Author Topic: Which one? Opinions  (Read 3414 times)

Offline Bryfish84

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 390
Which one? Opinions
« on: Jul 17, 2018, 09:48 PM »
I’m looking at getting a new shelter. I want to keep it under $250. I have narrowed it down to the Shappell Wide House 6500 and the Eskimo Fat Fish 949. Both similar in Price. The Shappell is $239.99, 215.99 if I join the Sportsman’s Guide Club, the Eskimo is $259.99, $233.99 if I Join the Club. I believe it’s $40 to join the Sportsman’s Guide Club. Any opinions on the shelters would be great!  Thanks!

Offline RStock521

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,199
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #1 on: Jul 17, 2018, 10:41 PM »
Personally, I'm partial to the new/updated Otter hub shacks.  Marine General had the Otter XTH Pro Lodge hub for $285 last year.  No tax and free shipping for me here in Ohio too.

Offline chilly-willy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,702
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #2 on: Jul 18, 2018, 12:13 AM »
Are you getting a thermal 949? If not go with the shappell!!  by the way the wide house 6500 is at dickssports.com for $223.99 last I looked??  Plus they been sending deals for 20 off 100+ to there customers like crazy.. the 949 is better in the thermal shack if looking at the 300d version your better off with a 600d shappell at that point. I do got a eskimo 3i I love but it's thermal.. I also got last year's otter xth in the smallest avaible model shack.. I don't like it as much as eskimo the windown are soft and thin.. the one door it has is s pain finding at night while setting up .. and windows are small other then that it heats really well on 9000 btus setting  but 18,000 btus is what the big buddy maxes out at..  and you can take your jacket off at that point.. smaller is easier to heat with 9000 btus.. now I also have a 6 man frabill bunker 450 I like as much as the eskimo 3i but try the thing with only one 18000 btu heater your in for a cold night.. other then those issues the hubs are better made in my bunker 450 there made about same on my otter and eskimo..  but the frabIll poles are better made then the other brands..  frabill use to make there hubs same way but changed for better on the bunker series.. I use to have a 7013 fishauflage ambush outpost the hubs sucked in and ended out giving  them to a friend snd his son.. to use cause their shappell cought fire.. any how inspect every thING you can before you buy hopefully this info helps out? ?

Offline chilly-willy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,702
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #3 on: Jul 18, 2018, 12:21 AM »
I think you got till midnight pacific stanaDard time with is Like 3 am here to get this for 203.99. I am not sure if shipping is free or not?? By the way it 1:21 am now ..dis count automatically taken off in cart ..


https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/shappell-wide-house-6500-4-person-ice-fishing-shelter-16sppuwdhs6500xxxfic/16sppuwdhs6500xxxfic


Offline DR.SPECKLER

  • Team IceShantyholic
  • ***
  • Posts: 9,130
  • find your own fish..
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #4 on: Jul 18, 2018, 07:50 AM »
The shappell wide house 6500 is a nice shack.i have had no problems after 3 years.i got mine from mills fleet farm for 199 and free ship 3 years ago.getting it back into its bag is hard when its cold and frosty.ice anchors are cheap too.i use eskimo ice anchors for it.

Offline DaveSS1

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,286
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #5 on: Jul 18, 2018, 08:32 AM »
I also have the 6500 with no issues.  Plenty of room, and dark enough when needed.  Dark fabric keeps it warm inside on a sunny day.  I did install the clam LED puck light on top for when I fish at night for an added bonus. 
Shop around and you should be able to get it for $200 or less.  I got mine at dicks on a cyber Monday sale.  They were offering like $25 off/$100 so it was $199 plus an additional 10% for signing up for their email brought it down to around $180.  Free shipping did apply but I think they charge $5-6 for a handling fee since its considered a larger package and they have to re-package with an additional box for UPS. 
Like Doc said, anchors could be better.  I ended up using the orange handled anchors that shappel makes that are a lot better quality.  They usually come in packs of 2 and I got 4 total.  Shop around and they are normally on sale or you can get the eskimo ones mentioned.  Normally only set up with only 4 anchors unless its really windy.   I use the Ryobi wing nut bolt driver to help install. Drill them in by hand with an inexpensive torque driver/screw driver that I just leave in the bag or suppose you can use a drill with even faster setup.

