Deep Freezer Recommendations Needed

[Redmanss]

So my chest freezer died last week, and I need a new one. Long story short, the cheap Igloo brand from Sam's Club didn't even last me two years of in house usage, I'm pissed, lost around $400 in meat from it. I know many here have some good shit they've run for years and fill with some very valuable game, so I'm turning to the Hide brain trust for recommendations. I'll be getting a side of beef later this year, and I don't want to lose good beef from a shitty purchase.

What I'm looking for is something in the $600-ish ballpark that can be put in my Wyoming weather garage, biggest I can afford at that budget in the 10-15 sqft range. What brands and/or models do I need to be looking at?

 

[oneshot86]

i have replaced more appliances in the last 5 years than ever...
i would try an older freezer used, the new ones, im convinced, have a very short shelf life

 

[Maggot]

At your budget its tough. Samsung makes great stuff but its pricey. Id go to Best Buy. If you spend over $599.00 (I think thats right may be a bit less) they will finance at 0% for 12-18 months with no down payment. Beats taking it out of your pocket, then just have it auto deducted from your checking account each month so you hardly feel it. If you look/ask you can often find scratch and dent for a lot less than retail. I got a nice washer/dryer pair that retailed for $1500 or so for about $800, nothing down, 18 months to pay at 0%. check it out.

 

[Charger442]

id forego the chest freezer, unless you have specific space requirements for it, and get a stand-up, manual defrost, single door model.

i bought the biggest chest freezer i could find, kept it in my garage, and the nature of it lends itself to losing meat into the depths. also, it sucks to look for anything in a chest freezer as you need to pull half of it out to look at the other half on the bottom.

i think i bought an upright Fridgidare like 4 years ago for around $600, 20 cube feet.

every year i put in there, a half of beef, half of a slaughtered hog, 100-125 lbs of sausage, plus miscellaneous quail, deer, and fish.

So glad i dont have to deal with that chest freezer ever again.

 

[wade2big]

The only recommendation I have is to not buy a chest freezer. They are cheaper but also a pain in the ass to organize. Seems like anything you want to get out is always on bottom.

 

[Mike Casselton]

i have replaced more appliances in the last 5 years than ever...
i would try an older freezer used, the new ones, im convinced, have a very short shelf life

This times ten.

 

[Mike Casselton]

$75 on craigslist.
14cf and it purrs like a kitten.
Rebecca is a tad OCD.

 

[Steel+Killer]

I bought an L cheapo from Lowe’s a few years ago and is a chest freezer has been running fine but like the others have said chest freezers absolutely suck.
My sister lost a bunch of meat because her daughter accidentally unplugged it in the garage and did not realize that it was going to the freezer to plug-in something else. I’m surprised nobody has came out with some kind of battery Operated alarm that can work off of Wi-Fi and ping your smart phone if the temperature gets below a certain level.

 

[Redmanss]

I'm definitely looking at the upright freezers for sure. It looks like GE has some garage rated models in my price range, anyone have good/bad about them?

 

[2ndamendfan]

When my chest freezer dies I will replace it with a stand up model. Everyone is correct that chest freezes suck.

They don't make them like they used to. When grandma died a couple years ago, she had two chest freezers. About 50 years old still purring along. We think some of the meat at the bottom might have been just as old.
(We found labels from the early '80s, and they were not on the bottom)

 

[Trigger Time 23]

Upright is the way to go. I am always digging through the chest freezer trying to figure our what is in it. My wife and kids can barely reach in it. I will be getting the upright next time.

 

[Maggot]

I'm definitely looking at the upright freezers for sure. It looks like GE has some garage rated models in my price range, anyone have good/bad about them?

NOt with freezers per se but in general Ive found the Asian brands, like Samsung are better built, at least today's models. So check out best Buy's finance plan.

 

[Charger442]

NOt with freezers per se but in general Ive found the Asian brands, like Samsung are better built, at least today's models. So check out best Buy's finance plan.

sometimes, and ive had good luck with them on washers and dryers.

But one thing to keep in mind is parts availability on the asian brands.... samsung, LG, etc.

I bought an awesome garage fridge, LG with french doors and bottom freezer for $250 from a couple who had a motor go out, but had to wait 6 weeks to get the part. so they bought a new fridge instead, fixed the LG, and then decided they didnt have room for it in THEIR garage. so i got it.

