Beware Eskimo Ice Auger Owners

[Hartly]

As a new policy Eskimo will no longer replace Pull cords on warranty. In the past they would replace them do to the fragile nylon internal components breaking easily. I asked customer service why the policy changed. Her answer was because people were abusing the system. She also mention fuel lines were no longer covered either. Both items are now deemned as WEAR ITEMS.

[calgarygringo]

I agree with the pull cords. People need to learn that you only need a short quick pull to start any of the newer small engines. I have a Husky and Stihl machines and just a short quick pull is all you need. I see guys pulling their rope out a mile and wonder why these things break. The orange guys are very adamant on theirs too too only use short quick pulls.

[223MB]

Grip it n rip it!!

[swampy45]

If i pull my eskimo auger 12" it fires up, and with ease. Never needed to rip it to the end of its pull cord.

[SamSteele]

I have seen a disproportionate number of Eskimo auger users with pull cord issues on the ice. Some could be due to user error, but I think they are more fragile than others as well.

SS

[jkind]

I agree with the pull cords. People need to learn that you only need a short quick pull to start any of the newer small engines. I have a Husky and Stihl machines and just a short quick pull is all you need. I see guys pulling their rope out a mile and wonder why these things break. The orange guys are very adamant on theirs too too only use short quick pulls.

I agree 100%.

I own a 10 year old Stingray and have never had an issue except when I dropped it and developed a leak in the tank. Replaced the tank and never looked back.

[Double-Eh]

I get it... it doesn’t need a full pull and you’re right. Heard that one a million times. But anyone tall enough who has had a bad day has bottomed one. And when that happens on the ice people can go on all day about how right they were... still is an issue, and you still aren’t fishing.

$8 in rope and 15 minutes. My z71 now has a cord too long to bottom out. No more room for human error or bad luck. And it all fit inside the recoil system and honestly is less hassle and money combined than dealing with warranty anyway

[sns2]

I have a year old Eskimo. My son or his buddies were last to drill. They are 14. One of them busted that hypercoil assembly on a Saturday at Pigeon. Sunday morning at Slave I go to pull the auger. Nothing. Yikes. Thankfully guys next to us lend us theirs and wouldn't even accept the money we offered. It doesn't take much fellas.

[Vapor]

You're a really nice dad. No way in hell I'd give my 14 yr old my good auger. I'd hand him the manual one and have him grow some old school muscles. lol

[JohninAB]

My recoil on my old Eskimo let go last Friday when I went to fire it up before the big Saturday fishing trip. Went in and bought 2 new recoils so I have a spare if needed.

[BRvalley]

I'm on my 5th season with my eskimo shark 51, it came with the old/original recoil assembly and the cord is just starting showing wear towards the handle end, no issues with it and I see I can buy it locally for $29, and the new hypercoil is $39....or just rewrap it with new cord, lots of vids on youtube if unsure how to do this

most of the reports I read on faulty recoil cords seem to be the new hyper coil??? when I replace mine I'll stick with the original style, and rewrap the old one to keep as an emergency spare just in case

rebuilt carb this year, cost $14 and new fuel line kit was $10-12 ish with new fuel filter...I agree with these being wear items, most issues imo result from running crappy gas through it, not a warranty issue

compared to my old jiffy and other strikemasters I've used before, this eskimo is by far the most reliable I've used

from the reports I've read on forums and FB, I can understand the policy change, guys were definitely abusing the system

[sns2]

You're a really nice dad. No way in hell I'd give my 14 yr old my good auger. I'd hand him the manual one and have him grow some old school muscles. lolThe boys were with us. We always take em. Here is the friend who used it last. It's only a $40 part. Little bugger caught this fish about an hour after me discovering the broken cord. All's well that ends well. Hard to get mad at a kid with a smile like this:)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180202/5d7f9bb7396b20c4663a348120f1a942.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[CNP]

Where are you city guys getting parts for Eskimo augers? I need a clutch spring for an Eskimo Mako 43cc. It is Eskimo part number 300412. Looks like this:

http://www.centuryspring.com/media/catalog/category/extension-spring.jpg

I made my own from a longer spring of the same OD and wire size, it's working but I don't know if it will last.

[RavYak]

There are lots of guys that break these cords but when you see the way many of these guys try to start their augers it isn't that big of a surprise.

