Author Topic: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?  (Read 5625 times)

Offline ont_angler

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Have been looking at the eskimo bit and the strike master bit, both in 8"

Just for my own curiosity..... aside from saving a 1-2lbs...and obviously costing 2-3x more then a conventional steel auger.....

What other advantages are there to running a composite auger?

Not interested in the K-Drill, not a fan of chipper bits....

My current auger which I run on a clam plate with the power drive gear box and a Ridgid brushless hammer drill using 4ah battery.






eskimo


strike master


Cheers for the input guys.

Online hawg

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #1 on: Oct 26, 2021, 12:46 PM »
Has to be more than 1 or 2 lbs?

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #2 on: Oct 26, 2021, 01:14 PM »
StrikeMaster flighting is composite the shaft is metal..Eskimo is compostit flighting with an aluminum shaft . composite flighting is lighter and does not rust .Eskimo are Mora/shaver/flat blades ..can be replaced for less and can also be sharpened by hand with practice/skill set ..Strikemaster has lazer/curved blades lil pricey to replace and have to sent out for sharpening. Both SM and Eskimo has a center point ..hand augers not so much . sometimes breakthrough can be an issue with hand augers .
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Offline primepin65

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #3 on: Oct 26, 2021, 02:04 PM »
I have a Mora hand auger but I'm looking at an Eskimo pistol bit. Both an 8" cutting head. The Mora is listed at 8lbs on Rapalas website and the pistol bit is 3.9lbs on Eskimos website. I'm using a Dewalt DCD998 drill with an 8ah battery, which weighs 5.5lbs combined. So for 1.4lbs more(9.4lbs total), I can cut sooooo many more holes than doing it by hand. I get winded after punching a few holes by hand, depending on how much ice I'm removing. There's little to no fatigue when using a cordless drill/auger setup.

Since I don't have a composite auger yet, I can guess a few of the advantages of a metal auger. The cost is 1/3rd to 1/4th of a composite auger. I can find a replacement at (almost) every single store that sells ice fishing gear. I can find a ton of used metal hand augers on facebook marketplace or craigslist. If my drill dies on ice, I can put the handle back on the metal auger and keep punching holes.

Downside is my current drill set-up weighs 13.5lbs.

Ice fishing seems to be going the direction of "lighter is better" and I can't disagree. My lithium flasher battery is 2.83lbs versus ~8lbs for an SLA. A rechargeable LED lantern weighs a ton less than a propane/liquid fuel lantern. There's tons of people ditching a shanty in favor of a dedicated ice fishing suit. I haven't willingly used a tip-up in years and just jig now.
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Offline Rebelss

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #4 on: Oct 26, 2021, 02:06 PM »
Added bonus, if ya ding up or bend the metal auger, it can be filed out or carefully bent/tooled back into shape. (Depending on yer skill level) Ya bust a composite....well, it's busted.
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Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #5 on: Oct 26, 2021, 02:16 PM »
Added bonus, if ya ding up or bend the metal auger, it can be filed out or carefully bent/tooled back into shape. (Depending on yer skill level) Ya bust a composite....well, it's busted.

There are replacements for Eskimo flighting and or just move the damaged flighting up. The flighting looks pretty tough.

https://www.facebook.com/eskimoicefishinggear/videos/2617880231779030
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Offline jbird68

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #6 on: Oct 26, 2021, 02:16 PM »
2 years ago I bought the StirkeMaster Lite-Flite 4 1/2" auger for scouting around. I can quickly drill holes by hand. I liked it so much I bought the 8" version to pair with my Ice Gator power auger (I know they are not made anymore but I have never had any problems with it and I like it a LOT). It is lighter than my old HT Arctic Express 7" auger (All steel). The 8" rips through the ice. Always trying to drop weight in my set-up and the auger was one of my heavier items. I've already swapped out the original 12AH SLA batteries for 2 - 10AH Amped Outdoor Litium batteries. What a weight difference.   