 

[Charger442]

I know where a chest freezer is that has been running since 1965....

How can Cold War refrigeration technology be superior to the crap we buy now?

Thats the thing, the motor probably runs constantly, and it probably takes more power than the rest of the house appliances combined.

Dont ever unplug it, and dont ever move it. it may never run again.

 

[2ndamendfan]

I know where a chest freezer is that has been running since 1965....

How can Cold War refrigeration technology be superior to the crap we buy now?

Items used to be built to last. Then companies figured out people don't replace shit that is working.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

So my chest freezer died last week, and I need a new one. Long story short, the cheap Igloo brand from Sam's Club didn't even last me two years of in house usage, I'm pissed, lost around $400 in meat from it. I know many here have some good shit they've run for years and fill with some very valuable game, so I'm turning to the Hide brain trust for recommendations. I'll be getting a side of beef later this year, and I don't want to lose good beef from a shitty purchase.

What I'm looking for is something in the $600-ish ballpark that can be put in my Wyoming weather garage, biggest I can afford at that budget in the 10-15 sqft range. What brands and/or models do I need to be looking at?

Well,.... until you said 600 I was going to rec SunFrost in either 120 Vac or my favorite 12Vdc, but those units will be better than three times that amount. You get what you pay for with a SunFrost though, an remember the only people who pay retail or mfg suggested price's are tourist's

 

[Maggot]

Items used to be built to last. Then companies figured out people don't replace shit that is working.

As per the 'communal ownership thread' profit over people. I dont like the bitch but in that she's right. consider the owned politicians in DC.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Regarding 'refrigeration' and age: Yes, the manufacturers are using 'shit quality' as well as 'shit design' underneath their "ferrari facade" so that you are buying MORE of these big-ticket items. Myself, I don't give a rats-ass what a device looks like, as long as the food is frozen consistently and it's sitting in a dark room to begin with.

Regarding chest-freezers and stuff 'always being on the bottom'... I too had this problem. I'm not saying the problem is solved, BUT, I have found a massive help. Milk Crates. We have 6 of the large/long green milk-crates stacked in our 25 cu/ft deep freeze, and each of those 6 is divided into separate proteins. Beef/Pork/Chicken/Fish/Prepared/Veggies. (okay, one of those ISN'T a protein) The remainder of the freezer (around the compressor 'bulge') is divided off for the typical random-stack of 'other things' such as frozen fruits, berries, desserts, turkey's, etc.

It's a lot convenienter knowing which ONE milk-crate needs to be lifted out, to see directly under it and into the one below it. For what we're looking for. I'm not saying that this will SOLVE your problem, but I will say that it will help it a heck of a lot.

 

[missed]

I bought an L cheapo from Lowe’s a few years ago and is a chest freezer has been running fine but like the others have said chest freezers absolutely suck.
My sister lost a bunch of meat because her daughter accidentally unplugged it in the garage and did not realize that it was going to the freezer to plug-in something else. I’m surprised nobody has came out with some kind of battery Operated alarm that can work off of Wi-Fi and ping your smart phone if the temperature gets below a certain level.

I have, just a Ti MSP432 that has a Z wave board with it. There is a door micro seeing and temp sensor. Gives trouble alarm if door open greater than 5 min or temp greater than 20 degrees. Links back to the PC and alarm panel. Just shows" freezer trouble" maybe one day ill get to button it up. My link to alarm. Com is one of there compatible sensors that I send into trouble, kinda a redneck work around, which then givesa trouble alarm on the alarm.com app


I have been meaning to do more with it like phone app notifications, but just no time and it pretty much works, just not elegant.

 

[uffduh]

Egg crates are your friend if using a chest freezer. You can each one with like minded goods (one sausage, one steaks, etc). Stick a diagram on the outside of the lid if you want then it’s easy to get to. Also better cold retention properties I’d opened where it’s hot as opposed to an upright, which dumps all the cold out the front.

I do the coffee mug with frozen water and a penny on top so I don’t have to worry about whether it’s shut off, melted and refrozen at some stage. If the penny ever winds up in the bottom of the mug of ice then I know I’ve had a problem...touch wood, hasn’t yet been an issue in the four years I’ve had it. I’m not sure about the battery backup, but I’m sure that I saw an alarm once that would notify of a power outage. Generally speaking, a decent freezer will keep contents frozen for 24 hours if unopened.

