Gear Review- EdgeStar Freezer/Refrigerator
- Thread starter Greg
- Start date
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Yes, yes & no...
There are side by side models on the market from Engel and National Luna, additionally the ARB's feature a 'warm' storage inside the compartment but outside of the cooling coils that stays a solid 15-20* higher than the main compartment. Perfect for cheese, bread, vegi's fruit, etc. On top of that, you can pre-freeze items and pack them on the bottom and work you way up to 'cold' stuff on the top, works pretty well with some testing.
XJEEPER
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Highland Springs
On sale for $455 for a 43qt......half the price of the same size Engel unit.
http://www.compactappliance.com/FP4...utdoor_Living-Travel_Coolers-Portable_Coolers
http://www.compactappliance.com/FP4...utdoor_Living-Travel_Coolers-Portable_Coolers
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
That's a good deal!
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Because they work half the time
I kid, I kid but there is a giant Edgestar thread on ExPo in which there are dozens of folks that have had issues with them. Usually minor like broken hinges and plugs but there were quite a few that came out of the box dead. The vendors are quick to replace them and it seems once you have a good working unit, you are in the clear. That said I was camping with an RME'er that was having problems with his older Edgestar this weekend running on 12V, had to run it off of a 120V inverter which is obviously very inefficient thus resulted in a dead battery. I'm not sure what was up there but I'm sure he'll figure out a fix.
I just think 20 feet of 10 AGU and another 5 feet of 12 AGU wire isn't enough. Those ARB looms are designed to be cut to as "short as practical", but for me I needed every last inch to get to where I wanted to mount the plug. I can either relocate the plug to the front of the bed and place the fridge there, or I can switch the plug over to the 8 AGU wire I have run back for the other 12 volt plug (that's what I plan to do). The fridge ran fine on that plug, it's just the standard 12 volt socket didn't have enough catch to hold the plug in. That HELLA plug should work better at holding it in, and if I switch to the heavier wire I think it will work just fine. I'm just happy I have the option of running it off of the inverter in a pinch.
I've been pretty happy with my Edgestar. I bought it off of a guy who didn't know what he had, and it's slid around in the back of my jeep and truck for thousands of miles and, for the most part, done it's job pretty admirably.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Fwiw we've installed those full length harnesses on occasion, in once case it had to be extended. If they (ARB) didn't think it would work with the full length, they wouldn't sell it as such for use with fridges. It's obviously an issue of voltage/amperage loss over the length of the line, I don't remember the exact numbers but I do recall the Edgestar being a bit more power hungry so the 10AGU used by ARB, Engel, Luna and others might not be enough at the extreme ends with your unit. You might test your start-up/running amperage to see what it is pulling? Even 12 AGU is rated to 25' with 15 amp continuous load on 12V, while the instantaneous startup spike can be be much higher, any of the fridges should be running at well under 10amps.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Well, it's been nearly 5 years since I bought the Edgestar and thought I'd follow up with with a long term report!
All things told, the Edgestar FP430 is still working great! It has a bunch of scratches, the lettering on the side has all but peeled off and it's looking well-used. We relied on it over our recent 4 day Four Corners Tour and had zero issues with it. We had lunch meats, pre-cooked and raw dinners, plus beverages loaded up in the fridge. The Fast Freeze feature still works great and is a good way to load up the fridge and get the food cooled down right away. Even when the fridge came unplugged accidentally for a couple hours, once we plugged it back in the internal temp was still 36*. I ran it at 30* and it keeps the food cold, but not frozen. I'm still very happy with the purchase of a cheaper freezer/fridge.
I did have a problem with the plastic hinges, one of them broke after the lid was left unlocked and I think the lid got bounced around on a rough 4x4 road. Fortunately the folks at Edgestar have replacement steel hinges for a nominal price, $20/ea IIRC.
