Bushman or Mate fridge/freezer

Thanks Iambo. We want to use it as a back up freezer at home as well. Mate is only 12/24V so would have to get 240V transformer on top of it. But we like the capacity and light weight.

Thanks Steve and Gonk, you both mention traiblazer. Haven't come across that one, only been investigating them for a short time, must check!

A tale with a moral. Prospecting up Georgetown area Qld ,sometimes on the dirt roads u gotta take your false teeth out let alone the property tracks. One particular day Ozesheila ( yeh she's my lovely wife) decided to stay back at camp , luckily, so I went off with the dog Cooper to a new area. To much study of the terrains geoligy instead of the speed of track , came around the top of a hilly corner and Shiii , Sorry, to put it politely, Criiiikey :)) there were 2 sharp shale ridges across the track about 40cm high with rounded tops. Crikey I thought :), I jabbed the brakes to compress the front, bow down then bow going up just before impact, I caught a glimps of the moon thru the windscreen just as the back wheels hit, then stern up and bow down , then thru the windscreen the second ridge , no need for another compression brake couldn't anyway as by now my feet were up around my nesk and and we were coming down frount wheels first anyway. As luck has it right on the right spot before the 2nd ridge . Front compression then the rear wheels hit the ground then silence, we were airborn again clean over the 2nd ridge, then the trouble started, we were on the down hill slop with the bow up and couldn't see where we were going to land. The truth is I was hanging on for grim death. After a lot of bouncing and rolling we stopped , checked every thing out underneath, just a few dings here and there , then I remembered the 80Ltr Engel straped down in the back, Ozi's pride an joy . I thought , "Oh well it'll be dead ", I opened the back it was still going, half wot was in the Engel was out an half wot was out was in including the prospecting pick,( I didn't clip the lid latches down last time I pulled a drink out or zip up the insulation cover ) , its head over the edge and the lid closed on it with the handle sticking out, looking at me if to say "is it safe to come out now". I said to the Pick "You been trying to join the mile high club or sumthin wif our fridge" an the pick said "no she's to cold for that, jes given it a cuddle. When I got back Ozi said how did it go I said ask the pick. I didn't tell her what happened but I guess she'll read this an I'll get a ribblng. That fridge takes a pounding over heavy rutted dirt roads every time we go prospecting and just keeps on going . The Moral of the story is: " If a pick can't stuff an Engle noffin can." Buy an Engel, u won't go wrong. " :)

Pickhandle

Wow, pickhandle, you literally took my breath away, got me dizzy!!! Must say you made your point about Engel....

Yeah well.....what can I say six months after the event? No wonder Cooper looks askance every time we hitch up the trailer . I don't think I would have been amused if I HAD been there! I realised on that trip that I was getting a bit old to really enjoy bush bashing the way we did twenty years ago. Not that we did much b-bashing. One little blue eyed blonde hugging a cabbage patch doll while yelling, "Daddy, don't go faster," and similar phrases from three rambuctious boys, makes for very sedate driving. Maybe I should drive more often.
OzeSheila.

Thanks, see what you mean, the bulkiness may be a prob, but will have to check it out. Back to the drawing board :)

I have 20+ year old t/blazer & have recently installed 3 extra cooling fans how do I access 'post 10008'.

Hi Signman, appreciate your post, the only one so far about Bushman, doesn't seem to be too well known. We didn't know anything about it till few days ago, there is a demo model for sale cheaper and with full warranty, that's why we were considering it. From your post the quality sounds a bit suss though.

Straight from the horse's mouth, that's what I was after, much appreciated Willy.

G'day Willie
My comments re the Bushman are from my observations and feedback from both Bushman users and the Bushman distributor. They are only too happy to replace- no charge- the electronics card "when it fails"- which is very reassuring when you're 1 week in some remote area into a 5 week trip.
The switch over to the GE compressor units has only been in the last couple of years only- prior to that they were Danfoss equipped.
The side opening lid is just my personnal gripe, being used to the set up of my own fridge installation.
It's good to know you are happy with your Bushman Fridge.

Mal,
Thanks for the reply. I'm like you - warming (perhaps that should be COOLING ) to the Bushman for much the same reasons that you would recommend it . Seems like a pretty neat unit with some very inovative ideas incorporated and good backup. I also like the digital temp contol for the same reason as you and it is comforting to know that under the temp control there is a manual switch that will allow the fridge to operate without a thermostat.

happy holidays mate!
Alan & Barbara

HI

I own a bushman and agree with everything Mal58 has said.

I have owned a Bushman for 3 years now and i use it flat out and i havent had a problem with it, does everthing i want. I havent owned any other fridge and cant comment on there performance, i suggest you only listen to people who have actually owned and used a product.

I travel all over the goldfields around Kalgoorlie with work and take my fridge in the back of the ute. I only have one battery, but never stay long in one spot. I highly reccommend a bushman fridge, as it for me was not to expensive and has never let me down.

Troo Bloo

We've ended up buying the Bushman (need it soon). Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

A & B