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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: morgue on April 28, 2011, 06:08:18 PM

Title: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: morgue on April 28, 2011, 06:08:18 PM
Checking out the lastest edition of Aust 4x4 and they did a 12v portable fridge comparo.
The fridges that they chose were basically the most common in the market place, they were:
ARB, Evakool,Engel, Waeco,Primus, National Luna and Bushman. The comparo was for the size of 50 Ltrs...the fridges were put through their paces both in the field and in the lab.

The result...for overall winner was.... 1st.. ARB, 2nd... National Luna, Tied for 3rd... Evakool/Bushman.

Best value for money .....Bushman.


Those who are toying with the idea of getting a 12volt fridge...this article will fill in a lot of research.

Let the debate...RAGE ON !!!!!

(note: I do not work for the 4x4 mag, nor work for any of the 12v fridge companies...but I do have a Bushman, for the money you pay and what you get, they are bloody good value.)
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: D4D on April 28, 2011, 06:10:26 PM
I wonder who pays the most in advertising, obviously not Waeco or Engel.
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: darren on April 28, 2011, 06:12:15 PM
Hmmmmmmmm...


What about a how are they in 10 years test...
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Gunna Do on April 28, 2011, 06:20:22 PM
I wonder who pays the most in advertising, obviously not Waeco or Engel.

There will always be the conspiracy theorists.

ARB 47 ltr, what a great fridge.
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: darren on April 28, 2011, 06:28:33 PM
There will always be the conspiracy theorists.

ARB 47 ltr, what a great fridge.

Written and spoken by G Doo on behalf of ARB corporation....
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: sablesoft on April 28, 2011, 06:30:19 PM
There will always be the conspiracy theorists.

ARB 47 ltr, what a great fridge.

X2
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: bullfrog on April 28, 2011, 06:31:43 PM
I tend to think that these comparo tests are like Politicians. Most are full of $hit, pi$$ & wind. Occasionally, one comes along that is worth listening to. :cheers:
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Aaron Schubert on April 28, 2011, 06:38:09 PM
It was an interesting read, but it only tells half of the story. How the fridges stand up to years of abuse is a totally different ball game

Aaron
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: jeeps on April 28, 2011, 06:40:08 PM
ARB's, Waecos, Evakools... blah...

Just chuck a heavy duty axle on one of these and some decent tyres and you're set ;)




(http://www.keepitcool.com.au/upload/images_lg/IMGP0138-1.jpg)

Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: JCOJ on April 28, 2011, 07:38:08 PM
What I want to know is how they came to their conclusion??

The Bushman kept's it's temperature the best throughout all the tests and shouldn't that be what it is about??

Tha ARB went from 4 degrees up to 8.5 degrees and 8.1 degrees on both the tests, whereas the Bushman only went to 4.7 and 6.6!!

Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Mav on April 28, 2011, 07:42:17 PM
Our Downunder 51 litre has been going strong for a few years now and for at least a year it was used as a home fridge. It lives in the back of the Prado and is on whenever the car is on. I would have no problem buying one of these again in the future.
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: craigtempo on April 28, 2011, 07:42:37 PM
In 2009 they did a fridge comparison and the results where as follows .

1st ARB ..47ltr

2nd waeco ct50ltr

bushman 35 - 42ltr ... best value for money ... highly recomended

engel mt45 ... most rugged ...recomended

evakool rfe 47 .. most power efficient ... aussie made

explorer dc56 ..user friendly design .. highly recomended

national luna 50 twin ... excelent build quality ... highly recomended .

my question is has national luna and evakool/bushman changed there design ? why was waeco deemed 2nd and now its down the list .

i dont have a fridge and so have no opinion as to the fridge debate but im just curious .[ a mate is going to give me his old waeco ]

craig
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: morgue on April 28, 2011, 07:50:22 PM
Ahhh...nothin like a good chat over a couple of beers talkin about 12v fridges...
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Burnsy on April 28, 2011, 07:53:39 PM
Last place I would look if I was doing research to buy something is Aust 4x4, quote from issue 162 in relation to solar power "an 80 watt panel gives about 4.5 amps times about 12 hours of sun per day, which equals 54 amps of charge into your battery" - these guys are :cup: clowns.
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: darren on April 28, 2011, 07:54:48 PM
This is what i use

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSs3Fsf2j-Lo4zLS_KBybBaFC3kPeqQ-MtTmkplwPjGJv1BBqOX)

In summer i hang some wet hessian over it ...
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: baldheadedgit on April 28, 2011, 07:55:54 PM
I think there all good as long as you use 6mm   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :cheers: :cheers:
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: speewa158 on April 28, 2011, 08:31:33 PM
Yeaaar But I got my Engles , they make cold , end of story  :cheers:
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: markymark on April 28, 2011, 08:42:45 PM
Quote
What I want to know is how they came to their conclusion??

The Bushman kept's it's temperature the best throughout all the tests and shouldn't that be what it is about??

Tha ARB went from 4 degrees up to 8.5 degrees and 8.1 degrees on both the tests, whereas the Bushman only went to 4.7 and 6.6!!

I agree! They did this last time too, it appeared the Bushman was ticking all the right boxes and then they gave it to the then new ARB fridge with no explanation as to how it got over the line ahead of the Bushman. Immediate thoughts were that Bushman weren't doing enough advertising with them!

I subscribed for years to this mag and finally gave it away when I got sick of Roothy raving about whatever product was throwing money at the magazine. In one story on his truck 'Milo', I counted the word 'Narva' 12 times, Narva this, Narva that, and I'd finally had enough. He made it all to obvious it was the money talking and not the product on its own merit.

