Eskimo Pistol Bit VS KDrill Ice Auger 

Thank you, finally someone doing a review of the pistol bit!

You can easily drill holes next to each other if you want larger holes with the K-drill. Drill doesn't walk on you. Also, no scooping holes, you can easily clear slush from holes with the K-drill by reversing the drill. Slush is pushed under ice. My 83 year young buddy easily handles & loves my K-drill.

I use a hand auger with and adapter to my dewalt and a piece of Cdx plywood cut into a circle for a stop Works awesome and costs way less. Weighs more but still really light. Thanks for the video sir!!!!!!!

I was just discussing this very thing today with my son. He plans to get an Eskimo and use a dewalt 60 volt drill. I'm on the fence yet. kinda like the ides of the alignment point and the ability to reopen holes in a shack. Guess I'll have to buy one for me and one for the wife! Happy Anniversary, Honey. LOL

We just converted from gas to cordless drill auger. We went with the Eskimo pistol bit and the Milwaukee 2804 18v (1200 in/lbs torque) drill/driver and two 5 a/hr battery's. Most videos I have watched have recommended the Eskimo pistol bit. A hand auger with drill adapter would be our second choice. (at 73 it's hard to wrangle the weight of a gas or big 40 volt auger)

Thanks for the comparison. Picked up a pistol at the ice show and been in the back of my mind since if I made the right choice. I don’t overlap holes often for sturg in the winter but when I do can use the gaser. Nice vid.

i didn't think my drill would be able to do it for some reason, but you've just proved me wrong. thank you, will be picking something like this up. i drill with hand power, no more cardio for me lol

Nice video, thanks. I went with the KDrill for several reasons but the main one was the chipper blade. It cuts with raw savagery. Most of our lakes here are surrounded with decomposed granite (sand) which blows across the lake through the winter and into the layers of ice. You hit sand particles with a shaver blade it will dull the edge quickly. But the chipper blade doesn't care about sand, rips right through and stays sharp for years. The 6" version is actually 6.5", and significantly cheaper than the 7.5". It also requires a little less power. Since you can overlap holes, I can drill a 10" oval hole but most of the time the 6.5 is fine for walleye and trout.

Loved the review! Just a recommendation if you drilled your holes straight instead of angled it may drill more holes

I like the Eskimo love the light weight and with a Milwaukee drill and a 9 amp batteries I can drill for hours

I was worried a bit you were going to drill the ice out so much you'd fall in with all those holes! :) nice video

I don't understand the K-Drill cult. BTW, eskimo and lazer blades are interchangeable. They are literally the same auger except for color. I bought a pile of eskimo blades for Cheap, only difference is the screws. A lazer strikemaster is all you need. $80 and replacement blades are cheap. Let's not make this difficult. A nils would put a kdrill to shame.

Heads up - Go to Gander Outdoors right now they have a discount code "GOICECOLD" and you get 30% off. Just picked up the 8" Eskimo Pistol bit for $148 after tax and shipping to the store.

Nice number of holes you got there with the Eskimo

i use a strike master mora with adapter and kobalt 24v. i live in MN and we got anywhere from 12-18 inches on most lakes now and that cuts through 12" in about 5 seconds. EITHER WAY THOUGH... an auger is an auger... its all about what drill you have to be honest and if your blades are sharp.

Great review. Thanks. These set ups are so light you could afford the weight to bring channel locks to tighten the pistol a bit better. Shaver blades are tried and true but do have to be babied more. K drill is made in USA. Where is pistol made?

Have 7 in laser hand drill hooked to Milwaukee fuel. Unbelievable how fast it drills. Third year on same blades.

I would love to see the new jiffy torch vs the others.

With these, you can drill holes side by side to get a much bigger hole. If the auger falls out of the drill, a distinct possibility, the one with the float will still be able to be saved. The one with the disk will "sleep with the fishes" and you can kiss your $250 goodbye.

I hate shaver blades. They are wonderful sharp but as they dull, they quickly degrade performance. K drill also made in USA - that has always been a part of my buying decision.

Shaver blades are really easy to sharpen. If you strop them every couple outings you'll hardly ever have to redo the primary edge. Take care of the blades (don't use as walking stick, don't pound on the ice). IMO shaver blades are the best.

