What's Your Opinion On The Eskimo Z71 Ice Auger

[Jawjacker]

All I can say Is, what a Beast. The Z71 (10inch) will twist your wrists. I drilled 20 holes yesterday. I'm a little sore this morning . I love this thing.

[RavYak]

Always been one of my recommended augers for people wanting a 10 inch auger. Other less powerful augers do fine in early season but start struggling when the ice gets thick like it is now, the Z71 can handle anything you throw at it. Only downside is the weight and torque as you mention it gives a guy a workout but if you are drilling 10 inch holes in 30+ inches of ice that is the price you should be willing to pay.

[pinelakeperch]

I have the 10in Z51. Heavy, but great auger!

[mapleleafman3]

Great machine!!!! It can handle anything thickness you throw at it.

[haywarje]

I bought a brand new Jiffy model 30 (52cc) about 6 or 7 years ago. And two years after that my brother bought a brand new Eskimo Z71. Both 10". My Jiffy has ALWAYS cut faster than his Eskimo. Both about the same to start(1-3 pulls). He's on his second set of blades and i'm still on my original set. I have always cut about 3 holes to his 2. We both agree the Eskimo is a little more comfortable ergonomically. It's a decent auger, but i like my Jiffy!

[-JR-]

I have the 10 inch z51 , Never powers out.
Do not see why a person needs the Z71 model . Does it it spin faster .
If it does ?
Does it make a difference if you can cut a hole 10 sec. faster....nope !

I would stick with the Z51 alot lighter to carry when cutting mutable holes .

I do know it does slow down if the blades are not 100% sharp or the tip is
100 %

[cube]

Originally Posted by -JR-

I have the 10 inch z51 , Never powers out.
Do not see why a person needs the Z71 model . Does it it spin faster .
If it does ?
Does it make a difference if you can cut a hole 10 sec. faster....nope !

I would stick with the Z51 alot lighter to carry when cutting mutable holes .

I do know it does slow down if the blades are not 100% sharp or the tip is
100 %

While your probably correct that there is not a huge difference performance wise I also think that there is not a significant difference on weight. Z51=33lbs and Z71=34lbs. One pound is not that significant to me, at least not yet.
I can also say that my Z71 does not slow down for anything except my ability to hold it and stay put in slippery conditions.

[RavYak]

The 51 cc is a good auger too and definitely capable of drilling 10 inch holes. The 71 cc has more power for crappy ice conditions(really thick, hard or soft ice) and the weight difference is minimal(1 lb).

When it comes to deciding between the two it comes down to if you are willing to spend the few extra bucks to get the most powerful 10 inch auger available. That extra power may not be necessary most days but it is kind of nice to have in your back pocket.

[Vapor]

I love my Z71... its a total rockstar never lets me down regardless of the conditions. Highly recommend it!

[Monica B]

Originally Posted by Jawjacker

All I can say Is, what a Beast. The Z71 (10inch) will twist your wrists. I drilled 20 holes yesterday. I'm a little sore this morning . I love this thing.

Twists your wrists? And a little sore?
Can't be that great. Never had that
problem with a big Jiffy.

[swampy45]

I’ll vouch for the Z71. Love mine.

[guru fisher]

In the toughest, coldest, thickest ice conditions my z71 is a beast. Nothing starts better in the cold and drills through 40 inches of ice like it.

[FishHunterPro]

It’s a heavy auger

[guru fisher]

Then ya better go to the gym. It’s a mans auger. Once that thing gets spinning you forget about how heavy it is. !!!

[spoons]

Love the Eskimo. Not an issue with starting and the weight is something you get used to. Has tons of power

[1bowhunter12]

Love my z71 .. it’s reliable and a beast ... had 2 extensions on in sask one year and it barely slowed down .. hard on the back but I usually drill with 2 ppl

[lromanchuk]

Does it have the same recoil issues that the other eskimo augers have?

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by lromanchuk

Does it have the same recoil issues that the other eskimo augers have?

It does have the same recoil. They work fine if you don't try to rip the auger head off when starting it.

As a side note I noticed the new P1 and F1 augers have larger diameter pull ropes so those models shouldn't have this issue anymore.

[EZM]

I had the Z71 for many years - it's definitely like having a car engine powering your blade - nothing can stop that beast but yes, I also agree, the torque can twist a back or pull a elbow or shoulder quite easily if she's at full power and she bites.

That is not a big issue for most young strong and heavy people - but if you are getting on in age, have a bad back,shoulder, whatever, are aren't very big - it might be worth thinking about something with a little less torque.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Monica B

Twists your wrists? And a little sore?
Can't be that great. Never had that
problem with a big Jiffy.

I just punched a few holes with a buddies last week, first time running one. IMO it feels harder to handle than the Jiffys I've owned/ used for a couple reasons.

The first is that the handles are pretty narrow, having the grips farther apart, as on most augers, gives the operator better mechanical advantage when controlling the torque.

The other reason is that, at least the Jiffy's I've owned have a higher speed gear ratio than Eskimo uses, the auger spins faster but doesn't produce as much torque when the blade catches. It seems like every time I use an Eskimo I'm leaning on it to make it cut, while with my Jiffys I just let the fast RPM do the work. Didn't really want to lean on that Z71 though...

Just my opinion.

[cube]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I just punched a few holes with a buddies last week, first time running one. IMO it feels harder to handle than the Jiffys I've owned/ used for a couple reasons.

The first is that the handles are pretty narrow, having the grips farther apart, as on most augers, gives the operator better mechanical advantage when controlling the torque.

The other reason is that, at least the Jiffy's I've owned have a higher speed gear ratio than Eskimo uses, the auger spins faster but doesn't produce as much torque when the blade catches. It seems like every time I use an Eskimo I'm leaning on it to make it cut, while with my Jiffys I just let the fast RPM do the work. Didn't really want to lean on that Z71 though...

