Chipper baldes or lazer blades?

[hardhat]

I have a chance to buy a brand new Strikemaster Mag 3000 at a pretty good price, but was wondering if the chipper blades do the job or not? Do the chipper blades vibrate at all and can you put the strikemaster lazer blades on the Mag 3000? Thanks for the help.

[Steve Foss]

To put Lazer blades on a chipper auger, you'd have to buy a whole new shaft, since there's only one chipper blade and there are either two or three Lazer blades, depending on the year model. Good news is, any Strikemaster shaft will fit any Strikemaster power head.

I have a Lazer XL-3000 with 10-inch blades. These blades ice up very easily. Let's say I'm drilling 10 holes right away, without pausing between them. First hole fast, second hole fast, third and fourth holes a good bit slower because of the ice-up, then fifth hole and on are very fast again.

The chipper blades I've seen are slower than Lazer blades when the Lazers aren't iced up, but I think they ice up less or cut better while iced up. Lazer is faster, chipper is more consistent, I believe. And flat chipper is much easier to sharpen than the curved Lazer blades.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 02-03-2003).]

[hardhat]

How much slower would the chipper blades be than the lazers? I should have said that I live in PA and this year is the most ice we had in a long time about 12 to 16 inches. So I wouldn't be cutting through 2 or 3 feet of ice anytime soon. Average winters around here bring us 8 to 10 inches.

[Guest]

Seconds are the difference. I personly would not go with the chipper. the chipper hangs up at the end of the cut which I hate. Can you test out the different augers that would realy help you out.

red

[Guest]

The lazer is the ticket.

[This message has been edited by grinched (edited 02-03-2003).]

[Guest]

Well, I am in the chipper group. Because they are more ice friendly in a wider variety of ice conditions you will encounter.

Shavers do not do well in layered or softer ice, plus they freeze up fast causing some other complications.

This season we see a lot of softer ice and the shavers have there share of problems. Yesterday I uses a 10" Lazier and it was a major pain on layered and chunky ice. This type of ice will eat up their edge quickly. Rock hard ice they do well, soft ice they bind up.

I also prefer flat edge blades for their ease of maintenance. less time to whip them into shape with a file.

Your choice ultimately should reflect the use you see on your local ice for the predominance of the ice season.

[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 02-03-2003).]

[Steve Foss]

If 16 inch ice is your deepest, speed is not an issue, because it would be a couple seconds at most between chipper and shaver blades at that depth.

Yes, chippers do hang up a little at the end of the cut, because of the physics of chipper blades, which are flat, so the whole blade tends to cut through the end at the same time, rather than the gradual penetration of the tapered shaver blades.

Even though I have a Lazer, I am in Eddy's corner on this one. For all-around cutting and easy maintenance, I'd go with a chipper like the Mag 3000 you're looking at.

[Guest]

I would say, if its a good deal go for it. I have had a Mag 3000 with the chipper blade for several years. Only problem I have ever had was when I put a new blade on the wrong side of the plate. It is amazing how much better it cuts with the blade on right.

[markcl]

I have the 2000 8in chipper, the first hole with cold engine it may hang up at bottom,but it cuts em great and the slowwer rotate speed means I don't get wet boots from the flood at the end of each hole!

[Steve Foss]

And don't let the slower "rotate" speed make you think chippers cut slow. With my Lazer, the faster the auger turns the smaller the shave of ice taken by each revolution, so it doesn't do much if any better going really fast than it does revolving more slowly.

[Ishmel]

What about for re-opening old holes in a permenant? Do laser blades work better for this?

d

[Steve Foss]

Yes, the angled, tapered blades on the Lazer are designed to open old holes.