Eskimo is phasing out hand augers/ Info on the new bit auger

[Mrpike1973]

I called Eskimo today that they do not have there 8 inch standard auger they are not making them. i asked about my silvertip they still have blades but sounded like they will be phasing all of them out. They said they still will make blades for a few years later. Info on the new bit auger it fits on a drill does not have a way to make an extension for it. Does not look like it would fit a Clam plate. Without major retrofit does not have shaft going inside of it. Also found out the hand augers where made by strikemaster. Take with a grain of salt all companies change a lot. I think maybe I'm wrong but Mora augers probably had a resurgence in sales due to the drill options and has a corner on the market.

[lefty2053]

Sportsman's Guide has the 6" and 8" available starting 9-24. I have the silvertip 6" and was going to try it on my drill this year but if they are going to stop making blades I might be better off getting the 6" Nero or the Pistol in the 6". Nero is much cheaper since I don't need the adapter. I got one on my 7" and the extension fits the Eskimo Silvertip.

[Mrpike1973]

I believe the Laser blades will fit the Silver tip they are the same?

[chilly-willy]

Sportsman's Guide has the 6" and 8" available starting 9-24. I have the silvertip 6" and was going to try it on my drill this year but if they are going to stop making blades I might be better off getting the 6" Nero or the Pistol in the 6". Nero is much cheaper since I don't need the adapter. I got one on my 7" and the extension fits the Eskimo Silvertip.

No worries strike master blades will fit your eskimo auger!!  There more then likely made by same manufacturer.. all you got to do is buy the eskimo auger and strike master blades as you need them..

[Damn Yankee]

No worries strike master blades will fit your eskimo auger!!  There more then likely made by same manufacturer.. all you got to do is buy the eskimo auger and strike master blades as you need them..

If you buy the CHEAP auger then have to buy the GOOD blades (made in Sweden) seems like you need to think this through. The Good auger with the GOOD blades might be a better buy. The cheap auger is made over there, where steel comes from our recycled junk cars and dredged up sunken rubbish.
 

[Damn Yankee]

Sportsman's Guide has the 6" and 8" available starting 9-24. I have the silvertip 6" and was going to try it on my drill this year but if they are going to stop making blades I might be better off getting the 6" Nero or the Pistol in the 6". Nero is much cheaper since I don't need the adapter. I got one on my 7" and the extension fits the Eskimo Silvertip.

Yes! NERO (made in Russia) I'm sure they're going to be a force in the auger business in the future years.

[lefty2053]

If you're DUMB enough to buy the CHEAP auger then have to buy the GOOD blades (made in Sweden) seems like you need to think this through. The Good auger with the GOOD blades might be a better buy. The cheap auger is made over there, where steel comes from our recycled junk cars and dredged up sunken rubbish.

Well this was kinda rude of you. Calling people DUMB. It just so happens I own the Eskimo auger already, why spend more for another auger just to get the blades that fit mine ? I guess I would be the DUMB one if I did buy the whole thing.

[Damn Yankee]

Well this was kinda rude of you. Calling people DUMB. It just so happens I own the Eskimo auger already, why spend more for another auger just to get the blades that fit mine ? I guess I would be the DUMB one if I did buy the whole thing.

You own the auger already. If buying a new one it's like the newer blades are not of the quality of past models.
Anyway I find it hard to believe they want out of the hand auger business.
ALSO it's a federal law that manufacturers must provide parts for a product for 7 years after said product is discontinued. By that time we'll be burning holes through the ice with lasers or sunbeams, and the DO-GOODERS will likely outlaw ice fishing (because of the cruelty to fish) or travel on the ice (for our own good).

[lefty2053]

You own the auger already. If buying a new one it's like the newer blades are not of the quality of past models.
Anyway I find it hard to believe they want out of the hand auger business.
ALSO it's a federal law that manufacturers must provide parts for a product for 7 years after said product is discontinued. By that time we'll be burning holes through the ice with lasers or sunbeams, and the DO-GOODERS will likely outlaw ice fishing (because of the cruelty to fish) or travel on the ice (for our own good).

