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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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

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



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[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:



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]

Originally Posted by 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:



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]

Originally Posted by sns2

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



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]

Originally Posted by ROA

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]

Originally Posted by stubblejumper01

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.

Originally Posted by ROA

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

[ROA]

Originally Posted by calgarygringo

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.

Originally Posted by ROA

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.

Originally Posted by 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

[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]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by RavYak

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

Thank you RY