New auger review

[WayneChristie]

Swore last weekend I would never buy another gas Jiffy, Im tired of the Jiffy workout, too old for that crap anymore. No more white lightning, today I hit WSS in Lethbridge and brought home my new baby. I was so excited at the performance I had to stop for a smoke after the first hole! :bad_boys_20: Quiet, powerful, and easy to start. Took her virginity with a couple walleye this afternoon, going back out tomorrow and punch a bunch more holes,just because I can. Love the 10 inch blades too. 13 inches of ice in seconds. 1 pound tank is supposed to last an hour, could drill a lot of holes in an hour! No more gas stink and exhaust stink on everything, now the powerhead rides up front with me in the cab. :sHa_shakeshout::sHa_shakeshout: the whole machine doesnt feel much heavier than my 9 inch Jiffy, and still have enough energy left after starting it to fight big fish. Only thing Im going to do is change that crap vinyl sliding pin cover and use the clip pin I was using on the old auger, easy to pull the powerhead off in about a second even with heavy mitts on.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy156/rollinghillbilly/DSCF3697.jpg

[g1987man]

nice unit!

[HELL]

I just got mine hour ago can't Waite to try it out when grand kids are here got holidays

[NewAlbertan]

newbie here... which brand / model brought you this satisfaction? thx

[tacklerunner]

ATTENTION: All of you fishing with Wayne this weekend, leave your augers at home! No use packing extra weight. He's got us all covered. What a generous guy offering to drill up to 20 holes per person for each us. :scared0018:

[g1987man]

ATTENTION: All of you fishing with Wayne this weekend, leave your augers at home! No use packing extra weight. He's got us all covered. What a generous guy offering to drill up to 20 holes per person for each us. :scared0018:


after a few trips it would become an old new auger lol.

[AppleJax]

Nice auger Wayne, no more double holes with that 10 inch?

[WayneChristie]

Nice auger Wayne, no more double holes with that 10 inch?

Oh yah. going to have to drink a truckload of beer so I wont fit through the hole though :sHa_sarcasticlol: plan on having to haul some hogs through it this wekend! TR for all the fish Ive seen you catch one hole would probably be plenty :bad_boys_20:
its a Jiffy Pro4 propane 10 incher. daddy likes!

[tacklerunner]

TR for all the fish Ive seen you catch one hole would probably be plenty :bad_boys_20:
its a Jiffy Pro4 propane 10 incher. daddy likes!

That's right! I drill the hole in the right spot to begin with.

[WayneChristie]

That's right! I drill the hole in the right spot to begin with.
caught about 60 fish the last couple weeks all within 8 feet of each other, still havent figured out why people drill dozens in a day. :thinking-006: unleass they get a new auger and are having fun with it :bad_boys_20:

[LacLaBicheNS]

Just a heads up.

I've always been told for things like guns, engines etc.. dont leave them in the cold and then bring them into room temperature if you can avoid it. With the freezine/warm temperature changes condensation will build up everywhere (inside engine too).

A mechaninc has even told me is bad to use a heated garage in the winter for your daily driver.

Edit: in reference to keeping the powerhead in your truck cab.

[SCHOOCH]

Does this mean if i make i down Sunday that you will just be drilling holes and not fishing.......i do way better when your attention is focused on something else!!!!!!!!!!!!!:fighting0074:

[azn_rice_man]

Sweet deal, Master Wayne! Thanks for the holes in advance! :)

[yeahright]

10 inch holes are the way to go!! u can see the world!
personally, i love my eskimo z71! its my seasonal baby!

[anthony5]

Wayne,[I] relly didn't think it would take you this long:sHa_shakeshout: Good luck in the quest for Moby:sign0176:. Hope to see you soon:)

[BeeGuy]

Good job pounding those ice holes.

[AppleJax]

Oh yah. going to have to drink a truckload of beer so I wont fit through the hole though :sHa_sarcasticlol: plan on having to haul some hogs through it this wekend! TR for all the fish Ive seen you catch one hole would probably be plenty :bad_boys_20:
its a Jiffy Pro4 propane 10 incher. daddy likes!

Imagine how much beer your gonna have to drink if you start drilling double holes with that thing!:burp:

[WayneChristie]

probably cheaper to just thread a 2x4 through my beltloops :bad_boys_20:

[AppleJax]

2+4... Maybe you could mount a rodholder and a cupholder to it. Redneck accesory belt!:bad_boys_20:

[Alberta Bigbore]

Whats the price tag on that auger Wayne?

