Engel or Waeco?

You have already answered your own question.

I have the 60 litre combi and it keeps the ice cream frozen and thats all that matters.
Great fridge, nothing more to say.

Chris,
"Done a search and Engel wins. Thoughts?"

then maybe your search criteria is seriously flawed?

Be careful with a WAECO if you ever intend to use HF radio in your truck (like VKS737)
The fridge can generate enough interference to make HF radio unusable.
cheers
Horst

What is that engel wins lol? More of your money for a similar waeco product?

Let me preface this by saying I have owned a faultless Engel for six years.

Having said that I agree with Brew, the Waeco offers a lot more for the money. Consider a 60L Engel combo is $1600 and the Waeco 80L combo is $1250 (can be had from the Fridge Shop for $980). That is more fridge for less money.

The Engel is a sturdier unit, steel cabinet, better hinges and catches etc. Does any of this keep your beer colder or your ice cream mores frozen?

I will be seriuosly looking at the Waeco 80L combo soon, as my 39L Engel is a liitle small for my needs and is only a single compartment job.

I am just struggling to justify an extra $600 for a smaller fridge/freezer.

Either way you won't go wrong, it's just a case of how much you want to spend.

Good Luck,

Jim.

The Engel stainless steel ranges is superb are climate Class T rated.

Sean

What about an Evakool? That's what's on my shopping list.

http://www.evakool.com.au/dualtemp.shtml

And on Waeco & Engel on a recent trip to Cape York our party had one of each plus another 30yo Engel. All performed perfectly.

Though the Waeco seemed to get the beers colder quicker!

I use an 80L Engel Combi. Fantastic fridge but $1900 worth and it takes up a fair chunk of the Rodeos tray. However it is strong. It has taken multiple hits from toolboxes as well as 200L drums full of diesel. Didn't leave much more than a few small dents from the drums and not a mark from anything else. I can't see a plastic Waeco surviving that.

Chris,

I have an 40l Engel and I can only fit in 58 cans of beer and a mate has the 60l and fit in over 80 cans. If we have a big session there is always the chance that I could run out before my mate hence he would never pick the dual fridge freezer!
But seriously, I haven't found a need for a freezer. I have been very happy with my Engel but they are a bit on the $$$$ side. If I bought one again I'd probably get one from the Fridge Shop in Brisbane. People ohave bought via mail order 50l Waeco's for $6-700 bucks and if youre not happy they will swap over as some are returns. But which ever you choose they both keep the beer cool.

Leroy

I have a 40L Engel (ARB actually) and it is good at what it does. However, on our recent trip to Cape York, one of the other blokes had a Waeco 80L and my wife expressed a desire to have the freezer space they had. I agreed that the Waeco set-up is great. Let me also say that we have a 3 way fridge in the camper trailer and whilst it does have a freezer of sorts, it is very small and highly inefficient in the hotter weather. In fact, whilst we up there, we gave up trying to keep anything "important" cold in the Electrolux 3 way.
I was just about committed to buying a Waeco 80 litre.......then our mates went bung on him. We were on our way from Seisa to the "tip" and he hit a huge bump. He radio'd back to me to slow down and I was able to tip-toe over it. However, the damage was done and his Waeco was never the same again. Admittedly, he didn't have it tied down in the back of his Prado; he believed the weight of the fridge and all it's contents would "hold it down"....(I know, I know....we tried to tell him; but Toyota drivers reckon they know everything!!!!....Sorry Lance if you're reading this...hahahaha).
Anyway, he used his other Waeco (a 30 litre I think)for the rest of the trip and he went back to Cairns instead of coming with us over to the Gulf on the way home.
In Cairns, they fixed it under warranty, saying that it had a faulty workmanship issue with the soldering of the copper pipes etc.
I've decided that on our next "big" trip, I will go back to using the Engel as a freezer and rotate 4 of those "frozen blocks" thingos between the freezer and an esky. Cold drinks and other stuff stay in the esky. Each morning I chuck the meat for that night into the esky, as well as rotate the freezer blocks, 2 out of esky into freezer; 2 out of freezer into esky. The meat helps keep the drinks cold and gradually thaws out during the day.
As for the camper trailer fridge.....looking at an upright Engel 2 way.....not much difference in cost between Engel and Waeco for this type, both around $1200-.
Sorry, got off main subject a bit.....

