ice augers

[BIG WEST]

hey fellow ice fisherman. i got a couple of questions im hoping someone can answer. Ive had an eskimo ice auger for about 15 years and its worked great the whole time. Sad to say its finally reaching its lifespan and im putting money into it the last two seasons that are getting pricey. if these repairs kept it runnig a full season it wouldnt be so bad, unfourtantley not. all us fisherman know a broken down auger ruins a trip. so ive been looking at getting another eskimo auger brand since my old one was so reliable. the one that caught my eye was the eskimo viper. the viper has a 3.7 hp 71 cc engine, sounds pretty mean. the only deal is i cant find any reviews about this auger. the price of 490.00 makes me wary of just picking it up without any info. if anyone out there owns or has operated the viper some info would be greatly apperciated. yeah i know its a little early but the hunger to get on some solid water is giving me a twitch. hope to hear.    thanks a million bigwest

[327trout]

sorry I can't help you but last year I bought the cheapest 8" eskimo and it works great. The reason I bought it was because my friend has that model and it's served him well also. I guess all I'm saying is that I think they still make a nice product. Good Luck

[WYIfish]

Can't help on the eskimo but the best brand is brand new, saying that, two years ago I bought a 20 year old jiffy 3hp with a 10 inch auger that had new blades. $200, it runs perfectly, and it may last another 29 years according to the factory.
I still love my 20 year old spud for special occasions.  Good luck on the eskimo.

[BIG WEST]

thanks for the feedback guys. i really enjoyed using the eskimo and after some other opinions im going to purchase the viper. i'll drop a line this winter giving my thoughts on the new auger. also if anybody is interested in my old eskimo i may be looking to unload it for a fair price. the auger needs a little more fine tuning just dont have the patcience or knowhow. the auger is 10 inch with blades i only used half a season. when its time for the new auger i'll see if there are any takers.  well thanks again for the feedback always good to hear from fellow ice fisherman. sometimes cant alway rely on the info from the company.