How long should auger blades last.

[Big EZ]

I bought a Swede-bore last year. Some dampness in storage in the off season caused some surface rust on the blades. I re-sharpened them by hand last week and they're as good as new now.

So, if you're up for sharpening them yourself when they start to dull, they'll last a long, long time. A few minutes on a stone beats $15 and a drive to the store everytime it gets dull too.

EZ

[Markus]

My 8IN sweedbore blades cost me $25. I'm pleased to hear my fff guinea pig blades are gonna be sharp when they return home!

[fishforfun]

Scumking I was asking re all blades, whats the difference $ between finn bore and swede bore, the 8" swede bores I'm looking at were $25.

[Woodsman]

Just bought a new set of 8" Swede-Bore & Mora blades made by Normark for $25 yesterday. Old blades will pick-up a beer cap new ones won't. Btw if you fish where they drive thier vechicles on the ice make sure you don't try to cut a hole where sand has fallen off a vechicle. Will dull your blades fast.
Also picked up a Lazer ice auger shapener (carbide-tipped) for $10. Seems to sharpen the old blades. Will try them out on Sun. and post the results.

[Woodsman]

New blades cut thru 12"of solid ice easily. Then I put on resharpened blades that took almost 5 mins. to cut thru 8" of ice two weeks ago and they cut almost as good as the new ones. The Lazer ice auger blade sharpener worked pretty good and well worth the $10.

Best Wishes

[MichaelVandenberg]

Keep the blades ice free when out on the ice and dry when storing the auger and they should last. Don't bang the auger blades on the ice or anything. Keep a cover on the auger while storage for safety and protecting the blades.

Cheers,

[Suddsy]

The Lazer ice auger sharpener sounds like a good idea for the price. Where did you buy it? Because I am a pack rat I have always kept my old blades so this would come in handy.

[Woodsman]

Bought at Wal-Mart in London. Made by StrikeMaster in Big Lake, Minnesota. Models it lists it is good for are Mora/Swede Bore, Jiffy, XL-3000, Lazer (Hand, Mag & Electra 12V).

Best Wishes

Ps: For some reason I also have been accused of being a packrat.

[TroutSlayer]

Keep the blades ice free when out on the ice and dry when storing the auger and they should last. Don't bang the auger blades on the ice or anything. Keep a cover on the auger while storage for safety and protecting the blades.

Cheers,

I never clean, dry or oil the blades on my 25 year old Fin-bore III at all. The blades are 440 stainless and will not rust or corrode regardless. If you start frigging with a cloth around those blades, you will get cut! As long as you don't nick them or change their angle of attack, you will get hundreds of holes out of one set of blades.

As far as sharpening them yourself, don't even try. You are dealing with a curved blade that has a graduated angle and relief from the right side of the blade to the left. For example only, the right side might be sharpened to 10 degrees with no underside relief while the left side of that same blade is sharpened to 9 degrees with 1 degree relief on the underside of the blade. (I don't know the true angles). The transition between these two angles across the length of the blade must be precise! To build a proper jig to give you these angles would be very complicated. Anyone who claims to have sharpened their own blades was more than likely disappointed in their effort and went out to purchase new blades.
I know many people that thought they could hone their own blades, It never worked out for them.

Just re-read the posts above and I am now thinking that maybe the Sweed-bore which I have never seen, might have a single angle blade, making it possible to sharpen at home.
But, for sure the model I own and have used for years, the Fin-Bore III, has a multi-angle blade that cannot be home sharpened.