Nils auger issue.

[Joe Wayne]

I've owned the auger for 2 months max and ran into some ground last Thursday.
The auger now takes 5 minutes, and a lot of weight to get through 11" of ice.
Is this just a dull blade problem or do I have bigger issues?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[ff318]

It doesn't take much to ruin blades. Dirt and sand ruins them fast. You.should.never have to put alot.of.down pressure on the auger. I think your blades are dull and also the blade angles are just a little bit off. Get a new head or sharpen your current one and you should be set to enjoy fishing.again

[esox_magnum]

Yes it will need sharpened, Sharp Nils on this site is the guy who does it best....

[evobassfish]

Send it to Frank for re-sharpening. It'll come back better than new

[Dizzy]

Send it to Frank for re-sharpening. It'll come back better than new

Yes, I can attest to this. Fast and courteous... Frank's the man! 

[Joe Wayne]

Sending it to Frank this morning.
Thanks for the help.

[Dizzy]

Sending it to Frank this morning.
Thanks for the help.

Good deal... you won't believe how fast that sucker will chew up the ice when you get it back.

One note on the Nils... very important not to apply any downward pressure when cutting with them. The Nils is an ice drill (not a true auger) and downward force could cause the leading angle to curl, and then you're right back in the same boat again. I never let anyone cut holes with my Nils because often times their first action is to lean into it.

[Joe Wayne]

Good to know. I'll be the only one handling this from now on.

[bee]

You could get an adapter made and use other bits with the Tanaka power head.

[Joe Wayne]

When the Nils is sharp, I really haven't had an issue just hand drilling. Plus I enjoy the weight savings on my sled.
I'm still a young buck and have a few years left of turning the crank.

Thanks for the suggestion though.