Offline 3300

  • Team IceShantyholic
  • ***
  • Posts: 7,631
  • Michigan Moderator.Not affiliated with MarCum Tech
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #6 on: Jul 18, 2018, 09:49 AM »
i can't tell you any thing about eskimo except for they make shelters for other companies that are rebadged and they have good customer service. one of the shelters they made was the gander mountain 8x8 i own.
https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=320731.0

brand new my shappell wh6500 leaks a lot of water and i can see a lot of daylight thru the seams/stitches on the roof. it looks like they used to big of a needle for the thread that fills the holes made from the needle.
 if it's snowing and i'm heating it gets you and your things wet and is a giant nuisance. i used plenty of water proofing on it. the only kind i didn't use on it is seam sealer that is a rub in sealer. after speaking with the once owned by shappell brand costumer service lady who used to take their calls, she said its not a rain shelter and wasn't helpful at all. i asked for some one who might care to get on the phone and mike said to use the seam sealer. now eagle claw owns the brand and big improvements are in the works so they say. shappell shelters are always changing, so you might here different stories from different generations of the same units. the fx series have changed at least four times now for an example. always making them better, but heavier as well.

the point is they could have used a water proof tape in their seams and went cheap on it and so they leak. mine frosts up real good when heating on cold days. i only bring one if i have to provide shelter for family or friends who like to stay warm with their coats off.

their anchors are junk and i use motorcycle tie down straps for pull cords and never bothered with their tie down cords. i use eskimo ice anchors only now.

the good parts about it is the doors (2 of them, one on opposite sides) are a big C shape instead of a > shape like so many use. the window placement is good and anchor grommets in the skirt is nice and the 600 denier fabric is great for uninsulated material. it looks sharp too. and the dark colors help with the free solar heating while the sun is up.

i bought another brand in an insulated version (see my link above) and much prefer that over the wh6500 unless it's going to be raining. then the insulated versions will be like a giant sponge and get super heavy from all the water they absorb and take a long time to drip dry. my other brand is a single > shaped door.

neither hardly get used because flip over shelters are so much easier in every way to use. if i had to buy a hub shelter of the two today i would want to know more about the roof seams and if they leak while heating and its snowing or if it's raining and i would want insulated to stop the condensation they get from heating. the condensation will make water drop off of the ceiling also on the noninsulated wh6500.
a rain fly would be a great option like so many tents have included.

heating a shappell wh6500

Offline chilly-willy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,702
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #7 on: Jul 18, 2018, 10:33 AM »
I agree with 3300 on the tent fabric for why not to get the wh6500..like I said if not getting a thermal shack then get the wide house but if getting thermal then get thermal frabic.. the 6500 has a rubber coating on inside compared to the ice tight fabric but any thing thermal is a way better shack..  except for trying to dry it out like others have said..

Offline Bryfish84

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 390
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #8 on: Jul 18, 2018, 06:29 PM »
Thank you for all the advice guys.

Offline Deal Ninja

  • Iceshanty Militia
  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • *
  • Posts: 1,584
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #9 on: Jul 18, 2018, 07:12 PM »
Hey Bryfish!  If you tell us what you want and WHY you think you want it, maybe we can toss you some alternatives you haven’t considered.  In the meantime, be patient.  Plenty of time for great deals to crop up.  ;). For example, is low price your main driver and why you want an uninsulated hub, or would you much prefer an insulated hub, but you don’t think it will fit your budget?  I will post anything I find in the Best Deals thread.  PLEASE check in to IS regularly. ;)

DN
DON'T DILLY DALLY!!!   ;D

Polar Bird 3T, Eskimo EVO 1it
8" K-Drill, 8" Nils Arctic Trekker, Milwaukee Mud Mixer, Milwaukee 2704-22, Clam Plate, Adapters to make everything work with everything. lol
Marcum LX-7s (2) Dakota Lithium powered

Offline Bryfish84

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 390
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #10 on: Jul 18, 2018, 10:25 PM »
Hey there Deal Ninja,

I’m mainly looking at those two for price and size. If I could keep the price as close to $200 as possible with $250 being about the max that would be great. I rarely fiah in temps under 10 degrees so with my heater I haven’t really felt the need for the insulated shelters. I always walk so the weight I have to pull is also a concern. I do not have a loyalty to any brand. Usually I will be fishing two guys out of it, on occasion I might have a kid or two with us.

Thanks!

