Reliable fridge advise please

[Stumpy1]

G'day,

I'm seeking comments from anyone with an ironman fridge (only those who use one week in week out please)

As a truckie, I have used Engel fridges for nearly 20 years. they have always been supplied by the company. There is no doubt in my mind that they are reliable, excellent in high ambient temps etc, however I am now in a position where I need to supply my own fridge and would like to avoid paying a premium price for a similar quality fridge.

For a saving of around $200-300 on a comparable Engel fridge, I could buy an Ironman fridge.

Has anyone used these fridges day in day out in hot weather and can you please provide your thoughts?

Thanks in advance..

Stumpy

[bussy1963]

There is a saying that most people forget. " Am I that poor to buy cheap". that basically means if you buy cheap you get cheap. Engel has the score on the board value for money and reliable. I would spend a few hundredextra and get a proven brand.

[Stumpy1]

Thanks for the reply,

Yeah I appreciate what you are saying. I too genrally live by that motto. I buy the best I can afford and by doing this have never (rarely) needed to replace anything I own for that reason.

What I am actually asking is for comments relating to the quality and reliability of the ironman fridge.

Remember, In the 50's you were a fool to buy Japanese electronics! If it aint yank then its poo was the general mind set. How wrong this turned out to be.

Again, I am not ruling out buying buying an Engel, mearly researching the idea of maximising bang for buck.

New brands are continually showing up in aftermarket automotive accessories and some, are really raising the bar technology wise. Take the Avenger winch in the last 4x4 Action winch comparo, It placed first overall and really shook up some big brands in nearly all tests! All this for around 20% cheaper than the "accepted" benchmark brands.


Thanks for the comment though as I generally do shop with the mindset that you offered. I will always buy the best that I can afford but will not hesitate to buy a potentially equal or superior product for less.

Anyone with an Ironman experience?

Stumpy

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Stumpy,

Engel arent e most expensive... Think National Luna for that. Having said that though after many years of using all sorts of fridges and supplying many brands to UK customers I wouldnt hesitate to reccomend Engel.

I know youve used them for years so know all about them.

But seriously, if your only talking a couple of hundred dollars saving on a $1200 - $1300 Engel, stop wasting your time deliberating over it. Buy an Engel and go easy on the cool ones for a month or so. Thats saved your extra cash outlay and youve got a MUCH better fridge.

Just my thoughts from many years of using and selling many brands.

Oh yeah,having had the pick of just about everything over the years, what do I use... Engel

Jon

[rangieman]

Stumpy,

Engel arent e most expensive... Think National Luna for that. Having said that though after many years of using all sorts of fridges and supplying many brands to UK customers I wouldnt hesitate to reccomend Engel.

I know youve used them for years so know all about them.

But seriously, if your only talking a couple of hundred dollars saving on a $1200 - $1300 Engel, stop wasting your time deliberating over it. Buy an Engel and go easy on the cool ones for a month or so. Thats saved your extra cash outlay and youve got a MUCH better fridge.

Just my thoughts from many years of using and selling many brands.

Oh yeah,having had the pick of just about everything over the years, what do I use... Engel

Jon
X2:D

[scarry]

Stumpy,

Engel arent e most expensive... Think National Luna for that. Having said that though after many years of using all sorts of fridges and supplying many brands to UK customers I wouldnt hesitate to reccomend Engel.

I know youve used them for years so know all about them.

But seriously, if your only talking a couple of hundred dollars saving on a $1200 - $1300 Engel, stop wasting your time deliberating over it. Buy an Engel and go easy on the cool ones for a month or so. Thats saved your extra cash outlay and youve got a MUCH better fridge.

Just my thoughts from many years of using and selling many brands.

Oh yeah,having had the pick of just about everything over the years, what do I use... Engel

Jon


X3:D:D

My Engle has almost clocked up 30yrs,wife just gave it a birthday,a respray.All the beach trips were causing it to get lots of surface rust.
If it stopped,i would go & get one the same again.

