ESKIMO SHARK Z51- NO GOOD!!!

[Backwater_]

I have had nothing but problems with this new auger since I bought it this winter.  It seems like a really nice piece of equipment that cuts great, runs great, but just doesn't stay together.  I have had two self-venting gas caps break, a leaky defective gas tank upon delivery, and two recoil assemblies break in two months!  Every time I have used it in single digit temps, the housing that contains the recoil, which is made of plastic, has snapped leaving me with a useless, but expensive piece of sharp metal and plastic.   I mean for crying out loud, I have a $80 case that I carry the thing around in all the time.  It is not like it is bouncing around in the back of a pickup or anything.  The company claims that this hasn't been a problem for them......but for me it has the last two trips!   I hear other people have had the same exact problem.
Does anyone alse have one of these new augers......and have you had any problems with it yet?  I've had enough and I have decided to try and exchange the new Ardisam powerhead for the Tecumseh on the Barracuda Plus......getting rid of the plastic and bringing in the old reliable Tec. but ARDISAM won't do it. 
I know, buy a JIFFY.....but they just don't have the dual cutting blades. 
 

[JigAwhopper]

I had my older Eskimo Shark for the last 4 years,  very low maintance; just add gas/oil and go.  Nothing breaking yet.  I guess they don't make them like they used to.   That's just too bad.  Then again,  everything is made on the cheap in China nowadays, so I'm not suprised at all.  Get rid of that thing and get a Nils,  those augers are awesome.

[Skipperj9]

Im with jigawhopper, get a nils ive heard great things about them and it will last you, they cut easy and dont have any problems that ive heard of.  If it has a tecumseh motor its garbage, yea it will run, but it will never run like it should.  The carbs suck and overall run really crapty.  When we got our power auger last year before we knew what we were doing we got a... dont even know what brand with a tecumseh motor.  before we chewed our first hole we couldnt get it to run right, had to send it back to the manufacturer to get a new carb and then he had to tune the new carb too.  It works but runs like garbage.... go for the nils!

[Gambler]

eskimo put there own motors on this year instead of the tecumseh and the emak and I was wondering how they were holding up. I guess this answers my question.

[big big rdg]

I had a strikemaster that I bought at the beggining of the season that had the same exact problem. I ended up returning it and buying a Jiffy 3HP Legend...The best auger Ive ever had!!

[shrub]

my friend who i ice fish with said he would be out saterday aftroond and that he would bring his auger so i did'nt bring mine, well as my luck whould have it he didnt show so i had to walk all the way accrose the lake to get a auger now   it ended up being an eskimo it was the slowerest auger i have ever used it tooke me like 10 minutes to do each hole and there was only about 1.5 feet of ice, im grateful that the guy let me use his auger but it was to slow i only did 4 holes.

[stumper]

Shrub,ANY auger that cuts that bad needs to be sharpened.Its not the augers fault.I have a eskimo shark that flat out hauls ice.I cant count the number of times i have out drilled other augers 3 to 1 ,when my blades were what i considered dull!!!!Love the motor "chainsaw  type" my auger has.Only thing i have done is replace the plug and dont think it really needed it.

stump

[meat sticks]

Yep, had the stingray, and then replaced under warranty for the mako... problems with both (carburator) within days of purchase.  Fortunatley got my money back from retailer.  The new powerheads are problematic to say the least!

[fozsey]

Sorry to hear that guys. I have owned 2 Eskimo augers and both were fine..no problems to speak of..

[bud]

i have a friend with a shark and he has had recoil problems also

[reelucky]

   After several repairs from new, my MAKO is the baddest, meanest lightest, sweetest auger on the ice.

   I ordered a Stingray and they sent me a Mako.  33cc vs 43 cc
   Nice perk.   Cap leaked from new.  The fuel caps have a slit in the rubber seal for venting and sometimes they need to be enlagred and the plastic insert inside the cap has a vent hole that needs to opened a bit. It is a good vent system nbut need some attention from new.

   I had to replace carb assy. , and now it is mint. Excellent people to deasl with.

       The Capt.