So many people don't take good care of their augers and that is why they have issues. If you use premium fuel with no ethanol(Shell premium for example), mix oil properly, prime the engine properly and don't leave it sitting around with fuel in it in the off season(I always drain mine but you can instead put fuel stabilizer in and make sure the tank is full if you prefer) then the auger should run good and start without issue.

Mine used to take 1-2 pulls most of the time(maybe 3 or 4 if really cold) and then once warmed up only half a pull(at like half speed too). If you are having to reef on the thing to get it started you need to do some maintenance(at least drain and replace the fuel, you might need a new spark plug or may need to clean the carburetor). Most people don't have a clue how to do any of this though and just get mad and try to pull the cord harder... If you don't know how to maintain a 2 stroke engine then you should take it to the Lawnmower hospital and pay them to do it for you or buy yourself a propane or electric auger instead as they require less maintenance.

[RavYak]

Where are you city guys getting parts for Eskimo augers? I need a clutch spring for an Eskimo Mako 43cc. It is Eskimo part number 300412. Looks like this:

http://www.centuryspring.com/media/catalog/category/extension-spring.jpg

I made my own from a longer spring of the same OD and wire size, it's working but I don't know if it will last.

Lawnmower hospital if in Edmonton. Calgary has a couple service locations too(can find them on Eskimo's website).

[Jamie]

The boys were with us. We always take em. Here is the friend who used it last. It's only a $40 part. Little bugger caught this fish about an hour after me discovering the broken cord. All's well that ends well. Hard to get mad at a kid with a smile like this:)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180202/5d7f9bb7396b20c4663a348120f1a942.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Woah... Where is the Playstation 4? Or the iPad???

Well done! Break all my stuff, just keep coming with me!

[ROA]

You know a part breaks alot when stores like The Fishin Hole start carring it as an on the shelf item. LOL

[stubblejumper01]

You know a part breaks alot when stores like The Fishin Hole start carring it as an on the shelf item. LOL

I was thinking the same thing last time I was there and saw them on the shelf. My buddy has an old Eskimo his dad bought over 40 years ago. In all that time they replaced the rope 3 times as well as a couple of spark plugs. And a chunk of fuel line. Those old ones are well built.
I looked at some new ones last year and was surprised at how much plastic everything is made of. The old ones are all metal. They were built to last.
Not sure anything on the market today will last 40 years just needing a few replacement ropes and spark plugs

[ROA]

I was thinking the same thing last time I was there and saw them on the shelf. My buddy has an old Eskimo his dad bought over 40 years ago. In all that time they replaced the rope 3 times as well as a couple of spark plugs. And a chunk of fuel line. Those old ones are well built.
I looked at some new ones last year and was surprised at how much plastic everything is made of. The old ones are all metal. They were built to last.
Not sure anything on the market today will last 40 years just needing a few replacement ropes and spark plugs

I had a Jiffy for 15-20? years. It got the job done and only once did it not start and that was due to ice in the carb from taking it in and out of a warm place.
Buttt it was a pain to start, didn't want to idle, was heavy, didn't cut that great, wobbled all over and was overall a pain in the butt.

My little Eskimo 33cc for the past 5 years starts way better, idles perfect, is light, cuts awsome, dosent wobble and is a joy to use. Id take the disposable Eskimo any day, and who knows it may (or may not) last as long as the old Jiffy

[calgarygringo]

True but also dont forget good money to be made on them too. Why not take advantage of it for the home mechanic.


You know a part breaks alot when stores like The Fishin Hole start carring it as an on the shelf item. LOL

[ROA]

True but also dont forget good money to be made on them too. Why not take advantage of it for the home mechanic.

Oh I am sure there is money to be made, I bet they sell a ton of them.

[Drewski Canuck]

The basic problem is that there is a lot of plastic and not a lot of sheet metal, or metal at all for that fact.

This goes for the new Jiffy augers, and all the other makes.

The old Jiffy 30 was metal housing, and it could take a beating. Mine still goes strong and that is why I still prefer it over my new Jiffy with all the plastic.

Would it really cost that much to use a metal housing and strong metal handles? This might cost the manufacturer an outrageous 3 dollars!!!

