help with slow cutting strikemaster auger

[auger394]

I have a 5 year old strike master mag 2000 gas ice auger. It has always worked great. This winter it started taking forever to cut. I mean forever. I have put two brand new chipper blades on it and it still cuts terrible. What could my problem be? The place where I get the blades said the pitch on auger looks good. I thought maybe its spinning too slow, but it appears to spin at the same speed as my dads auger that is the exact same model. I have never sharpened the "point" but it has a decent edge on it still and I have been told the point is more so to hold the auger in place and would not make this big of a difference. Whatever the problem is, I know its not a blade issue... Any help?? Thanks

[NCLaker]

If you are using resharpened/refurb'ed blades then I would try brand new ones. Otherwise I would get a second opinion on having the pitch checked - maybe call Strikemaster to find out if there is an authorized service dealer by you.

[20lbSloughShark]

I'd look into the pitch. Mine is slowing down now too. Mine had dull blades, but the motor is plenty powerful to deal with it. The way I see it is if the motor struggles to turn, then the blades are dull. If the auger turns but barely "bites" your pitch is off. I have to push down hard on mine. I have heard you can put a strip of aluminum can (like a beer or pop can) under the back of the blade to increase the pitch. I'm going to give it a try soon.

[Jigging Joe]

The point is the first to go thru the ice and must be sharpened. I sharpen mine with a file, it makes a big difference when it is sharp!!

[Uncut Angling]

As has already been suggested, get a second opinion on the pitch.

I carry a rubber mallet to smash the ice off the blades and flight occasionally. "Smash" being more of a gentle tap - and in the blade area, I only tap the very outer edge of the blade piece, and only in a direction perpendicular to the length of the flighting, to minimize the chance of any angle change. I'm not suggesting you did something outrageous to distort the angle, but the instinctive thing ice fishermen do to clean the blades is either tap the entire ice auger on the ice, or they use a mallet or tool to tap the bottom of the blades. This is bad news.

Let us know what ends up solving the problem!

[fsnrod]

I'd look into the pitch. Mine is slowing down now too. Mine had dull blades, but the motor is plenty powerful to deal with it. The way I see it is if the motor struggles to turn, then the blades are dull. If the auger turns but barely "bites" your pitch is off. I have to push down hard on mine. I have heard you can put a strip of aluminum can (like a beer or pop can) under the back of the blade to increase the pitch. I'm going to give it a try soon.

It would be under the cutting edge of the blade not the back edge.

[bobbymalone]

Is pitch that much of a concern on that auger? The mag 2000 has a chipper blade.

[leech~~]

I have the same auger. After all the years of having two of them like it and changing blades because I thought they were dull. I took a fine metal cutting wheel on the hobby tool and made a few 1/4" - 1/2" deep cuts in the cutting chisle point on the bottom kind of like a Jiffy ripper blade and sharped that at the right angle. I have not changed a blade yet in two seasons and it cuts great! I posted a picture of it some where last winter.

[20lbSloughShark]

Sorry, on my magIII its on the back. I didn't realize that point had that much of an effect either, I might try that. Still I'll try increasing the pitch of mine. The motor is plenty powerful.

[Surface Tension]

Look closely at the center point. You have two leading edges. Those should be sharp.

Its not a big deal to re-pitch the mount for single any brand chipper blade.

If you sharpen a chipper blade, eventually it'll be shorter, that means less depth of cut.

Or if you pound the auger into the ice because its iced up or just not cutting the mount will bend. In both cases the mount needs to be adjusted.

Remove the blade. Sandwich the mount with two pieces steel and clamp them to the mount.

This should give you a visual.

Get a hold at a location between the mounting screws and bend the mount downward.

Don't go nuts because you can go to far.

Drive out to the ice with your auger and tools and give yourself and hour or so to fine tune and test.