I only go ice fishing a couple times a year lately. I'm always hoping to go more, but then it's summer again before i get a chance. So I'm not drilling thousands of holes by any means. But I'm just trying to reduce the workload a little bit.

Anyway, I just got back from a long weekend of ice fishing. Hand drilling sucks ass. I'm sore all over and I need some power. K drill with a hammer drill looks like the creme dela creme. I've already got milwaukee tools so it seems like using the same batteries would be a good deal. But it looks like I'd need the drill and a new battery as well as the k drill. Looking at around $600 to get setup.

Do I just want to get a 2 stroke auger instead while I'm getting started? Seems a lot cheaper and will probably last a lifetime even if it is heavy. I somewhat doubt the longevity of the k drill and hammer drill over the course of 50 years.

Talk to me about your beginner auger recommendations.

I use an old 8" Mora hand auger I got back in the 70s I think.  Bought a Kovac ice master 2 adaptor ($30 give or take) and now run the thing with a Milwaukee 2804 hammer drill.  With a single 5ah battery I think it would drill 40 holes through 12" of ice- which is plenty for me.

It's much lighter than my 2 stroke auger which I havent used since I went to the Milwaukee. I also don't have to worry about getting gear contaminated with gas.  I dont use a snowmobile / sxs / truck on the ice, I walk to where I'm going so kit weight is a consideration.

Couple things: you want a brushless hammer drill because (I'm told) they are tougher than a straight drill and they have higher torque.  The rule of thumb is 100 in-lbs torque per inch diameter.  The 2804 has 1200 in-lbs.  You do not ever run it in hammer mode.  Just lowest speed drill mode, hammer mode will destroy your blades. Some folks have gone to the Milwaukee mud mixer, way more oomph than my 2804.  I have no use for one though but I use my 2804 frequently.

Don't know much about the k-drills specifically, They seem expensive for what they are.  I think they use a chipper blade which is better for dirty ice but take more power to run.  My mora uses shaver blades - good for clean ice.

If you're going the drill/auger bit route, I'd get an Eskimo Pistol Bit or a Strikemaster Light Flight for an auger.  The K-Drill is slow when it comes to drilling new holes.  If you're re-opening old holes, or drill through a lot of wind blown piled up ice, then the K-drill is the one to get.
I run a 6" light flight on a Dewalt DCD996 drill.  35-50 holes in 12-14" of ice depending on which battery I use.  The pros of using a drill/auger combo are the weight savings, and if you use a hub style portable, you have the drill along to install the ice anchors for the hub.

Once the ice gets past about 18" or so, I'm generally driving on the lakes and I'm using my 8" eskimo HC40 propane auger.  It's fast, reasonably light weight for a "gas" auger, and very very reliable.  Always starts on the 1st or 2nd pull, even if it's been sitting outside in -20 temps.

For the guy just out a few times a year, there's no better time to pick up a used gas 2 stroke, 4 stroke, or propane power auger.  Everybody is switching over to electric, whether it's the drill/auger combos or the electric augers from ION, Strikemaster (the 24V strikemaster is light, fast, and worth the money), Jiffy, etc.

Any questions, hit me up.  I've owned 10 different auger brands or models over the past 20 years and have used pretty much everything on the market.

My brother has a propane auger and he loves it.  He hasn't been on the ice for a few years, I wonder how it will start after sitting unused.  (Probably no problem with propane auger). Probably better than the 2 stroke unit with the ethanol fuel you forgot to drain a couple years ago.

If I were going to buy a dedicated new auger I'd look really hard at the Ions.  They would be over kill for me.  I haven't even made it it out once yet this year. Where I fish ice is rarely over 18" more typically 12", and it is usually very clean so shaver blades are perfect.

My old jiffy 2 stroke works, but parts can be hard to find.  My son in law used it for a few years and it broke the starter recoil spring.  Finding a replacement that fit was interesting and that was a few years ago. The.last time we used it one of the fuel lines broke, gas everywhere.  OP's comment on using it for decades made me think of that.  I'll always have a 1/2" drill around, finding parts and fixing 20 year old powerheads may not be worth the effort.

ETA: my old Mora has a threaded connection between the handle and the auger head.  It's a really odd metric thread and there are not many people that make an adaptor that fit that thread.  The new Moras have a quick disconnect joint and there are several adaptors that fit them.  

You might look at the iceshanty website.  There is always some discussions on varous augers in the general discussion forum.

After owning both 2stroke and propane, I have ended up with an ion electric and am very happy.

I do kind of really want to get a cheap used 2 stroke auger from Craigslist. What should I know about getting buying used? Is it reasonable to get the cheapest auger I can and overhaul the engine?

+1 I love the propane auger.  Jiffy FTW

Eskimos have been the easiest to get replacement parts for for me.  All three big gas auger brands used Tecumseh engines at some point, and those are fairly easy to get parts for.
I see the old white & black jiffys go for $100-$125 all the time in SD and MN on the ice fishing facebook pages.  Even nearly new propane models can be had for under $250 if you really look around.  An eskimo HC40 propane would last a long long time if you take care of it.
If I was going to buy a gas auger, I'd try to find a strikemaster solo.  Pay a little more but they are bullet proof.

Well, I did it. I ordered a milwaukee hammer drill and the eskimo Pistol Bit. Can't read enough good things about this combo and it sounds about right for my needs. I'm real excited for it to get here. I may need to take the day off work and go fishing when it does show up.

That said, I am going to keep my eye out for a cheap gas auger and see what kind of deal I can swindle. Maybe I'll wait until July and check. That's how I got my free flip over shelter.

Great!  Make sure you have the retention system set up.  Guarantee the thing will come out of the chuck somewhere along the line and you don't want to watch your auger disappear through the ice.  Usually I'll stop part way through the ice on the first hole of the day and retighten the chuck.  Also if you dont already know,  after you tighten the chuck, turn it like you were going to loosen it a bit until you feel it click. That locks the chuck.

So the Pistol Bit has the umbrella? Or whatever you call it that's wider than the hole you drill for that instance. Can/should I do anything else? Does it make sense to tie a loose paranoid loop around the auger and one around the drill so if they fall there's a second level of retention there?

Also, has anyone done or heard of someone replacing their chuck for this reason? I kinda wonder if a keyed chuck wouldn't be beneficial for this application?

The umbrella or disk should be sufficient.  Mine has an elastic cord from a loose disk on the adaptor that goes over the drill.  Just so you have something.

I dont think it's a chuck issue as much as maybe not getting things lined up right.  A little drill bit will align itself, augers though are relatively heavy.  Sometimes they just aren't perfect in the chuck.  A little torque will sort that out. Drill a little, then retighten the chuck.  Pretty rare I have to do it more than once.

The disks on the augers work well.  I've been in a hurry and not chucked my light flight properly in my dewalt a few times.