Author Topic: Husqvarna ice augers? (Read 36643 times)

saskfishy · « **on:** Dec 23, 2011, 12:36 PM »

I have seen many jiffy and Eskimo ice augers on the ice. But i have never EVER seen a Husqvarna ice auger. I like Husqvarna because they make good products but i was wondering if anybody has one. Are they any good? can they compair to jiffy or Eskimo? I was also wondering what the price tag on them? If it is a good auger and lasts a long time i think i would get one because i would rather have something that lasts a long time then having something that is only good for 2 or 3 years.

Sub Zero · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 23, 2011, 12:46 PM »

All three brand you named are good units, I personally have an Eskimo and love it but my advice is to look at the weight of the unit. My Eskimo Barracudo is a beast but weighs a whopping 40 lbs. That my friend gets heavy after a while, yeh it's fast but who cares if it takes an extra minute to dig that hole!

saskfishy · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 23, 2011, 12:53 PM »

But i have heard problems with both jiffy and eskimo. but i haven't heard anyhting about Husqvarna. i just want something that will last a long time and will not give me problems. and it says that Husqavarna head is around 12lbs and the bit is about 18. so light and really good.

surflizard · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 23, 2011, 01:01 PM »

http://www.husqvarna.com/ca/en/landowner/products/ice-augers/husqvarna-ice-augers-for-landowners

NoMe · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 23, 2011, 02:44 PM »

I'm sure husky makes a good auger, I've got one of their saws and have no complaint. I'm sure it's like most other small engines, do regular maintenance, take care of it and it will take care of you. If I'm not mistaken the price on their augers is north of $700 and they've been making them for years to dig for fence post, stihl also.

getnjiggywithit · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 23, 2011, 03:08 PM »

I have one thats going on ten years, and has cut literally thousands of holes and still works like the day I bought it! A little video i did last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=416xBQ9J_pI

saskfishy · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 23, 2011, 03:41 PM »

I think i made up my mind. I will get a Husky if they have them up here in Saskatchewan. That's for nexts years spending money. first comes the camper that me and my buddy are building. The price is quite expensive but when you think about it, it's well worth it. The thing i like most aobut them is that they have a safty switch and they are nice and light. They seem to be ablr to keep up for a long time too

NoMe · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 23, 2011, 04:33 PM »

Quote from: getnjiggywithit on Dec 23, 2011, 03:08 PM

I have one thats going on ten years, and has cut literally thousands of holes and still works like the day I bought it! A little video i did last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=416xBQ9J_pI

That's a nice unit right there, looks light and manageable compare to my 40+ lb jiffy. I've never seen these in the states... I wonder if we can even get them down here.

carcus1 · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 24, 2011, 07:58 AM »

1.2 HP? A little on the weak side, especially if you are drilling through 4 feet of ice, I have a eskimo barracuda its a 3hp beast, just fired her up yeasterday, couple of pulls and she started, its a tank but I dont carry it by hand anywhere.

If I where buying it bould be the big eskimo 71cc beast, I need power for Lake Winnipeg

big-brother · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 24, 2011, 11:37 AM »

Quote from: carcus1 on Dec 24, 2011, 07:58 AM

1.2 HP? A little on the weak side, especially if you are drilling through 4 feet of ice, I have a eskimo barracuda its a 3hp beast, just fired her up yeasterday, couple of pulls and she started, its a tank but I dont carry it by hand anywhere.

If I where buying it bould be the big eskimo 71cc beast, I need power for Lake Winnipeg

Should you ever be fortunate enough to see one in action or actually drill a few holes with a Husky you would be converted!Killer auger but sadly it's a little overpriced for my budget otherwise i'd dump old faithful(JIFFY) in favor of the Husky

carcus1 · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 25, 2011, 05:43 AM »

Quote from: big-brother on Dec 24, 2011, 11:37 AM

Should you ever be fortunate enough to see one in action or actually drill a few holes with a Husky you would be converted!Killer auger but sadly it's a little overpriced for my budget otherwise i'd dump old faithful(JIFFY) in favor of the Husky

I would love to see one in action with the larger auger on lake Winnipeg in march, Its just hard to believe that a 24cc 1.2 hp auger has enough power, the smallest Eskimo is a 33cc with the same gear ratio as the husqvarna, I have not seen or used one, so I'm only going by the specs.

ice dawg · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 27, 2011, 09:46 PM »

I saw some Husqvarna augers in Manitoba a couple years ago and they were $900. Too much for this kid.

bee · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 28, 2011, 05:58 AM »

Get a Nils Master. Quiet, Lite, Fast, Cheaper

getnjiggywithit · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 28, 2011, 09:11 AM »

Maybe I should add that in the video I was spinning a 10inch bit and the whole thing including the bit weighs in at less than 22lbs! I also have an extension for it and have cut through 3-4ft of ice many times and no problems what so ever! I didn't even have to pull out to clear shavings or anything cuts right through on the first go!