[WayneChristie]

believe it was 569 or close. going to get the adaptor for refilling the bottles, even with my fishing habit my drilling costs for a whole season would run less than 5 bucks :)

[ericlin0122]

is it legal to re-fill those 1lb propane tank? i heard it's pretty illegal in US, ont, etc. Not sure about aberta.

[cribfisher]

is it legal to re-fill those 1lb propane tank? i heard it's pretty illegal in US, ont, etc. Not sure about aberta.

usually it's leagal to fill but not transport refilled ones. Not sure about alberta though.

[Rumtan]

Nice rig..........can Pelada and I borrow it for ouir annual Red Deer hog-a-thon?

[waterninja]

thanks for the report wayne. heard of some issues with the propane augers in extreme cold but you'll let us know. i'm in the market for a new (or used) powerhead after some a-hole stole mine last year and left behind the auger bit. have fun with your new toy. you'll be even more popular on the ice this season.

[kevinhits]

Sweet deal, Master Wayne! Thanks for the holes in advance! :)

x2....Thanks Wayne but I still need some sort of exercise tommorow so I will still drill my holes..Can't wait to see that HOG of an auger..See you early am..

I can bring extra propane for ya..:bad_boys_20:.

[Gilligan]

by the way.... the yellow rubber / plastic thing broke twice on my jiffy
so I bought a 3 / 8 pin that works much better on the quick connect
system .

I also tapered the point a bit so it helps line up the auger and shaft.

look on google under " PTO LOCK PIN "

thats what works best ... and its 3 bucks...

[WayneChristie]

by the way.... the yellow rubber / plastic thing broke twice on my jiffy
so I bought a 3 / 8 pin that works much better on the quick connect
system .

I also tapered the point a bit so it helps line up the auger and shaft.

look on google under " PTO LOCK PIN "

thats what works best ... and its 3 bucks...

yup thats what Im using. works great

[WayneChristie]

shot a quick vid of the new toy, would have been first pull if Id touched the throttle, thing starts awesome and drill fast. got borrowed a few times Saturday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyAGw3APRrc&feature=youtu.be

[slingshotz]

That's pretty sweet, I would consider that auger over my electric for the ease of the propane and larger holes. The propane refill adapter works awesome and there's no way that I know of that they would be able to check if you are transporting refilled 1lb bottles.

If you ever want to try my adapter out let me know, I can use an excuse to head down your way to do some fishing :)

[WayneChristie]

That's pretty sweet, I would consider that auger over my electric for the ease of the propane and larger holes. The propane refill adapter works awesome and there's no way that I know of that they would be able to check if you are transporting refilled 1lb bottles.

If you ever want to try my adapter out let me know, I can use an excuse to head down your way to do some fishing :)

sounds good, I will collect a few empties, got one donated Saturday, Im still working on my first one pounder, probably close to 60 holes so far and still going. come down any time, we will have to get a bunch together on Newell over the holidays, Im fishing hard all next week. hopefully have my new tent this week too. 8X8 feet, and insulated, hoping to do some overnighters in it too, maybe slay some burbs on Crawling soon :sHa_shakeshout:

[SCHOOCH]

I dont know Mr. Christie going to CVR would mean a 40 minute drive instead of the 20 minute that your accustomed to.......PS don't punch 30 holes around my tent this weekend :fighting0074:

[WayneChristie]

I dont know Mr. Christie going to CVR would mean a 40 minute drive instead of the 20 minute that your accustomed to.......PS don't punch 30 holes around my tent this weekend :fighting0074:

you might need that many to catch a fish :bad_boys_20:

[calgarygringo]

Will got me on to that system too. Use it all the time for filling bottles. When we drive on the ice I just hook up the 20 lber but for walking on like lately I load up the Big buddy with 2 on board and 2 extra in the Big Buddy carrying case on the sides. Should be down there Saturday or Sunday as well if you want to check out or if you want me to pick one up for you I work a block away from the Fishin Hole and I think they carry them there for about 20 bucks I could grab one for you.

[WayneChristie]

You hitting Jackfish Sunday? if they have one sure that would be great thanks

[calgarygringo]

I am not sure which day yet. Have to discuss with Dale and see which day is better.