Got mine at Lowe’s, Frigidaire I think for about the budget you’re looking at. PM if you want model number, etc. 4th of July sales should yield some decent deals.

 

[oneshot86]

thinking a little outside the box....
we, were in the retail produce business for 8 years and i saw alot of equipment on the move.
there is a HUGE inventory of refrigerators and freezers on the market.
my 3 door refrigerator we had for some of the produce, used, was 1300.
the company gave it the one, two with a 30 day warranty, industry standard.
it looked almost new and every last part on it, every last commercial refer guy, has in his shop.

check commercial used.
repair is way easier than a homeowner unit, in essence, you could fix it forever.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

thinking a little outside the box....
we, were in the retail produce business for 8 years and i saw alot of equipment on the move.
there is a HUGE inventory of refrigerators and freezers on the market.
my 3 door refrigerator we had for some of the produce, used, was 1300.
the company gave it the one, two with a 30 day warranty, industry standard.
it looked almost new and every last part on it, every last commercial refer guy, has in his shop.

check commercial used.
repair is way easier than a homeowner unit, in essence, you could fix it forever.

I definitely like this idea, and have thought for some years now that my 'next house' would have a built-in fridge. Use industrial grade components with PROPER insulation, and have simplicity squared for effectiveness. (And if I do it right, a place to hang a deer/elk/moose once in a while too ) But the freezer though, not so much.

 

[pmclaine]

Had a chest freezer but wife hated that it was just a pit to throw food into so we gave it to the young family across the street to use.

We replaced ity with a stand up Fridgidaire much like that @Mike Casselton posted a picture of.

Ours has been running 5 or so years now without a hiccup and it is an "unheated" garage which is supposed to be a no, no.

Our inside the house fridge despite the big brand name has sucked - so much for durable white goods.

I think the desire for an "Energy Star" label over rides good design an engineering.

If they let them run on a few more amps it might be able to actually do its job without burning out prematurely.

But businesses dont make lots of money on selling you one fridge when they can sell you three.

My inlaws have a big ass Coldspot in their garage from the 50s/60s that will cause "Global Chilling" if you ran it with the door open.

 

[Steel+Killer]

I do the coffee mug with frozen water and a penny on top so I don’t have to worry about whether it’s shut off, melted and refrozen at some stage. If the penny ever winds up in the bottom of the mug of ice then I know I’ve had a problem..

Why in the hell have I never thought of that.......man its the simplest things sometimes.......at least I will now know if the food ever thawed and refroze thanks!

 

[hlee]

We bought the cheapest freezer Home Depot carried in about 2003-2005. We moved it from Austin TX to New Haven CT in 2006. In 2008, we moved it to Sunnyvale CA. In 2011, we moved it to Houston TX. It's made at least 2 intra-city moves in the interim. It may be dead as a door nail when I get home today, but I haven't had a problem with it yet.

I'm pretty sure it's a Whirlkenfridgamore.

I prefer an upright to a chest freezer. It is MUCH easier to keep track of what is in it, and you're not leaving anything on the bottom forever with an upright. Beyond that, there is no enticement to stack stuff on the door, nor is there a heavy lid for a wife or kid to struggle with opening.

And, it has always been in a garage...

 

[Redmanss]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. @Gunfighter14e2, those Sunfrost look awesome but out of my league for the time being. I definitely will be looking at one of those once I get my new property though, as I plan on quite a bit of 12VDC wiring to happen there along with solar to power it, just not in the cards at this time.

I'm looking at a GE upright that will likely fit the bill and in my price range, is garage rated from 0-110°F, and will definitely hold me over for the time being, provided it doesn't kill out like the last one.

Thanks again.

 

[Dewey7271]

Sunfrost makes good stuff fwiw.
Have one in the shop.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

Where the S/F units are King is in power saving either on the back side or the front if your going solar or totally off grid. There Med fregs are all over this rock.

 

[Barneybdb]

View attachment 7102275

 

[LeftyJason]

View attachment 7102275

My exact thought when I saw this thread.

 

[Mooseknuckles]

Like mentioned previously get a stand up freezer. Shit won’t get lost in the bottom. I would look for an older used one in good shape. I got mine for 75 bucks, had it for 6 years and still runs like a champ. New appliances are junk.