Hey everybody. I got a Lazer 5" auger about 2 years ago and when I got it, it went through the ice really good. I got the blades sharpened before the ice season this year. I have been out about 5 times to lakes and the blades are dull now. It takes a long time and alot of effort to get through the ice!! So there is problem! I know some things that will dull the blades like hittng the blades on ice will dull them. If someone could give me some Ice auger 101 on keeping the blades cutting good and what dulls the blades, it would very extremly helpfull. Be safe on the ice!

As you cut the ice with it will dull the blades faster then you think .  I carry a stone to give the blades a quick stroke or two as needed.  Be very careful a sharp blade can cut through a leather glove .  There is a mower blade tool that some use and it will work on ice blades too .  Don't set or store on the blades and keep the covers on when not in use . Hope this helps .   Be safe and good fishing.

I don't know where you got them sharpened or for that matter I'm not familiar with the lazer auger. I have had other types of augers and several of them the blades just never last long or cut right after resharpening. I even had several sharpened by professional tool grinders. If they are carbide you will do more damage trying to hone them with a regular stone a diamond stone may do it though. I have found the best thing to do to keep an hand auger cutting like it was new is just buy replacement blades.

I have a strikemaster anger bought it used couple years ago, never had it sharpened, and it worked pretty good I didn't have to fight to get it through the ice. This year I was going to buy a sharpener $10, then saw an set of new blades, I think by HT for $10, I went with the new blades working great so far. Probably not any more $ than what you pay to have them sharpened.

Blades can be a pain in the you-know-what. From past experience, I would not recommend trying to sharpen them yourself - take them to a professional that specializes in sharpening auger blades. Blades are precision ground to very specific angles, and if you change the angle during sharpening, they will no longer cut very well. If you cannot find a professional to sharpen them, I would just purchase new ones and toss the old ones away as mentioned by jwandzel1. If you really want to try sharpening the blades yourself, take them off of the auger and hone them from the top side. Never hone them from the bottom. Besides running your auger into a pile of gravel, this is probably the fastest way to destroy a set of blades.

The other trick you can try is if the blades don't cut well, you can change the blade angle slightly by loosening the bolts that hold them on. After the bolts are loosened, put a very thin piece of cardboard (like a playing card) between the mounting flange and the front side of the blade and retighten the bolts. By shimming the blade, this will give it a more downward angle as it contacts the ice. Try the new angle, and keep adding cardboard until it cuts better. As for blade care, I try to oil my blades up a few times per winter and before the auger is summerized with WD-40 or a rust inhibitor. Also, try to avoid ice that you can see sand or road salt embedded in. This will also ruin blades very quickly.

Thanks for your replies everyone. Another thing I though about was could you dull the blades by pushing to hard on the auger when cutting and do blades get dull if you bring the auger out of the hole the wrong way?  Is there a right way to bring out the auger of a cut hole?    Keep fishin'

I've never heard of dulling blades by pushing too hard on them. My power auger weighs about 35-40 pounds. When I'm drilling holes, the weight of the auger and me pushing down on it could easily top 150 pounds. I've had my Jiffy 8" auger for almost 10 years and only changed the blades one time. Would probably be on the original set if it wasn't for running them into gravel after breaking through the ice.

As far as removing your auger from the ice once your hole is cut - pull your auger straight up, or at the same angle that the hole has been cut if you are like me and can't cut straight holes. If the ice is thick, putting side pressure on the auger handle can put a lot of torque on the auger shaft and flighting which will bend them.

Have you thought about a battery-powered drill attachment for your Lazer? My buddy uses his 24 volt drill instead of lugging around a power auger. He gets around 25-40 holes from a battery charge with a 4" hole in 12" of ice. Sure beats hand augering.

Unless you had strikemaster or a pro sharpen your laser blades you may have made them duller instead of sharper. The blades have a concave edge on them and the grooves cut in the blades help it chip the ice into smaller pieces. I have had a lasermag for 6 years now and I replaced the blades last year. I tried to sharpen them myself using a tool sold for auger blades but it doesnt' take material off the right way on laser blades. A new set of blades will last years if you take care of them. Strikemaster has a blade exchange program where they give you a discount on new blades if you give them you old ones.