Fridge Freezer coolers….Engle MR045?

[mrybas]

Hi,
I was interested in adding an fridge freezer cooler. I am looking at the Engle MR045 as I know they have a good reputation. But there are tons of options on the market and wondering if there’s anything better?

I’ve seen a review of a Dometic that claimed it would not hold interior set temperature when ambient got over 90F. I’m assuming some brands are better built/insulated/more efficient than others. Are there any good comparative reviews that test in real world conditions (vs a BS review of the specs)?

[mrybas]

[bgallinger]

I have had the Engle MT-17 on my boat for 7 years and it works very well. When running, the amp load is low at maybe 2 amps, but I would say that in freezer mode, it runs a lot.

[chowdan]

I had a chinese whynter 60 liter freezer that burned around 50 amps a day, my smaller 30 liter iceco freezer burns about 35amps a day

[pjShap]

My Engel MR-40 Fridge/Freezer works well for the 5 years I've owned it, but as bgallinger says, it runs at least 50% duty cycle in freezer mode. It's always kept up with ambient, but I mostly spend the summers in cooler climates. 90F is about the hottest it gets, and the freezer stays frozen. Engel's product page gives performance data. The MR-40 performance data seems consistent with my experience, so I guess the MT-45 data is also a good approximation. If you're concerned about hot ambient, the MR-40 is a little more capable, at the cost of 3-amp max vs. 2.35 amp for the MT-45, and slightly reduced volume.

[chris mac]

It's 90°f here right now an my wynter brand fridge/freezer is holding at 0°f.
It is the 65 quart model with a insulated cover. It uses 6 amps when running, and at a guess it's about a 50% or less cycle rate.
We turn it off at night, and nothing thaws before morning, the ice cream is a little soft but still frozen.
We have been using i5 pretty much full time for 2 years now.

[noelex 77]

The Engel fridge /freezers are very tough, long lasting and super reliable.

There are more premium brands such as National Luna and Snomaster. These have better insulation and extra features, but are perhaps slightly less durable in the long term. We have one of each (Engel and National Luna).

There are many more budget products such as Dometic, and even these work well.

The advantage of all these types of fridge/freezers (even the more expensive models) is that they can be thrown away and replaced when they fail. This is often cheaper and is significantly less hassle than the costs and trouble associated with a repair of typical marine refrigeration. You also end up with a completely new unit.

They are typically designed for 4WD use. This is a hard life with plenty of shocks, vibration, hot ambient temperatures and low battery voltages. They have a much easier life on a sailboat, so even the inexpensive units tend to be reliable, and these can be a good solution.

I have never owned a Dometic unit, but 4WD users, at least in Australia, become very upset if their meat does not stay frozen or their beer is not icy cold. Ambient temperatures inside a parked 4WD, where these units are typically stored, is sometimes above 40° C so I would be surprised if the market tolerates units that cannot maintain temperatures in 90°F (32°C).

Overall, we have found these units a better choice (for us) than traditional marine refrigeration.