Sorry, can't help with any other brands....
.......

[Stumpy1]

Bussy, yorkshire, rangie.... Thanks guys. all fair comments.

Scarry, You wouldn't beleive (well you would actually) how many similar storeys about the 25-30+ service life from these Engels I have heard of or in fact seen the proof of.

I have absolutley no argument with this. It makes me smile when a $300,000+ truck rolls off the showroom floor only for the lucky new owner to throw his heavily beat up scratched and all together questionable looking Engel behind the drivers seat.

I know I know, I'm mad not to pay a few more dollars on a well proven recipie but easy up on the "going without a few cold ones for a while" idea. lol..

Thanks guys, I know, respect and acknowledge the Engel is huge on quality and reliability (from 20 years with one) and I will probably still fork out for one...

but................

My question is still unanswered..... Does anyone have any personal experience with an Ironman Fridge????????

Please no more Engel or Waeco comments as I already know they are perfectly capable..

Thanks

Stumpy

[Barney2803]

This is typical! Engel vs Waeco like there's simply no other brand which is cow-dung! Ok the answer to your question? I DO HAVE AN IRONMAN!!! I went through all the same dilemmas as you Waeco vs engel and this person says they'd never buy Waeco and this person says they'd never buy engel and all the poop you could ever imagine. When I bought my ironman it was a good $400 cheaper than engel or Waeco and that was with a insulated bag. I paid $860 shipped to my door from the gold coast with bag as well. It's a 60L and is absolutely freaking wonderful! Sometimes I have to turn it to 2 degrees as zero or 1 is too cold and freezes everything. By buying it for that price I was able to do the full high quality dual battery setup from traxide too so I have a full dual battery system and fridge for the same price as others are spending on just the fridge! It is great and i certainly recommend ironman. I also went with them cos their warranty was better than engel and Waeco and that was the clincher for me too. I researched for months and ended up with this one. My best price was with coloundra4x4 through eBay.

There you go, finally an answer!

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[Stumpy1]

This is typical! Engel vs Waeco like there's simply no other brand which is cow-dung! Ok the answer to your question? I DO HAVE AN IRONMAN!!! I went through all the same dilemmas as you Waeco vs engel and this person says they'd never buy Waeco and this person says they'd never buy engel and all the poop you could ever imagine. When I bought my ironman it was a good $400 cheaper than engel or Waeco and that was with a insulated bag. I paid $860 shipped to my door from the gold coast with bag as well. It's a 60L and is absolutely freaking wonderful! Sometimes I have to turn it to 2 degrees as zero or 1 is too cold and freezes everything. By buying it for that price I was able to do the full high quality dual battery setup from traxide too so I have a full dual battery system and fridge for the same price as others are spending on just the fridge! It is great and i certainly recommend ironman. I also went with them cos their warranty was better than engel and Waeco and that was the clincher for me too. I researched for months and ended up with this one. My best price was with coloundra4x4 through eBay.

There you go, finally an answer!

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner
Good on ya Barney!
Thanks for your thoughts and buying info.

Any other ironman owners willing to share their thoughts?.... good or bad please

Cheers muchly

Stumpy

[350RRC]

Hi,

I watched all the Engel vs Waeco debates before making the big jump to a ......................













Primus 40l.

Been faultless so far, quieter than an Engel, tech support you're talking to an Aussie who knows the specs, best bit is the remote readout that plugs into ciggy lighter giving internal temp and battery voltage.

The 60l version is only marginally bigger externally than the 40. I'd buy the 55l fridge / freezer now. Was not available when I bought mine.

cheers, DL

[101RRS]

My $500 delivered 55l ebay jobbie is still chugging along really well - matches any Engel for a third of the price - yes I bought cheap and saved a motza.

Garry

[roverrescue]

one thing to think about is a 12v fridge is really just an esky with a compressor, evap, condensor.

This means it is never really engel vs waeco vs ironman vs bushman vs ebay

It is really engel (sawafuji) vs danfoss

Engels have a great reputation because they have a great refrig unit.
The rest use a generic danfoss and then play with the box it is put in.

