How much downward pressure do you put on your auger? I don’t use much if any at all. I ask because I saw a number of guys using as much pressure as they possibly could, and I was always told that “NOT” to push down at all? 
Just curious on opinions out there.
Depends on how sharp your blades are.
I use some pressure, but not a lot.
If a Jiffy – A LOT. If a Strikemaster – Not much at all
If your blades are sharp and on correctly, you will need very little downward pressure. The weight of the auger and power head should be enough to cut the ice. Just a little note about sharp blades. I have found that the edge will roll just like a knife and appear dull. If you use a wet stone and carefully swipe along the bottom edge of the blade 2 or 3 times every 20 – 30 holes you can extend the life of your blades indefinitely. 
Jiffy hah! I have to pull up on mine a little or she tries to eat too much ice. If you have to push down a lot time for new blades.
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Jiffy hah! I have to pull up on mine a little or she tries to eat too much ice. If you have to push down a lot time for new blades.
sounds like just as much work as pushing…. 
I can put a little pressure on my razor sharp chipper blades. Especially once the engine is good and warm. Guys leaning hard on them have maintenance issues.
I’ve had my Lazer Mag for 4 years and have never put any pressure on it ever. Blades are still razor sharp. It doesn’t matter if it’s a chain saw, drill bit, or the razor you use on your face. The more pressure you use, the faster they dull. A friend of mine with the same auger changes his blades twice a year. Change your blades and don’t push.
I use very little pressure and let the blades do the cutting, too much pressure can bog down the engine.
With my 2.5 horse solo, i put ZERO pressure. I swear some guys almost stand on top of their auger while drilling! Cal can attest to that also, as we saw a guy that would have stood on it if he were agile enough. If your having to put alot of pressure on it, it may be time for new blades. Leaning on it too hard can and will wreck the engine.
I have the strikemaster 224 which is the 4 blade auger they made a few years ago, it cuts like a dream and actually pulls itself through the ice nicely, barely any down pressure at all.
Have you tried trolling along the edge of the open water with a snowmobile and 9.5 foot steelhead rod? No drilling required but life jacket, wet suit, etc. would be a good idea. Lots of that this year on the Pond. Heard they cancelled the Lake Francis tourney at the last minute over the weekend at Elysian due to bad ice-and some open water on the west end. Doubt if the LeSueur Co. sheriff’s department would advise it-theywere asking heavy vehicles to stay off and large fish houses removed early.
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I have the strikemaster 224 which is the 4 blade auger they made a few years ago, it cuts like a dream and actually pulls itself through the ice nicely, barely any down pressure at all.
I have a 224 that I bought from James. I blew up the original powerhead and have since replaced it with a Solo. This thing EATS ice!!!!
Also keep in mind that if a Lazer is not cutting well, the pitch of the blades could be off. Opening old holes is a big culprit causing this.
I take my auger to Strikemaster for the blade exchange. Strikemaster will change out the blades for me and check and adjust the pitch if necessary.
Learned a tip today, if the new blades are not cutting right rotate them. It supposedly works
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