Hey Bryfish!  If you tell us what you want and WHY you think you want it, maybe we can toss you some alternatives you haven’t considered.  In the meantime, be patient.  Plenty of time for great deals to crop up.  ;). For example, is low price your main driver and why you want an uninsulated hub, or would you much prefer an insulated hub, but you don’t think it will fit your budget?  I will post anything I find in the Best Deals thread.  PLEASE check in to IS regularly. ;)

DN

Offline RyanW

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,223
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #11 on: Jul 19, 2018, 07:03 PM »
I’ve had a Shappell WideHouse 5500 for around 6-7 seasons and it’s still virtually like new. I also walk ally and I don’t bother with the weight of insulated hubs. I also don’t heat very often. I haven’t experienced any leaking in my hub due to snow or rain. It’s a pretty solid hub, IME. The anchors could be better but they work just fine and I screw them in by hand. I usually only use two anchors though. I also haven’t had any issues with the poles or hubs breaking. The fabric has zero tears. The windows are still perfect. I find it very easy to setup and take down and I have no issues putting it back in the bag. It looks like it won’t fit but it totally will. Once the shack is in the bag, I sit on the bag like a saddle and it makes it very easy to zip up. I can put it up and take it down completely in just a few minutes (minus the anchors).

Also, I purchased my 5500 when Shappell didn’t have any affiliation with Eagle Claw so I can’t really comment on recent models construction but I haven’t heard anything bad about them.
“When the fish are biting, it really doesn’t matter what you’re using. When the fish aren’t biting, it really doesn’t matter what you’re using” - Uncle Dave

Offline Bryfish84

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 390
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #12 on: Jul 19, 2018, 09:04 PM »
I will keep my eyes out on deals for the Shappell

Offline chilly-willy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,702
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #13 on: Jul 19, 2018, 10:01 PM »
Major list of ice shelters hope every ones awake??

https://www.scheels.com/p/eskimo-fatfish-949i-pop-up-ice-shelter/01264269004.html?cgid=ice-fishing-shelters#start=2

Otter pro cabin 249.99 but says call from now to octoner ??

http://www.marinegeneral.com/productdetails.asp?productid=1638536&directoryid=11507&parentid=10950

Wh5500 for 159.99 but say call to check avaibilty??

http://www.marinegeneral.com/productdetails.asp?productid=1531210&directoryid=11510&parentid=10950

Quick fish 2@ $129.99
http://www.marinegeneral.com/productdetails.asp?productid=1463297&directoryid=11506&parentid=10950

Quick fish 3@ $159.99
http://www.marinegeneral.com/productdetails.asp?productid=1463298&directoryid=11506&parentid=10950


Shappell wh6500 10% off with first email sign up but this place is similar to dick sporting goods.. 223.99 is price..

https://m.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/shappell-wide-house-6500-4-person-ice-fishing-shelter-16sppuwdhs6500xxxfic/16sppuwdhs6500xxxfic?uniqueID=1652184


Clam Vista link stealth therMal with 10%off on first email sign up price is 255.99 plus you get 10%??

https://m.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/clam-vista-link-stealth-thermal-3-person-ice-fishing-shelter-16cloavstlnkthrmlfic/16cloavstlnkthrmlfic?uniqueID=2583234

Eskimo qf3 180.99

https://www.reedssports.com/eskimo/eskimo-quickfish-3-43174


Eskimo qf3i @$245.99

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Eskimo-QuickFish-3i-Insulated-Pop-Up-Portable-Ice-Shelter/45806336


Cabela's, bass pro , and ganderoutdoors are no go for clearence shanties just a heads up just did a rounds and found these.. at some of the stores I shop by the way your better of buying and shipping free to store or from a local store you can return to if a problem arises .. just thinking out loud there..


Offline Bryfish84

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 390
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #14 on: Jul 19, 2018, 10:49 PM »
Thanks! I think I’m going to pull the trigger on the Shappell Wide House 6500.