The Lite-flites still have a hexagonal steel shaft but the flites are plastic. I just don't push when I get to the bottom of the hole. I let the blades break through.
jbird68





Offline struckus

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #7 on: Oct 26, 2021, 03:07 PM »
lighter..not as cold on your hands when you grab it with thin gloves or bare hand..love my pistol bit..thing is light and drills like crazy..very durable also

Offline ont_angler

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #8 on: Oct 26, 2021, 03:13 PM »
Thanks for the feedback gents.

So in short

- save a couple pounds
- centering point

Otherwise not much difference....

Appreciate it!

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #9 on: Oct 26, 2021, 03:18 PM »
Thanks for the feedback gents.

So in short

- save a couple pounds
- centering point

Otherwise not much difference....

Appreciate it!



That centering point is a big deal ...can overlap holes and reopen old holes ...in my area late season it is good to be on old/productive holes
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Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #10 on: Oct 26, 2021, 03:25 PM »
My 8" mora worked but the  8" ht edrill cuts great and smooth all the way through.the mora skated at start once in awhile and was quite jarring at breakthrough.weight,center point with breakthrough ring, smooth cutting and the ht edrill i got on sale was a great investment.and mora blades fit it was another bonus.

Offline primepin65

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #11 on: Oct 26, 2021, 03:31 PM »
That centering point is a big deal ...can overlap holes and reopen old holes ...in my area late season it is good to be on old/productive holes

That's a great point! (pun intended). I used my mora/cordless combo last year to open new holes. I never tried to crack open old holes.
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Offline Fry Flier

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #12 on: Oct 26, 2021, 04:11 PM »
Removed my post since it was more about augers in general and had no composite bearing.
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Offline dunnhuntin

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #13 on: Oct 26, 2021, 06:44 PM »
I bent my eskimo power auger flight and replaced it with a strikemaster lite flite last year. I saved 5 whole pounds and the weight savings is noticeable on the back of my snowmobile and when moving around the ice drilling holes. It's also much better balanced to carry it and slide it into my kolpin auger tube. I get far less ice buildup on the plastic flight since the water runs off it before it freezes. I haven't got frostbite on my hands grabbing the plastic at -30 (made that mistake a few times with the metal auger). Usually I avoid plastic because at those temperatures it becomes brittle, but haven't seen that problem with any of the plastic augers I've seen around here.

Offline DTro

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #14 on: Oct 28, 2021, 06:14 AM »
Also don't forget that your Drill/Battery will also appreciate a lighter item to turn.

Offline ont_angler

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #15 on: Oct 28, 2021, 07:26 AM »
Also don't forget that your Drill/Battery will also appreciate a lighter item to turn.

Very true, very good point. The power drive grearbox doubled my battery life...I suppose cutting down a few pounds would add even more run time to the battery.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #16 on: Oct 28, 2021, 07:34 AM »
Very true, very good point. The power drive grearbox doubled my battery life...I suppose cutting down a few pounds would add even more run time to the battery.

Really ..what drill ...battery Ah and drill bit you using ..I picked up a gear box and put it on a recently purchased Clam Plate..going to try it on my DCD985 brushed drill with 4ah batterys . I was able to repurpose the "extra" non geared box onto my Gen 1 Clam Plate ..couple holes and off to the races . All the hardware is included when you purchase the Gear Box as a stand alone ..no scrambling for bolts and washers .
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Offline FreshwaterPhil

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #17 on: Oct 28, 2021, 04:26 PM »
I got the Ion G2 last winter. So far, the 2 differences I noticed are weight, and also a lot easier to remove ice buildup from composite, as it's flexible.

Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #18 on: Oct 29, 2021, 05:55 PM »

On a Lazer style hand auger, I have found zero need for a center point. The blades are aggressive enough that they don’t seem to skate on the ice. I dislike them due to the jolt they give during break through….the strike master synthetic has the center point which isn’t a big deal on the auger….but still jolts like the normal had one at break through.

To me Strikemaster missed the boat on the synthetic auger. It’s far from light also.

The company that did get it right after messing it up the first year was eskimo…..well half right since the 6in doesn’t have a center point.

If I do move off of my straight blade hand auger…it will be to an eskimo pistol bit.