Ive never seen a nils in person but I know they can't spin a 10inch bit and anything else out there that can spin one will easily weight double...

Hesperus · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 28, 2011, 09:23 AM »

Wish we could get these in the States!

For those doubting the HP being sufficient look at the gear ratio and also look at the gearcase size/design. Looks to be a highly efficient planetary design as I recall. You can have all the HP rating you want, but if it's not geared to run at peak HP rpm it's not going to be fast or powerful. Most of the Tecumseh powerheads while rated at 2HP seldom get any RPM due to gearing and jetting limitations. In other words the HP is rated at 5-6000 RPM and they run at barely 3500 in the cut. As I recall, the Husky is rated to run 9,000 RPM so it is not labored to cut.

saskfishy · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 28, 2011, 10:37 AM »

Huskys actually have engineering put them unlike some other ice augers. If you took an Eskimo and a Husky i grantee you that the Husky would do better. I also would look at the weight, an Eskimo barracuda would weight about 35lbs, compaired to 22lbs...... there is a very large difference. It would also out last an Eskimo or Jiffy 10 to 1...... I went boxing day shopping and i bought one

Then i took it out on the ice yesterday, AMAZING!!!!!! I have never seen an ice auger drill a 10inch hole so fast through 19inches of ice

Hesperus · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 28, 2011, 03:49 PM »

I'm still torn between the Tanaka and the Husqvarna. Looks like I can get the Tanaka for much less and easier in the states, but what concerns me is the 24:1 ratio. I'm thinking that I need a 10" laser drill (prefer 9") and with a 59:1 ratio Husqvarna seems like a better choice versus 24:1 for the Nils/Tanaka. I have contacts north of the border who could likely obtain a Husqvarna for me, I just need to find a good vendor with a good price near Red Deer.

Layne · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 28, 2011, 04:16 PM »

Quote from: saskfishy on Dec 28, 2011, 10:37 AM

Huskys actually have engineering put them unlike some other ice augers. If you took an Eskimo and a Husky i grantee you that the Husky would do better. I also would look at the weight, an Eskimo barracuda would weight about 35lbs, compaired to 22lbs...... there is a very large difference. It would also out last an Eskimo or Jiffy 10 to 1...... I went boxing day shopping and i bought one Then i took it out on the ice yesterday, AMAZING!!!!!! I have never seen an ice auger drill a 10inch hole so fast through 19inches of ice

Hey Saskfishy, ive been looking into husky ice augers for some time now and just cant find very much info on them. Ive come to the conclusion that my next auger will either be a husky or a tanaka with a 10" flighting on it. How fast would say you say the husky is compared to a big jiffy? How hard is it to cut with?(do you have to push on it or does the auger do the work) Does it have ripper or shaver style blades on it? How do you like the handle setup on it? Lastly what did you pay here in SK for one?(feel free to PM me if youd like).

I would really appreciate some answers from another SK guy. I dont want to spend 1000$ on an ice auger that is going to struggle once we get 36"+ inches of ice.

Cheers!

Layne

buckzone101 · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 28, 2011, 07:37 PM »

my dads got one and he loves it and its really nice its the same motor as our weed wacker and leafblower, its runs good and cuts good we have had it for two years now and havent sharpened the blades yet, the only problem we have had is the rubber on the handles rotted off and we had to get some grip tape for tenis rackets and re wrap them, and i just got a new ESKIMO stingray s33 for xmas havent got a chance to drill a hole yet : (

saskfishy · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 29, 2011, 12:34 AM »

Hey Layne. It will do twice the holes a jiffy will (me and my dad were on the ice this weekend and he has a jiffy model 30 and we had a race, i did 4 and he was still on his 2nd). It is INSANE easy to cut with!!!!! all you have to do is put a little downforce on it and then it will do all the work for you..... I was compairing my dads to mine and i pretty much had to put all my whole body into it, with my husky it's like night and day