Steve
(ps.the best engels made we the SS models from 10 is years ago, 50mm insulation 316 inside and out. If mine dies i will replace the compressor in a heart beat. More insulation means less power. Full stop the end.)

[bblaze]

not an answer to your question but I have been running a evacool fridgemate for 12 monts continous as a freezer at minus 18 degrees in WA temps witout fault (had one failure being a 50 amp anderson plug)
ceers
blaze

[Barra1]

Please no more Engel or Waeco comments as I already know they are perfectly capable..

Thanks

Stumpy

Sorry Tiger, but no-can do:eek:

Put it out on the forum and you have to the cop all answers - good and bad. And you have to cop it when they keep coming. Can't say - I want this type of answer only and I only want so many answers etc etc.

And by the way - Engels........I have yet to see a thread asking whether Engels are any good - although I do have one concern - refer below.

Hope you enjoy the Ironman - actually, be great if you could do a test for me....I need to know whether it will freeze in temperatures over 35 deg. The operative words are "whether it will freeze" as opposed to "whether it keep food frozen".

Basically I want to make ice overnight when I'm up in the Gulf fishing. My Engel will keep stuff frozen but won't make ice - and we have tried two Engels, one Waeco and a totally useless gas operated thing.

[101RRS]

Sorry Tiger, but no-can do:eek:

Put it out on the forum and you have to the cop all answers - good and bad. And you have to cop it when they keep coming. Can't say - I want this type of answer only and I only want so many answers etc etc.



Nonsense - it is Stump's thread and he has every right to refocus the discussion to the question he asked, not the one you want to answer.

Garry

[Barra1]

Stiff bikkies fella.

The answer/post is there whether he wants it or not.

[PhilipA]

To my admittedly poor vision, the Ironman looks identical in their ads to an ARB.

Now if it is an ARB, then comments about the current ARB could also be relevant. If this is true, then it just goes to show ARB profit margins as the Ironman is about 300 cheaper or so.

Regards Philip A

[Stumpy1]

LOL,

Now now you buggers! behave yourselves.:)

A huge thanks to all who posted replys.

I'm gunna do it! I will order an iron man fridge tomorrow and I will honour Barra1's request by letting you know my initial results after a week or so.

The fridgie dij will be put to work staright away and I will also post my thoughts of the fridge in about 6 months. Remember, this is 24hr a day use and bloody hot most of the time travelling between Perth and Darwin week in week out.

Again, thanks to all those that posted and I will keep you posted (if that makes any sense).

Also, thanks Garycol! I too beleive I have the right to redirect my own thread to what was originally asked!;)

See you!

Stumpy

[LandyAndy]

At least its got half a chance Stumpy,you are using it in an aircon cab.
Andrew

[Stumpy1]

At least its got half a chance Stumpy,you are using it in an aircon cab.
Andrew
Well while I'm driving at least. The cab gets stinking hot when I'm sitting on a mine site, picking up or unloading a machines doing stupid inductions, breakdown etc. Its not all roses out here in the sticks.. Up to 5-6 hours without aircon in the WA / NT desert will be a reasonable test for any the fridge. By the way Andy, love your Avatar!. See you!
Stumpy

[isuzurover]

Well while I'm driving at least. The cab gets stinking hot when I'm sitting on a mine site, picking up or unloading a machines doing stupid inductions, breakdown etc. Its not all roses out here in the sticks.. Up to 5-6 hours without aircon in the WA / NT desert will be a reasonable test for any the fridge. By the way Andy, love your Avatar!. See you!
Stumpy

You don't have an icepack???

[V8Ian]

You don't have an icepack???
Q: Why are Ice Packs Kabota powered?
A: Because they couldn't find a noisier engine!
:mad::mad::mad:

[isuzurover]

Q: Why are Ice Packs Kabota powered?
A: Because they couldn't find a noisier engine!
:mad::mad::mad:

lol, actually the kubota is IDI so it is quieter than the closest competition, Yanmar, which is DI.

