When to rotate picks and exchange your auger wearparts

You will at some point need to replace your auger wearparts, when is dependent on how often they are used, how they are looked after and the ground conditions they are being used.

However, the teeth on your auger bit should be changed as soon as reasonable wear is noticed and before any pocket wear occurs. The productivity of the auger bit will decrease as the efficiency of the teeth wears.

The outside teeth are travelling the greatest distance as they follow the rotation of the circumference of the augers diameter so they will wear out much quicker than those towards the centre. This is because they have not been travelling as greater distance. The most common sign of wear is to the outer tips of the tooth and this wear will follow the radius of the diameter.

If you continue to wear through your outer teeth, you will begin to wear into the pockets and the flights of the auger. It is important to check your teeth regularly to work productively and efficiently. If you find yourself in a remote location and unable to replace your worn teeth right away, try swapping the inside teeth closest to the pilot with the outside teeth so you can continue to work until you acquire new ones.

 You should also regularly check the pilot. If the pilot is worn and cannot effectively penetrate the ground then the rest of the auger will not be able to do its job. It is important to replace the pilot when wear is apparent on the tips. Below are a some images which show different levels of wear to teeth.