Affiliate Links: This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning I may get a small commission, at no cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my link. Please read my DISCLOSURE for more information.
The HT Enterprises Nero Mini Compact ice auger is the best hand auger I’ve ever used. I’m so impressed with this auger that I’m not sure how much use my propane ice auger will get this year, it’s seriously that good!
I bought the Nero late last season after I found it in the clearance section at, of all places, Walmart. I’ve had my eye on this auger for a while because they include an adapter to mount it to a drill. Everyone is using a cordless drill these days and I wanted to get on board too.
Eager to try the Nero out, my first experience with it was late March on Pigeon Lake. The ice at that time was pushing two feet deep, definitely not hand auger territory. I brought both the hand crank and drill attachment just to get a feel for how they would perform. First I tried the hand crank and I was really surprised at how buttery smooth the auger cut. It chewed through two feet of ice almost effortlessly. I mean seriously effortlessly, I didn’t even need to stop for a break when drilling through 24 inches of ice. It almost feels like it would be more effort to lug out a gas auger, start it, and cut a hole then it is to manually drill with the Nero.
With only one wing nut it’s very quick to switch the to the drill attachment. I have an 18V drill, it’s not brushless or very powerful, so near the end of the 24” deep hole the auger was starting to hang up before it broke through. I think with a better drill and some refinement of my technique cutting would have been smoother. Still, I was impressed.
Head to Head Comparison
This season, just for fun, I decided to have a head to head comparison of my 7” HT Nero to my 8” Fin Bore ice auger. Both augers have offset handles, similar cutting diameters and, when fully extended, are about the same size. The Nero weighs about 6.25 lbs on my fish scale and the Fin Bore weights about 8.25 lbs. I believe the weight difference mostly comes from the auger flight. The Fin Bore flighting is longer and made from a thicker steel then the Nero. Normally, I would say thicker is better but an ice auger flight is just moving ice and water, it doesn’t need to be that strong.
Drilling with the 7” HT Nero is effortless when compared to the 8” Fin Bore. Have I said that already? Both augers are near new. I guarantee I have more cutting time on the Nero then I do on the Fin Bore so the blades should be of comparable, if slightly in favour of the Fin Bore, sharpness. When drilling with the Fin Bore I have to simultaneously push down as I crank the handles all the way through the ice. The Nero I would push down to start the cut, but once the auger bit into the ice all I had to focus on was rotating the handles, the auger would feed itself into the ice. I would say it’s easily half the effort compared to the Fin Bore.
Since this is first ice there was only 5” of solid ice to work with. I set up a timer and began recording how long it took to drill one hole with both augers. It took less than 5 seconds with the Nero and about just over 11 seconds with the Fin Bore. I know 5” of ice isn’t much, but in terms of inches per second cutting speed the Nero takes the cake. If you consider that the Nero is twice as fast with half the effort the results are really stacking up.
Next up is price. The Nero retails for $160 CAD and the Fin Bore is $150 CAD at my local Fishin’ Hole, so they are comparably priced. Still the Nero has the advantage because it comes with a drill adapter at no extra cost.
I realize this whole post sounds like an ad for the Nero and HT Enterprises. Just to clarify, I have no connection with HT Enterprises; I’m just an angler that believes in getting the best value I can and passing that information along to you. I truly believe this is an auger not just for the casual angler, but could be the only ice auger you need.
To purchase one of your own they are available at Bass Pro Shops:
Why does it leave a ridge on the bottom of hole
Im not sure, mine does that too. I think its because of the aggressive angle that the auger cuts at. To help prevent that ridge I try to take the downward pressure off the auger before I break through the bottom of the hole – it doesn’t always work though. Thanks for the comment!
Howdy, just wondering if you’ve seen it since at Walmart. TFH has it on clearance for $190 but that seems a bit steep in my opinion. Do you still use the hand crank for mid February ice? I don’t want or need a drill otherwise so I’d prefer a hand auger.
Hi Gabe. I have looked many times to see if the Nero came back to Walmart and I’m sad to say I haven’t seen it since I first picked it up. The Fishin Hole is the only place it seems to be available now but if you watch and are patient it will go on sale. The Fishin hole has their semi annual wall to wall sale where you can get it at least 20% off and they might put it on sale again as theice season winds down. I have used it with the hand crank in three feet of ice and it is still amazing how well it cuts. I have no hesitation recommending it as your only auger, even if you are using it by hand all year. Thanks for the comment!
I bought my first Nero Auger in 2018, I ordered it from the USA as I could not locate one in Canada, I also wanted a 5″ (the bigger the hole the more ice you have to drill with additional efforts required) for a lighter weight to carry on foot on the ice. The kit came with the “drill” attachment and I was extremely surprised as to how well it worked as compared to my 6″ Finn Bore III. I picked-up a second one this time a 7″ at Wall*Mart in April of 2019 also with the drill attachment. These ice augers were made specifically for HT Enterprises in right hand configuration in Russia even the video showing their use was a translation of the Russian variation which is left hand turn. With the current state of the Russian war with Ukraine, we are not likely to see this product around. The Fishing Hole still has them in their 2025 catalog for $240. If you have one, I hope you have spare blades, TFH may have some at a premium price…
Hi JP. I am glad to hear you still have and enjoy using your Nero ice auger! I still have mine as well, I’ll never part with it as its the perfect hand auger for my needs. I also used the Normark, the FinnBore, and the eskimo brand and was never satisfied with the workout I got. The Nero blows anything else I’ve tried out of the water. I agree, we likely won’t see those Nero’s again. Your advice about spare blades is spot on too, I think I will go pick up a set to have on hand if TFH has stock! Thanks for the tip.
All that said, I am curious about the hand augers that Jiffy and HT Enterprises released. They look like they could be worthy replacements for the Nero. HT Enterprises calls the new auger the Siberian Tiger ice auger. The blades on both the HT Ent and Jiffy hand auger look very similar to what the Nero uses.
Thanks for the great comment!