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Tarfumes.com - Ardisam #E43 Earth Auger Power Head
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List Price: $274.99
Our Price: $229.74
Your Save: $ 45.25 ( 16% )
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: ARDISAM INC
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Misc.
Brand: ARDISAM INC
EAN: 0012642600432
Feature: Ardisam #E43 Earth Auger Power Head
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: ARDISAM INC
Manufacturer: ARDISAM INC
Publisher: ARDISAM INC
Studio: ARDISAM INC
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Features
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Ardisam #E43 Earth Auger Power Head
ARDISAM INC
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Editorial Reviews:
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Earthquake, Earth Auger Power Head, Viper 43CC, 2-Cycle Engine, Single Person Operation, 30:1 Gear Ratio, 250 Max RPMs, 2", 3", 4", 6", 8" & 10" Auger Diameters, Revolutionary IsoVibe Technology Delivers Maximum Power Without The Unmanageable Twisting & Jerking Of Other Augers, Easy To Grip Fingertip Throttle Control, Solid Steel, Heat Treated Alloy Gears, See Through Fuel Tank, Quick Start Primer, Steel Muffler Guard, Anti-Vibration Foam Grip Handle, Accepts EA6F Or EA8F Earth Auger Bits, Lightweight At Only 19Lbs.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: I can dig it.
Comment: I got the E43 powerhead & a 6" auger to put in about 80 fence posts on our property. I was impressed. I was pleased to find that there were lots of accessories for the Earthquake that are readily available and reasonably priced. I purchased a couple of 18" extensions and went to work drilling 5' deep ground-water monitoring wells for a guy who designs septic systems. We have drilled about 40 of these 5' deep X 6" holes. I suspected that this might be more than the machine was really designed for but the Earthquake turned out to be a fantastic tool for the job. I can often drill a 5' deep hole quicker than a tractor with a hydraullic auger can be maneuvered into position.
Tips: The first time I started the engine took quite a few pulls but after that, it came to life and became easier to start. Do not set the auger down with the engine running, the exhaust is hot enough to instantly start a fire in dry grass. If you plan to drill very many holes, get extra cutting blades and keep them sharp. It will only drill through roots and hardpan with sharp blades. Do not push the auger down. It works better when the auger is spinning rapidly. If you hit roots, lift most of the weight off and lit it nibble through them slowly. If the blade grabs on to a root, it can really buck so just let go, stand back and let the power head spin until it stops. Make no mistake; this is not a toy. It has more than enough power to hurt you if you aren't careful. If you expect to be changing augers or adding extensions very frequently, don't use the bolts provided, get some fast-pins to make the changes quick & easy. If you want to drill deep holes with auger extensions, it really helps to have another person help to lift it high enough to get it out of the hole. For post holes, there is no need to lift the last bit of dirt out of the bottom of the holes. You can dump water down the hole and mix it up with the auger and then the posts will slide down easily to the bottom displacing the mud as they drop. When you do need to remove the last bit of loose dirt out of a hole, a shop vac does the trick. Drilling holes in the ground is still hard work but I wouldn't ever consider using a heavy, awkward 2-man auger again.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pleasantly surprised
Comment: When I purchased this auger I was a little scared that it was going to be too low horsepower to dig thru the hard dirt at my ranch. Luckily, I was wrong. I put an 8" bit on there, and it dug right thru that dirt with no problem at all. The bit did get hung up a few times, but just for a second - half of those times was when it hit a tree root, but it always kept going. The instruction manual states that the belts have to get broken in, and they may slip (this is probably what was happening). It says that the breaking period is about * 2 hours of use * and then it'll be at full power. That seems a bit extreme to me since it only took about 90 seconds for this thing to bore a 2' hole. I'd have to be using this a lot before I ever reached 2 hours of use, but luckily, even with the belts slipping a little it still did the job.
The motor fired up almost instantly each time - even when it was brand new out of the box. Stopped on a dime too when the power was cut. It is a comfortable and well built device.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Caution-This is a dangerous piece of equipment.
Comment: I was looking for an earth auger and saw two used Earthquake E43s at a local building supply house. After looking around and not being able to find one in stock anywhere else, I went back and opted to purchase a new unit. When I got it home, neither I nor my nieghbor could get it to start, so I took it back. The sales person told me that this was the third one to come back that week (not counting the two that were sitting in the used bin). She said something about them not running or not turning off. I went ahead and bought another one and took it home.
Finally got it to run and it ran well.
After digging four holes, I decided to clean those holes out and plant my shrubs. It was then that the auger kicked into high gear and would not disengage. I toggled the on/off switch to the off position and it would not turn off. I had to try to keep a grip on the machine while trying to get the spark plug wire off and was having great difficulty. My neighbor saw what was happening and ran over to assist. With his help, we finally got the spark plug wire off and it finally stopped running.
When I returned it, I found out that they had actually had a larger number of these units returned.
The company needs to work on the bit ingage lever and replace the on/off swith with one that actually works.
Customer Rating:
Summary: It does the job, worth the money, but not perfect
Comment: After renting a similar unit for $50/day, and having many holes to dig, I figured that it was worth $325 to buy one ($225 for the head, $100 for the drill... you need both). Assembly is easy, just one screw to attach the throttle. Add some 50:1 gas and it started after a couple pulls. Power is good, weight is good (not heavy!), and ergonomics are good (handles comfortable, exhaust blows away from you, as opposed to some other units where it blows in your face and 50:1 exhaust is horrid!). Drills have a built-in shock absorbing spring which really works.
Only negatives are a kind of wimpy kill switch that occasionally you have to re-toggle to kill the engine, and the Chinese no-name engine/clutch which I expect will be harder to get repaired than eg. a Techumseh (while I don't forsee the near-term need for repairs, they are inevitable on this kind of equipment).
I also considered the Ardisam 9000E, but am glad I chose the smaller (and less expensive) E43... I've found that I don't really need the extra HP, even though I'm drilling in rocky-soiled NH.
A worthwhile purchase, a good addition to my garden shed.
Note: I got mine for $25 less than Amazon/NorthernTool at Lowes, so shop around.
More info: After using the hell out of it for a year or so, I'll add the following:
- Kill switch gets worse over time (dirt?), you gotta really hold it down to shut the engine off.
- Buy extra shear pins - the small diameter seems to break easily (again, I have rocky soil).
- The pullstarter/oil filter/killswitch housing is made of thin, cheap plastic. If the unit falls over & the housing hits the ground, it will most likely crack. Mine is very cracked :) but the unit still functions.
- I'm still glad I bought it. I've saved a bunch of money on rentals and despite the issues listed above I still think it's worth the price.
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