Engel fridges

[jx2mad]

A friend of mine is looking at Engel fridges. One is metal and the other is plastic. Other than the plastic fridge being cheaper, is there any other differences? One better than the other? Or should he go Waco? Jim

[AnD3rew]

There are as many opinions on fridges as there are posters on this site. There are Engel fans, Weaco fans, evakool, Bushman, National Luna, ARB, etc etc etc there are even fans of cheap eBay fridges.

I have a Bushman which is outstanding and a Weaco CFX40 which is also great.

[Trundle]

I think it comes down to personal preference, and what your going to do with it. Will it live in the tray of a ute and get the things bashing into it, will it be built into a cubby hole in a wagon? Will it live there permanently or be only put in for trips? What exterior size vs volume is required?
Look at how it will be used, how often, and how much your mate is prepared to spend?
Cheers

[Kev the Fridgy]

If your comparing the 2 Engels, go the steel body

[Hoges]

If your comparing the 2 Engels, go the steel body

All depends on the engle you're coming from:eek::wasntme:

[weeds]

I have two engel steel cased ones...........never missed a beat. when I brought mine there wasn't 20 different brands to choose from

if I had to buy another I would probably get a custom one made to suit my layout in the defender.

[Reads90]

I have an Engel and a Waeco

The metal Engels are heavy and larger than the same size waeco ones.
My engel is also very noisy compared to my waeco.

My waeco lives in my company car gets used a lot. Mainly as I drive a lot around qld. This for instants This week I have been from Brisbane to Roma to Longreach to Emerald and I am now in Yappon. So it gets used a lot and I am very happy with it. Can use the engel for this as although is the same size inside is a lot bigger on the outside and won't fit in my car.

All I ever hear is the Engels are great fridges and reliable , but I have had no end of problems with my engel and it's been a pain.

But my waeco is lighter , smaller and the same inside size as the engel

So you may get which make I would chose when I buy another fridge.

[richard4u2]

the plastic ones I think they are not compressor ones ?? I have 2 engels and they have never been a problem both compressor type

[Tank]

If your comparing the 2 Engels, go the steel body
Why is that Kev? Regards Frank.

[weeds]

the plastic ones I think they are not compressor ones ?? I have 2 engels and they have never been a problem both compressor type

pretty sure the plastic fantastic has a compressor.....

[Kev the Fridgy]

Why is that Kev? Regards Frank.



Durability.... in the 90's I worked for a company in Hervey Bay and at that time we were the only mob around that would take on service and repairs to camp fridges, the other brands were only just emerging onto the market at that point (remember "Fridgemate"), most repairs to Engels were replacing the voltage changeover relay, some of them had taken a beating that would put the great Caseus Clay to shame, the newer plastic case brands were suffering from a lot of fracturing of the casings and pipe fracturing.


Also note that I personally prefer Engel for no other reason that in my experience they have been more efficient, "my experience not any case studies"

[Kev the Fridgy]

All depends on the engle you're coming from:eek::wasntme:

Hmmm me thinks I see what engle your coming from :wasntme:

[Kev the Fridgy]

I have an Engel and a Waeco

The metal Engels are heavy and larger than the same size waeco ones.
My engel is also very noisy compared to my waeco.

My waeco lives in my company car gets used a lot. Mainly as I drive a lot around qld. This for instants This week I have been from Brisbane to Roma to Longreach to Emerald and I am now in Yappon. So it gets used a lot and I am very happy with it. Can use the engel for this as although is the same size inside is a lot bigger on the outside and won't fit in my car.

All I ever hear is the Engels are great fridges and reliable , but I have had no end of problems with my engel and it's been a pain.

But my waeco is lighter , smaller and the same inside size as the engel

So you may get which make I would chose when I buy another fridge.



Actually the sizes quoted are an interesting topic, would be interesting to know what models you have.... some time back I was in a discussion with my dad as he bought a Waeco, he was commenting on the fact the same size Waeco was cheaper than the equivalent Engel, so out comes the tape, the Engel model represented the internal volume to the litre, the Waeco Model represented the total volume the Fridge would occupy, they maybe different now but back then if you priced the same internal volume the Waeco was dearer, clever marketing I thought, could be why I prefer Engel.