Well if they are required to have parts for 7 years I guess I am set. I will be wheeled around in a chair by then. The only thing I will have on my mind is who is going to change my diaper.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

If you buy the CHEAP auger then have to buy the GOOD blades (made in Sweden) seems like you need to think this through. The Good auger with the GOOD blades might be a better buy. The cheap auger is made over there, where steel comes from our recycled junk cars and dredged up sunken rubbish.

The Eskimo augers do have decent to good blades that stay sharp for a long time. I ran mine a season and they were still sharp before I sold it to a budy. Now the blades that come on them aren't sweeden made blades, but they aren't junk blades that only last a hole or two. The point in buying sweeden blades afterwards is so that a person doesn't end up with getting junk blades.

Financially, buying an Eskimo hand auger for less money then buying strikemaster blades to put on it later works out quite well. Really the only questionable blades that I have seen in the last 10yrs for keeping an edge and lasting were blades on an HT hand auger bought at Walmart. Once replaced with decent blades it worked fine.

[Iceassin]

So, on the subject of blades, seems to me that while some may be better than others, how do any of them become dull beyond use? Does ice actually have an effect on them? It's obvious that sand, rocks, dropping them on the ground, etc. will do damage to them...but ice? Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see it. I have had the SM lasers for years and have had the same blades throughout. I am also very careful to take care of them...avoiding all the hazards I mentioned above. Maybe I've just been lucky. 

[lefty2053]

I had the Eskimo Z51 for about 8 years and 2 sets of blades. I just kept sharpening them myself. Never had to throw either of them out.  Now I have the Nero and a Silvertip. On my second time out with the Silvertip I broke one of the blades in half just drilling. Contacted Eskimo and they sent me a new set out free. They also wanted the broken blade so their team could figure out what went wrong. The Nero got dull at the very end of the season. Not really dull but it started shutting off my drill. I sharpened them and will try them out this year. I did buy a spare pair when I bought the Nero and used them the last day out. I drilled around 20-30 holes each time I went out last year going through 12"-20" of ice with that Nero. So getting dull at the end of the season wasn't a big deal.

[KinnickResident]

So, on the subject of blades, seems to me that while some may be better than others, how do any of them become dull beyond use? Does ice actually have an effect on them? It's obvious that sand, rocks, dropping them on the ground, etc. will do damage to them...but ice? Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see it. I have had the SM lasers for years and have had the same blades throughout. I am also very careful to take care of them...avoiding all the hazards I mentioned above. Maybe I've just been lucky. 

Unless you fish on a lake with crystal clear blue water with no wind, ice is filled with tons of grit and dirt, and yes it has an effect on blade sharpness. I guarantee if you took your old blades off and put new ones on you'd notice a difference. It's just that over several years of use the wear happens slow enough that you don't notice it. Ice is a solid, and just because that solid is made of water doesn't erase physics...friction between two objects is going to result in wear.

I hole hop 95% of the time and it's not uncommon for me to drill 80 plus holes each on Saturday and Sunday. My blades are noticeably more dull at the end of the season.

[tomturkey]

If you buy the CHEAP auger then have to buy the GOOD blades (made in Sweden) seems like you need to think this through. The Good auger with the GOOD blades might be a better buy. The cheap auger is made over there, where steel comes from our recycled junk cars and dredged up sunken rubbish.

I became familiar with Mora quality back in the late 50's. Someone brought a friend in the UP a Mora knife back from Sweden. I was using it to clean some frogs and found out how good it was. I was going to tap a frog on the head with the back of the blade. I had the sharp edge instead and took the frogs head off with one hit. I have since bought a Mora knife for my sons and grand kids.

I bought a Mora auger when I got into ice fishing because of that. Those blades were abused by drilling holes in ice full of sand that was blown onto the lake from the Silver Lake sand dunes. I did buy a sharpener to touch it up. After being out of ice fishing for years I bought a set of Eskimo blades that fit to replace the original Mora blades. After only cutting a few dozen holes in clean Ice I noticed there were chips out of the blades. I sent the original blades to Angler Point and got them back in a few days. After putting them back on, the 6 inch Mora cut like new. The chips in the Eskimo blades turned me off on anything Eskimo.

lefty Maybe you can find some Mora Blades that fit your Eskimo augers. It would be a great improvement to them. There are a lot of the original style Mora's for sale on some of the online auction sites.