[New Hunter Okotoks]

Hey Wayne, I read a few of your posts in another Thread about having to heat the auger up after it sits for a while in the cold because it freezes up and will not start. This issue could be a major problem for someone who doesn't have a heated tent to warm the auger when it's cold out.

What I'm wondering is; are you happy in general with the auger or are you having buyers remorse because of the propane auger freezing up?
If given the opportunity, would you return it and buy something else?

I wonder if the auger freezing up in the cold is grounds to return the unit? An auger is obviously meant for use in the cold. If it won't start when it's cold outside.......that sounds like a fatal flaw for an auger to me.

Thoughts?

[WayneChristie]

I am a bit peeved that a tool meant to be used in the cold doesnt work when its very cold, but then again its not minus 25 all the time around here, and I dont drill a ton of holes when I icefish, most of the places I fish I can either drive close to or drive on the ice and leave the truck running while Im getting set up to keep the auger warm til I need it. once Im set up I prefer to fish in the tent with a heater going so the powerhead stays in with me in case I decide to drill some more holes. If I only fished in the open and drilled lots of holes Id say no propane is not the way to go. I dont know how the electrics perform at minus 25 and colder, cant see the cold doing the batteries much good, I think for extreme cold, gas is probably the only way to go, might just get a new carb for my jiffy and use it for a backup if I have to walk out at minus 35. I did know propane had its issues with extreme cold before I bought it, but like I said a tool meant for cold weather should be designed to work in cold weather, not everyone stays in and watches tv just because its minus 30, I sure dont. :sHa_shakeshout:

[Bogfrog]

This is my second season with the propane auger. I am happy overall with the auger but the freezing up is a pain in the butt. If it is below -25 I recommened leaving it in the truck until ready to use, then once you have drilled your holes follow these steps. Leave the auger idle(in the upright 'drilling' position) and unscrew the coupler to the propane tank.Let the auger die, and then screw the coupler back on tight.

I put my cover back on the auger and leave it out on the ice. It seems to work for my buddy and I( we both have the same auger).
Hope this helps.

[bwackwabbit]

This is also my second full season with mine and I have had no cold weather issues similar to what you report. I have heard this from other owners locally though. I keep mine on the ice in a carry bag from cabelas when not in use. If it is below -20 I tend to throw one of those small handwarmers in the bottom of the bag.

The one thing that stops me from recommending it to everyone is that I had to replace the hose (from bottle to regulator) earlier this year. It started leaking propane at the knuckle from hose to regulator.
At a cost of $60 on my dime! I take very good care of my gear in season and off so poor design shouldn't be my problem.

Cheers.

[calgarygringo]

I would get a gas. Minus 25 this morning a couple of pulls and we are sitting in a nice warm tent in no time. Propane can be a challenge as my Big Buddy can be temperamental when it is minus 25 too. Usually have to warm it up a bit to start.

[slingshotz]

I dont know how the electrics perform at minus 25 and colder,

Actually surprisingly good. Never had any issue with my Icegator. Obviously the extreme cold does affect the battery life but I have gotten 15 easy holes in 3' of ice in -20C. When it's that cold, we really don't want to move around much so 15-20 holes are plenty.

Plus the batteries are standard UPS batteries (same as in flashers and cameras) so it's actually really easy and cheap to pick up a couple of spares.

[WayneChristie]

guess the final straw was this morning, drilled 2 holes and on the third the throttle lever(plastic) broke right in half. should have taken my own advice and stayed the hell away from Jiffys what a POS

[tonypower]

wow that sucks man. Take it back and get a gas eskimo. Z71 is a great auger. just my opion.

[Hunter Trav]

Actually surprisingly good. Never had any issue with my Icegator. Obviously the extreme cold does affect the battery life but I have gotten 15 easy holes in 3' of ice in -20C. When it's that cold, we really don't want to move around much so 15-20 holes are plenty.

Plus the batteries are standard UPS batteries (same as in flashers and cameras) so it's actually really easy and cheap to pick up a couple of spares.

My gator has been out with me in -30C weather many times, and I have never had it let me down. It rides in the truck to the lake, but other than that its outside freezing with the rest of the gear. I usually use the sled to get around on the lakes, so it rides in the cold to my fishing spots. Coldest temps Ive used it at was -35, and it had about a mile ride out to where we were fishing, and I had no problem drilling 15-20 holes through a good 2 feet of ice...