What problems have you had with the Engel?

[weeds]

The small bonus of an engel is it will run on low voltages.......recently on moreton one of my batteries failed in te camper trailer unbeknown to me.....any other fridge I would have had to throw out my meat.....the good old engel kept the fridge at zero degrees even though I only had 10.3v in the batteries

On the other hand an engel can kill a battery as well

[AnD3rew]

The small bonus of an engel is it will run on low voltages.......recently on moreton one of my batteries failed in te camper trailer unbeknown to me.....any other fridge I would have had to throw out my meat.....the good old engel kept the fridge at zero degrees even though I only had 10.3v in the batteries

On the other hand an engel can kill a battery as well

yes thats the reason some although not all others will cut out, in order to prevent damage to your battery.

[rangieman]

I bought my steel 39 ltr engel in 90,s it has been around oz twice hundreds of weekenders with out ever being secured even been in a car that rolled = Never a glitch keeps on going .

There is only one fridge to buy in my opinion:cool: many a horror story on the other brands:angel:

[Gerokent]

I sank a car in a lake years ago (that's another story), up to the dash board the water was, right through the car, for a week, engel semi-submerged in the back of the car. Got the car out drained the water out, oils, fuel ect changed, plugged the fridge in and no worries for about ten years after that.
It lasted nearly twenty years. I would highly recomend them.

[rangietragic]

I'm on my second engel,the first one lasted over 20 years,used it mainly in my trailer yacht.Finally ran out of gas,so bought a new one about 7 years ago.Father in law bought one when i got my first one,still going strong.My new one is great,quieter and more efficiant than my old one.Have had no personal experience with waeco,have heard they are good.Retailer once told me they push waeco because profit is greater than engel.

[camel_landy]

Engel for me too. Mine too has been properly abused over the years and still comes back for more.

I've got the MT45 & can reccommend the slide-lock base & soft cover.

M

[scarry]

My Engel is mid eighties model,been fantastic.The wife recently sanded the outside case back and painted it,was getting very rusty.Had to change the lid as the old one was bent,probably caused by people sitting on it.Picked up a good second hand lid from a camping place.

If i had to replace it,i would get another Engel.

Of all the camping gear we have,it would have to be the oldest.

[Tank]

Durability.... in the 90's I worked for a company in Hervey Bay and at that time we were the only mob around that would take on service and repairs to camp fridges, the other brands were only just emerging onto the market at that point (remember "Fridgemate"), most repairs to Engels were replacing the voltage changeover relay, some of them had taken a beating that would put the great Caseus Clay to shame, the newer plastic case brands were suffering from a lot of fracturing of the casings and pipe fracturing.


Also note that I personally prefer Engel for no other reason that in my experience they have been more efficient, "my experience not any case studies"
Well Kev the plastic Engel wasn't released until 2008/9, the only reason I didn't buy a metal case Engel was I was waiting for them to release the plastic one and I bought the first one available in my area.
The plastic Engel has same motor/compressor (Fuji swing motor/comp.), my plastic Engel doesn't have the fancy digital LED readout and other goodies the metal case one has.
My plastic Engel has lived in the back of my Disco for 6 years now and hasn't missed a beat, it's been flogged over some rough ground and nothing has cracked or broken, it can run on 240v or 12 without having to buy an adaptor and it has maintained below zero Celsius temps. in Summer when the back of the Disco would have been in the 50 to 70 Celsius.
The plastic Engel when I bought it was $500 cheaper than equivalent size metal case Engel.
I have a mate that works for BFC and the only complaints they have had on the plastic Engel (and they sell thousands) was that it was noisy. I found this to be so when I would pre-cool mine in the house before a trip, I cured this by sitting it on the kitchen table and it was as quite as a mouse compared to the drumming it used to make on the wooden floor. Perfectly quiet in the back of the Disco, if this plastic fantastic had have been a metal case it would look very used by now, still looks good, except for the red dust all through it, Regards Frank.

