Universal blades for hand auger

[Wilb3]

Does anyone know if any stores around Omaha or online carry a univeral 8" blade set for a hand auger?  I've got the red Arctic Ice hand auger from BassPro. Was there about 3 weeks ago and they had plenty of augers but had already put away the auger blades for season. So then I went to their website and they had 6" replacement blades but were sold out of the 8" ones.  I'm like SOL. 

[Wilb3]

Found an exact match with the 8" Eskimo and Mora blades.  Thanks all!

[Kevin23]

Don't buy eskimo. They are made in china, very very poor quality. Buy strikemaster mora and make sure they say "made in Sweden".

[Eyeseeker]

I bought a set of 8" blades from that wonderful WAL MART store. HT brand I believe, for their brand of auger. They fit right on my mora auger but the blades r crap!!!!!! Worse then the dull ones I took off. iv heard u can shim the blades but iv never tried it. Does shimming help??

[Kevin23]

No, the HT are crap to begin with.

[Eyeseeker]

I kinda knew they were crap by the $10 pricetag. Actually cut worse then the 5yo original blades I took off. Iv sharpened auger blades b4 and they seemed VERY SHARP!! They would shave hair but when I installed them they wouldnt even scratch the ice. Would shimming help or do I just need to drop $35 on a new set of blades???

[Wilb3]

I kinda knew they were crap by the $10 pricetag. Actually cut worse then the 5yo original blades I took off. Iv sharpened auger blades b4 and they seemed VERY SHARP!! They would shave hair but when I installed them they wouldnt even scratch the ice.

Ran in to same dilemma after using my fine grinder wheel on my set of BPS blades.

[Kevin23]

Did you install them upside down by chance?

[Eyeseeker]

No. theyre installed corectly. Jus wonderin if the couple thousanths of metal I took off by sharpening needs to b compensated for with a shim or 2. Years ago the mora blades came with a couple shims but I never needed them.

[Kevin23]

You can cut pieces of a beer can to use as shims.

[kid carlisle]

ive used card board works fine. about the thickness of 12 pak carton. try 1 piece to start, if it cuts better you might try 2. you want bigger chunks not snow cone ice. when you sharpen your blades, try using a wet stone only on the beveled edge, dont touch the flat side.

[Wilb3]

ive used card board works fine. about the thickness of 12 pak carton. try 1 piece to start, if it cuts better you might try 2. you want bigger chunks not snow cone ice. when you sharpen your blades, try using a wet stone only on the beveled edge, dont touch the flat side.

Good tip kid carlisle!  I'll keep this in mind.

[Oldbear]

For most people you just as well buy new "from experience" the angle has to be perfect.  Try the shims with the beer can like BBK said and follow also what carlisle said about the flat side.

[Wilb3]

Well I winded up going with the Moras from Sweden as most folks swore by them. They cut like a warm knife going through butter on the ice!