Eskimo power augers, any thoughts??

[brian-in-CT]

I am interested in getting a power auger this year and have earmarked the birthday/christmas gift money for its purchase.  My question is with limited funds (I can't spend $500 on an auger) is the Eskimo brand worth the money or should I save a little longer and get something else?
Looking for a comparison of Eskimo with the other two major brands.  What do you like / hate about Eskimo vs Strikemaster or Jiffy?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Brian

[billditrite]

brian i have an eskimo an love it .it is entering its 18 th year and fired right up already this year.you can find many useful posts in the ice auger section of the equipment forum.
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?board=73.0  hope this helps

[MN_transplant]

I have an Eskimo Shark and I love it. It weighs less than a jiffy and cuts faster than any other I have ever used.
Never fails to start in 1 pull.
 No matter your choice, a power auger is the way to go, but my reccomendation would be the eskimo.

[raleigh]

          I bought an Eskimo power auger last winter and it works great. No problims and it seams to cut through the ice with the best of them.

[Out4Trout]

One of the guys in our crew has an Eskimo which runs great but doesn't cut worth beans. It has a double bladed auger which is razor sharp, but the Jiffy's can out cut the Eskimo 2 to 1. The only thing that I can see different is the Eskimo auger has a steel ring around it's base. We thought about cutting it off to see if it would help. Any suggestions?

[Franchiz]

I think Ardisam (Eskimo) has really changed their product line this year.  They seem to overall be a little lighter, but also less power and RPM.  I bought a 2.5 HP Eskimo Shark recently when Cabela's was cleaning out old stock.  I noticed thatthere is now two versions of the Shark available, 43cc (1.75 HP?) and 51.7cc (2.0 HP?).

[brian-in-CT]

Thanks for the thoughts guys.  I have been looking around at the prices and can't figure out why Eskimo is about $100 less than the other brands.  I am glad to hear that the Eskimo is a solid, reliable auger.  I will have to order one soon we're expecting some cold (for CT anyway) tonight so the ice can't be far off now. 

Brian