Broken Auger

[TMF89]

So I lent my buddy my ice auger (piece of junk Eskimo), and he came back with the bit and the auger head separate... because the auger bit actually twisted itself OFF from the head! Right above the first twist in the blade it just looks like it unraveled itself and just twisted off. The inside is all rusted up.

Now my questions are: What could he have done to done this, how much of a factor did the rust play, how did rust even get IN there, and what do you guys think I'll be able to get out of Eskimo for it?

[KTapper]

So I lent my buddy my ice auger (piece of junk Eskimo

Hey man I really like my Eskimo. Read forum policy you are not supposed to degrade a products.

[Bigslugger]

So I lent my buddy my ice auger (piece of junk Eskimo), and he came back with the bit and the auger head separate... because the auger bit actually twisted itself OFF from the head! Right above the first twist in the blade it just looks like it unraveled itself and just twisted off. The inside is all rusted up.

Now my questions are: What could he have done to done this, how much of a factor did the rust play, how did rust even get IN there, and what do you guys think I'll be able to get out of Eskimo for it?

Can you get a pic of it. Id like to see this!

[JimBuck]

It doesn't sound like the auger is pretty old and wasn't very well taken care of....In this case I doubt they'll claim responsibility for negligence. I've seen augers that are over 20 years old still cutting like it's there first day on the ice. It's tough to say what he could have done....my guess is that the auger was already rusted through the flighting and it was only a matter of time before this would have happened. I know someone that has been dealing with the same company and there customer service hasn't been very responsive. Good luck with the auger. How about some pics of the damage?

[Eskimoman]

Rust is usually caused by moisture. I would guess that water got in there from drilling a hole and that caused the rust.

[Ed Carlson]

A weld failed, and the flighting unwound...it happens. Don't try to weld it up, not worth the effort and it will likely be out of square and not cut properly. You will need a new auger flighting assembly to get top performance back.

I think you need to wright it off as wear and tear, and pony up for the new assembly.

[52#FLATHEAD]

Whatever you do - don't blame this on your buddy. Hate to see a friendship ruined over rust. Buy a Strikemaster

[Down2Earth]

I have an eskimo and it has been great. I did break the plastic trigger for the accelerator. I called the company and ordered a new one. Spee-Dee delivered it and left it on the front step and in blew away. I called the company and told them what happened. They sent a new one at no charge to me. No hassle nothing they said they would contact Spee-Dee and handle it themselves. I guess that doesn't sound like pour customer service to me.

[McGurk]

...what do you guys think I'll be able to get out of Eskimo for it?

A solid "Nothing" when you call them up. Sounds like he was not using this correctly (leaning it to the side while drilling so the flighting grabbed the hole edge???) and either he or you get to buy a new auger assembly for your power head. $100 lesson learned!

Oh yeah, get a picture of this up pronto! I think we all want to see this!

[MNfishtrapper]

I haven't had any other brand of power auger but I have had a few troubles with my eskimo. The one I have is probably 4 years old so perhaps they've upgraded a few designs and materials with the new ones. It starts easily, runs good, cuts quickly, is lightweight and quieter than others I've used/seen. I think the trick is to treat it well and run the gas out of it at the end of the season as with any other small 2 cycle engine. The only negative issue I personally have with the design is the fact that many of the parts are made of plastic. I usually go out on the lake regardless of air temp. (perhaps I'm nuts lately! Ha) and I'm sure the bitter cold doesn't help the plastic parts. This weekend the recoil broke on me. I took it apart and realized that the wound up strip of spring steel that rewinds the pull rope after start came disconnected from the housing. It's simply clipped on each end to the plastic housing encasing the starter mechanism. Lucky for me, I was able to jimmy rig the spring to allow me to use it for the rest of the weekend. This morning I ordered a new recoil and gas cap (which also broke a while ago when I dropped it). Ordering parts was quick and simple on eskimo's HSOforum. I wound up spending about 50 bucks with next day UPS. Fortunately I haven't had troubles as disheartening as your broken flyght and shaft but I would recommend to someone who is looking for a new auger to consider the other brands as well. I'm not sure how they currently compare in cost to other brands but Personally, I try to fish on a resonable budget so cost is a significant consideration for me. If I wasn't that way, I'd probably go ape sh!^&! and use my credit card like its going out of style on fishing/hunting toys! Haha! I guess if I had to buy a new one I'd get an eskimo or other brand that is made of more metal parts. After looking on line at the newer Eskimo's they look much more robustly built than my older model. Overall I cant complain too much about it though. I remember what a dog it was when I had to grind ice with my elbow grease and old style cup auger!

:-)

[Down Deep]

Not pulling the bit out of the hole from time to time to clear the ice shavings can cause the bit to bind and kick back. I would think that forcing it could cause a bind that would break a weld.

[Ed Carlson]

Not pulling the bit out of the hole from time to time to clear the ice shavings can cause the bit to bind and kick back. I would think that forcing it could cause a bind that would break a weld.

Very True, the deeper the ice the greater the need to clear the hole at mid way, just to eliminate undue pressure and binding on the flighting.

It is wise to inspect welds from time to time. If you see a broken weld, get it fixed before it unwinds and tears the whole assembly apart.