New fridge freezer on the market.

roninjiro

Explorer
I don't care where most anything comes from... as you will never truly know unless you visit the factories of every product you buy. It is competition and if it has a warranty and a low price... sure I am for it. Looking at this new fridge and the whyter/edgestar version... looks the same but I will always buy the whyter over that one, because for less than $20 I could add a light to mine. It is almost like driving a foreign made truck and saying you only buy American... what is up with that.
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
. It is almost like driving a foreign made truck and saying you only buy American... what is up with that.

because some so called foreign are made in USA and some so called American vehicles come out of Mexico :) hahahaha :)
 

General Automag

Adventurer
There was a post or two on the Expedition Portal home page at http://www.expeditionportal.com/news/1212-nik-schulz.html commenting on this new fridge. (The posts were slightly critical of the unit and it's price when compared to ARBs, Engels, etc. - and these posts seem to have been removed. Censorship?)

Anyway, I have to agree. This unit should be at a $400-$550 price point at best. A search on the internet gets you a new ARB for $785 - $800 delivered. Why would anyone take a gamble on a brand-new product at the same amount for a tried and true product?
 

Xterabl

Adventurer
To all the good folk who can't--or can't be bothered to--find the time for the research: before the Edgestar with the Danfoss KNOCKOFF liyang compressor (hey, I have an Edgestar and it's been a good investment; but a knockoff is still a knockoff), there were only TWO types of compressors found in all the various models of DC fridges (for RV's camping, etc.) below 60 qt capacity. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find the other compressor (besides the Danfoss).

Gen. Automag nails it above. This is a dressed up Edgestar. And actually ARB 50 qt latest price with shipping is <$764.
Link: http://mudflaps.com/i-6724060-arb-4x4-accessories-10800472-portable-fridge-freezer.html

If you consider $ per quart, same quality 43 qt should cost < $657 shipped.

I love my Edgestar, since I got if for $349 shipped ~2 years ago. But considering the infancy of quality-controlled manufacturing in China, there is still a lot of risk.
Of course, chinese slaves are getting antsy and wise, too, and demanding more wage. Hence cost of chinese-made stuff is/has bottoming/bottomed. Time will tell how that pans out.
 

RHINO

Expedition Leader
xterabl,, you have made this thread funny. there is at least one fridge based on the edgestar cabinet with a real danfoss compressor, and the one mentioned above might be another, i have yet to confirm it. your trivia Q is way to easy, but i dont feel like getting into the swing of answering it just yet.
 

RHINO

Expedition Leader
i'm still trying to figure it out, saw it at a solar power trade show. definitely an edgestar cabinet down to the wire baskets and all, but a different latch, and a silver color powder coat instead of grey. these were not branded and had no name on the cabinet.

they had a lid alarm, interior light and 3 cut off settings much like the fridge in this thread. i could see danfoss on the compressor through the grill. the guy at the booth said he didnt know who made them and they were looking for an importer, maybe they found one or maybe its another fridge altogether?
 

4x4junkie

Explorer
I personally don't know anything abut the differences in the compressors in the various fridges. I was only commenting on the potential differences between the parts/components sourced from China.

I have an Edgestar which I purchased as scratch and dent for $330 shipped and it has worked fine so far.

I'm not closed to it potentially being a cheaper-made compressor, I just have not found any good evidence to support it yet, at least in performance tests I've done on my unit... Reliability (longevity) is another matter that still remains to be seen though (i have 3 friends who also bought Edgestars about the same time I bought mine 1½-2 years ago, so time may tell).


To all the good folk who can't--or can't be bothered to--find the time for the research: before the Edgestar with the Danfoss KNOCKOFF liyang compressor (hey, I have an Edgestar and it's been a good investment; but a knockoff is still a knockoff), there were only TWO types of compressors found in all the various models of DC fridges (for RV's camping, etc.) below 60 qt capacity. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find the other compressor (besides the Danfoss).

ROFL
Danfoss is a brand name, not a type of compressor (might want to have that straight first before you go around name-calling lol).
But to answer your trivia, the two types of compressors commonly used in these things are linear (aka swing), and rotary (those with a rotating motor). The Danfoss and Liyang both happen to be rotary types.
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
From another thread


FWIW, between myself & friends, we've bought four Edgestar units (three in 2010, one in 2011) and so far each one of them has functioned flawlessly. To me the Edgestar's issues seem to be primarily centered around it's DC power cord (losing connection, plug breaking, etc.), it's carrying handles, and occasionally the hinges. Unless attaching some metal replacements from Lowe's or Home Depot & redoing the cigarette-lighter plug / changing of it's DC socket for something better is not something you're up for (things each one of us has had to do to some degree or another), I wouldn't necessarily discount the Edgestar. Aside from the items above, it seems to be a pretty sturdy unit.

Ok not trying to be harsh but my ARB (older metal Engel models) has never needed any work of any kind ? A few others I know never had a issue with anything on theirs either

flawless to me is not OK we had to replace hinges and latches and plugs etc...the fact you mentioned each one of you has had to do something tells me a knock off is not the same quality ? Yes time will tell but so far seems to have issues with quality and more the point some others were talking about with knockoffs
 

4x4junkie

Explorer
From another thread




Ok not trying to be harsh but my ARB (older metal Engel models) has never needed any work of any kind ? A few others I know never had a issue with anything on theirs either

flawless to me is not OK we had to replace hinges and latches and plugs etc...the fact you mentioned each one of you has had to do something tells me a knock off is not the same quality ? Yes time will tell but so far seems to have issues with quality and more the point some others were talking about with knockoffs

That post I was specifically referring to it's compressor and other refrigeration components which have continued to work fine without any issues (maybe I should've been more specific on that part, sorry). I was simply stating where the typical trade-offs for buying the cheaper Edgestar might be, which many people don't seem to have a problem with as long as the fridge itself works fine. If swapping handles, etc. isn't your bag o' tea, then most certainly the ARB or Engel units would be the better option.
 
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MarcFJ60

Adventurer
As many have said, if you don't mine tinkering a bit to solve some initial quality issues, the Edgestar is a good way to save money. Like many, I have had to mess with the wiring connections and 12v plug, but once solved, it has worked fine. I don't mind this as it cost less than half what other fridges cost. It is a trade-off I'm willing to make.

But if the fridge the OP posted has these same issues as the Edgestar but at a cost of $800, I would be very upset. If I'm paying the same cost as other top flight fridges, I want top flight quality. But my guess is that $800 has the same crappy 12v cord as my $350 Edgestar.
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
As many have said, if you don't mine tinkering a bit to solve some initial quality issues, the Edgestar is a good way to save money. Like many, I have had to mess with the wiring connections and 12v plug, but once solved, it has worked fine. I don't mind this as it cost less than half what other fridges cost. It is a trade-off I'm willing to make.

But if the fridge the OP posted has these same issues as the Edgestar but at a cost of $800, I would be very upset. If I'm paying the same cost as other top flight fridges, I want top flight quality. But my guess is that $800 has the same crappy 12v cord as my $350 Edgestar.

I think that is more the idea of this fridge in question and what I was trying to say :)

if something is half the cost you can say OK I can live with knowing I have to tinker or it might not last as long but if something is coming close like this fridge might be ? cant see it being worth it

if we keep a fridge 15 yeas and it cost $1000 or something that last 7-8 years and cost $500 but might take some tinkering it might be a balance worth looking at cause in 7-8 years something new and or one might want a dif size etc..


the other side comes into resale ? will a arb hold its value and be worth at least half its value over a cheaper on which might not be worth half its value ?
 

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