what ever happened to ice gator

[fishmaster13184]

When they came out they were the greatest thing o ever happen to ice fishing now they seem non existent

[WalleyeTom]

There out there, some where ........

http://www.icegator.com/products.php

[fishmaster13184]

I know they still are but what happened they used to be everyone's first choice now you hear nothing about them when someone's looking at an electric auger.

[Layne]

Bad customer service doesent get you very far.

[jbird68]

I love my gator. But they are slow to respond. I lost one of the threaded rods that holds the top on. I had to email them and then call them to get a replacement part. Then I get It and it's the wrong length. I had to take it to work and cut it shorter and then have new threads cut. But when I first got it the charger that came with it would not charge my batteries. They sent me a new charger at no cost and didn't even want the old one to repair it. I am still happy with my purchase.

[dkfry]

Seemed to be a fad. Fishing stuff can be like that sometimes.

[xjma]

Because if you're not spinning your auger by hand, you should be utilizing an internal combustion engine to spin it, or not fishing at all.

[gofish33]

I have one in the shed you can have for cheap.....  they  spin the auger at 400rpm which gets thru ice in a hurry.  Until the switches burned out and I spent three months getting replacement switches, which I put in myself.  I went back to 2-cycle gas engine, at least I can find someone with 5 miles that can fix it in a couple days.  There's nothing more  frustrating than  having icean  and auger that won't run !

Someone above said it, you don't stay in business long with lousy customer support.

I now run an Echo Tree-Tapper on a 6" FinBore , fast and light, and I have an Echo dealer in town.

gofish33

[wax_worm]

No activity on their facebook site since March of 2012.  Seems like they have just disappeared.

[BWB]

They have not disappeared, I inquired about a new charger for my lithium ion battery pack (my son broke it) and Greg emailed me back the same day.  Still very much in business, maybe they don't have time to keep up on a Facebook page?

[gunnerdog]

I work for Pheasent Country in Redfield, SD  and we sell the crap out of them.  We even have the parts to fix them.  Icegator is still very much alive.

[jhill]

I guess I'm not surprised the FB site has been quiet...as a company they don't seem to focus much on the Customer-facing details.    Last year I think they went to a Distributor-only sales chain, no more Direct-to-Consumer...most likely to limit and consolidate their quantities, improve quality and customer service?  So it's a bit hard to find them that way too.
More so...i'm thinking people who know it, just don't mention it anymore becuase Ice Gator is like Politics...ya can't mention it anymore unless you're in the mood for an argument.  So people who like it just quietly make a vote (or purchase) and go about their business.

It'll be interesting to see how the Ion does at Cabelas.  With the store's excellent reputation for customer service, more folks should be willing to gamble on a newer technology?

[esox slayer]

I have one in the shed you can have for cheap.....  they  spin the auger at 400rpm which gets thru ice in a hurry.  Until the switches burned out and I spent three months getting replacement switches, which I put in myself.

I'd rather spud holes than take a chance on one of them.

On a brighter note, I scored 2 old Model 30 Jiffys this past summer, that makes 3 of them...gonna fix 'em up with new paint and a tune up and sell them....still got mine from the mid 70's and still running strong...

[Caseman]

Wow I didn't realize that they had such bad service.....

My icegator  made some awful noise the last time I had it out.  Soon as I got home I called up ice gator left a message and within 2 hours I had a phone call back.

They walked me through taking the lower cover off  and we found out that somehow the nut that holds the gear on the motor somehow came loose.  Had a little wear on the motor shaft from me trying to use when I shouldn't have.  So they are sending me a replacement motor. All I need to do is send the old one back.
Oh and BTW this was on a Saturday.

I also ordered the lithium ion battery pack.  I can't wait.  I will post a review once I get it.

[wingnutty]

Here's a very unhappy customer with a $450 auger from 2009 that sits USELESS because it doesn't work and never has!  Last time I tried dealing with them (winter 2010) they called me a liar and told me I abused my auger...this was an auger that I used 2 times (TWICE) and on both outings it failed to drill >5 holes!  I treated the auger with kid gloves and certainly didn't abuse it by any stretch, unless using it to drill holes in the ice counts as abuse .  They wouldn't take it back and fix it, wouldn't refund any money, wouldn't trade it in on a newly upgraded product, nothing.  Unbelievable. 

I took a gamble on a new company and a family owned business and got SCREWED!  I knew I should have waited another couple of years to purchase to see how everyone else's augers panned out, but I took a gamble and lost.  6 months after I purchased mine they upgraded units and basically told all of the previous customers who had taken gambles to purchase their products (many of which didn't work) to pound sand.  A lot of us got left in the dust with an inferior and ineffective product that should have been replaced with the new units.  I can't justify spending the coin to buy a gas auger, so for the last few years I've been hand drilling, which is fine now that I've relocated to an area that doesn't get as thick of ice as where I lived before, but still, I've very annoyed to have a $450 paper weight sitting in the garage!

Here is a warning: DON'T BUY ICE GATOR!!!!  I love to support small businesses, but not when they don't stand behind their products.  Go buy the new electric from Cabelas, at least you have a company that will usually stand behind their producers should something go wrong.

Sorry Ice Gator, but you burned your own bridges by ripping off a lot of customers

And I am sure there are happy customers out there, and I"m happy that some people ended up right side on the deal, but if you look back through the ice gator posts, you'll find a lot of unhappy customers with nothing to show for their hard-earned money.

I have a lot of outdoor gear and I would say, without doubt that this was the WORST outdoor related purchase I have ever made and hopefully will ever make. 

[draz]

They called you a liar as well. I just wish the old posts were here for everyone else to read. My works now, in fact I used it all day today, but the BS I had to go through was not pleasant. Even though mine works still can't recommend them. I was also told on the NH thread that they have been bought out. How true that is, I don't know. Would love to back a small company like this but just can't. For the money I spent, wish I would have bought a Jiffy.  At least they have been around for a long time and stand behind their product. Just my .02

[jhill]

Still love my Gator.  Been a champ for 2 or 3 years now. 

[pete/ny]

I bought mine the first Year they were introduced and its been a great auger.No problems whatsoever except a faulty charger which when I called greg up, 3 days later I had a BN charger at my door. He said not to bother sending back the faulty one. Hoping if and when I have a problem I can get replacement parts, if not just another paper weight and a heavy one at that.

[teamlund]

They have not disappeared, I inquired about a new charger for my lithium ion battery pack (my son broke it) and Greg emailed me back the same day.  Still very much in business, maybe they don't have time to keep up on a Facebook page?

in this day and age you HAVE to keep up on facebook becasue all of your cometitors will... Its free advertising, any company that doesnt capilize on it in this age is shooting themselves in the foot.