[Vinnie]

I don't think it matters which one if you're choosing Engel v Engel. I have a metal body 40lt and have never had a problem. I was told they introduced the plastic body as a cheaper option to compete with the other plastic body fridges on the market that were cheaper than the Engel. They have the same motor as the other Engels, so really just comes down to price and preference. Either way I would get the fridge cover, helps it run more efficiently (my opinion only) and protects it to some degree while in the car.

Vinnie

[DeeJay]

I've just done my umpteenth 4wd trip using the 38 litre Engel I bought in 1974. Probably been in 8 different vehicles now, My mate is sick of me saying " I hope it makes it through this trip". That said, I doubt they make them as well now as then.
Oh, I did make one improvement, I got an aquarium temp meter & double side taped it on the side. Cost all of $4.00 on Ebay, Works a treat, Who would have thought goldfish needed a thermometer that goes to minus 4 Deg :eek:

[DiscoMick]

Yeah, I also had an aquarium thermo in our old steel Engel for ages until I accidentally broke it, so now I've got a $30 jobbie with a remote readout.

The plastic ones are obviously lighter and cheaper. Internals seem on par. I guess the question is, is the fridge likely to get battered hard enough to crack plastic?

[Reads90]

Actually the sizes quoted are an interesting topic, would be interesting to know what models you have.... some time back I was in a discussion with my dad as he bought a Waeco, he was commenting on the fact the same size Waeco was cheaper than the equivalent Engel, so out comes the tape, the Engel model represented the internal volume to the litre, the Waeco Model represented the total volume the Fridge would occupy, they maybe different now but back then if you priced the same internal volume the Waeco was dearer, clever marketing I thought, could be why I prefer Engel.


What problems have you had with the Engel?

The compressor went bang twice. Which makes it a heavy and expensive esky :-)

[Outback 1]

I bought my steel 39 ltr engel in 90,s it has been around oz twice hundreds of weekenders with out ever being secured even been in a car that rolled = Never a glitch keeps on going .

There is only one fridge to buy in my opinion:cool: many a horror story on the other brands:angel:

I agree look in most trucks and you will find engel :wasntme:

[Chops]

We've had our Engel for about 4/5 years now.
The only problem I've ever had with it was recently when I left it empty, but still turned on.
This caused the Aux battery to drain due to the fridge going on/off all the time. With nothing in it which would keep it cold, it just keeps turning on /off. Mind you, this took about 2.5 months to happen. So if your going to run your fridge "All the time", you might like to keep a few bottles of water in it at least to help it (your battery) along a bit. I would think this would be the same for any make of fridge.
We've got a cover on ours as its in the back of the ute, so although the covers looking a bit grubby, the fridge itself looks brand new still.

[discovery39]

Old skool Engel for me. Have had a Waeco, nuthin wrong with it, just didn't trust the plastic fantastic. Bit like modern cars really.......;)

[d2dave]

We've had our Engel for about 4/5 years now.
The only problem I've ever had with it was recently when I left it empty, but still turned on.
This caused the Aux battery to drain due to the fridge going on/off all the time. With nothing in it which would keep it cold, it just keeps turning on /off. Mind you, this took about 2.5 months to happen. So if your going to run your fridge "All the time", you might like to keep a few bottles of water in it at least to help it (your battery) along a bit. I would think this would be the same for any make of fridge.
We've got a cover on ours as its in the back of the ute, so although the covers looking a bit grubby, the fridge itself looks brand new still.

I would have thought it would make no difference what was in it if it was not opened.

My understanding of why a fridge works better when it is full is due to having less air space and when opening it less hot air gets in.

[d2dave]

I've just done my umpteenth 4wd trip using the 38 litre Engel I bought in 1974. Probably been in 8 different vehicles now, My mate is sick of me saying " I hope it makes it through this trip". That said, I doubt they make them as well now as then.
Oh, I did make one improvement, I got an aquarium temp meter & double side taped it on the side. Cost all of $4.00 on Ebay, Works a treat, Who would have thought goldfish needed a thermometer that goes to minus 4 Deg :eek:

I must be the unlucky one. Purchased my first in 1986 and it lost its gas in 2004. I still bought another Engle though.