Here is why.

#1 The center point to keep the auger from skating.

#2 Ring cutting head blade mount. It keeps the auger from jerking at break through. Is made from a polymer, so it doesn’t get bent like metal causing the blades to go out of pitch.
#3 Uses easy to find flat shaver blades that can be found everywhere. Are also cheap to replace or sharpen by yourself.

The poly flights…light weight stuff is basicly no advantage to the aluminum hand augers. The cutting head mount and center point is the upgrade. At $150 I though….thought about maybe switching….at $239……I can’t bring myself to do it.



Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #19 on: Oct 29, 2021, 05:58 PM »
On a Lazer style hand auger, I have found zero need for a center point. The blades are aggressive enough that they don’t seem to skate on the ice. I dislike them due to the jolt they give during break through….the strike master synthetic has the center point which isn’t a big deal on the auger….but still jolts like the normal had one at break through.

To me Strikemaster missed the boat on the synthetic auger. It’s far from light also.

The company that did get it right after messing it up the first year was eskimo…..well half right since the 6in doesn’t have a center point.

If I do move off of my straight blade hand auger…it will be to an eskimo pistol bit.

Here is why.

#1 The center point to keep the auger from skating.

#2 Ring cutting head blade mount. It keeps the auger from jerking at break through. Is made from a polymer, so it doesn’t get bent like metal causing the blades to go out of pitch.
#3 Uses easy to find flat shaver blades that can be found everywhere. Are also cheap to replace or sharpen by yourself.

The poly flights…light weight stuff is basicly no advantage to the aluminum hand augers. The cutting head mount and center point is the upgrade. At $150 I though….thought about maybe switching….at $239……I can’t bring myself to do it.



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Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #20 on: Oct 29, 2021, 06:05 PM »
Check your Personal Messages

I did. I want the eskimo with the center point. Last year plenty of sales and could get them for $150. I won’t go higher then that….I think sales will come. That and having 4 augers. One being a nils 8in power point keeps the high priced pistol bit from my group. Lol. When I do pick up the pistol I plan to sell the nils and mora augers to offset the cost.

Love the nils….just to long to shove under the table in the ice castle with out it sticking out.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #21 on: Oct 29, 2021, 06:18 PM »
I did. I want the eskimo with the center point. Last year plenty of sales and could get them for $150. I won’t go higher then that….I think sales will come. That and having 4 augers. One being a nils 8in power point keeps the high priced pistol bit from my group. Lol. When I do pick up the pistol I plan to sell the nils and mora augers to offset the cost.

Love the nils….just to long to shove under the table in the ice castle with out it sticking out.

Ok ..I was able to score an Eskimo 8" Pistol w/center point ..$130 on Amazon Warehouse over the summer ..almost scored its ION cousin with similar pricing ..but that turned out to be steel auger ..picture and description were totally off . If I recall correctly Blaines or Mills had tons of them toward the end of last season ..for under $150 maybe less but it was an instore purchase only .Good luck on your quest.
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Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #22 on: Oct 29, 2021, 08:20 PM »
Ok ..I was able to score an Eskimo 8" Pistol w/center point ..$130 on Amazon Warehouse over the summer ..almost scored its ION cousin with similar pricing ..but that turned out to be steel auger ..picture and description were totally off . If I recall correctly Blaines or Mills had tons of them toward the end of last season ..for under $150 maybe less but it was an instore purchase only .Good luck on your quest.

Yeah...it's not a necessity, but something that would be nice to move towards.

Offline badger132

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #23 on: Oct 30, 2021, 10:04 AM »
One thing I did not expect with the composite flites was the lack of grab and jamming in the thick, layered slush we get in late season. I used a 5 inch Lazer for years, and got a 6 inch pistol last year, and it was really nice not to have all the jerking and jamming in the hole. I assume the jerking is due to the inflexible steel flites engaging the sides of the hole and jamming the bit downward into the ice, but the resultant torque shocks made the drill hard to hold on to. The pistol has none of this.
There is also less ice on the drill throughout the day, because plastic sheds water, and the flex breaks some of the ice off.

Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #24 on: Oct 30, 2021, 11:57 PM »
One thing I did not expect with the composite flites was the lack of grab and jamming in the thick, layered slush we get in late season. I used a 5 inch Lazer for years, and got a 6 inch pistol last year, and it was really nice not to have all the jerking and jamming in the hole. I assume the jerking is due to the inflexible steel flites engaging the sides of the hole and jamming the bit downward into the ice, but the resultant torque shocks made the drill hard to hold on to. The pistol has none of this.
There is also less ice on the drill throughout the day, because plastic sheds water, and the flex breaks some of the ice off.

It's not the flights.....it is the cutting head/blades. Curved blades vs Flat blades.......

Offline badger132

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #25 on: Oct 31, 2021, 09:05 AM »
It's not the flights.....it is the cutting head/blades. Curved blades vs Flat blades.......

Hard to say, but I think it is both. With the steel flights I can get around the problem by lifting up frequently and clearing the "slushie" that fills the hole. In that type of ice, neither auger clears the chips out like with hard ice. If you let the slush build, eventually the auger jams and sticks, and it can be a bear to get out of the hole. Zero issues with the pistol bit.

Offline Mancaveburnett

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #26 on: Oct 31, 2021, 09:30 AM »
Realistically speaking most guys go out maybe once a week if that during a season. Most guys cut what, less than 20 holes per outing. Composite or steel, does it really matter? Reality is, just another ploy to sell another product. I got fought up into buying way too many supplies. Now I just have excess taking up room and I have my go to basics. I just hope we have a longer season this year. Damn I just realized I should be posting under what makes me grumpy lol, all I need this year is cold weather and no Covid.

Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #27 on: Oct 31, 2021, 09:33 PM »
Hard to say, but I think it is both. With the steel flights I can get around the problem by lifting up frequently and clearing the "slushie" that fills the hole. In that type of ice, neither auger clears the chips out like with hard ice. If you let the slush build, eventually the auger jams and sticks, and it can be a bear to get out of the hole. Zero issues with the pistol bit.

Hence the pistol bits cutting head mount keeps the blades at a level where they cut the ice smooth, and can only take a certain amount  of a cut(metal cutting heads do the same.) Move to the same hand áuger without the cutting head. It cuts smooth but at the very end wehen it starts to break through It try's to take a larger cut and bits a bit until the flighting breaks off the last lip that didn't cut. Lazer is much worse with this do to the more agressive bit. Also the larger the áuger the worse it gets.

Sure in deep holes slush needs to be cleared or it can cause issues like your stating, because of the additional torque needed to turn the áuger and cut. It might be a touch less noticable because of the flex in the synthetic flights......over all the pistol is going to be a smoother cut due to the cutting head, and the reduced torque from the shaver blades not being so agressive. You should be able to áuger a deeper hole with more slush do to the pistol bit taking way less torque.

If you don't believe me, or want to find out on your own.

Take an 8in mora hand áuger, Eskimo pistol bit, and an Ion steel cutting head with the cutting head ring. Then tell me the results. Engineering & a bunch of math.......will explain it pretty easy.

Offline ont_angler

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #28 on: Nov 02, 2021, 09:22 AM »
Just wanted to update this thread.

Noticed a lot of guys were saying a centering point was a selling point for eskimo/strike master augers.

So found one on amazon for 9$ and taped the hole in my 6" auger with a m10 x 1.5.

Will give it a whirl this ice season and see if it improved punching holes or re punching old holes. 






Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: What are the advantages of a composite auger over a steel one?
« Reply #29 on: Nov 04, 2021, 07:13 AM »
Just wanted to update this thread.

Noticed a lot of guys were saying a centering point was a selling point for eskimo/strike master augers.

So found one on amazon for 9$ and taped the hole in my 6" auger with a m10 x 1.5.

Will give it a whirl this ice season and see if it improved punching holes or re punching old holes. 






I did that last season, and it works to keep the áuger from skating but since it doesn't have the cutting head ring it doesn't cut has smooth.

 



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