I also really like the handle setup on it, what i like most is the safety trigger so the throttle won't get stuck open and spin out of control. I kinda got a deal on it.... my neighbor works at the husky dealership and he owed me a few (i replaced the whole engine in his loader) so he got me the employee discount so that took a good 400 off. But it would work out to about $1100 with taxes if i didn't get the discount (that is with the 10inch flighting) best 700 dollars i have ever spent. But i think I'm going to need to get an extention for it because you will be right up to the gear case if you have to drill 36inches of ice..... but the wife might get mad if i spend anymore money

No ice auger will ever EVER compair to a husky

carcus1 · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 29, 2011, 04:50 AM »

1100 dollars is crazy, my cousin priced out a the 10 "Eskimo with the 71cc motor for 425 plus taxes yesterday. My augers always in the sleigh or truck so weight doesn't matter. Wouldn't the 59:1 ratio make it a slow driller? Sorry just trying to understand why this thing is so expensive, and if it is the same motor as the weed whacker and leaf blower is that not the same motor sold in the big box stores, and possible made in china? Just asking, not sure, because if it is you paid about 800 dollars too much.

carcus1 · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 29, 2011, 05:00 AM »

OK found some info, looks like only the higher end chainsaws are manufactured in Sweden, everything else made in the USA just like Tecumseh.

Layne · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 29, 2011, 11:53 AM »

Quote from: carcus1 on Dec 29, 2011, 04:50 AM

1100 dollars is crazy, my cousin priced out a the 10 "Eskimo with the 71cc motor for 425 plus taxes yesterday. My augers always in the sleigh or truck so weight doesn't matter. Wouldn't the 59:1 ratio make it a slow driller? Sorry just trying to understand why this thing is so expensive, and if it is the same motor as the weed whacker and leaf blower is that not the same motor sold in the big box stores, and possible made in china? Just asking, not sure, because if it is you paid about 800 dollars too much.

I dont really think you can compare an eskimo to a husky or a tanaka. While I do think the eskimo z71 is the best bang for your buck 10" out there I just dont think they will hold up like the tanaka or husky will. Most of my friends have bought eskimos over the last 5 years and while they all ran good for the first year or so it didnt take very long before they started having problems, not to mention all the plastic on the them. Last trip out my friends m43 fell out of the sled and smashed to peices. The auger im retiring has given me 15 good years(tecumseh jiffy) and I expect the same from my next purchase so Im willing to spend a bit more money on it.

Saskfishy, thank you very much for your input. I was really leaning towards the tanaka but you've got me re-thinking that now, I just want to get the best for my money and I like the fact that you can use the husky as a post hole auger with a different bit on it. Take some videos of your auger in action if you get a chance! Does the husky use ripper style blades like the jiffy? Or shaver styled blades like the eskimos? How is it at reopening old holes?

Cheers

Layne

carcus1 · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 30, 2011, 06:05 AM »

Quote from: Layne on Dec 29, 2011, 11:53 AM

I dont really think you can compare an eskimo to a husky or a tanaka. While I do think the eskimo z71 is the best bang for your buck 10" out there I just dont think they will hold up like the tanaka or husky will. Most of my friends have bought eskimos over the last 5 years and while they all ran good for the first year or so it didnt take very long before they started having problems, not to mention all the plastic on the them. Last trip out my friends m43 fell out of the sled and smashed to peices. The auger im retiring has given me 15 good years(tecumseh jiffy) and I expect the same from my next purchase so Im willing to spend a bit more money on it.

Saskfishy, thank you very much for your input. I was really leaning towards the tanaka but you've got me re-thinking that now, I just want to get the best for my money and I like the fact that you can use the husky as a post hole auger with a different bit on it. Take some videos of your auger in action if you get a chance! Does the husky use ripper style blades like the jiffy? Or shaver styled blades like the eskimos? How is it at reopening old holes?

Cheers

Layne

I'm not sure how they would compare either? I would like to see how it compares to my Eskimo 3hp barracuda Tecumseh out on lake Winnipeg in march with 4 feet of ice, I have not seen the 71cc Eskimo in action either, I need a tough auger as like my barracuda the bounce around in the back of the sleigh, it looks like it 15 years old when its only 5 years old. I still can't get my head around how these small displacement augers are any good for thick ice

Layne · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 30, 2011, 11:59 AM »

Quote from: carcus1 on Dec 30, 2011, 06:05 AM

I'm not sure how they would compare either? I would like to see how it compares to my Eskimo 3hp barracuda Tecumseh out on lake Winnipeg in march with 4 feet of ice, I have not seen the 71cc Eskimo in action either, I need a tough auger as like my barracuda the bounce around in the back of the sleigh, it looks like it 15 years old when its only 5 years old. I still can't get my head around how these small displacement augers are any good for thick ice

I should have specified new eskimos, not eskimos in general. I was really leaning towards the Z71 but theres just too much plastic on the darn thing, sadly the new strikemasters are no better at all.