But no, some guy who only knows about ice from his drinks designs these things with a plastic housing that cannot take the beating in a sled, or back of a truck, or getting dropped on a driveway .... to be used in Canada in - 20 C.

Really???

Drewski

[calgarygringo]

They do because I used to bring them in.

Oh I am sure there is money to be made, I bet they sell a ton of them.

[calgarygringo]

You are partially right but the fishermen are as much to blame. No one wants to spend more money and mfg dont want to raise the price. Consumers rule so they make it cheaper to keep the price down. Unfortuneatly a catch 22 and the consumer loses.

The basic problem is that there is a lot of plastic and not a lot of sheet metal, or metal at all for that fact.

This goes for the new Jiffy augers, and all the other makes.

The old Jiffy 30 was metal housing, and it could take a beating. Mine still goes strong and that is why I still prefer it over my new Jiffy with all the plastic.

Would it really cost that much to use a metal housing and strong metal handles? This might cost the manufacturer an outrageous 3 dollars!!!

But no, some guy who only knows about ice from his drinks designs these things with a plastic housing that cannot take the beating in a sled, or back of a truck, or getting dropped on a driveway .... to be used in Canada in - 20 C.

Really???

Drewski

[Joe Black]

I’ve been pulling my Eskimo out on to the ice by the pull cord behind my quad for 39 years. No problems yet.

[RavYak]

The basic problem is that there is a lot of plastic and not a lot of sheet metal, or metal at all for that fact.

This goes for the new Jiffy augers, and all the other makes.

The old Jiffy 30 was metal housing, and it could take a beating. Mine still goes strong and that is why I still prefer it over my new Jiffy with all the plastic.

Would it really cost that much to use a metal housing and strong metal handles? This might cost the manufacturer an outrageous 3 dollars!!!

But no, some guy who only knows about ice from his drinks designs these things with a plastic housing that cannot take the beating in a sled, or back of a truck, or getting dropped on a driveway .... to be used in Canada in - 20 C.

Really???

Drewski

Every dollar counts for these companies. For every dollar more of cost requires another dollar profit for both the manufacturer and the retailer so your $3 part just increased the auger price almost $10.

The average person these days is disgustingly cheap(like the guys complaining about these augers which need to be built for $100-200...). All you have to do is walk around almost any retail store and look at all the junk being sold to realize this is true. Junk sells and good enough sells. Quality on the other hand barely sells and usually has lower margins as well...

[Jawjacker]

As a new policy Eskimo will no longer replace Pull cords on warranty. In the past they would replace them do to the fragile nylon internal components breaking easily. I asked customer service why the policy changed. Her answer was because people were abusing the system. She also mention fuel lines were no longer covered either. Both items are now deemned as WEAR ITEMS.

I also emailed customer service as a follow up to my phone call.. This is the response emailed to me " I do apologize for the trouble. The two parts that you mention are not parts that are covered under warranty. They are considered wear items. If you would like they can be purchased through Yetmans or CPT to help save shipping and custom’s duty fees. Or you can call customer service at 800-345-6007 and they can help you get an order placed. Please let us know if you need anything else."

[Joe Black]

Dude. Order some new parts, install them, and go fishing.

[Drewski Canuck]

So your Auger was built in 1988?? Or earlier???

Then look at it. The original Eskimos, also had SHEET METAL for a housing.

Gee Joe Black, thanks for proving my point!!!!

And the point is .... a recoil housing mounted on a sheet metal casing, does not crack at - 20 C!!! (Admit it, a brilliant observation for anyone who has handled plastic at cold temperatures)

Now for the kicker, what happens to plastic when it is left in the sun for long periods? If the plastic is not UV stabilized, it goes brittle again!!!

So anyway, Joe, keep your metal housing auger in good shape. It won't let you down after a 3 hour drive for a fishing trip that you were looking forward to. If the pull cord breaks, 10 minutes with a screw driver, and your recoil (that's METAL recoil) is off, rewound, cord tied shorter, and back in action.

Please read the post and understand what I am saying here. Eskimo and Jiffy could actually use QUALITY AS A MARKETING PLOY!!!

But then again, they would sell fewer Augers.

Drewski

[CNP]

Lawnmower hospital if in Edmonton. Calgary has a couple service locations too(can find them on Eskimo's website).

