 jiffy torch and it still has lots of power.
Get the gear box to then you have a real good auger. Not quite as fast but alot more power plus you can use a less expensive drill 850 lbs per inch is plenty most people don't have a1200 cordless in their tool box.
Thanks for the feed back!👍
First off you need to take the drill inside and keep it warm? , why take it off from the plate?? That's just nonsense ...... secondly ,u need the spring upgrade..... lastly I have a dewalt dcd998 on my clam plate , with a 8" lite flite attached , I've had 0 problems with it , and would highly recommend this combo , with the clam plate !!!
Good to know
Late to the party but I put a clevis/hitch pin in place of the bolt then when done fishing I pull the pin and remove the entire plate,drill assembly. Really a non issue.
Great tip thank you!
I don’t have that model, I have the wiggler one. But why don’t you just unscrew it below, where it’s connected to the auger and carry the top part inside 🤔
That’s a great idea! I completely overlooked that! Thank you!
I have the kdrill with the clam plate it works great but like you said it's really bulky.im considering taking my clam plate off and just using the drill handle to save room
What size KDrill do you have Ed?
Ive had mine for a few years. My biggest hate on it is the offset auger drill
I'm thinking of getting this what do u mean by the offset do u mean that the drill isn't in the middle of the unit, if it is yea I was wondering if that would be a problem. Sure think it would really help my wrists though
@@chadbosko8935 yea thats pretty much it. I got the pistol bit and just chuck it to the drill and i personally like that more
A lil late to respond but the biggest and could well be important part of this plate is, STABILITY. The plate stabilizes the drill chuck to the adapter.
A few yrs ago, I took a trip up nord into the MN backwoods. Just had a drill attachment auger and used the drill handle for stability. Caught some bad ice and the torque of the drill snapped the adapter piece. Took a 2 hr drive back to a small town to luckily buy an attachment. Pretty much ended my trip cuz I was only able to fish half the time I was there. Came back and bought that plate. Folks just dont know until it happens to them. Either buy a few adapters or have a hand attachment if possible.
If you want something compact try an ht Nero have had mine for four years now cut a lot of holes with one screw you go from a short compact auger to full length it has shaver blades not chipper and I’m running just a ryobi hammer drill non hp battery 4ah and get 60+ holes per charge with out going under half on the battery that is through 10 inches of ice all in all it does the job hope your ice season all the best tight lines 👍
Thanks for the info bud ! I appreciate it !
FWIW, if you're drilling through 12" of ice, you don't really need a Clam plate. Going through 36 to 48" of ice with a 12" extension is another story.
I would just take the batteries in.....leave the drill on...🙂
I think you have a good set up
Thank you !
Why would it not he on the plate before you get on the ice??
I keep it stored most of the time so it’s not in the elements.
Before any trip, you get rigged up. So get your stuff together and just undo the auger from the plate. Thats 1 screw. Have your drill and everything else mounted the night before..
K drills have a float from them falling out of chucks and other drill mounted augers have some sort of plate because they would fall out and go down holes.
If you get the clam plate with the gear drive it saves the drill, chuck, auger and wrists.. seems your making it more complicated then it needs to be.
Привет с Байкала! Пользуюсь подобной платформой. Основная причина безопасность! Без неё многие вывихнули кисти рук
You ever fish red rock?
Once on open water yes. I’ve been meaning to get back there sometime.
I think we need to learn what pros and cons actually mean 🫠 maintenance isn’t a con, it’s common sense of course. Set up time isn’t a con either, personal preference since you don’t leave it attached….
Fair enough👍🏻 I was trying to figure out the best ways to explain the things I like and dislike. Maybe a pros and cons isn’t the best way to do that. Thanks for the input I’ll try to get better on clarification!