Which cheap fridge?

[nab]

My 32L Engel died after 16years of almost 24/7 use and I have been quoted $800 to replace compressor so I'm looking at replacing it.

I'm looking for a 30-40L fridge that will be used mainly as a freezer on camping trips. Not too keen on spending $1000+ on an occasionally used fridge.

Anyone had long term use out of the cheaper fridges? Brass monkey, XTM etc etc. Not sure about kings but happy to use if they are proven.

Also open to drawer style fridges.

[silverfox1111]

I have a 20L brass monkey. Had it for over 2 years now & for the last year it has been running 24/7 in the car. No problems so far.
Silverfox

[db]

I've got a 20L Kings fridge / freezer thats been used for several trips over the last 3 years as a freezer. It's definitely not up to the Engel / Waeco standard, but for occasional use as a freezer its been ok, and the price was right for this use case.

[loanrangie]

Jump on FB marketplace and pick up a used fridge, plenty of 40-50l waeco etc going for under $400.
 I picked up a 40L sterling waeco copy for my nephew for $100.

[lloydus67]

I bought the sterling fridge second hand from facebook, it lasted 1 trip and only 1 direction before it died. Bad luck I guess. But I have had several weacos from facebook and EBay and they have proven very reliable.
I replaced the sterling with a kings 50l escape for around $230
It’s still on trial, had it 6 months and done a couple of trips, it works well but I’m undecided on power consumption when it’s very hot.
Lloyd


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[loanrangie]

I bought the sterling fridge second hand from facebook, it lasted 1 trip and only 1 direction before it died. Bad luck I guess. But I have had several weacos from facebook and EBay and they have proven very reliable.
I replaced the sterling with a kings 50l escape for around $230
It’s still on trial, had it 6 months and done a couple of trips, it works well but I’m undecided on power consumption when it’s very hot.
Lloyd


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After i got this one home i noticed the temp display was out so negotiated with the seller down to $50, went to jaycar for a new thermistor for $4.50 and picked up a new cover for $13.

[nab]

Thanks for the feedback. Heard mixed reports on Kings although it's hard to go past the throwaway price. Pretty good things about Brass Monkey. Hesitant to get a secondhand one unless it's near brand new.

BUT my Engel has started working today! I stripped it down a week ago, gave it a good clean, checked all connections etc. Turned it upside down overnight - read that it can unblock the pipes even on the compressor fridges, worth a shot. Still didn't work. Each day when I get home I have been turning it on for 10 mins to see if it cooled. All week the compressor and fan have run but not getting cold. Well today the bloody thing got cold. It's been on for a couple hours and sitting at -17°C. Will see how it goes before I commit to a new fridge, no idea why it started working all of a sudden
Any ideas?

[NZMarkb]

Your Engel lasted 16 years
Why would you even consider anything else
Your only choice I see is do you repair it or buy a new one 😉

[Foo]

Have you actually taken it to a camping fridge place for a "proper" appraisal? 

Foo

[Bird]

Your Engel lasted 16 years
Why would you even consider anything else
Your only choice I see is do you repair it or buy a new one 😉

Its a pretty good ad to replace with same... but then is the new one same quality as 16 yrs old.
There are quite a few used engels out there forsale.

[rossm]

Its a pretty good ad to replace with same... but then is the new one same quality as 16 yrs old.
There are quite a few used engels out there forsale.

I tried to buy a secondhand Engel once. Sellers never heard of depreciation. Wanted near new price for five year old fridge been bouncing around in a ute.

“It’s an Engel,  good as new,” they said.

So I bought a new one and my sons started arguing over who would inherit it. 

[lloydus67]

The plastic Engels are not the same quality, the steel ones still are.


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[nab]

No I didn't take it to the repair shop. I rang the Engel repair guy to see when I could bring it in, he told me over the phone either gas leak/blockage or the valve in the compressor is buggered (which is what I also found online). The problem is it is a sealed unit and there is no way to test those things, you just eliminate the other parts you can test which is what I did. He said I can bring it in and pay him $100 to get the same answer, he was quite helpful and gave some ideas over the phone to double check.