Here are a few pics of the broken hinge and the steel replacements. -
All things told, the Edgestar FP430 is still working great! It has a bunch of scratches, the lettering on the side has all but peeled off and it's looking well-used. We relied on it over our recent 4 day Four Corners Tour and had zero issues with it. We had lunch meats, pre-cooked and raw dinners, plus beverages loaded up in the fridge. The Fast Freeze feature still works great and is a good way to load up the fridge and get the food cooled down right away. Even when the fridge came unplugged accidentally for a couple hours, once we plugged it back in the internal temp was still 36*. I ran it at 30* and it keeps the food cold, but not frozen. I'm still very happy with the purchase of a cheaper freezer/fridge.
I did have a problem with the plastic hinges, one of them broke after the lid was left unlocked and I think the lid got bounced around on a rough 4x4 road. Fortunately the folks at Edgestar have replacement steel hinges for a nominal price, $20/ea IIRC.
Here are a few pics of the broken hinge and the steel replacements. -
- Location
- SPANISH FORK, UTAH
Im thinking about picking up a 65QT off of Homedepot right now for $504.00 they are sold under the Whynter name plate but I read that they Whynter company is who makes the Edgestar. My only concern is I would ride in the Trailer due to the fact of no space in the Samurai for people and gear. Any thoughts on how one of these would hold up in that type of environment? The trailer has its own Battery and solar and will soon receive charge from the samurai when I upgrade to a gm alternator. The trailer rides pretty smooth especially when loaded, just wondering about the jarring of off road, Im sure you guys with the comfy cruisers ride a lot smooth then me.
sawtooth4x4
Totally Awesome
- Location
- Land of East Laytonshire
pretty cool. i think I'm getting sick of buying ice. i may spring for one of these with my tax return money.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Mine had been bounced around on all kinds of trails & roads without issue, but it's tied down and inside the vehicle... it's hard to comment on how it would hold up in the back of a trailer. $500 for a 64 Qt seems more than fair, interesting that you can get them at Home Depot! Good info!
The Edgestar seems to work fine, but if you have a few hundred more you're probably better off with an ARB or a Engle... they're supposed to work a bit better and take less power.
- Location
- SPANISH FORK, UTAH
It looks as if at Homedepot its a regular appliance so the they have appliance sales the Whynter stuff is also on sale. Also debating the duel zone model. Got to get ready the summer trips!
D
Deleted member 12904
Guest
I think I'm ready to buy a 12 volt fridge. Are these still holding up for everyone? I was thinking arb until I searched rme tonight now I'm thinking of saving the money and getting a 63qt for around $550 mark it looks like.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Mine is still doing great, I upgraded the hinges after one broke but no issues beyond that. Mine came with plastic hinges, they have a replacement that is a steel hinge.
We relied on our Edgestar fridge for a week+ long trip to Baja last November, the fridge was plugged in the whole time and it was great not having to worry about ice.
The Edgestar may pull a little more power than the more expensive fridges, but it doesn't seem to tax the power system enough for me to notice.
D
Deleted member 12904
Guest
Thanks I think this is good enough for me to pull the trigger on one. $513 with prime shipping on Amazon for the 63qt model.Mine is still doing great, I upgraded the hinges after one broke but no issues beyond that. Mine came with plastic hinges, they have a replacement that is a steel hinge.
We relied on our Edgestar fridge for a week+ long trip to Baja last November, the fridge was plugged in the whole time and it was great not having to worry about ice.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Nice! Got a link to it?
There is also a Whynter 62 quart dual zone, that has a separate freezer and fridge compartments. Home Depot has them for $586 with free shipping. - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Whynter-...ne-Portable-Freezer-in-Gray-FM-62DZ/203569129
*** edit *** - Their stupid link isn't working, search for model # "FM-62DZ".
I would love that, but my 43 quart is the perfect size... not sure I have the room for a bigger fridge.
D
Deleted member 12904
Guest
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002W8DM5I/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's actually the Whynter 65 quart. And it will be here Thuesday yay!
It's actually the Whynter 65 quart. And it will be here Thuesday yay!
Tonkaman
Well-Known Member
- Location
- West Jordan
Awesome dude!
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Appreciate it! Yeah, almost 7 years with this Edgestar now! It's been along for thousands of miles on and off-road, several different 4x4's and many states... and still going strong. It's pretty cool to see the history we've been building here over the years.