[d2dave]

Actually the sizes quoted are an interesting topic, would be interesting to know what models you have.... some time back I was in a discussion with my dad as he bought a Waeco, he was commenting on the fact the same size Waeco was cheaper than the equivalent Engel, so out comes the tape, the Engel model represented the internal volume to the litre, the Waeco Model represented the total volume the Fridge would occupy, they maybe different now but back then if you priced the same internal volume the Waeco was dearer, clever marketing I thought, could be why I prefer Engel.


What problems have you had with the Engel?

Some one once told me and I don't know whether it is true as I never tried it, that the internal basket of a 40 litre Waeco would fit in a 40 litre Engle.

[CraigE]

A lot is personal preferance.
I have 2 an old 60 litre steel for 4x4 that is around 17 years old and a 27 litre plastic for wifes car or second freezer on long trips. Generally I would buy metal for a 4wd in the plus 40 litre sizes. A lot more durable. Have seen the plastic cases crack in harsh conditions.
Also seen plenty of Waecos with broken handles and cracked cases. The other thing I have noticed with Waecos is around actual capacity, they seem to actually hold less, dont know why.
Not sure why there is a price difference and people have quoted $500 difference between the plastic and metal Engels, have not seen a price difference that great. Not sure how true that is and cant see why. Have mot looked for a while but have not seen a plastic 60 or 80 litre Engel, but have not been looking hard either. There must be a reason because if the plastics were as good they would discontinue the metal ones.

[Tank]

A lot is personal preferance.
I have 2 an old 60 litre steel for 4x4 that is around 17 years old and a 27 litre plastic for wifes car or second freezer on long trips. Generally I would buy metal for a 4wd in the plus 40 litre sizes. A lot more durable. Have seen the plastic cases crack in harsh conditions.
Also seen plenty of Waecos with broken handles and cracked cases. The other thing I have noticed with Waecos is around actual capacity, they seem to actually hold less, dont know why.
Not sure why there is a price difference and people have quoted $500 difference between the plastic and metal Engels, have not seen a price difference that great. Not sure how true that is and cant see why. Have mot looked for a while but have not seen a plastic 60 or 80 litre Engel, but have not been looking hard either. There must be a reason because if the plastics were as good they would discontinue the metal ones.
I paid $799 for my plastic 38L Engel when they first came out the equivalent 40L metal Engel was $1299.00, they were significantly cheaper. They didn't have a built in temp. readout or low voltage cutout, but was supplied with a aftermarket temp. guage.
The plastic construction is very robust, mine fell off the fridge slide once when I opened the back door on the disco and didn't have it locked down on a steep slope. It bounced and rolled 10 metres or so down the hill with not even a scratch, considering it weighs 22kgs. not including the food that was in it, I was quite pleased that it wasn't damaged at all, Regards Frank.

[Jeff]

I have had my Engel since the 90s and it has been great. The only problem has been the zipper on the padded cover, and the fact the cover held moisture and started a little rust on the sides. It makes a bit of noise and if you are sleeping in the same room, you turn it off, but the older beige ones are even louder. The newer ones seem quieter and are meant to use less power.

My only problem with Waeco fridges is they remind me of the Waco Siege.

Jeff

:rocket:

[vnx205]

My only problem with Waeco fridges is they remind me of the Waco Siege.

Jeff

:rocket:
So it doesn't worry you that Engel reminds you of the co-author of "The Communist Manifesto"?
:D
Friedrich Engels (German: 28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895) was a German Social science - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, author, List of political theorists - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, philosopher, and father of Marxism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, alongside Karl Marx - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, based on personal observations and research. In 1848 he co-authored The Communist Manifesto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia with Karl Marx, and later he supported Marx financially to do research and write Das Kapital
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Kapital)