Major list of ice shelters hope every ones awake??

https://www.scheels.com/p/eskimo-fatfish-949i-pop-up-ice-shelter/01264269004.html?cgid=ice-fishing-shelters#start=2

Otter pro cabin 249.99 but says call from now to octoner ??

http://www.marinegeneral.com/productdetails.asp?productid=1638536&directoryid=11507&parentid=10950

Wh5500 for 159.99 but say call to check avaibilty??

http://www.marinegeneral.com/productdetails.asp?productid=1531210&directoryid=11510&parentid=10950

Quick fish 2@ $129.99
http://www.marinegeneral.com/productdetails.asp?productid=1463297&directoryid=11506&parentid=10950

Quick fish 3@ $159.99
http://www.marinegeneral.com/productdetails.asp?productid=1463298&directoryid=11506&parentid=10950


Shappell wh6500 10% off with first email sign up but this place is similar to dick sporting goods.. 223.99 is price..

https://m.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/shappell-wide-house-6500-4-person-ice-fishing-shelter-16sppuwdhs6500xxxfic/16sppuwdhs6500xxxfic?uniqueID=1652184


Clam Vista link stealth therMal with 10%off on first email sign up price is 255.99 plus you get 10%??

https://m.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/clam-vista-link-stealth-thermal-3-person-ice-fishing-shelter-16cloavstlnkthrmlfic/16cloavstlnkthrmlfic?uniqueID=2583234

Eskimo qf3 180.99

https://www.reedssports.com/eskimo/eskimo-quickfish-3-43174


Eskimo qf3i @$245.99

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Eskimo-QuickFish-3i-Insulated-Pop-Up-Portable-Ice-Shelter/45806336


Cabela's, bass pro , and ganderoutdoors are no go for clearence shanties just a heads up just did a rounds and found these.. at some of the stores I shop by the way your better of buying and shipping free to store or from a local store you can return to if a problem arises .. just thinking out loud there..

Offline chilly-willy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,702
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #15 on: Jul 19, 2018, 11:20 PM »
That's great news!

Offline esox_xtm

  • Iceshanty Militia
  • Team IceShantyholic
  • *
  • Posts: 6,055
  • It's Showtime!
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #16 on: Jul 20, 2018, 11:52 AM »
FWIW I got into a 949i last fall for <$200 tax included. It was a preseason Fleet Farm sale. Sadly, I was working way too much to even pop it up once to say nothing of fishing in it. This year will be very different!  :thumbsup:
To fish or not to fish? That's a stupid question!



“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.”― Lewis Carroll

Offline chilly-willy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,702
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #17 on: Jul 20, 2018, 12:36 PM »
Hate to say this just got a email from dicksports.com there giving 20%off entire purchase starting tomorrow so be alert about it they have the wide house 6500 for 223.99 another 20% lowers the price that much more hopefully there local so shipping and returns are not a problem?? It was a presale alert I got from dickssports.com. .

Offline 3300

  • Team IceShantyholic
  • ***
  • Posts: 7,631
  • Michigan Moderator.Not affiliated with MarCum Tech
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #18 on: Jul 20, 2018, 01:27 PM »
dunhams always has the cheapest price on shappell. seasonal item tho. call and ask how much and when they'll be in stock or ask them what it costs to get you one. they are about 50$ cheaper than retail for everyday price. they mark them as managers special. picking up in store saves the shipping rates.

Offline Bryfish84

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 390
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #19 on: Jul 20, 2018, 08:54 PM »
Too bad there isn’t one close to me. They don’t have anything on their website yet.

dunhams always has the cheapest price on shappell. seasonal item tho. call and ask how much and when they'll be in stock or ask them what it costs to get you one. they are about 50$ cheaper than retail for everyday price. they mark them as managers special. picking up in store saves the shipping rates.

Offline chilly-willy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,702
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #20 on: Jul 20, 2018, 10:19 PM »
To bad you don't want to wait till black friday??  cause the real deals pop up then!!  I picked up the otter I listed for $249.99 I got it from scheels for $199.99..  also got a eskimo 3i from l&m supply for $159.99  that was last year .. the year before I picked up a frabill bunker 450 for $199.99 from field and stream store  full thermal 6 man shanty for $199.99

Offline Bryfish84

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 390
Re: Which one? Opinions
« Reply #21 on: Jul 20, 2018, 10:59 PM »
I’m a General Manager at a big retail chain. I don’t want to do any shopping around BF online or in-store.  ;D

To bad you don't want to wait till black friday??  cause the real deals pop up then!!  I picked up the otter I listed for $249.99 I got it from scheels for $199.99..  also got a eskimo 3i from l&m supply for $159.99  that was last year .. the year before I picked up a frabill bunker 450 for $199.99 from field and stream store  full thermal 6 man shanty for $199.99

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.