Best blades for power augers

[Stradic]

Seems to me the only thing making up my mind on a new auger is which blades will last the longest.

1. Chipper style

2. "Lazer"style

Any input?

[IcePro]

A Chipper style blade will perform longer than a razor type blade. Even if a chipper blade becomes dull it will perform. A razor type blade will have difficulties when dull.

If you are fishing dirty ice (Western Minnesota and Dakota's) a chipper blade system is the way to go.

Jiffy has the best chipper blade auger on the market. Look at the Stealth from Jiffy.

[Guest]

IcePro.......Just for the sake of discussion, I have a lazer type and have cut 100's of holes with it in Western MN. It's now on it's 5th year with the same blades it came with. I think I could shave with them. In my humble opinion, it's how you take care of your equipment that makes blades last a long time, not where you cut your holes. Anyone else have an "opinion" on this?.......T

[mnfishman]

My cousin has an older Strikemaster auger with the chipper blade on it. He bought a Lazer hand auger last year and made a coupling to attach the hand auger drill to his powerhead. The Lazer blades cut through the ice in no time. The best part is that it doesn't throw a ton of ice around while it is cutting.

The only advantage to chipper blades is you only have to keep one sharp not two.

[IcePro]

Stradics qustion was "Which blade will last the longest" not what is faster, etc.....

A heat treated steel chipper blade will last longer than a razor edge blade. Why does Bic make disposable razors. They get dull and will not shave as well as a new one.

Since a chipper blade does not have a razor edge it will perform (last) longer than a razor edge auger.

[Finlander]

After hitting small pebbles and sand in the ice from the bottom of vehicles I vote for chipper blades! Once you dull those razor blades your auger is toast until you replace them with new or precisioned sharpened blades. My chipper blade has only been touched up once in five years since I bought it!
The last time I went to Upper Red I left my auger home after they convinced me that the new three bladed auger would melt through ice. Well it just so happened the blades on that new auger were about as sharp as a butter knife and wouldn't cut through hot butter.
We tried to sharpen the blades with a hook hone to no avail.
It took us 45 minutes to drill 6 holes with that auger.
So the moral of this story is don't depend on someone elses equipment when you have your own.
And bring spare sharp blades just in case.
The chipper blades can be shapened real easy just in case you dull the blade with any flat sharpening devise in just minutes.
Good Luck!

[walleyeking]

I live in the so. metro area, anyone have a clue on to where to sharpen my blades.. I called a couple of hardware stores, and they said they don't do it..

[Matchman]

walleyeking,

There's a great place in New Brighton called DRock Center - Just off 35W a little south of 694 on Old Hwy 8. They're a Techumseh & Strikemaster service center and will exchange your blades for you for a VERY reasonable price.

Matchman

[deadeye]

Most of the bait shops in the cities will exchange blades for a very reasonable price. I got the ones for my lazer power auger for like 7 bucks at vados.
As for the best blades thing, I have a lazer and I love it. I go through two sets of blades per season which considering how much ice I cut, is very reasonable. I go out about 3-4 days per week and each time I go I generally cut 20-50 holes each visit. This past season I fished from the end of november to late march early april. Towards the end of the season I had to have the extension on my auger to get through the ice. I say for that much cutting two sets of blades is pretty darn good.
><>deadeye

[fivebucks]

I have the chipper style jiffy from about 20 years ago. I am on my second cutting blade. I sharpen them myself once or twice a year with your basic hand file. Makes a world of difference then when I cut a hole cause I usually wait until it is good and dull.

[Ed Carlson]

I.Vote.Chipper..
and.serrated.Chippers.preform.even.better.

Why.do.I.use.Jiffy.chippers?

1-Easily.maintained.
(Most.users.can.easily.sharpen.their.own.cutting.surfaces.quickly..
blades.often.last.years.&.years)

2-Far.less.icing.issues.with.chippers.
(Less.blade.surface.area..less.area.to.ice-up)

3-Works.well.in.soft.ice(old.Ice),or.hard.ice(new.ice).
(Chippers.chew.through.anything.if.well.maintained.)

4-Chippers.open.old.holes.better.the.shavers.
(The.Jiffy.Stealth.is.the.best.there.is.at.reopening.old.holes..
almost.any.chipper.will.do.this.better.then.a.shaver.system.)

------------------
Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
[email protected]
><,sUMo,>

[This message has been edited by Ed Carlson (edited 12-18-2003).]

[walleyeking]

I have about a 5 year old Strikemaster with chipper blades..IT cuts through the ice, but could be smoother..How do I go about sharpening them?

[iffwalleyes]

I myself use Jiffy I fish on a lot of ND lake and resivors and there is plenty of dirt and junk on the ice. I have never had problems with Jiffys blades dulling to fast they work great for me.

walleyeking
I don't know where you live but I take mine to Twin Cities Sharpening in FARGO and the do a very good job it cost $5 per blade.

------------------
Grip it and Rip it

IFFWalleyes
I Fish For Walleyes
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by iffwalleyes (edited 12-18-2003).]