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12V, 24V, 240V How to power, what to power. Lights, solar, what's around to make it more comfy.



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Old 15-09-2013, 08:13 AM
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Which fridge?

I'm up for a new fridge and having a bit of indecision. I've been looking at the Waeco CFX 50 and the 47L ARB fridges. They are both fairly new so not to sure on their reliability. I'm open to an Engel or maybe an Ironman fridge too. Hard to choose between them. What fridge are you guys using and what do you recommend?
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Old 15-09-2013, 08:43 AM
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If you are looking for performance and reliability? There is only one choice. Engel. Their 12voltand 240 volt.and I have seen them run for 30plus years.
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Old 15-09-2013, 04:29 PM
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depends what you want to do with it. if you want to freeze items in hot climates i wouldnt recommend an engle. A waeco or ARB would be the go. they have thicker insulation and hold their temperature far better than the engle, only down side is they will pull more amps. If its just to use as a cooler the engle will do the job fine. I'd have a look at the ARB units. they're designed to use the avaliable space more effectivly....only caveat i have is the latch and lid hinge looks a little flimsy...but have a look and make a decision from there.
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Old 15-09-2013, 06:23 PM
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Engel, Engel or Engel in my opinion. Spent 3 years in retail selling portable fridge/freezers. Engels and Waeco's mainly. Wouldnt use a Waeco if it was given too me. The Engels are far superior in Amp usage and construction. On a 40+ degree day with your fridge in the sun the Waeco will pull up to 10 AMP/hr to keep things cold, The Engel will be Pulling 4-5 amp/hr......
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Old 15-09-2013, 06:44 PM
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Engel, Engel or Engel in my opinion. Spent 3 years in retail selling portable fridge/freezers. Engels and Waeco's mainly. Wouldnt use a Waeco if it was given too me. The Engels are far superior in Amp usage and construction. On a 40+ degree day with your fridge in the sun the Waeco will pull up to 10 AMP/hr to keep things cold, The Engel will be Pulling 4-5 amp/hr......
Except the engle wont freeze a thing and everything will defrost. A 50lt waeco max amp rating is 7amp/hr, not 10.

Ives used a few fridges over the years in some of the hottest places in australia, and engles are never able to cope with the heat. They end up running constantly fors hrs and struggle to get temps down.

The slightly higher energy use of Danfrost compressors is a little cost to pay for keeping bait and catch frozen....
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Old 15-09-2013, 07:16 PM
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Just buy an Evakool RF47 and be done with it. Aus made and built on the legendary Baileys esky! All white reflects the heat, 5yr warranty and still using Danfoss compressors, Waeco now uses some chinese unit for their fridges. Australiandirect have the best prices I have found.

Last edited by t303; 15-09-2013 at 07:19 PM.
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Old 15-09-2013, 07:31 PM
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Engel are the one others are judged by and I have had no issues with them freezing or keeping fish etc frozen.
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Old 15-09-2013, 08:49 PM
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Another vote for Engel. My pop's 30 year old model is still going with little to no problems in all that time and it's done several round Oz trips.
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Old 15-09-2013, 08:57 PM
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I have two Engels, 60 and a 40 and love them both. They are generally just used as bait freezers in the shed but get packed for trips occasionally as well.

I have watched the ocean surge across a boat deck through my Engel for a couple of hours and am amazed that it still runs faultlessly, not to mention that there are no visible signs of corrosion either.

I have a few mates still running the yellow Engels and love them and use them regularly. With the age of these things they have certainly got value for money.

The biggest difference I have heard on different fridges is whether they have an auto cut off or not. A friend with another fridge always complains that his shuts itself off when the battery gets low on power (which always seems to be pretty regularly), causing warm food and beers at the end of the day. Like most 4x4 drivers he has a dedicated battery for the fridge so a cut out is of no use. Engels will run for days on a single battery but will draw the battery down to flat. Good for some bad for others.
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Old 15-09-2013, 09:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig View Post
Engel are the one others are judged by and I have had no issues with them freezing or keeping fish etc frozen.
Spot on... Mine has spent a whole week sitting in 40+ deg days on the back of my hilux up north. It was the designated Freezer for the trip and stayed frozen for the entire time with no hassles..
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Old 17-09-2013, 11:26 AM
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I was engal all the way, until i got a waeco cfx65! Will never look back
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Old 18-09-2013, 08:16 AM
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Another thing you may want to consider is. What other fridge company supports OUR bream fishing across Australia to the turn of tens of thousands of dollars a year in product. ?

NONE.

Support those that support OUR sport.

.
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Old 18-09-2013, 10:52 AM
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Well said Don
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Old 18-09-2013, 06:28 PM
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I run 2 60ltr Engels 1 as a fridge and 1 as a freezer and they wold be about 10 years old and still going strong. Im like bear the reason I bought an engel is dads 30year plus is still going.
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Old 19-09-2013, 06:39 AM
lukereneeseth lukereneeseth is offline
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To be honest on this topic, your not going to find one much better than the other really. 1 may be better at "X" yet the other may be better at "Y".

But to break down what I spent around 1 - 2 years looking into this exact topic:

A few people and a 4x4 magazine have done the amp usage test for half a dozen portable fridges. Waeco used the least amps out in the bush. That's that.

Engel has the more robust outer shell. If you're having it in the tray exposed to the sun all day do not go Waeco.

Like everything that can be bought with money... They don't make them like they use to. A lot of people still have fridges from 10,20,30 years ago, that's because they where made to last. Does that mean you can expect your 2013 bought Engel to last you 30 years? Certainly not! From everything I've read on Engel v's Waeco more Engels have been going in for repair v's Waeco.

Expect to pay a few hundred more for the same size Engel for no reason at all. Kind of like buying a pair of Nike shoes or Pumas. Or Quintrex and Stacer. You pay an extra hundred just for the name.

Waeco are cheaper for repairs. My thermistor was $180. My brothers was $225 ...... done at the same place.

I believe Engel is for the true off roader, outback, rough, dirty, etc.
Waeco is for the family 4x4 camper.

Evakool is bang in the middle. The white compressor portable fridge is an awesome bit of gear. Design and material better than both Waeco and Engel. If I ever have to replace the fridges it will definitely be with the Evakool fridges, always over looked by most purely because of the excessive marketing Waeco and Engel have.
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