What is better, curved blade augers or the straight blade type?

[Enfieldwill]

Looking to upgrade my old straight blade 6" auger to an 8".  Are the curved blade augers any better that the straight blade type?  Are they easier to use?  They seem to cost more and wondering if the extra cost is worth it.  Thanks.

[Dave R]

For years I used a 8" Mora hand auger and the older I got, the more difficult it became to drill in more than 10"-12" of ice. Two years ago, I bought a 5" Lazer and what an improvement!. I wish I had bought a 6", but since I fish mostly for Bluegill and Crappie, 5" is adequate. Also, it's my understanding that a straight blade shaves the ice, where as a curved blade cuts.

[stripernut]

I have used both and what really make a difference is a offset handle like a Fin-bore or Nils (Nils blades are to problematic for me to bother with). Spend the time to find a Off-set handle and you will worry much less about the type of blades... As long as they are sharp!

[Idahogator]

As I've gotten older (78) I've enjoyed a StrikeMaster Lazer 5" for the last 6 years that's still on the original set of blades.

After years with a blue mora, life is a lot more fun on the ice now.

I will say it's one of my wiser investments.

[dekatronic]

Curved blades like the lazer and finbore are much easier to drill than straight blades. I own both types of augers and you can guess which one stays home.

[buz23]

I would stay away from an 8" hand drill of any kind unless you are putting a (powerful) cordless drill on it.  Its almost twice as much ice to remove (64/36) as a 6" drill.  I started ice fishing 50 years ago with an old segmented spoon type 8" drill, and probably would have given it up quickly if I didn't graduate to an old one armed Jiffy after a couple of years.  Once I got a 6" mora, the Jiffy stayed home (except on Champlain, where you are still allowed 15 tip ups). 

Nowdays I use a 6" lazer with a cordless drill.

[Spoondangler]

I would stay away from an 8" hand drill of any kind unless you are putting a (powerful) cordless drill on it.  Its almost twice as much ice to remove (64/36) as a 6" drill.  I started ice fishing 50 years ago with an old segmented spoon type 8" drill, and probably would have given it up quickly if I didn't graduate to an old one armed Jiffy after a couple of years.  Once I got a 6" mora, the Jiffy stayed home (except on Champlain, where you are still allowed 15 tip ups). 

Nowdays I use a 6" lazer with a cordless drill.

This is good advice.  I own a 8" laser and it is too much to do by hand (it was al I had for years).  Hand augers should stop at 6imho. The reason he stated is right, as well. I run a bakery and people are suprised that a 10 inch cake is almost double the size of 8, same applies to ciricle holes.  I don't know about the blade shape part, I've never used manual curved vs straight, but the laser is curved and it's still hard at 8".  If you'd ever think of sharpening your own blades, straight is the way to go of course.

[Dave R]

As I've gotten older (78) I've enjoyed a StrikeMaster Lazer 5" for the last 6 years that's still on the original set of blades.

After years with a blue mora, life is a lot more fun on the ice now.

I will say it's one of my wiser investments.

X2............Although at 67, I'm still a youngster!

[crappieslayer37]

Curved blades will reopen old holes while the straight blades will not.

[jbird68]

I have the HT arctic Express 7" auger. It's like a lazer with curved blades. I use it by hand until the ice gets to about 8 inches thick. After that I hook it up to my IceGator. I've had it for about 6 years and just now ready to change the blades.