15 best icebreakers

An ice drill becomes an indispensable helper in winter fishing. With this tool, holes are made in the ice, through which the fishing takes place. The stores offer a wide range of models, why beginner anglers start to feel dizzy. What moments should pay special attention?

• Depending on the drive tool emit manual and motorized ice-drills. In most cases, suitable manual models. Good and inexpensive products are produced by domestic manufacturers. Scandinavian boers differ in easier and convenient work. When you have to make a lot of holes in thick ice, you should give preference to a motorized tool. Models with a gasoline engine can work in any frost, but they have a fairly large weight. An alternative to expensive petrol engineering can be a power tool. Some models of manual ice drills are equipped with an adapter that allows you to connect a cordless screwdriver. Only in case of severe frost is it necessary to keep the battery warm.
• An important characteristic of ice screws is the diameter of the screw. If a small hole is required for catching small fish, then it is possible to stop at models with a screw of 90-110 mm. Hunting for trophy fish is better with ice drills 180-200 mm.
• The stumbling block for many domestic anglers with experience is the direction of rotation of the tool. Traditionally, Soviet and Russian manufacturers manufactured boraxs with left-hand rotation (counterclockwise). And imported models drill holes in a clockwise rotation. Not everyone can adapt to new hand movements.
• Speed ​​and ease of work depend on the sharpness of the knives and the angle of attack. Check the quality of drilling is possible only in practice, so it will be good if the seller allows you to test the tool on the pond.

In our ranking were the best ice-drills for winter fishing. It is based on user feedback.

The best budget manual ice screws

Many fishermen with a small income when choosing an ice-breaker are repelled from the price. But some low-end models for winter fishing are in no way inferior to premium-class products. And the majority of good manual ice drills are made in our country.

4 Rextor Storm 130

Rextor is a relatively young brand in the market for fishing products. One of the company's main products are ice-drills, produced in several lines, both in the budget segment and in the more expensive segment. Line Storm - the middle link. The price for them is not the lowest, but does not bite, and is fully compensated by the quality and convenience of ice screws.

The main advantage of this model is a telescopic design.In addition to the folding handle, there are two sliding sections, fixed in height by 4 pins, which allows you to adjust the size of the ice screw to fit your height. It should also be noted spherical knives, which easily drill the winter ice of any structure. Even the cover with a water layer is easy to drill, and at the same time the fisherman does not need to make any effort. Well, the manufacturer's warranty. Here it is 2 years for all welds, which is very rare among manufacturers of goods that are constantly under load.

3 Ermakov-GROWTH D-130 mm

During an active search for fish, a light ice drill helps reduce fatigue. Model Ermakov-GROWTH D-130 mm is the lightest tool, its weight is only 1.85 kg. Ice screw has a classic two-handed design, and the auger is made of very durable plastic. The tool rotates counterclockwise, which is more common for many domestic anglers. The cutting part consists of three sharp straight knives. Included are 3 spare semicircular knives. The drill is capable of making holes in ice with a diameter of 130 mm and a depth of 1 m.

Fishermen in the reviews note the ease of the tool, soft drilling holes. During the rotation the snow does not stick to the auger, the ice does not freeze, the handles rotate without squeaking. When drilling holes periodically weakened mount.

2 Nero 130

A good ice drill at an affordable price is offered by the Russian company Nero. The tool is designed for drilling holes with a diameter of 130 mm and a depth of 1 m. The two-hand drill is made in the classic for Russian fishing performance with left rotation. For ease of use and to reduce stress while drilling, the manufacturer shifted the upper handle 130 mm relative to the axis of rotation, and the lower handle 150 mm. Weight devices - 2.3 kg. In the transport position, the product takes 88 cm.

Users call the Nero 130 a great budget option for winter fishing. The feedback mentions a feature to fold exactly in half, due to the same length of the handle and auger. The drilling speed is also good. Minor flaws are in the build quality and the unreliability of the paintwork.

1 Tonar LR-180D

ZAO TONAR is well known to fans of ice fishing in Russia for its ice-drills. A model with a large auger diameter Tonar LR-180D is perfect for catching large bream. With this tool, it is possible to make wide holes (180 mm) with a depth of up to 1 m. The drill weighs 3.1 kg, the rotation is left-handed. In the transport position, the ice screw is compact, the length is 93 cm. The cutting part is represented by two straight knives. The screw is made of steel, the handle is made of plastic.

Fans of winter fishing emit such positive qualities of the Barnaul drill as good build quality, durability, ease of transportation and comfort in work. In the reviews there is one drawback of the tool, the paint from the auger quickly peels off.

The best premium hand ice drills

The appearance of imported ice drills created a real sensation among domestic fishermen. Tools from Scandinavia have a unique ease of rotation, while the hole is formed extremely quickly. The only drawback, besides the price, for many winter fishing enthusiasts in Russia is right-handed rotation.