I have the 60 litre combo engel but havn't given it a good test yet. Also have a 60l engel fridge/freezer which I hope to sell. I'm sure there are good and bad stories about both the engel and waeco. A good mate runs a camping store and said he only stocks the waeco because people ask for it. He has more returns and dramas with the waeco than any other fridge he sells. Yes engel are dearer and some is name related but most is due to quality and QA. If you've got the money get the engel 60l combo, you can keep bait, ice cream, meat, fish, etc. If you've got the money and space the 80l combo would be fantastic.

Keep the autofridge in mind as well. They are a little more expensive but they will draw less current on a daily basis due to their design. I have a 14 year old autofridge and I can turn it off for 12 hours and the temperature is still 2 degress. You only have to run it for a few hours a day to keep it at fridge temperates hence the reduced current load.

Kym

It all comes down to dollars and cents in my opinion.

If you have dollars, you'll buy and engal.
If you have any cents, you'll buy a Wacoe. :-P

Just when you thought this debate had gone away, up she pops again. Bit like Paris Hilton.

Doesn't matter what you get it will always be better than your old Liemack. ;-)
Engel & Waeco are just average fridges. There would be 4 or 5 Aussie made units better in quality & performance. Just because the majority buy them doesn't make them the best only the cheapest & the most advertised. :D
A freezer is an option that consumes alot of power which in turn requires a bigger battery set up or generator if you intend camping multiple nights without starting the car. With cryovac meat lasting 6 weeks a freezer is not really needed.
Cheers Craig...........

The true test of a product is "time". My Engel is nearly 20 years old and when it is not working in the bush it is parked in my lounge doubling up as a bar fridge.
This little beauty has never missed a beat and has operated in some of the most adverse conditions known to man,still providing me with a near freezing stubby of beer at the days end.
If in 20 years time people are claiming similar stories about their Waecos - then fair enough, I will consider one. Until then, as far as I'm concerned, the only safe choice is the Engel. It is always more economical to buy once and keep for the longest period of time than to buy cheap and have to replace it more frequently. If the fridge failed - calculate the value of having a warm beer at the end of a long hot trying day!

I have a Engel 40lit turbo fan, cover.It runs full time asa freezer, my query is if i was to run it all night in my vehicle (Did Paj. single battery. Does the Engel (2 yrs old) have a low voltage cutout. Or should i just leave it on and see how long it will run. and hope my power pack will start the car.

Well i too have recently had this dilemma, but ended up choosing the Engel 40L anniv. fridge Purely based on the strength of the unit itself and great track record Got a fridge bag for free and $100 bucks off as well. Plus the bloke selling it knew my missus's old man and from the same small town, so had to give him the sale.

Intend to use it as a fridge or freezer, if i need both i will do the ice pack and esky shuffle, or maybe grab one of those twozone add on jiggers.

Ps just unpacked it at home- even the box is built like a tank !!! and where's the orange light on that ute :-))) seen a few like that around the traps..

Chris, why are you replacing your old Leimack? I thought these were supposed to be good fridges.

Well I renegged and got a Waeco. Cost was a big factor as I hate paying just for a name. It's going to be used pretty hard so if it fails I will look at the issue again and admit I was wrong. I also chose Waeco as it's what's used in our mine and emergency vehicles and we haven't had a prob

I know this question is old but I am adding this incase someone goes thru the archives. Engel have just changed the way they supply parts. Basically they don't supply parts! If a small part breaks on the compressor, you now have to buy the whole new compressor. Expensive when it's out of warranty!
Waeco are still supplying parts only if needed. This makes a huge difference in the "cost of ownership".