Fridge hasn't been working for a good 6 weeks. Tried turning it on and off many times over the last month, running off 12V and 240V so I have no idea what the issue was. My best guess is there was a blockage and turning it upside down and giving it quite a few healthy blows last week with the rubber mallet may have dislodged the blockage.

For the occasional use I can't justify $1300 on a replacement. As Ross says 2nd hand Engels are apparently like gold, the only cheap ones are the plastic ones or 20+ years old.

Currently sitting at -21°C, water bottle I put in yesterday is frozen rock solid.

[Fizzie]

He said I can bring it in and pay him $100 to get the same answer, he was quite helpful and gave some ideas over the phone to double check.

Had that with our home freezer a while back.

Suddenly started making a terrible noise, so rang a fridge bloke.

He said that'll it be the little plastic bracket that supports the fan will have broken. You can either have a look yourself, or I'll charge you $200 to come out & say the same thing, then another $100 to fix it.

Had a look & yep, the bracket was broken so the fan blades were knocking against the grill. Put a screw in "there" & Bob's your uncle, all fixed & no more noise!

He's doing himself out of easy money, but it's nice to see somebody who cares enough to give his customers an easy, cheap, option!

[sparksy]

Thanks for the feedback. Heard mixed reports on Kings although it's hard to go past the throwaway price. Pretty good things about Brass Monkey. Hesitant to get a secondhand one unless it's near brand new.

BUT my Engel has started working today! I stripped it down a week ago, gave it a good clean, checked all connections etc. Turned it upside down overnight - read that it can unblock the pipes even on the compressor fridges, worth a shot. Still didn't work. Each day when I get home I have been turning it on for 10 mins to see if it cooled. All week the compressor and fan have run but not getting cold. Well today the bloody thing got cold. It's been on for a couple hours and sitting at -17°C. Will see how it goes before I commit to a new fridge, no idea why it started working all of a sudden
Any ideas?

Engels are prone to blockages in the capillary line. Seems maybe to be the refrigerant oil drying when not running. Thats why some have had luck with the upside down trick. turning upside down causes reverse flow in the lines and may unblock it.   
Other tricks involve running the fridge and placing a orbital sander with a towel on the pad and vibrating the area on evap plates where the lines join.
Another which Ive had some success with is to remove the compressor cover and with a electric heat gun, gently heat the tubes where capillary line is. I think it softens any build up and allows refrigerant to flow.
A lot of people say their engel has lost its refrigerant but in my experience they still have a full charge and its a blockage issue.

To prevent them blocking up, just keep them running.

[nab]

Cheers for that. It has been running 24/7 for the last 5 years in the shed and just all of a sudden it stopped cooling. I will see how it goes and give the heat gun/sander tricks a go if it stops again.

I turned it off yesterday and left it off until this arvo. Was up to 33°C when I turned it back on. checked it 4 hours later and it was at -17°C so seems to be running properly again.

[nab]

Just a final followup, just did 12 days offgrid, the Engel performed flawlessly in the ute canopy, maintaining around -18°C the whole trip. Temps ranged from 23° to 37°.

Felt pretty chuffed we could make ice cubes and have icecream 90km from the nearest town town!

[NZMarkb]

The money you've saved you can invest in Beers 

[WilSurf]

We are looking into a new fridge as well.
Anyone has the Kings fridge drawer?

[nab]

We are looking into a new fridge as well.
Anyone has the Kings fridge drawer?

I looked at them, if you plan to use it as a freezer it is only rated to get down to -10°C.

[brianvicki]

We are looking into a new fridge as well.
Anyone has the Kings fridge drawer?

Yes but only as a fridge, it stays on all the time, though in summer the lithium battery is on charge overnight, but yeah works great

[WilSurf]

I looked at them, if you plan to use it as a freezer it is only rated to get down to -10°C.

I saw that, it will only used as a fridge.
We are looking at the 60 liter model.

[WilSurf]

Yes but only as a fridge, it stays on all the time, though in summer the lithium battery is on charge overnight, but yeah works great

Thanks.
Do you have the 30 or 60 liter model?

[lloydus67]

I don’t own one but on the adventure kings hacks and upgrades page on facebook suggests that a computer fan solves many of the issues people have had with them.


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[brianvicki]

30 litre