New American Angler Pro EFK vs old Ultra model #31202

[Deal Ninja]

I've used the green/black American Angler Ultra model #31202 for 10 -15 years at least and it's served me very well cleaning hundreds upon hundreds of (mostly) panfish over the years.  It had been getting hot to hold when cleaning more than 15 fish or so the last couple of years, and two weeks ago on Sunday when I was cleaning a mess of black crappies, it started making electrical popping noises and had blue arc flashes inside.  I decided to finally bite the bullet and replace it.  I waffled between the Pro EFK and the Classic EFK and finally opted for the new Pro model.  Amazon had it for $67 and it originally retailed for $110.  I haven't' used it to clean fish yet, but thought I would post a comparison pic between old and new and make note of a few obvious differences between the two to help any would-be buyers.

Physically the Pro is shorter by almost an inch, slightly wider(especially where the vents are), and noticeably heavier; I'll bet by 6 -7 oz.  The Pro is rated at 1 amp where the Ultra was rated at .5 amps.  The blade release is further forward at the very end eliminating the accidental blade release so many people complained about with the Ultra model.  Trigger pressure to turn on is similar to the old model.  Cord length is similar also at ~ 8'.  The Pro EFK has a two year limited warranty, while the Classic EFK has only a one year warranty.  That extra year of warranty alone is probably worth the price difference of $17 between the two models.

The new Pro has the feel of a quality knife, but maybe that's just the additional weight influencing my old fashioned senses...  The new knife runs very smoothly and quietly, especially compared to my old one.  No surprises there.  It feels torquey(sp?) in the hand...you can feel the power.  Another significant difference is the the Pro runs at a lower RPM than the Ultra, or at least the blades don't reciprocate as fast.  By how much I wouldn't dare to guess, but it's enough that it's noticeable.  I don't feel that the lower RPM will affect performance, but that remains to be seen.  I'm also curious as to how much I'll notice the extra weight in the form of fatigue while cleaning a large mess of panfish.

I certainly expect to be hitting the open water again during the holiday weekend and will post an update to this post after I've used it to fillet a few fish.  If it performs as well or better and as long as my old Ultra did, it will be another great knife from American Angler.  Looking forward to getting into some fish with it.

[Deal Ninja]

Hi all.  I meant to get back to this post and finish my review of the new American Angler Pro EFK sooner, but better late than never.  I've cleaned probably a hundred fish or so with it now, mostly perch, crappies and a couple of walleyes.  I really like this new knife.  It cuts really well and is strong and smooth and quiet.  The slower reciprocating speed of the blades compared to my old Ultra didn't seem to affect the speed I can clean at.  It's still plenty fast.  It has the feel and weight of a quality tool; and speaking of weight, I didn't notice the additional weight at all fatigue wise.  It's just not enough extra to be bothersome.  The blade removal button is in a much better location on the new knife and must be pushed toward the heel/butt of the knife to disengage the blades.  On the old Ultra, the button was pushed down to disengage and was right under where most people placed their thumbs while using it and resulted in a lot of untimely disengagements of the blades.  The only real con I can think of is that it's fairly easy, depending on hand placement, to cover the vent on the right side of the knife.  The knife was getting quite warm in my hand and I realized it was because my palm/wrist area was covering part of the vent.  I simply moved my hand slightly forward and used both my index and middle fingers to depress the 'ON' button instead of just my index and it seemed to keep the knife from running too hot.  It does take a little getting used to when you've done something a certain way for so long.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Pro EFK and I expect years of good service out of it, just like I received from my old Ultra.  5 Stars.

Good fishing.  Mark

[mr.clean]

Thank you for the fillet knife review , I can see where it would be easy to cover the vent with part of your hand. Also congrats on a fine looking pile of fish.
Steve

[royjulius]

Yes, good tip about the vent. I've burned up 2 American Anglers so far. The second one went just last week. 

[Raptortrapper]

I've been debating on which knife to get.  Think this review has made up my mind.  Thanks!!!