3 Heinola SpeedRun CLASSIC HL1-135-800

Winter fishing in Finland is a national hobby, so it is not surprising that the best products for it are produced here. Ice screw Heinola - this is a real find for the fisherman, which has a whole list of advantages. It’s not worth talking about spherical knives and telescopic structures, such innovations have become the norm for Finnish manufacturers, but the presence of removable knives is an interesting and rare thing.

The auger diameter cannot be changed, of course, but by installing a larger nozzle on the ice drill, you can easily drill holes of a larger radius, without making significant efforts due to the spherical sharpening of high-alloy steel knives. Also ice-drill has special attachments that allow rotation through the adapter, attaching a screwdriver or a drill to it. The price of the product may scare away a little, but as the reviews of people who have already used this device show, it costs its money, and the price is not at all overpriced.

2 MORA ICE Chrome (150)

With unique developments, Swedish engineers from MORA continue to amaze supporters of winter fishing. In the most expensive ICE Chrome model, the auger is protected from corrosion both outside and inside. For this purpose, a special coating Super MC. When creating the cutting head, a high-strength metal is used. To prevent the formation of ice on the storm called powder composition, which is processed auger. A soft handle fits comfortably in your hand. The drilling diameter of this tool is 150 mm, rotation is carried out clockwise.

Most of the anglers in the reviews agree that the ice drill is worth the money. It has sharp knives and an accurate angle of attack, which makes drilling easy and comfortable. During the operation, there were no cases of weakening of fixation of two parts or delamination of the coating.

1 TLR-150D-2NDSH

Another representative of the plant TONAR hit our top ice breakers. Model Titan TLR-150D-2NDSH is a two-handled screw tool weighing only 2 kg. To achieve such ease the manufacturer was able to use titanium. The drill differs in the highest durability and resistance to corrosion. This model is capable of making holes with a diameter of 150 mm and a depth of 1175 mm. The tool rotates counterclockwise, the cutting part consists of two straight knives.

Domestic anglers are satisfied with the work of titanium ice-drill, noting the high drilling speed without the need for pressure on the tool. Also in the reviews mentioned the compactness of the assembled and light. The disadvantages include a high price and a slight gap in the mount.

The best motorized ice drills

Making lots of holes in a thick ice shell of a reservoir can be very tiring, even with high-quality manual ice drills. To facilitate winter fishing is capable of motorized equipment.

4 PIRAN GD520

Many fishermen believe that a motorized auger is too expensive and not worth spending money on. However, there are models that will certainly please with its price, such as the PIRAN GD520. It is worth noting that buying a quality one-handed drill, and a screwdriver will cost about the same money, and here we get a full-fledged gasoline drill with the ability to change nozzles for drilling not only ice, but also soil.

As for the technical characteristics, this model is somewhat inferior to its competitors. For example, there is no soft start system or vibration damper. But the design itself has an all-welded body and is covered with rubber in the grip areas. The shape of the upper part is made in such a way that one person or two people can work with a drill, which is especially convenient when drilling thick ice or soil. The maximum diameter of the screw at the same time 250 millimeters. This is a little smaller than the more powerful models, but quite enough for a fishing hole.

3 IRON MOLE E53 Ice

The main problem of all icebreakers - a lot of weight and unpleasant vibration when working. If you do not triple these shortcomings, we advise you to pay attention to this model. With a relatively small weight, and this is 8.5 kilograms without a screw and 11 with it, this is a very powerful device that can drill not only ice, but the soil, even frozen and dense.The design has a solid body, and between the moving parts there are special shock absorbers that significantly reduce vibration and facilitate the work.

The engine used in this icebreaker, TECAMECH T53, showed excellent results. It has a relatively low fuel consumption, but the main advantage is the presence of a soft start system in the cold. Winter fishing without frost is impossible, but some manufacturers of motorized icebreakers do not understand this, and it can be very difficult to start the engine. There are no problems with this, and as an alternative you can always use the familiar starter.

2 Iceberg-Arctic 130R

A universal tool for drilling holes invented by domestic developers. The Iceberg-Arctic 130R model (right-hand rotation) can be used not only as a conventional manual ice drill with a telescopic insert extension. The manufacturer has provided the ability to connect to the screw auger or motor. The screw diameter is 130 mm, the drilling depth is 1900 mm. The instrument weighs 4.5 kg, it is necessary to rotate the bit clockwise.

In feedback, anglers are positive about the quality of drilling and depth, the absence of backlash after assembly. But there are a number of drawbacks, among which should be noted the peeling of paint, poor-quality handle, punching snow under the knives.

