43 Qt Portable Compact Refrigerator Freezer - EdgeStar

• Volume: 43 qt. / equivalent to 60 12oz. cans, Range: -8°F to 50°F
• 12/24 volt power lead: 6' detachable power cord, 115 volt power lead 8' detachable power cord
• Flash Freeze function rapidly cools the unit to -8°F, Warranty: 90 days labor, 1 year parts
• Compressor based cooling method freezes faster than Thermoelectric counterparts
• Inside Dimensions: 14.96" h x 11.42"w x 18.50"d, Outside Dimensions: 20.8"h x 24.7"w x 17.7"d

Update 6-2010 it's no longer $474 like it was when I got mine check around or research anything using a "danfoss compressor" and you will have a good list of choices. End of update

At some time we've all bought the $50-$100 "car coolers" for cans which claim they are refrigerators only to find out they at best can lower the temperature a few degrees if you always keep the door closed. The tipoff is in the instructions where it says you should pre-freeze the product before using the cooler! Real refrigeration systems don't need you to prefreeze cans you just want kept cold. Compressor based systems are so powerful they can make ice! The EdgeStar has a "flash freeze" function when you really need to cool down the box in a hurry. During a flash freeze, the compressor draws about 5 amps instead of its normal 3 amps but then returns to normal thermostat settings after the box is chilled so again your battery is protected.

The EdgeStar 43 quart costs $474 because it uses a conventional R134 (green refrigerant) compressor and evaporator just like your home fridge. This equipment is made by Danfoss which is the only manufacturer of 12 VDC compressors (actually 12-24 VDC to be compatible with the marine marketplace). Danfoss compressors are exceptionally reliable and will run for years.

While smaller thermoelectric coolers draw 10A for larger models, these larger boxes only draw about 3A while running the compressor on 12 VDC. Due to their excellent insulation and exceptional cooling ability they don't need to run continuously like the thermoelectric "coolers" usually do. Mine runs about 1/4 of the time on a hot day and 1/12 of the time on a cold day. Calculating amp hours from runtime and amp draw on a hot day you can easily see why the Edgestar doesnt leave you with a dead battery 8 hours later:

Thermoelectric cooler

10A @ 100% time x 8 hr = 80 AH required from battery for 8 hours use

Edgestar Compressor Cooler

3A @ 25% time x 8 hr = 6 AH required from battery for 8 hours use

Given that the typical car battery holds 80 AH in reserve, the thermoelectric cooler will drain it dead in 8 hours without running the engine. The EdgeStar using the compressor cooler is like running your headlights for 20 minutes and leaves you plenty of starting power.

The runtime percentage on the compressor does go up if you want to store frozen goods which you can't even do with thermoelectric coolers. I've made ice with mine without an issue and kept frozen TV dinners overnight in it. I recommend if you are going to use it as a freezer then add a deep cycle battery and/or isolate your deep cycle from your engine battery.

Despite the elephant in the room of the pricetag, the large size, wide temperature range, and construction quality of the EdgeStar is superior all around compared to the typical thermoelectric cooler on the market. You do get what you pay for. If you plan to have a need for portable refrigeration and/or freezing on the road or on your boat, this won't disappoint you. It's also nice to be able to take it into your hotel room and plug it in while not being on the road. Also where thermoelectric units need to be defrosted every 24 hours these units can run for weeks before having to remove the ice that forms.

At $474 it represents amazon's least expensive solution to a true refrigeration portable unit. There are other more expensive units with larger capacity which are suitable if you have space for them. So long as they use a compressor instead of the thermoelectric system you'll be very happy with the results. Ultimately the price is worth it in its ability to cool/freeze reliably and do so without killing your car battery if you accidentally leave it on all day without running the engine.

Buy 43 Qt Portable Compact Refrigerator Freezer - EdgeStar Now

First I bought an 86qt,

bigger & heavier than I had imagined, but it's what I ordered.

There were electrical issues with it,

so I called & emailed the retailer, as they offered several solutions to repair it (myself).

The best I could ever do is to get it to run for 1-2 hours,

before it shut off, and flashed 2 or 3 different codes.

Once it was determined the typical fixes would not repair it,

they refunded my money without issue.

I still needed a fridge, so as soon as I got the money back, I ordered one of their smaller models (the 43qt I am reviewing now).

This was a dud right out of the box.

The fan would spin, but it didn't cool at all.

With the 86qt,

customer service eventually fixed the problem (refund),

so I figured the WORST case scenario for me would be more wasted time with a bad unit.

Nope.

They offered no repair solutions whatsoever this time,

even when I offered to look for loose wires, like the last time (I am an Electrician, so I'm sure I was following their instructions to the letter).

Their offer:

Mail it back to us (@ $100 shipping) for a refund,

or bring it to a repair shop local to me, and I pay labor to fix it.

I offered to bring it to any repair shop they chose, for diagnosis, on their dime,

and they flatly refused.

I was told because I was refunded my money for the first unit (86qt above),

they would be unwilling to pay anything else out for any other bad units I may receive.

(even though that original deal was closed, and this was an entirely new, separate purchase from the first).

After a month of haggling over the DOA refrigerator,

my credit card came in to rescue me.