As far as thick ice goes, I would say its a safe bet that we get about as much ice as you guys do here in Saskatchewan so I need something that can muscle through that late march ice as well. My old 2hp Jiffy with an 8" will drill circles around my uncles new 10" 3hp jiffy stealth, blades/gearing/operator are all things to factor in besides just power. If these small displacement augers are capable of drilling through soil im sure ice would be no challenge at all.

So all this being said I went and looked at a new Husqvarna 326AI25 yesterday, very nice machine. Even after sitting on the shelf since september it started up first pull.. on its side! I really like the ergonomics of the handle setup, feels really nice to hold. The powerhead is super lightweight, roughly 12 pounds and the flighting doesent weigh much more.

They have normark twin ripper blade flightings on them, very impressive looking. I believe the way the blades are configured that it would drill very easily compared to your standard jiffy but I havent had a chance to get one out on the ice yet, not sure if your local tool sharpener would be able to resharpen them or not as they are not flat. I was told new blades are roughly 60$ for the 10" model.

Ive been doing alot of research the last couple nights and I think im ready to pull the trigger on a new husky. Found a good deal on a brand new auger with brand new 8" and 10" flightings and its calling my name. Already have a buyer lined up for the old jiffy if the new auger is everything I think it will be... What to do, what to do.

$:-\$

saskfishy · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 30, 2011, 03:16 PM »

See i have about 150 cattle and i hate pushing in the cornor posts with my small little Kabota.... so this husky will get the job done 10 times faster. That also was a must, but the jiffys and eskimos have plastic or white metal gears so if you hit a rock or a root when your drilling in the ground you will screw the gears right over. Iv seen that done many times..... and that happend to my brother-inlaw. The blades though might be expensive but i know they will last at least five years and you won't have to buy another peice of plasctic every 5 years.... Huskys will last and last. The heads on huskys are built in sweden and they know how to build engines!!! If you take care of it, it'll last your whole life!!!!

Layne · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 30, 2011, 07:29 PM »

Well I bought the husky today, got a sick deal on it so im pretty pumped. Got the 8" normark flighting and the 10" is on the way which will be nice for pike, lakers and shallow water perch.

Really nice unit, I'll post pictures/video/review after this weekend.

getnjiggywithit · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 31, 2011, 06:59 AM »

I spotted one of the older style models on sale for $629 yesterday here in ottawa if anyone is looking for a deal!

Hesperus · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 03, 2012, 11:27 AM »

jiggy,

Have you seen any decent deals on the newer units? I have a contact near Ottawa who could secure one for me, but I'm thinking if I am going to go through the hassle I should get the latest and greatest. One thing that he has found is that "most Hardware stores can get these as special order and price is dictated by mfr"

Could you remind me again what changes were made between this one and the current units please?

What size cutter is with this sale unit?

Layne · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 03, 2012, 12:54 PM »

Quote from: Hesperus on Jan 03, 2012, 11:27 AM

jiggy,

Have you seen any decent deals on the newer units? I have a contact near Ottawa who could secure one for me, but I'm thinking if I am going to go through the hassle I should get the latest and greatest. One thing that he has found is that "most Hardware stores can get these as special order and price is dictated by mfr"

Could you remind me again what changes were made between this one and the current units please?

What size cutter is with this sale unit?

Hey there Hesperus, got your PM. The reason I got such a good deal is because the place I got mine from is an artic cat/rv/boat dealer and they wanted to get out of the husky stuff as they just had too much stuff on the go. They had one auger left on the shelves and sold it to me at a great price.

Really liking my husky so far, im so used to my hard starting jiffy that I keep over priming it/flooding it. Usually just closing the choke and a quick pull is enough to get it started, only need to prime it if it hasent been running that day.

I was really worried about the low horsepower of the unit but let me tell you this thing will rip your arms off if you arent holding on tight, it has LOADS of torque and would spin the 10" flighting no problem. It rips fast with my 8" and you dont even have to put any weight on it, simply hold it straight up and let it suck itself down. At half the weight of my jiffy and not having to fight it on every hole makes drilling a breeze, especially on thoses 50+ hole days.

News:

Author Topic: Husqvarna ice augers? (Read 36643 times)

surflizard