Great comparison and thanks for sharing!

I bought a K drill and drilled about 12 holes and one of the flights broke off. Im not hard on my equipment either so i returned it and got a Nils so we'll see. The blades and the punch in middle are sweet though.

This years pistol bit model has the center point now.

It will indeed cut your boot. I experienced exactly what you described...the corner of the shaver blade cut THROUGH my thick boot and two socks , and into my foot. Five stitches at ER. They really should put a center point on it. Easy does it at the beginning.

I'm sorry, but $200-$250 is an absolutely RIDICULOUS price for those. You can buy a regular lazer for half that and just rig it to your drill.

Shaver blades are fast and great on new ice. That's great for early season. If you are on a popular lake after a month, you will be drilling through previously drilled holes. Chipper blades are slower, but they work no matter what. Shaver blades can walk, not bite, and not go through old ice at all. I had a morra auger with shaver blades and had a lot of problems later in the season. I got a kdrill and the thing just works. No matter what, it will drill a hole where you want. Vexilar, who makes the kdrill, also sharpens blades for free. Use what you like. But when it's -20 I want to drill my 2 holes and get inside. I don't want to have to move around because my auger won't bite.

Very good video! I sell these products at my work and will remember your specs and info! Thank you!

How bout a m18 fuel with a 12.0 battery #drillin for days

I"ve had a K drill for 3 years, have used it in 2 full seasons and it has not shown any signs of dulling. you can open new holes and drill holes next to each other without having any problems. that i think makes it a better auger then the eskimo. i just don't think those eskimo blades will hold up and I'm sure they're not cheap to replace. they may outperform when they're sharp but if you hit any dirt you can kiss those blades goodbye. the most batteries that I've used in a day is 3 and i have a milwaukee m18 so get extra batteries and a k drill and in my opinion thats the best auger out there right now for a cordless drill

Eskimo blades dulls fast. Kdrill have hard blade that last. I prefer the kdrill only because when ou hit those dirty bad surface ice the kdrill do much better and dull less. I think kdrill should make a shave blade option also.

I believe the serrated flutes on the K are to lift the chips out and not to throw them around keeping it cleaner in the shanty and less on your pants.

Don't drive your truck there LoL

I got a 6" pistol for scouting, I stopped counting after 100 holes, I'd say I cut closer to 175 with it using a Milwaukee fule with 9ah battery. I dont see my k drill getting used much anymore.

I'll bet after a season of using you will be back to the kdrill, that spike and chipper blades are far superior design and much safer, I tried the eskimo and prefer the ability to drill overlapping holes and the bigger chunks of ice the kdrill makes is much quicker to clean the holes. just my opinion the Eskimo is pretty good too but not as good as the kdrill

i will stick with the Kdrill because of the blades, when it comes to late season and going to a lake that had a hot bite, i promise you will hit old holes and sand and grit in the ice. Don't really feel like looking around for a extra blade to buy.

Pretty easy to figure out which one you favor in the beginning of your review.

A few things not mentioned , the way to move the Eskimo disk when drilling deeper ! " like inside of a wheel house " how much replacement blades are on the Eskimo? Just over $50 a set I've seen , The k-drill blades are free lifetime sharpening, but if you need an extension for the k-drill you also need another float to keep it from sinking !

Very nice comparison. Great job!

Just tried my new Pistol 6" today, I freakin' love it!! The thing is so light, helps compared to my gas auger. It is my "light pack." If I go out with a buddy or 2 I take my 8" gas auger and we all carry gear. But like earlier today, I just took the bare bones out with me, such a good time not having to haul so much gear out to sit out in the open and hole hop. There is a time and a place for all gear. Does the 6" Pistol replace my gas auger...no not really. But it is amazing for when I want to use it.

Thats not ice! I want to see it tested in -30 celcius weather with 20” of ice

The k-drill also has free sharpenings of their blades if you send them in..

There is some sort of annoying background noise. Sounds like a flasher. Is your camera OK?

i can not believe how expensive these are they are just a auger and they they are made from plastic.. I have no doubt they both work but why so expensive for plastic...???