I'm on Amazon right now to try to (finally) solve my need for a 12v refrigerator/freezer,

and I can honestly tell you, these Chinese units,

and their preferred retailer are not it for me.

Aside from that experience with the seller,

Overall,

I did like the form factor of this refrigerator.

There seems to be a very common issue of wires coming loose in transit,

but it is pretty easy to access the internals.

Product build quality seemed OK (aside from the wire issue).

Plastic handles are not for lifting when full,

and the latches are flimsy,

but the box, lid & hinges seemed to be decently built, and solid.

Had either one of these fridges worked,

they would have been a good deal for the price.

As for the compressor being a Danfoss,

It may be a Danfoss/Secop style compressor,

but it was sourced through a Chinese manufacturer, not Danfoss.

(obvious, with a Chinese manufacturer's name & Chinese characters stamped all over the compressor).

If you decide to give them a try, hopefully you will have better results than me.

Read Best Reviews of 43 Qt Portable Compact Refrigerator Freezer - EdgeStar Here

First unit failed in 10 days. Replacement sent to me appeared to be a refurbished unit and had a nice dent in the rear and a noisey whine when running. Edgestar gave me a $50 discount to keep the unit as-is which I reluctanly accepted because I did not want to ship it back again and be without a fridge again. This second unit failed just out of the labor portion of the warrenty and cost me over $100 to ship it back and a flat rate repair of $75. I paid less than $500 for this unit originally and now total cost of $675 invested and without a fridge for about a month each time I had to send it back. When I got the unit back from repair it was improperly packed and now had more dents and many scratches. After conveying my disappoinment to Edgestar management they sent me a brand new unit and paid for shipping the old one back. So far this third unit is workinig okay.

Note this unit is made of thin sheet metal and the paint is scratched very easily. It's suppose to be portable but is very heavy and awkward to handle so getting it in and out of a vehicle is not easy and since it dents and scratches easily don't expect it to look good very long. And note it is suppose to have 6" of clearance on all sides so keep that in mind when you haul it in your vehicle. Good luck!

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I purchased a refurbished model at a good price, but when it arrived it didn't work at all. I pulled the cover and noticed that 2 spade connectors had come loose in transit (the connections weren't even soldered). Once plugged in the unit worked perfectly. I used it everyday in my office for drinks and snacks in addition to taking it on the road on vacations and camping trips. We used it in freezer mode on a 21-day trip to Alaska. Ice cream stayed firm all the way there, and 26 lbs of halibut filets stayed frozen solid all the way home.

My 3-year extended warranty expired about a month ago, and now it won't cool below 50 degrees. I gave it 3-stars because of the 3 years it lasted, but I'll be upgrading to an ARB, Waeco, or Engel before my next camping trip.

I received my new 43qt fridge and was very excited. I have an 86 quart model that I love.

This new 43qt is defective. After 30 seconds, I get an HH on the temperature display. Looking it up on the web, it states that the room temperature is over 104 degrees. The room temperature is 79. I have nothing around this fridge for 1 to 3 feet in every direction. I have my 86 quart across the room in this same room and it is having no problems.

Instead of paying almost $100 to ship this (very) heavy fridge back, I sent an e-mail to customer support via their website. I received a confirmation e-mail stating that someone would contact me within 2 business days.

Almost a week later, I hadn't heard from them so I tried calling them via the customer service number on their web site. There was no answer!!

The next day, I tried their customer service number again. No one answered but after several rings, I got a voice mail system that told me to leave my information and that someone would contact me. I did so. That was a few days ago and I've still not heard anything from anyone.

So, if you get one that works, you are in good shape, but if there is something wrong with it, you may find your yourself out of some money.

I'll update this feedback if/when I finally hear from someone. Until then, I would recommend looking for something different.

UPDATE:

20110903 I finally heard from someone. They told me that I would have to ship the unit back to them. I insisted they pay the shipping back (as it was going to cost me another almost $100). They agreed to e-mail me a FedEx label. After a few days, I received an e-mail but it wasn't a FedEx label. It was just a copy of an invoice stating their Return policy. I gave them a few days then e-mailed them again. No response. After another week had passed, I e-mailed them yet again letting them know I was preparing to turn this over to an attorney. (I am in my mid-40's. I have never felt the need to sue anyone, so you can see how angry I was.). Within a few hours I received a reply back stating that a FedEx return label would be forthcoming within 24 hours. I received the label almost immediately after I received the e-mail stating they would send it within one day. They let me know that I had to send the fridge back quickly or the label would be void and that I would not be able to return the unit at all. I took it down to FedEx and shipped it the following morning.

I received a brand-new fridge within a week after sending the defective one back. (I received it about 3 days ago.) I have tested the new fridge and it works very well.

I am happy with my new fridge so I raised my rating for them from 1 star to 4 stars. If it hadn't have been for the poor, slow customer service, I believe they would be a 5 star company.

Despite the quality product, I am leery about ordering from this company ever again. I believe if you get a good unit, you will be happy. But, if there is anything wrong with it, you will be very disappointed with the (almost non-existant) customer service.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a pleasant experience and enjoy your fridge.