[ak-71]

wow that sucks man. Take it back and get a gas eskimo. Z71 is a great auger. just my opion.

x2
Not fancy, but works

[kinwahkly]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

guess the final straw was this morning, drilled 2 holes and on the third the throttle lever(plastic) broke right in half. should have taken my own advice and stayed the hell away from Jiffys what a POS
__________________

Wayne I feel for you. I bought my Jiffy pro 4 propane on boxing day, took it home and found the top plastic housing cracked and the pull cord stuck, after carefully looking at the unit i was very dissapointed with all the the overall quality of it with all the plastic, so i sent it back today.

[Perchfisher]

Propane and cold is not a good combination. Plastic parts on ice augers don't stand up well either. Old jiffy always starts and cuts holes in the coldest weather.

[rcmc]

What about the strikemaster with a Honda engine, anybody have one?

[AdverseCity]

The refilling adapter, are you talking about these?

The Fishin Hole - propane refill adapter (http://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?action=product&se=27008)

I bought one last year and forgot to try it out, do they actually fill the little tank or just halfway or so? Now that we have a portable buddy we'll use it if it works.


EDIT: I posted before I realized there was a second page, found out they do apparently work. Cheers.....

[ogre]

Sorry to hear about the lever and your propane auger. The lever on my Eskimo broke last year during one of the colder spells. Many plastic parts are not meant to be used in extreme cold because they get really brittle. I'd rigged up a temporary lever to use until the replacement came in, and found that the rigged up part performs better than the Eskimo designed lever.
PM me if you need me to come down and drill some triple holes for ya with my 8" Stingray.

[Triple Threat]

Sorry about your throttle lever. spend the little bit more and get a Husky, it is awesome!!!!!They all are nice when they work but I have found some times you get what you pay for.JMO

[WayneChristie]

just talked to wholesale sports in Lethbridge. told them the problem, was told they cant do anything about it, said call Jiffy and get it fixed. I dont want the auger, but apparently after you put oil in it its non returnable. Last time I make any purchases from WSS other than small stuff, if they cant look after a customer they dont get my money. so much for customer service, now the closest repair depot for Jiffy is at least 50 miles away, thats 180 mile round trip to buy the POS auger in the first place, now another 100 miles to get it fixed. Im not happy.

[Hunter Trav]

****ty deal Wayne. Hopefully you can get something figured out...

[WayneChristie]

****ty deal Wayne. Hopefully you can get something figured out...

I could fix it myself with a bicycle brake lever quite easy, but I dont want the auger, its no frikkin good for our winter, but I can guarantee I wont ever buy another auger from WSS. maybe from costco, at least they have a return policy

[calgarygringo]

Wayne
Maybe you need an old Jiffy like my 10 incher. Weighs a ton and the only way to wreck it would be to drive over it. LOL. On a serious note we have been using Dale's Eskimo most of the time when we have fished together and has worked great. Totally different concept than my old Jiffy. Mine runs fast to drill and his runs very slow based on the torque theory. Both work fine but even his I notice is much lighter than my oldie which I am not ready to give up. It will probably go forever. I think I would make a big stink at Wholesale to make it right. I know the FH is better for service but I have heard the squeaky wheel will get looked after if you talk to the right folks there. They are in in business to do more business too. Maybe a discussion with the local manager is in order.

[WayneChristie]

Wayne
Maybe you need an old Jiffy like my 10 incher. Weighs a ton and the only way to wreck it would be to drive over it. LOL. On a serious note we have been using Dale's Eskimo most of the time when we have fished together and has worked great. Totally different concept than my old Jiffy. Mine runs fast to drill and his runs very slow based on the torque theory. Both work fine but even his I notice is much lighter than my oldie which I am not ready to give up. It will probably go forever. I think I would make a big stink at Wholesale to make it right. I know the FH is better for service but I have heard the squeaky wheel will get looked after if you talk to the right folks there. They are in in business to do more business too. Maybe a discussion with the local manager is in order.

going to call him tomorrow, make sure he reads this thread too. if you buy a car it has oil in it, how you supposed to know if engine powered equipment is going to work if you dont have the fluids in it! why would someone return something without testing it, which you cant do without the proper lube in it. seems like they just want their cash then screw you.

[browning375]

I feel your pain! I too have a new toy, that is not built for cold weather and after 3 trips it is is screwed. I thought a ice shelter is suppose to made for winter are they not?