Mark.
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Symon on April 28, 2011, 08:45:30 PM
Last place I would look if I was doing research to buy something is Aust 4x4, quote from issue 162 in relation to solar power "an 80 watt panel gives about 4.5 amps times about 12 hours of sun per day, which equals 54 amps of charge into your battery" - these guys are :cup: clowns.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that notices stupid stuff like that.
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: speewa158 on April 28, 2011, 08:50:32 PM
the 12v section is full of it dont you know  ???
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Symon on April 28, 2011, 08:53:32 PM
In the mag, or on this forum?
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: UIZ733 on April 28, 2011, 09:06:54 PM
I have not and will not read the article. My bushman however is an outstanding piece of equipment. I can only describe it (after 9 yrs) as an outstanding piece of gear.
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: TroyE on April 28, 2011, 09:37:31 PM
 ;D ford/holden, nissan/toyota, waeco/engel the debate will rage on & on & on..................

Me nissan troll and leaning toward the engel mt45 (don't have one yet) :cheers:
I wouldn't give you a nob of goat poop for either of the later offering from ford (Found On Rubbish Dump) or holden (Heap Of Loose Dirty Engine Nuts)
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: LC on April 28, 2011, 09:40:15 PM
We have a waeco, its been running for over three years non-stop without any problems, if and when we have to replace it the fridge that we get will have to fit onboard the drop down fridge slide we have so we will probably be restricted to another waeco, an engel or the ARB fridge - all of which I would be happy with!
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: AussieBob on April 29, 2011, 04:30:52 AM
I've got an Engel 39 ltr, had it for 22yrs, its gone nearly everwhere..CapeY, Gulf, Kimberley's, etc never missed a beat. The only modification added is a 12v computer fan to help air circulation.

It likes.. dirt roads and fresh air...none of this city life for it...
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: gibbo301 on April 29, 2011, 11:49:06 AM
If it keeps ya beer cold and don,t flatten your batteries to fast who gives a sh*t what names on it  :cheers:
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Lowndsey on April 29, 2011, 01:25:17 PM
Good thing GIC don't make fridges
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: heathydee on April 29, 2011, 02:14:29 PM
I bought an Engel 40 litre about six or seven years ago and have no complaints . I chose the Engel because my Father-in-Law had owned one of the old yellow ones for more years than he cared to remember . It was scratched , dented and rusty here and there .  Been used as a seat and at one point nearly escaped through the side window on a particularly rough track . The window lost the contest and had to be replaced . Not only did the fridge look as though it had been bouncing around in the back of the Toyota for years , it appeared to have been dragged behind it at some point . It still works perfectly .
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Rumpig on April 29, 2011, 03:22:06 PM
i own a 80ltr Engel Combi aswell as a 40 ltr Engel and a Autofridge 75ltr Eutectic. i reckon if i had my time again i'd own another Autofridge instead of the big Engel, the power consumption difference is massive between the 2 fridges, especially if your trying to keep food frozen in the freezer section of the 80ltr Engel.
no complaints about how well the big Engel runs, it's been running pretty much everyday in the back of the fourby since we bought it back in 2006, but you really need to keep an eye on the battery voltage if your not driving around each day.
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: gunna on April 29, 2011, 05:21:41 PM
Im with Gibbo on this one
cheers sheeds
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: Campa on April 29, 2011, 05:49:27 PM
If it keeps ya beer cold and don,t flatten your batteries to fast who gives a sh*t what names on it  :cheers:

x2  :cheers:
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: moonie80 on April 29, 2011, 06:24:58 PM
I bought the evakool about 3 years ago great fridge but the main point MADE IN AUS. That way my money stays in the country, and that's just because I'm patriotic, ha ha. Also it is separate fridge/freezer and or one or the other. Just my two cents worth guys, but very recommendable!
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: barneys on April 29, 2011, 06:32:07 PM
This is what i use

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSs3Fsf2j-Lo4zLS_KBybBaFC3kPeqQ-MtTmkplwPjGJv1BBqOX)

In summer i hang some wet hessian over it ...

darren you are such a moden man
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: oldblade on April 29, 2011, 09:12:15 PM
I have the evakool in the car and I'm buying another for the camper

when I got the mag  I said to my wife "good this should be a good article as TJM now run most the advertising "  how wrong was I

I read the article and the evakool got down to some rediculously low temperature and yet they didn't rate it as highly What's a fridge ment to do again ?

Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: gibbo301 on April 29, 2011, 09:20:42 PM
I have the evakool in the car and I'm buying another for the camper

when I got the mag  I said to my wife "good this should be a good article as TJM now run most the advertising "  how wrong was I

I read the article and the evakool got down to some rediculously low temperature and yet they didn't rate it as highly What's a fridge ment to do again ?



Keep your beer cold
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: NewcastleKnight on April 29, 2011, 09:25:08 PM
Over Easter I ran a engle 60l and a Waeco 35l both sat at approx 2degrees all weekend..,cold beer, wine, coke and food all good..,.thankfully I did not need a magazine to tell me that....lol
Title: Re: Aust 4x4 Mag throws a grenade into the fridge debate
Post by: SteveandViv on April 29, 2011, 09:38:17 PM
Yep, that's the thing. I also ran our poor old useless Waecos over Easter in 36 day temps and we even got down to 26 over night, well once. The 60 stayed all day at the beach in full sun at 0 to -1. The Dual Zone was between -12 -14 where set.. So they can say all they want but I think these test a full of SSSSSSSSS&^&^^%$$%%$$