Keeping Your Mini Skid Steer Auger Bits Sharp: Tips for Success

Spartan Equipment mini skid steer augers and bits are made in the United States from American steel and are designed to be the toughest, most unforgivingly durable auger bits in the industry. They will Never Surrender.

Still, our auger bits will perform best and last longest when used properly and cared for routinely. Here are some tips for how to keep them sharper for longer and how to get the most out of your investment.

Use the Right Auger for the Application

We carry a wide range of different mini skid steer augers and bits designed for different digging applications. They are made with replaceable, hardened gauge and wisdom teeth and fishtails, but will last longer if you use the appropriate auger bit for the application.

For instance, if you are planting a tree in loamy soil, go with one of our tree-planting bits. These are designed to dig wide holes in softer soil quickly and efficiently.

If grinding a stump, cutting through roots, or digging through rock, use the proper bit with the appropriate style teeth, diameter, and design. This will ensure you complete the job in the quickest window of time with no damage to your equipment.

Don’t Use the Wrong Auger Bit to Dig Through Stony Soil

Digging through frozen soil or fractured or even solid rock requires a special auger bit with the right teeth.

Do not use one of our wider auger bits (such as for tree planting) for these applications. The wider outer diameter of the auger flights increases the load on the bit and the drive unit.

Using one of these wider bits to dig through stone or frozen ground will at best damage the auger bit itself and at worst can overwork the auger drive unit.

Don’t Improvise If You Have a Better Tool for the Job

It’s well known that mini skid steer auger bits can be used for planing and grinding stumps or even for mixing concrete, and these are exceptionally versatile attachments.

But don’t improvise if you don’t need to. If you have a stump bucket, use that to rip out the stump; or if you have a concrete mixer, use that.

Using the right tool for the job will ensure your auger bit’s teeth don’t wear prematurely and will help prevent you from damaging your equipment and components.

Replace the Teeth As Needed

Our mini skid steer auger bits are specifically designed with removable, replaceable teeth and fishtails, enabling you to replace them when they get worn instead of requiring you to undergo the laborious task of sharpening.

While your auger bit will still dig with older, worn teeth, the best thing you can do to improve performance is to replace the teeth when you notice they are worn, either through a visual inspection or when you notice a downgrade in performance or efficiency from the attachment.

Worn-down teeth and points will badly compromise the digging power and efficiency of our mini skid steer augers and bits. It’s also easier to replace teeth than to sharpen them; hence the design of our auger bits.

Replacing the auger bit’s teeth when worn will help ensure that the bit cuts as efficiently as possible while improving the performance of the unit.

Replace Old, Worn, or Compromised Hardware

Another point of maintenance is to regularly inspect the fasteners, specifically the carriage bolts, and nuts, that secure the auger teeth and the fishtail point. We specifically engineered our mini skid steer auger bits with replaceable teeth and fishtails, and provide the hardware necessary for replacement.

Always inspect the hardware when you look over the attachment prior to use and tighten them as necessary - but there is another consideration to make here.

Even though our hardware is made from tough American steel and is wear-resistant, sometimes the fasteners may wear out before the teeth do. When that happens, you will need to replace the hardware before you replace the teeth.

When inspecting your auger attachment, pay particular attention to the bolts that secure the teeth and fishtail point. If they are worn, corroded, or aging, replace them immediately.

This is one of the reasons we sell replacement bolts here at Spartan Equipment. They’re affordable and easy to replace, and replacing an aging one today is easier than replacing a corroded, seized fitting tomorrow.

Mini Skid Steer Augers That Will Never Surrender

Putting your money in a set of mini skid steer auger bits from Spartan Equipment is a sure bet. Ours are made from high-quality American steel and will Never Surrender, and we offer replacement teeth and hardware for them, too.

Keep your auger bits digging fast and efficiently with these tips, and don’t miss a chance to consult our previous article on Good Practice: Maintaining Your Mini Skid Steer Augers and Bits.