Why do they tell you not to drill holes next to each other with the pistol?

Easy to use. Was relatively easy to auger through 12” of ice.

And the blades on those Eskimos last a long time. The only time they dull. Is when you hit sandy ice or something

Kdrill is faster if you look at the time on both of your first holes drilled with each auger. Helps not having to start slow with kdrill.

Thanks for the video! It is pretty clear that both augers will serve you well. I would love to see a follow up video at the end of the season to see how well they both hold up.

To answer your question, the Nero is better. Dare you to try that test

If you dont have the side handle on the drill is it to much torque to hold the drill?

I was just notified by DeWalt that K-Drill augers cannot be used with ANY DeWalt DRILLS. If you are caught by DeWalt, your warranty will be immediately void. Even though K-Drill made videos of using DeWalt drills with their auger, DeWalt drills are not made to be used this way. My own warranty was voided because of this.

The disc getting in the way is not really an issue. Just put an extension on the drill. As for the floats I like the disc better than the foam because the foam can still go under the ice before coming up. It's now lost under the ice. As for the disc it will stop at the ice level. Finally a simple auger for ice fishing using a drill. I may take my old auger to my welder and have him weld on a piece to fit on the drill. Now I'm saving 200 plus dollars. And, no more wrenched shoulders doing it by hand.

69 is the perfect amount of holes. I was laughed of the ice the first time I used my battery drill to drill ice fishing holes many years ago, know it's main stream.

I think like most ice fishing products, It’s like Ford vs Chevy, they are both fine, but in the end, the product with the most fan boys will prevail…….

I bought a pistol 6 about a month ago, used it 4 seperate days....freaking love it! Super light, fits on my 1/2" Dewalt 20v hammer drill perfectly, and flies through the ice! Seriously, if your considering a auger / drill bit....buy an Eskimo 6 or 8!

Good info, been looking into getting one.

Nice review derren. I just picked up the 7.5" k drill. I was going to go eskimo but saw the k on sale at fleet farm for 209. I got tired of hauling the old jiffy model 30 around. Hows the sturgen bite out there? We didn't have a whole lot of luck after our trip with you in October but we got a few.

250 lmao then another 250 for the drill 500 f****** dollars set just by a f****** Electric ice auger lol...this is the most ridiculous thing I've seen

Not a fair comparison as the 10" is actually a little over 50% more surface area. That requires a LOT more power which will hinder speed.

Only thing I'd be worried about with the K Drill is if you aren't in real thick ice, let's say 6" ice, and the auger comes loose and plummets into the hole, the foam might allow it to drop under the bottom side of the ice and it might not come back up straight. Thus trapping the floating auger under the ice. You might be able to recover it by reaching under but it was just a thought that crossed my mind. Great video!

The eskimo has ben updated for 2019/2020 season. It has a centering bit and a longer 1/2" shank for easier connection of your drill. No more walking and easy attachment. This thing flat out rips!!!

Great review. Looks like Eskimo needs to lengthen the shaft above the disk to give more room to tighten your drill chuck. Still, the extra battery life and less torque make this auger very tempting!

Your K drill is not assembled correctly, take it apart and turn every other flight 1/4 of a turn, then it will be an actual auger. Look at the photos on the website.

Plastic and costs over $200? Sounds like a rip off

Are you from the Range? Don’t sound like it ehh.

I believe the kdrill is made in america too! Im trying to decide and leaning towards the kdrill. I used one yesterday with a buddy. Worked great!

Final choice for me was the K-Drill with a Clam auger drill adapter plate and Milwaukee 2804--22 cordless drill. I choose the K-Drill because it adapted to the Clam plate and has a centering pin to keep the auger from walking when starting a hole. Hopefully Eskimo catches up.

I find comparing the K-drill to any of the shave style augers is pointless. I fish in my hard shack the most and reopen holes daily. No brainer to get the K-drill. Compare the Eskimo with other shavers on the market! Great video, cant get enough of watching these on break while I'm stuck at work!

How are these units doing when you are dealing with 24in., 36in or even 42in. of ice? what you have to consider also is the cleaning of ice chips out of the hole.