[V8Ian]

Go the Honda.

[isuzurover]

Go the Honda.

:D since when do honda make a single cylinder diesel :D

The whole point of the icepack is that it was designed to run on the same fuel as the truck.

Btw - there is a "silenced" version now.

[V8Ian]

My truck had ULP, Pulp, diesel and OPAL...take your pick. :p

I believe Honda were making a diesel that was as quiet as the petrol, I'll have to check with Fluids. :confused:

[amtravic1]

I have a Weaco cf11 which sits on the back seat of my car and has run full time for nearly 2.5 years. I know it is only a small fridge but it has been totally reliable. I also have an Engel about 30 years old and it still does the job as well. A while back I had nothing better to do and was searching for fridges on ebay and found a no name brand that looks identical to Weaco for hundreds of dollars less. The add seemed to say they were the same product with out the name.

[Benz]

To my admittedly poor vision, the Ironman looks identical in their ads to an ARB.

Now if it is an ARB, then comments about the current ARB could also be relevant. If this is true, then it just goes to show ARB profit margins as the Ironman is about 300 cheaper or so.

Regards Philip A

i would say it shares more parts with the waeco.

but

as posted they all share the same danfoss compressor apart from engel who use the swing motor.

I think you should be pretty safe with the ironman fridge.

looking at the engel fridge web site now it seems you can now get a pretty gold one to mark "50 years of reliability"

[DiscoMick]

I also thought the Ironman fridges looked more like Waecos.
Danfoss is a massive and reputable company with factories in several countries including China so in theory the quality should be the same no matter where the compressor comes from.
I thought the real comparison issue was whether the body of the fridge was steel or plastic/poly.
My battered old Engel is still chugging along nicely after 10 years, but if buying again I'd have to look at the cheaper Waecos or Ironmans simply because of the cost issue.
ANother issue is whether you need separate fridge and freezer compartments in the one fridge. If so, it seems to be necessary to look at an Evakool or something similar.

[Fluids]

My truck had ULP, Pulp, diesel and OPAL...take your pick. :p

I believe Honda were making a diesel that was as quiet as the petrol, I'll have to check with Fluids. :confused:

Yep Honda DO indeed make a single cylinder diesel stationary engine ...

... it ain't quiet though :eek:

I had some tuna long-line fisherman buy an Advanced Power gen set powered by one of the Honda Diesels. They ran it below deck, and the noise was bloody unbearable (alloy boat!)

Brilliant diesel engine .... not at all quiet though!

[Fluids]

:D since when do honda make a single cylinder diesel :D

.


Honda Diesel electric start QXU type - The Honda Shop - Perth's only Honda MegaStore (http://hondashop.com.au/Product/219/GD411QXE_Diesel_electric_start_QXU_type/)

... but I believe they are no longer made.

7HP & 9HP high speed (3600rpm)

Sold a few in my time.

[350RRC]

Stumpy.........


Innovation and pricing is rife and good for design & manufacturing. Good to see someone go where no man has gone before. If no-one does this the lazy 'establishment' sit on their laurels.

DL

[Stumpy1]

Hi All,

As promised, a quick note to let you all know that the new Ironman fridge is indeed in the truck and performing well. I have the ironman in use as a freezer and use my Engel (found a bargain that I couldn't pass up) as the fridge. I am away in the truck for weeks at a time so naturally I take alot of provisions including meat, dairy, beer etc.

I must say that while the ironman has performed flawlessly, It has not been super hot over the last three months but so far I am very happy with the purchase. I run the ironman 24/7. It has not been turned off in three months. My freezables are keeped at a moderate -7c and to be honest, I haven't seen this figure fluctuate much comparing mid-day temps to mid-night temps (in cab). The next few months will be a good test for it once it starts getting much warmer in the cab during the day.

I know the threads a touch old but I've kept my promise by reporting my findings!

One and a half thumbs up so far (Thats all I've got left... ouch!)

Stumpy