Ice free auger

This surely has been covered before but what do you fellas do to keep your auger from freezing up around the blades? I have terrible luck it seems with ice buildup and not being able to start new holes, getting out the ice scoop to chisel carefully around the point gets annoying.

Liteflite 6″ for reference. This weekend was my first time with it so perhaps unrealistic expectations on temps. Happened quite often with my other augers as well tho.

I try and spin off as much water as I can, not set directly in snow or water, etc.

Or if there is a more efficient way of deicing the blades/chisel point I’m all ears for that as well.

These super cold temps don’t help but try drilling a partial hole when done drilling. Doesn’t have to be much just a turn or 2 of auger. Have heard some guys use pam cooking spray?

Been banging mine in to the Ice for a couple years now. Haven’t hurt it yet

Don’t bang them hard. The flyte tubes are very thin and kink easily. You can try spraying Pam on them to help shed water. If it’s an all metal flyte, a rubber mallet is good for knocking ice off. I wouldn’t do that on a composite flyte.

I had this happen on me this year also. Previous to buying the 40V last year, I was running a 8 inch chipper blade and did not have this problem. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong. Guess its just part of the laser style blades. I wonder if Strikemaster ever made a chipper blade in 10 inch and how that would work. I will have to look into it.

I would agree on punching a partial hole. Clears the blades of any slush build up from the previous hole,

Then, keep it out of the snow…should help tremendously.

Steve

Yup drill half a hole, also keeps it off the ground.

Charles wrote:

Yup drill half a hole, also keeps it off the ground.

Isn’t this a good way for future anglers to sprain an ankle? Heck, I probably would end up in it myself.

I will try it out next time, although I may not drill very far down. See how it goes.

So far my wife is still ok with me putting it in the shower. Every time a major chunk falls off one of my dogs jump!
Man did it get iced up bad last week.

I spray Ariens Sno-Jet on mine

I use a 7 inch lazer auger driven by a cordless drill. I can keep the entire auger inside my portable shelter where it is warm and dry.

If I am by myself, I have room to toss it in my shack with me and that solves all the issues.

If I am with other people people or am hole hopping, I am careful to spin the excess water off it after the last hole and toss it in the sled. I did have one time where I drilled a pile of holes and left it directly on the ice for a few hours in ~15 degree temps and had enough ice between the centering point and the chipper blades that it did not want to bite and start a hole afterwards.

^This is with the larger K-Drill for reference.

Deuces wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Charles wrote:</div>
Yup drill half a hole, also keeps it off the ground.

Isn’t this a good way for future anglers to sprain an ankle? Heck, I probably would end up in it myself.

I will try it out next time, although I may not drill very far down. See how it goes.

Well I usually fish way from the pack of crowds so don’t have to worry to much, I worry more about stepping in a hole lol.

Well I usually fish way from the pack of crowds so don’t have to worry to much, I worry more about stepping in a hole lol.
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An old hole freezes over. What you are doing will be there until the ice is gone.

Lift the auger blades 90 degrees so the auger is parallel to the ice when you spin the water off it. Do it as soon as you’re done drilling and blip the throttle a couple times… makes a big difference.

If you feel ice up coming on then yeah drill a partial hole… only needs to be a couple inches so no worries about leaving land mines.

You could just drill the partial whole all the way through when you are done. That way it will freeze over.

I don’t know how to prevent it. But, I can tell you what NOT to do…

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tswoboda wrote:

Lift the auger blades 90 degrees so the auger is parallel to the ice when you spin the water off it. Do it as soon as you’re done drilling and blip the throttle a couple times… makes a big difference.

This is what I used to do – and it works – until the thumb of my mitten on my left hand caught on the shaft of the auger and in less than a second twisted around the auger and just about pulled my thumb off. Fifteen stitches and emergency surgery to repair the tendon and piece of bone that popped off, a pin for six weeks, plus six months of PT and my thumb is about 70% of new. Nowadays I spin the blade holding the auger vertical as if drilling a hole. But I’m a scaredy-cat now though…

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BrianF wrote:

This is what I used to do – and it works – until the thumb of my mitten on my left hand caught on the shaft of the auger and in less than a second twisted around the auger and just about pulled my thumb off.

You had your hand on the auger shaft when you hit the throttle? Definitely do not do that… no reason for your hands to leave the normal grips. Hand augers and plastic auger make that a lot easier to do.

I have drilled a hole and left the auger in the water in the past. If there was no room in the sled of the shack.

jbg1219 wrote:

I have drilled a hole and left the auger in the water in the past. If there was no room in the sled of the shack.

Oh careful. Seen an auger froze in and the guy couldn’t get it out of the ice. It was there till spring. Everybody and their brother tried to get it out. Was bent so bad it was junk anyway.

I also drill down a bit when it’s real cold. Fill hole back in with shavings nobody is breaking and ankle.

I have used silicone spray to shed water and keep snow from sticking. Works on snow shovels too.

Dry silicone spray works great. Can also try those hydrophobic nanotechnology repellents but no clue how they hold up.