I hope WSS will step up and do the right thing, especially when A guy drops $600.00 on a item and it fails miserably. Wayne I also wonder how you are suppose to test an auger without putting oil in?

[gulfman]

Well.... I hope WSS does the right thing in making the customer happy. I'm sure you will let us all know the outcome.... With just about 2500 views to this thread and more to follow, bad customer service will chase a few sales away, .... for sure. You would think they should get some feedback from Jiffy directly to make the call. Then Jiffy would be the good or bad guy. Ya just can't beat good customer service.........

[New Hunter Okotoks]

Wayne, I'm sure that WSS in Lethbridge must have got a little confused here. That would be like Panasonic refusing to warranty a Television if it's ever been turned on.

Surely they wouldn't expect a Loyal Customer (who spends a lot of money in their store) to be forced to deal with a Manufacturer directly. If this is the case, why would anyone even bother driving to their store to do business? A customer might as well just shop online and buy from whoever has the lowest price.

Part of the reason that brick and mortar establishments still exist, is for them to deal with the Manufacturer when products are defective and require replacement or repair. The Retailer is there to deal with the shipping costs, down time, hassle etc. that happens when products fail. They also have a much louder voice and carry much more clout than a stand alone consumer. Otherwise, what are they there for? Oh yeah, it's called Customer Service.

When the Heavy at WSS starts to breathe down the neck of a Senior Sales Manager at Jiffy because of all the hassle these Propane augers are causing; Jiffy will either improve on the design or drop a product that won't work.

There are a lot of people viewing this Thread wondering how WSS in Lethbridge will handle this for you. They should just tell you to come in and get a replacement or give you a refund for a product that is obviously defective.

[Perchfisher]

It will be interesting to see what comes of this one if you push it Wayne. Know of someone who had a faulty shogun he purchased from them. He had a hard time getting any satisfaction. Lets just say he never gave up eaisly and they made good on it. Keep up the fight hope it turns out ok 550 smackers for something that won't do the job is like a kick in the nackers.

[Penner]

Buy a Husquvarna.

[ak-71]

Well, if it's the WSS policy - I know one store in Calgary where I am not buying expensive things any more...

[Walleyemagnet]

Sorry to hear about how WSS treated you Wayne. Maybe to need to talk to the manager or head office? I bought my Strikemaster at WSS in Edmonton a couple years ago. First time out I drilled 5 holes and the recoil packed it in. When I took it back they just gave me a whole new power head.

[SCHOOCH]

Return policies of these chain stores are completely out of whack (except Costco)! I will definitely not make any high end purchases from WSS in the future unless they get their act together! On defence of Jiffy though my auger worked great for me until Mr. Christie put his hands on it and then it bogged out and stopped......he then walked 5 feet away and it ran great again......then we tested the theory again and once again the auger crapped out.......walked away ran great again..........Jiffys hate Wayne, Wayne hates Jiffy :fighting0074:

[HELL]

I bought same auger as Wayne drilled about 20 holes propane started leaking took it back this morn had long discussion with store manager and he finally let me return it for a gas auger

[Wes_G]

Bought a flasher before x mas from lethbridge and for some reason it just shut off on the lake today and wouldnt turn back on after only an hour of fishing and yes the battery was charged. For some reason it is working now but we will see what happens tomorrow.... At only 3 weeks old, I am not looking forward to the fight I will likely have, if I have to try to bring it back either.

[thorne]

Just as a point, I will personally never deal with Lethbridge WSS until they address your issue Wayne. That's crap! When I can call up Marcum and without even asking they send me a new $400.00ish camera on my word.......they can do something. I had a similar clear warranty issue this summer with my Evinrude. The repair shop had it for 6 weeks with no answered. I called Evinrude directly and asked why they were holding up getting it repaired, they said they had not heard from the shop in Edmonton and said they would investigate. 2days later the boat was ready. Point is call Jiffy directly, explain the situation and your concerns in a business like manner and see what they do. The economy in the states is putting a lot of pressure on these companies to look after customers, especially from. An a province which is still pumping a bunch of money their way. Let us know how it goes!

[rielbowhunter]

Sears told me i couldnt return a snowblower because i put gas and oil in it, so i had to drain the oil, and dump the gas. then they returned it and i got my money back. i was just a pain in the butt. good luck with wss.