1 ADA GroundDrill-2 Ice Fisherman

The ADA GroundDrill-2 Ice Fisherman Chinese motor-icing tool can be a good helper for a domestic angler. The kit comes with an Ice Drill 150 auger. It allows you to make holes with a diameter of 150 mm and a depth of 1 m. The power of a two-stroke gasoline engine is 2.45 liters. with. with a volume of 52 cu. cm. Such power is enough to use screws with a diameter of up to 200 mm. Equipment in a combat position weighs 11 kg, fuel tank capacity - 1.2 l. The manufacturer took care of the convenience of refueling the motor-auger, the kit includes a canister for mixing gasoline and oil, as well as a funnel.

Domestic fishermen highly appreciated in their reviews the strength of the structure, the presence of soft handles, the economical operation of a motor-drill. The main problem for many is the inability to handle gas powered tools.

The best cheap ice-drills: a budget of up to 1,500 rubles

Not all fishermen are fanatical about their hobby, and are willing to invest substantial funds in it. For some, the best winter fishing is a pair of ice trips over the season, and then in the most favorable weather. In this case, it makes no sense to buy expensive equipment, in particular an ice-drill. A budget model worth less than a thousand rubles is enough. And there are such products on the market, and we present you the 4 most attractive options in this segment.

4 Onega LR-130

One-handed ice-drills are not very popular among fishermen, as with their help it is quite difficult to drill holes in thick ice. The drill Onega was originally produced exactly as a one-handed one, but later changes were made to the design, and now you can easily change the handle and also replace the knives with one easy movement. All mounts are hinged, and two cutting tips are included with the drill. The first nozzle has a standard sharpening and is designed for drilling holes in dry ice, and the second, spherical, special sharpening, easily drilling even wet ice with a water film on the surface.

Onega produces boers of various diameters, both single-handed and two-handed. One-handed designs are more compact, since the part for which the grip is carried out is flatter. But the two-handed modifications are convenient to use, although using a screw with a diameter of 130 millimeters or less, there will be no problems with drilling, especially if spherical knives are installed on the ice drill.

3 HELIOS HS-150D

Compact and light icebreaker, perfectly coping with its task, but not grabbing stars from the sky. For professionals who pay winter fishing a lot of time such a device is not suitable, as it has a number of limitations. In particular, there is no possibility to install knives of a larger diameter, or to connect a screwdriver. In fact, it is an ordinary drill with a short screw, only 30 centimeters in length and 150 millimeters in diameter with knives.

But the design provides for the installation of extension handles, but in this case it is not a telescopic design, but an assembly, which is not very convenient. True, you can immediately assemble a drill of the required length and not disassemble it, but in this case you can forget about compactness. As for the benefits, first of all you should pay attention to the brand. This manufacturer is widely known among fishermen, and in addition to budget-minded boers it produces high-priced models. Brand reviews are extremely positive, which allows you to say that this model will last a long time, although it has a number of constructional limitations.

2 Satellite LR-130

Another product from Russian manufacturers, won the trust of customers, as evidenced by the many positive reviews in the network. By production of all drills of the range "Sputnik" special structural steel of the increased durability is used. Even the strongest loads are not afraid of it, and the drill itself is designed for drilling holes in ice with a diameter of 130 millimeters and a depth of one meter.

Also, the manufacturer focuses on a special form of sharpening knives, and the presence of additional protection against corrosion. The auger and the cutting part are covered with a polymer material that easily withstands repeated use and does not crack at blows and falls. Will delight the customer and the hinge mechanism, thanks to which the drill is brought into working condition as quickly as possible and without any extra effort. Simply put, we face a worthy competitor to eminent brands, and at the most attractive price. Drills with the same technical characteristics, but from more well-known companies can cost several times more expensive.

1 NERO-150

The Russian company NERO is the result of the merger of two industries that have joined forces and produced a completely new product at a reasonable price, able to compete with the best global brands. The main advantage of this model is light weight, as well as the ability to change knives. In this case, the plug-in modules do not have to be from this manufacturer. It uses a single standard, and the ice drill is equipped with almost any cutting segments from other manufacturers.

Another advantage is the hinged fasteners, which make it easier to bring the ice screw to working mode and make the structure more durable. Increases service life and a special polymeric covering with which the screw is painted. It does not split off even with intensive use, and also prevents the appearance of ice, but as a result of corrosion. Among the drawbacks, there is a relatively small screw diameter, as well as the inability to connect the screwdriver through the adapter, but it should be noted that there are also disadvantages for the more expensive models.

Popular vote - who is the best manufacturer of icebreakers
We vote!

MORA

Tonar

Nero

Ermakov

ADA

Rextor

Heinola

PIRAN

Satellite

HELIOS

Onega

Total votes: 152

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