Just my opinion.

Were your blades dull?

I have never felt I needed to "Lean" on any of the Eskimo augers that I have had. I have just let the weight of the auger itself do the work.

Agree that the Jiffy's have a faster RPM and might be faster in good ice conditions but a couple of seconds faster for a hole is not that important to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNCmSKRTSw

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I just punched a few holes with a buddies last week, first time running one. IMO it feels harder to handle than the Jiffys I've owned/ used for a couple reasons.

The first is that the handles are pretty narrow, having the grips farther apart, as on most augers, gives the operator better mechanical advantage when controlling the torque.

The other reason is that, at least the Jiffy's I've owned have a higher speed gear ratio than Eskimo uses, the auger spins faster but doesn't produce as much torque when the blade catches. It seems like every time I use an Eskimo I'm leaning on it to make it cut, while with my Jiffys I just let the fast RPM do the work. Didn't really want to lean on that Z71 though...

Just my opinion.

Where are you located? I've drilled in 20 inches of sandy ice and have never had to lean on my auger. It's also a Z51.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by cube

Were your blades dull?

I have never felt I needed to "Lean" on any of the Eskimo augers that I have had. I have just let the weight of the auger itself do the work.

Agree that the Jiffy's have a faster RPM and might be faster in good ice conditions but a couple of seconds faster for a hole is not that important to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNCmSKRTSw

Its probably not needed, I just seem to do it subconsciously. I was out with a bunch of guys the other day and they all had Eskimo's, hadn't run an Eskimo in years but other than that z71 I kept catching myself trying to push the auger through.

With the old White Lightening that I use most of the time I'd probably stall it out if I leaned on it, and with the fast RPM I just don't get the urge.

[RavYak]

The Jiffy and Eskimo augers both use different styles of blades which affect the way they cut and the way you use them. Jiffy has a single blade which turns faster and has less torque because of it. Eskimo has two blades cutting so turns slower and has more torque. Overall the cutting speed is similar between the two brands.

I would say the Jiffy style blade definitely bites and pulls down more. This can be both a nice feature and at times annoying feature. Sometimes in poor ice conditions they try to bite off more then they can chew and you almost have to hold them up in order for them to cut without grabbing(perhaps more common with propane then gas but not 100% sure). I also feel the jiffy blades are more prone to building up with ice/snow and are harder to clean the ice off of.

The Eskimo blades don't grab as much on their own so as they get dull you do have to lean on them more. When sharp you don't have to lean on them at all though and if you are having to lean on the auger heavily(whether Eskimo or Jiffy) then you obviously need to sharpen or replace your blades. If you stall an Eskimo it will be a more jarring experience especially if using a 51 or 71 cc, but you also stall less often so that is the trade off.

Both have advantages and disadvantages, I think I like the Eskimo blade design better in the 10 inch size and maybe Jiffy in 8 inch. I for sure feel this way about the propane models(although I haven't tried the new P1). You can't really go wrong with either though, both companies make good products.

[guru fisher]

Anyone know the best place to get z71 auger blades and how much thy are ?

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by guru fisher

Anyone know the best place to get z71 auger blades and how much thy are ?

Anywhere that you can buy the auger. Bass Pro, CT, Cabela's, Fishin' Hole, etc, etc. $45-$60, depending on the store, sales, etc. Can usually get them sharpened for $20-$25.

[guru fisher]

Sharpening Edm area ? Please advise. Thanks

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by guru fisher

Sharpening Edm area ? Please advise. Thanks

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=ice+auger+blade...ng+in+edmonton

[lromanchuk]

Originally Posted by guru fisher

Sharpening Edm area ? Please advise. Thanks

R and R sharpening

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by RavYak

The Jiffy and Eskimo augers both use different styles of blades which affect the way they cut and the way you use them. Jiffy has a single blade which turns faster and has less torque because of it. Eskimo has two blades cutting so turns slower and has more torque. Overall the cutting speed is similar between the two brands.

I would say the Jiffy style blade definitely bites and pulls down more. This can be both a nice feature and at times annoying feature. Sometimes in poor ice conditions they try to bite off more then they can chew and you almost have to hold them up in order for them to cut without grabbing(perhaps more common with propane then gas but not 100% sure). I also feel the jiffy blades are more prone to building up with ice/snow and are harder to clean the ice off of.

The Eskimo blades don't grab as much on their own so as they get dull you do have to lean on them more. When sharp you don't have to lean on them at all though and if you are having to lean on the auger heavily(whether Eskimo or Jiffy) then you obviously need to sharpen or replace your blades. If you stall an Eskimo it will be a more jarring experience especially if using a 51 or 71 cc, but you also stall less often so that is the trade off.

Both have advantages and disadvantages, I think I like the Eskimo blade design better in the 10 inch size and maybe Jiffy in 8 inch. I for sure feel this way about the propane models(although I haven't tried the new P1). You can't really go wrong with either though, both companies make good products.

I'd say that pretty much covers it right there, as I mentioned I also think the narrower handlebars on the Z71 make the torque harder to handle.

I don't know about the new Jiffys, but my old White Lightning will punch holes WAY faster than the comparable Eskimo Stingray. The faster auger speed also pumps slush out of the hole better. I would agree that the bigger Eskimos seem to be closely matched to Jiffy in performance.

IMO the Z71 is a great auger if you tend to punch holes fairly close together in a cluster. Myself, I like to punch my holes in long lines, sometimes a few hundred yards from end to end by the time the day is over. If your tramping through much snow packing the Z71 these kind of distances can get tiring, and a lighter auger will be appreciated.