Strikemaster lithium chipper

[9huskies]

I was ready to order a Strikemaster Lithium Lazer auger when I saw the lithium chipper on their web site. Does anyone here have any experience with this auger? I like the idea of a chipper blade because it's not as delicate and I can sharpen it myself. I know the shaving blades on the Lazer will drill faster but a few seconds per hole won't make any real difference in a day of fishing. Are there any other advantages to one over the other?

[bigredonice]

I have the strikemaster lithium with lazer blades.   I've used both the chipper and lazer style blades on the strikemaster gas augers, and I much prefer the lazer blades, especially when the ice gets thick.   Very reliable.   Chipper blades work really well as well, but they don't really pull through the ice like the lazer does.   Either way i think you will like it.

[hardwater diehard]

Wind blown sand/salt onto the ice your drilling can dull your lazer type blade...not so much with a chipper

chipper = slower

If/when you get the SM Lithium please do a review ...don't think there is one on this site .

[9huskies]

I've seen favorable reviews of the Lithium Lazer including YouTube comparisons against other augers. It's fast and drills a lot of holes on one charge. My main questions about the lithium chipper are speed compared to a similar gas auger and will the chipper blade drain the battery faster than the Lazer blades. I have never seen or heard of a battery powered chipper type auger. If it takes more power to cut ice with a chipper blade it would mean fewer holes per charge.

[hardwater diehard]

Not sure if you already have an SM auger but the drill units should be interchangeable ...

[9huskies]

I spoke with someone from Strikemaster customer service. He said the chipper blades are better for drilling through dirty ice and redrilling old holes. Other than that he recommended the Lazer blades. He also said the drill works harder with a chipper blade so I wouldn't get as many holes from one charge. I'm leaning toward the chipper model because I have a hardside shack and am likely to redrill holes for jigging in the shack. He also warned against sharpening Lazer blades. According to him if they are sharpened at the wrong angle it can bend the plate they are mounted to and ruin the bit. When I mentioned that Dag's says they can sharpen Lazer blades he stuck to his guns and recommended replacing dull blades instad of sharpening them. I would like to see a response from Dag's or Sebago Bait about sharpening Lazer blades.

[gunn308]

They don't make any money if you sharpen. I have sharpened Lazer blades on a belt sander and just like anything else it's imperative that you maintain the same angle.
 

[9huskies]

The claim that improperly sharpened blades can ruin the whole bit seemed unrealistic.