Auger Ice Up

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

Was wondering if anyone has a remedy for the ice-up on the blades. I own an 8” laser, and drill at least 150 holes a weekend with it. The problem is when its that cold it freezes after about the fifth or sixth hole. I need more, love the run and gun. Heard about some Teflon tape, and I’ve ran it in an open hole to get a couple more out of it. (There’s got to be a better way.) Something I can do or buy doesn’t matter any suggestion will help.
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[Steve Foss]

I agree to keep chemicals out of the lake. The cooking no-stick spray is organic, however, and may be a good option.

I have a 10-inch Lazer XL-3000, and the blades ice up on mine, too. Running it for a second or two in a newly drilled hole seems to help. Of course, don't set it down so the blades contact snow/slush either.

However, after drilling a couple holes with the ice-up blades, it seems to clear for me and all the rest go really fast.

One thing I discovered this last weekend. After putting on brand new blades, it took 30 holes before I had enough ice buildup to slow things down and make me knock the ice off, so I wonder if razor sharp blades don't make it harder for ice to cling to the blade edges.

Jiffy's D-Icer armor feature does work, but ice will still build up.

[Guest]

PAM cooking spray helps I have been told.

I like the Jiffy Teflon Ice-Armor system, far less icing.

[kslipsinker]

I have the Jiffy Teflon Ice-Armor system too. After having to chip the ice off my old Eskimo blade way too many times, I got the Jiffy when they came out with the Teflon coated blade. It is the way to go, rather than spraying dump on the blade.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

I only weigh 140 pounds the jiffy is like dragging an old girlfriend around. To much work for what you get out of it! Sure the laser blades ice up when it's colder than a well diggers @ss out side, but i can drill 50 holes without feeling like i climbed Mt. Everest. Thanks for the input. I'll try the PAM unless someone else has a resonable idea! No hard feelings just love the laser.
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[Fishn'Lady]

We have a new Lazer Mag 9" and I have noticed the hubby after he has drilled out the holes and is done he will take the auger and hold it up in the air just a bit and spin the blade maybe half to full throttle just for a few seconds. That spins all the ice and excess water off so it doesn't freeze up. So far it has worked pretty good. Good luck.

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Fishn'Lady

[Guest]

I would guess that a bottle of windshield De-Icer would do the trick, you can buy it in those spray bottles. Only thing is you should wipe it down afterward and rig up somekind of fluid trap or use a drop cloth so your not spraying the dump in the drink.

[Guest]

Jiffy De-Icer Armor, that extra 80 bucks I spent was well worth it. Please keep foreign chemicals out and away from the lakes. Dont set your auger down in the snow between drills. Or buy an auger from Jiffy with the De-Icer. Not much you can do though

yb

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

I do spin it out while i'm walking from hole to hole. It still freezes when the temp is below 0. I've tried alot of things just no succes. Also Backwater Eddy is the Pam safe for the lakes? When reading i found some of the guys on the Bassmaster tour use the garlic stuff to scent thier lures. It should be safe if there promoting it.
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[Steve Foss]

Pam and other non-stick sprays are a product for use with food, so are safe for human consumption.

Here are ingredients listed on my Cub Foods non-stick spray: soybean oil, soy lecithin, natural butter flavor and other natural flavor, beta carotene (color) and propellant.

All but the propellant are natural products that should break down simply and easily into the environment with no harm to the ecosystem.

I don't know what the propellant is, but propellants usually evaporate (this one's safe for human consumption anyway) and probably won't stick to the blade and be introduced to the water.

At any rate, it is much better for the water than using a silicone spray or a petroleum oil like WD40 or JB80.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 02-12-2003).]

[rngrfshm]

I had the same problem with my 9" lazer mag and was told to use pam and so forth. To solve this I went back to a Jiffy. I fished in many times of -20 and the Jiffy still works whereas my lazer had been froze. I have about 20 pictures of my lazer mag plugged up entirely from ice. I bought the Jiffy 2hp 9" dicer and is only a small amount of weight heavier than the lazer mag ultra. So weight is not an issue. Buy a Jiffy 2hp 9".

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

the only thing is lazer is 10 times better than a jiffy on a good day we can drill a hell of a lot more holes than a jiffy

[Guest]

Not so sure about that?

If your iced up between very set, and an iced up set of blades tend to jump around trying to start it's cut. All the while your loosing time, and dulling the cutting edges.

To me, odds are darn good your going to drill less holes on average as the day progress's?

Maybe not?

[Northlander]

I also have the Jiffy with De-Icer butit still freezes up when it gets real cold. Only thing I can say is dont set the blade on the snow after cutting. No sprays etc. work when its that cold, they either wash off or freeze too.

[Steve Foss]

I've seen that those Teflon blades will ice up in really cold weather, yep.

If Strikemaster comes out with a Teflon blade system, I'll buy it for my XL3000 10-inch Lazer. If I had it to do all over again as the current market stands, I'd buy a Jiffy, solely because of the Teflon.

If both makers offered the same de-icing technology and I had to buy a new auger, I'd stay with Strikemaster's Lazer two-blade system with the center point. It really does cut like greased lightning with good sharp blades, faster than any of the Jiffies I've watched.

Meanwhile, a can of no-stick cooking spray is going in my kit. I'm planning on staring at tip-ups tomorrow, and it'll be 10 below zero when I get out there in the morning.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

Appreciate the info and didn’t mean to razz any of you Jiffy guys. I’m sure its one hell of a nice unit. I also have to give props to their field staff. They took the ice up problem and crushed it. I hate to admit it but strike master needs to get a little more customer oriented. If it’s as simple as making Teflon blades what’s the hold up? If I was head of the Jiffy marketing department you better believe that you would be sick of hearing how well the Teflon cuts in the cold. I don’t know about you guys but I think they could be getting an email from me.
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[Norco]

UP here in Northern Saskatchewan -40'C is common and blades freeze up all the time. I saw at the local Canadian tire you can get a teflon boat wax, it's envirmentaly safe and works all right when applied. I always spin my blades to shed the excess ice and water after I drill and go to the next hole. If all else fails a few taps with the old ice dipper will break all the ice holding on the auger.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

Norco
Great idea on the Teflon boat wax. I’m definitely going to give it a try.

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