Nice to know when your buying an 8inch k-drill that you are actually not getting what your paying for.

Weight is y it’s not fully fluted!

My eskimo has a center bit installed.... new version maybe?

My Nils 8 inch augers with a Milwaukee fuel m18 hammer drill would destroy both of those.

Which drill are you using? I’ve seen people using hammer drills and I have no intention on using such. I have the brushless 20v dewalt drill

The new pistol bit has a centering point on the 8” model only and is a huge improvement over the old model

Just a thought.. if the k-drill does come off the drill and plunges into hole, will it not drop below the level of ice first, hopfully it comes back up straight?

I personally have the clam which I have been happy with K drill an Eskimo I probably just as good as setup but if you already have a hand auger I thank I would go with the clam could save you $100 in cost if you already have a hand auger

My only fear with the k drill is it coming off and bobs under the ice and I get wet trying to retrieve it or i cant get it back.

The fluted shaft is so not as to throw ice shavings around inside a permanent fish house

Excellent comparision, well done. Best setup I have seen is a 18V Ridgid Octane (1300 in-lbs torque) on a Nils Trekker auger. Effortless.

An ION will chew through both of them. Never seen anything better than the ION and my ION is 10 inch. Much better for giant pike, musky and salmon I also run it with a 12 or 14 volt Milwaukee drill and she goes all day

I see k-drill has changed the 8" to 7.5" on there site now and now they offer a 8.5"

Good information. This grandpa is looking to upgrade and a lighter load.

the eskimo pistol bit box says great for drilling old frozen holes!

Thanks man! This helps a lot ;-)

RE: tightening the chuck. You had your palm toward the disk. If you have your palm toward the chuck, tightening is easier.

If those batteries were at the same charge the Eskimo had roughly 130 inches more than the k drill. Now that in my opinion is quite a pro. I didn't think they would differ more than a few holes. But 16 more holes could be a potentially one more full day of fishing If you didnt have a way to charge them. I think If I were to buy one you couldn't go wrong either way now for me I don't think I will ever get rid of my jiffy white lightning and anything 8 and less I just use hand auger with good blades is just as fast as any auger. I am not a fan of these new batterys in cold weather idc what people say I have never had one keep or hold a charge I'm frigid temps. I use to keep all my old nicid tool batteries In the truck overnight for work and not think about it, these lithium batteries I have to bring in ever night forget it once and it's dead by morning all name brand from dewalt to Milwaukee. The rockwell tools I have keep a charge more than my Milwaukee but it still does after 10 min of use.

Cool video. You should show the nils which is by far the best!

I use Milwaukee and laser. 40 holes on 8 " auger through 10 inches of ice no issues

Thanks for the review dude.

Great review!! I have both the K Drill and Pistol 6 incher's as you said I will use the Pistol for hole hopping and the K Drill for when I overlap holes for tip fishing. You do great videos. Be careful with the pistol just start slow and game on!

Hi DTronFishOn! After using the Pistol Bit for a couple of seasons now, I was wondering how long your shaver blades lasted before needing a sharpening? Thanks for sharing these videos!

I'll take my Niles all day. Niles. Cost a little bit more but they work the best.

I just bought the 7.5" Kdrill and purchased the DeWalt999 which can be used with a 60 Volt Flex battery. I've heard that by using that, you get about 35-40% more use. Another thing I'm wondering is why can't you just cut a chunk of pool noodle and put it below the disc for more peace of mind? Just tape it after you have it set on the shaft.

nills vs eskimo ??

put a cedar tree or 2 in the holes the area drilled like that makes it an unsafe area

I’d use the strike master bungee instead of that disc crap on the auger. It connects to the shaft on the auger and bungees over the drill. Honestly i like the k drill so far for weight the center point and size. At most I’d be going through 2 ft of ice. Small light compact precision aggressive . I’m looking into the strikemaster light flight but think it’s taller which I don’t need. Guess we can’t have everything. Thanks for the video

The rite drill is a Milwaukee fuel

I am wondering why a couple PLASTIC augers are $249 dollars. Seem quite high for something that attaches to a 100 dollar drill anymore. Seems like fisherman are always taking in the rear with no lube just walk into a fly shop!