Thank you RY

[RavYak]

But then again, they would sell fewer Augers.

Drewski

And make less money and go out of the business like Husqvarna etc.

[ROA]

Wow all you guys must be driving around in your all metal 1970"s trucks still...right? No? I bet it's leather seats plastic parts and fuel injection for most everyone.... but let me guess the old ones were waaaay better.

[Drewski Canuck]

ROA,

The old ones were not way better, but way more durable than the stuff sold today.

We are talking about some extreme conditions for any small engine. But that is Ice Fishing in Alberta, extreme.

Our trucks are still metal, but we as consumers have been lulled into believing that cheaper is better. Then when something fails, which cannot be allowed to fail, we cry. Human nature.

The manufacturers have been able to keep the profit margins up by going overseas, and sheet metal is actually really cheap. But the manufacturers in China are not used to building with sheet metal for housings on power augers engines where the production runs are relatively few units. So here we are.

Pity that there was no North American manufacturers any more. But those days are gone. No answer that will satisfy the problem OTHER THAN A MANUFATURER OFFERING A PREMIUM LINE WITH METAL HOUSINGS, and cheapo plastic for the casual guys who don't want to spend the money.

Just the reality that the plastic may be broke to pieces when you get to the lake, and the recoil starters are junk AND HAVE TO BE BABIED.

As I said, I have both new and old Jiffy Augers. There is a difference on the old Model 30's to what is out there today, and the new stuff is definitely not better.

Drewski

[ROA]

I hardly need a lesson but thanx anyways. I'll let you guys dream of the glory days of the Jiffy 30. I had one i used it for almost 2 decades. It was made of metal but functioned poorly in almost every way. I was there in the early 90's when there was a huge % of 30's that never did run right out of the box. Back then every one was saying the old 30 was better LOL.

[Jigger]

ROA,

The old ones were not way better, but way more durable than the stuff sold today.

We are talking about some extreme conditions for any small engine. But that is Ice Fishing in Alberta, extreme.

Our trucks are still metal, but we as consumers have been lulled into believing that cheaper is better. Then when something fails, which cannot be allowed to fail, we cry. Human nature.

The manufacturers have been able to keep the profit margins up by going overseas, and sheet metal is actually really cheap. But the manufacturers in China are not used to building with sheet metal for housings on power augers engines where the production runs are relatively few units. So here we are.

Pity that there was no North American manufacturers any more. But those days are gone. No answer that will satisfy the problem OTHER THAN A MANUFATURER OFFERING A PREMIUM LINE WITH METAL HOUSINGS, and cheapo plastic for the casual guys who don't want to spend the money.

Just the reality that the plastic may be broke to pieces when you get to the lake, and the recoil starters are junk AND HAVE TO BE BABIED.

As I said, I have both new and old Jiffy Augers. There is a difference on the old Model 30's to what is out there today, and the new stuff is definitely not better.

Drewski

X2 well said, a great lesson that someone needed to hear!!

[Jawjacker]

Dude. Order some new parts, install them, and go fishing.

LOL , I did Joe and even bought a spare the minute I was told Eskimo wouldn't cover the issue. The salesperson at the Fishin Hole said "that the recoils were flying off the shelf this season compared to past seasons".

[ROA]

X2 well said, a great lesson that someone needed to hear!!

Ya, no

Keep dreaming of the glory days that weren't

[chriscosta]

You can get them recoils for 14 bucks on amazon its a dirtbike starter recoil but its identicle buy 4 of them for the price of 1 and always have a spare one on ya

[calgarygringo]

Salesman's lips moved...he lied. They have been flying off the shelf for several years. I know I used to order them in and extras when I could get my hands on them.

LOL , I did Joe and even bought a spare the minute I was told Eskimo wouldn't cover the issue. The salesperson at the Fishin Hole said "that the recoils were flying off the shelf this season compared to past seasons".

[muzzy]

Ya, no

Keep dreaming of the glory days that weren't

Glory days are still here. My Jiffy is 34 yrs old starts on second pull cuts like a charm and has had one tune up in its lifetime. Gets used a fair bit every year. You need to know how to " summerize them" As they say us old guys take a beating but keep on ticking.

[bobalong1952]

Where did you get the recoils?