ESKIMO QUICKFISH 6 REVIEW

[Kierran]

Here she is on her debut (also the only black ice I got to walk on all year)...

post an interior shot or two if you don't mind

Here's two interior shots, not the best, but it's what I have so far...

Here's a trout on the jigger in 71 FOW.


4 dudes smeltin' comfortably w/ toys + heater.

[AKFISHRIPPER]

I found some old entry mats that are 12x4ft and I used those on Big Lake the other night, they seemed to make a pretty big difference.  Rolled up they are 4ft long and about 9in wide so they weren't to much of a hassle.

[Barleydog]

Looks plenty comfortable Kierran and great shots, did you get any smelt?  I'm curious to see how it would heat in -10 weather or worse...  Really like the looks of the QF6, but don't think I'd be able to heat it without a huge propane heater.  I have enough problems heating my QF3 with a big buddy in those conditions! 

[Kierran]

That thing is like Hawaii with a Mr. Heater inside.  It holds heat well, but with no floor it gets wet in there.  We bring mats that fit in the bottom of our sleds and lay them in there to put gear we want to keep dry.

[jkw]

BARLEYDOG i have a QF6 and a QF3 and there really not different to heat...i got a mr.heater too and in -20 its not too hard to keep it warm...just keep the doors shut and try to keep the heat from goin out the bottom....i seal it up with snow.... gets it toasty....

[Barleydog]

JKW, You know my big buddy must be going belly up!  I make it around 1/2 hour on high, then the O2 sensor takes over and shuts it down...  I even open up the vents letting the shack vent.  It stays around 30 or so in there, but not the 50+ that I was expecting.  It does condensate like a sauna, but it's not bad.  Otherwise it's been a great investment, but a little cramped with 3 big guys side by side!   Guess that's why I was considering the QF6... 

[Stickle Back]

JKW, You know my big buddy must be going belly up!  I make it around 1/2 hour on high, then the O2 sensor takes over and shuts it down...  I even open up the vents letting the shack vent.  It stays around 30 or so in there, but not the 50+ that I was expecting.  It does condensate like a sauna, but it's not bad.  Otherwise it's been a great investment, but a little cramped with 3 big guys side by side!   Guess that's why I was considering the QF6... 

I thought that I was the only person having a problem with the Big Buddy heater, I have had mine for 2 months, and it will "dim" after about a half hour of running, if you kick it, it will light up temporarily and go back to "dim" mode.....I have a quickfish 6 and need both the big buddy and the little buddy to keep the shanty warm, aside from the heating issues, I love the shanty!

-Ben
Is there a way to take out the sensor out?

[fishbum]

We only got one season out of our buddy heater before the same thing happened. And at -30 it wouldn't heat the 3 man worth a crap. So when we bought the six we broke down and bought a arctic oven stove and had a stove jack sewn in that seemed to fix any heating issue that we have had and you can cook right on top of the stove. The best fix for heating problems. One of our buddies just runs his pipe out the window so that he can put the stove where ever he needs it. HE still uses a stove jack he just Velcro's it in to what ever window that he wants to use that day. seems to work for him

[Stickle Back]

Thanks for the tip. I am really disapointed with the big buddy, the little buddy does just fine, its just not big enough for the 6....I will look for one of those arctic oven stoves, how much do they usually cost?

-Ben

P.s. I was wondering if anyone has tried using the propane hook up that allows you to use tanks larger than the little green ones, maybe that would help, dont know how, but runing out of ideas.

[darkhousefisher]

Thanks for the tip. I am really disapointed with the big buddy, the little buddy does just fine, its just not big enough for the 6....I will look for one of those arctic oven stoves, how much do they usually cost?

-Ben

P.s. I was wondering if anyone has tried using the propane hook up that allows you to use tanks larger than the little green ones, maybe that would help, dont know how, but runing out of ideas.

I have the hose and adapter,  I made it out of spare hoses and fittings I had laying around, I did have to buy the 1"-20 throw away style fitting.  I also put a filter on, might not ever need it, but I figure it doesn't hurt.  Setting up the hose for larger bottles has saved me a fortune and lots of headache.  With the 20# bottles you can run the Big Buddy on high all day without ANY problems.  I would really like one of the 5# bottles, I just can't bring myself to fork out $65 for it. 

[Stickle Back]

Thanks for the reply, I think I'll try that, I was wondering if just enough propane was leaking through one of the bottles that it would trigger that stupied shut off valve, I would probably just leave the tank outside the shanty.

-Ben

[Ocean]

Thanks for the tip. I am really disapointed with the big buddy, the little buddy does just fine, its just not big enough for the 6....I will look for one of those arctic oven stoves, how much do they usually cost?

-Ben

P.s. I was wondering if anyone has tried using the propane hook up that allows you to use tanks larger than the little green ones, maybe that would help, dont know how, but runing out of ideas.

Is there any other viable choice for stoves for the QF6?

[Drifter_016]

Is there any other viable choice for stoves for the QF6?

Sunflower style heaters work the best. IMHO



And if you want to be out in the kind of temps interior AK has had lately a dual or tripple sunflower would be the way to go.   





Or maybe one of these 400,000 BTU bad boys!!! 
But you'll need a generator as well as a 100# propane tank to run it. 

[akjw7]

best thing I ever did was ditch the buddy heater...only one year on mine before it was unreliable.

The tank top sunflowers are great, but I got the cooker version with the floor stand - put a hose on it and I don't think you can beat it. (unless two burners were needed then it's back to the tank top).  I keep the propane outside run the hose under the QF3 and just have the small frame heater taking up space inside. It puts out more heat than the buddy heater is far more reliable (no tip over, no o2 sensor, etc just a thermocouple). 

In reality probably not a huge savings in footprint over a tank top heater and having the heat up off the floor a bit would probably help with floor melt, but I kind of like having the propane outside (not that it would matter!) and that's not an option with the tank top.

[Ocean]

Do you find this sunflower version is to loud?? Great heat but too loud?

Sunflower style heaters work the best. IMHO

(Image removed from quote.)

And if you want to be out in the kind of temps interior AK has had lately a dual or tripple sunflower would be the way to go.   

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

Or maybe one of these 400,000 BTU bad boys!!! 
But you'll need a generator as well as a 100# propane tank to run it. 

(Image removed from quote.)