Why do power augers grab or stop right before punching through?

[HuskersLincoln]

I've got a brand new Strikemaster Lazer 8" power auger.  Why does it grab or stop right before punching threw the ice.  Sometimes after punching through it continues to dig itself down.  You've got to left it unscrew itself to get out.  This doesn't happen all the time either. 

[Fishrmn]

Are you drilling perpendicular to the ice?  Straight up and down?  I've seen lots of guys who drill at an angle.  It causes one side to break through first, and puts torque on the auger. 

[mr tip up]

most of the time the last few inches is the hardes ice [ black ice ]

[77tech]

I used a power auger for the first time this year and noticed the same thing.  My theory is that once the center point breaks through the ice that allows the blade to get a better bite on the ice.  Because there is nothing holding it back anymore it requires more power to turn the auger causing it to stall unless you lift up on the auger a little bit. 

[Sawtooth]

I agree it has to do with the center point below the ice, but specifically why, I don't know.  Has to be a physicist on here to explain it.

Whatever the reason, I like it, as it tells me to get ready.

[hankthecrank]

I have the same thing happening with a 2009 SM Lazer 8". Was told by a tech at a very reputable shop that the flighting was too big, looked at auger and the flighting was smaller than the bit. He said if it drills good to the point of grabbing that the blades are sharp and the pitch is right, my biggest mistake was not persuing the problem when the auger was new, now all I have is an old grabbing, catching auger. I have been too busy to look anymore this season, but I think the problem lies in the blade mounting, the heel of the blade is what is catching and grabbing, because is is a larger diameter than the front of the blade, also have wanted to experiment with removing the center point and see if that makes a difference.

[ADKer]

How many people ease off the throttle when they think they're close to breaking thru?

[blacktrap]

The Jiffy stx set up with the little blades on the point dont grab, goes right thru nice and easy

[Sharp Nils]

 I normally stick with just sharpening Nils blades but a local guy dropped off his 8" Eskimo Shark to have the blades and center point sharpened.   
Figured I give some test drills while it was here.   Eats ice for sure but puts a lot of torque on the user.   My ice wasn't soft and wet like you described but yeah I could see having to clear out the hole once in a while.
 
 As far as drilling with a Nils, there is a considerable amount of LESS torque put on the user and no binding or twisting going on.  Peg the throttle till it punches all the way through.   I'm not knocking Eskimo, they do what they're supposed to do but they aren't in the same league as a Nils and one reason why they are twice the price. 
 As far as other auger brands, the clutch is intended to lock in at a set RPM.   That would mean at WOT and anything below that would start to slip the clutch and they are not intended to slip.

[TrackerG]

Its no different than drilling through metal with a regular drill bit. when the point breaks through the blades catch on the ice. the trick is to keep throttle high and lessen the down pressure and maybe even hold up a little as its breaking through the ice....let the auger do the work.

[HuskersLincoln]

I have noticed that if I lift lightly right at the point of breaking through it doesn't do it.  Anyone else have any thoughts about the flighting idea one guy mentioned?

[Chris Raymond]

I have noticed that if I lift lightly right at the point of breaking through it doesn't do it.  Anyone else have any thoughts about the flighting idea one guy mentioned?

It's not a flighting issue.  If the flighting is too small wouldn't it also bind all the way through the ice or totally stop movement?  Why would the flighting only be an issue in the last bit of ice?  It has to do with the blade being in two different mediums, ice and water.  I can't explain the physics. 

[bee]

I have attached a mora to my Tanaka power head and it is smooth to the end. Hate to say it but as good if not better than my Nils. Then again its a 6in not the 8.

[esox_magnum]

I have the power point on my Nils, smooth from top to breakthrough never grabs unless it's my fault for drilling an ugly hole....

[pipeboy98]

My 8 inch Eskimo mako has no problems.  It's two years old and I don't even put downward pressure on it.  I just let the weight of the auger take it down and keep the throttle at maximum.  All I have to do is keep it plumb and catch it after it breaks through.

[Kevin23]

Its the blades. Lazer hand augers bite at the last bit too. Its because the auger cuts from the center out instead of all at once like with a flat blade. So the center breaks through and then you have to muscle it to get the center and edges to also break through.

[churley918]

How many people ease off the throttle when they think they're close to breaking thru?

I don't ease off the throttle, but do "lift" the auger slightly.

I think that it is the center point breaking through that with pressure on the auger - even the augers own weight - it causes the unit to cork screw up rather than finishing the cut, this eventually binds the gears and causes the unit to either bog or kill the engine. If you "lift" the auger slightly then the cutting tip can finish the hole and punch through.

[BIGCREW]

I have a jiffy pro 4 and noticed that it doesnt do that it cuts through without bogging down,I let it in the hole and run it a bit and it makes cleaning out the holes much easyer

[xjma]

I've notice this with both my jiffy 30 and my morra hand auger.  Must have to do with the center being through and the rest of the blades needing to finish the job in ice/water.  Same as with drilling through steel.  I like it, it lets you know when you're about to break through.  With the jiffy I do lift it a tad more than I already am and know that in a second or so it will be time to either kill the throttle or get wet! 

[harrydude]

It has to do with how sharp your bades are

[knockout]

Check the bottom of your blades if they say made in china call strikemaster and they will send you a new set. Save the chinese blades and have them sharpened to same angle as the new mora blades and they will cut without grabbing. Dont keep drilling without changing the blades. Guys have broke gears in the transmission

[HUNTnFISHSD]

most of the time the last few inches is the hardes ice [ black ice ]

I've always heard that it is not safe to walk on black ice so wouldn't white ice be stronger?

[bart]

I've always heard that it is not safe to walk on black ice so wouldn't white ice be stronger?

I believe you have that backwards, clear or black ice is the best, white ice weaker.

This was my first year with a power auger, it's a Nils and haven't experienced any problems whats so ever.

[HUNTnFISHSD]

I believe you have that backwards, clear or black ice is the best, white ice weaker.

This was my first year with a power auger, it's a Nils and haven't experienced any problems whats so ever.

Ok

[Kevin23]

Its the blade style like I said before. Moras do not do it at all. Attach a mora bit to your power auger and it will zip right through. Mora (flat blade) augers cut with the whole blade at once, which is why they are harder to turn than a lazer. Lazers (curved blade) cut from the middle out on each turn. Nils do not hang up either because they are a flat blade design.

Any power auger with curved shaver blades or single chipper blade will bind at the end. Some have enough power that you do not feel it,  but they all will bind. Augers with flat blades will not.

[Gambler]

Its the blade style like I said before. Moras do not do it at all. Attach a mora bit to your power auger and it will zip right through. Mora (flat blade) augers cut with the whole blade at once, which is why they are harder to turn than a lazer. Lazers (curved blade) cut from the middle out on each turn. Nils do not hang up either because they are a flat blade design.

Any power auger with curved shaver blades or single chipper blade will bind at the end. Some have enough power that you do not feel it,  but they all will bind. Augers with flat blades will not.

Did Nils make a new auger? My Nils has a curved blade, not a flat blade.  Also my eskimo shark with the quantum (flat) blades binds slightly when breaking through the ice too. So don't tell someone false info.