Cheap Fridge/Freezers

[Merts]

Just wondering if anyone has a relatively cheap 12v compressor fridge that they've been happy with?
(Or had a bad experience that you can share so I don't make the same mistake.)

I have a 60 litre ARB in my ute which gets a fair bit of use, but I'm thinking about getting a smaller, cheaper unit to use both in my hybrid camper, and also occasionally when we go somewhere in my wife's ASX. It's probably only going to be used a few times a year, so I don't really want to shell out a grand or more for one of the big name fridges.

Ones I've seen on the internet and are considering are:

Devanti 55 litre (plastic case) from Kogan. It has a Secop (Danfos) compressor with a 3 year warranty, and the specs look pretty good. $511 delivered including a soft cover. It looks very similar to the cheaper Dometic/Waeco units.
https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/2-in-1-55l-portable-fridge-and-freezer-nw-outdoor/

Evakool Koolmate (steel) KM55. It's obviously one of their Chinese made units, and has a Chinese copy of the Secop compressor. 2 year warranty. $399 plus $40 delivery. A cover is an extra $30, as is a 240 to 12v adaptor.
https://www.evakool.com/bundle-km55-koolmate

Has anyone had either of these units, or something similar you can either recommend or advise me to keep away from?

[Hookie]

I got a 50L sphere free with my swan. I've mentioned it in the fridge thread. I only use it for day trips or sitting by the pool because I have a waeco cfx for camping. It does work, but there are 2 things I don't love about it -

1 - It gets a full 5 degrees above the temp you set it to before the compressor kicks on. I set it to zero for drinks and it can be anywhere between 0 and 5.
2 - After about a year of infrequent use, LCD segments are failing. I've just about lost enough of them that I don't know what the temp is, so hopefully it remembers that it's set to zero forever now.

That's the extent of my experience with cheap fridges, FWIW.

[Merts]

Thanks Hookie.

The other unit I wondered about is the Waeco CF40, (which people either seem to love or hate.)

Anaconda have them at a special 'club' price of $599 including a cover.

[HKB Electronics]

I would buy the CF40, it is the old model but is a good price and probably not that much less efficient than the new model.
Last time I checked Anaconda was only one of a couple that were still selling this model and chaepaer than the other by a couple of hundred.

[GBC]

I was going to mention the cdf35. We have 3 of them in the family. You won’t kill one any time soon.

[Homerj]

I bought a cheap Chinese one off Ebay to go in the camper but can't recall the brand.  It was loud, power hungry, had a crappy lid and ran almost constantly, even at night when the weather cooled down. After one trip it was banished to the shed and was replaced with a Waeco cfx 40 which I reckon is a really good fridge.
I'd go for the cf 40 and bag at the price you found, my cf 50 in the car has been fine for many years.

[Merts]

Thanks for the advice guys. As it happens BCF now have the new Waeco CFF45 on special for club members for $599 too. That might be best as from what I've read they are more efficient and the lid is much better.

[Craig Tomkinson]

Hi Merts, I payed $200 for a upright 55lt second hand Chinese fridge, its very quite when running when the 4wd is stopped,  but driving along the compressor has a rattle inside it like a tin can trying to escape, it runs no more than a engel, I have not tested it to see what amps it uses,   Ive had it in the back of my old 80 series for a few weeks and it gets hot in there but it kept the drinks icy cold and the freezer bit was frozen, How long it will last I have no Idea, Craig   

[Merts]

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment.

FYI, I purchased a Waeco CFF45 from BCF at lunchtime today. They had one on display plus one in a box.
The bloke I spoke to said they'd been very popular (they had sold 8 the previous weekend). I took the one in the box.
I reckon had I waited until Saturday (tomorrow) I'd have missed out on the current stock.

[Hookie]

Ha, I got the email from bcf today, stopped by to mention it!