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| May 20, 2013, 11:05:37 PM |
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by Editor on August 29, 2010, 12:08:00 PM
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Engel Portable Off Road Fridge-Freezer
PRODUCT REVIEW |
Introduction
When it comes to keeping your drinks and food cold or frozen Engel has the solution. Considered a pioneer in portable fridge-freezers, Engel recognized a demand in 1962 when the first production units came off the assembly line. Now almost 40 years later their fridge-freezers are still heavily in production meeting the demands of Off-Roaders, boating, camping and just about any outdoor activity. I've always liked these fridge-freeze units for their adjustable cooling temperatures (low: 10deg.) and very low battery draw (0.7 to 2.5 amps) to name a few "cool" features. Also, No ice means you can go camping or exploring for as long as you desire. Not to mention the room saved by no longer hauling ice.
Chosing a Model
The popular unit among the off-road & camping crowd is the 35MT sized fridge-freeze. Considered a medium size fridge offered by Engel. Not to big and not to small for the average off-road excursions and camping trips. This was the size we decided to go with. I didn't want a huge cooler because i've never needed that much stuff although I must say the 45MT & 50MT are both very cool large fridges.
Check out the unit (35MT) we picked up and our thoughts on it below.
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Model Reviewed & Tested:
MT35F-U1 (54 can capacity) |
Features & Spec's
| Patented "Swing Compressor" motor |
Volume: 34 qts (54 cans) |
| Maintenance Free |
Power Consumption: 0.7 - 2.5 amps |
| Tough anti-vibration compressor |
Internal Dimensions: 15.5" x 10.8" x 12.4" |
| Incline operation - up to 30 degrees |
External Dimensions: 25.5" x 14.3" x 16" |
| 12v fans aid improved cooling |
Net Weight: 46.3 lbs |
| Auto switching 12/24v and 110v |
Warranty: 2 years |
About Our Engel Fridge-Freezer
All of the Engel units feature an automatic power switching technology enabling the unit to automatically switch between 12v, 24v and 110v power sources without changing any settings. One of the big highlights of the Engel Fridge-Freezers is their ultra low power draw. These highly energy efficient cooling compressors are what set Engel above the competition. Their revolutionary Sawafuji "swing compressor" takes ruggedness & efficency to a whole new level. The unit ranges from 0.7 to 2.5 amp power consumption. Keep in mind, thats only when the compressor turns on. During our testing below we realized the fridge-freeze turns off quite often for lengths of time saving additional power while maintaining desired inside temperatures. Be sure to check out our testing below where we see how long it takes to draw a 12v battery from start to finish.
Pictures of the MT35F Fridge-Freezer
Here are some pictures of the MT35F-U1 fridge-freezer to show you inside & out some of the features and quality put into these units. Notice the craftsmanship the attention to detail. Everything is built with purpose in mind, even down to the rugged steel exterior with corrosion resistant exterior coating. Shown below right out of the box. Last time it'll be this clean.
Testing The Unit
As mentioned earlier we wanted to put our Engel through a series of test so that you the consumer can see how well it works. The first test was simply to see how fast our fridge-freezer cooled down from a static 75 degree (turned off) to its coldest setting. Monitoring both temperatue & time using my personal Suunto watch.
Test 1 - Time it takes to achieve coldest temperature setting
Turned Fridge-Freezer on at 75 degrees inside & out temp
*Keep in mind we probably impacted the results by opening the cooler every 10 minutes to monitor our temps.
10 min on at 59 degrees
20 min on at 47 degrees
30 min on at 36 degrees
40 min on at 28 degrees
50 min on at 21 degrees
60 min on at 15 degrees
70 min on at 11 degrees
74 min on at 10 degrees
The 35MT Fridge-Freezer met its maximum cooling capacity of 10 degrees at about 74 minutes.
Test 2 - Power Level = what temperature?
*Figured this would be good information to know since the instructions didn't indicate these numbers. From my experience using the fridge freeze Level 2 works great for refrigeration items. Nice and cool.
Level 1 = 42 degrees
Level 2 = 36 degrees
Level 3 = 15 degrees
Level 4 = 12 degrees
Level Max = 10 degrees
Test 3 - Battery Draw - Coming Soon!
Next we wanted to see just how much it would take for our Engel to draw a battery down in if for example we didn't turn our car on to recharge it. Also monitoring intervals of how often the compressor on the Fridge-Freezer turned on and off to maintain our desired temperature.
Testing monitored & recorded every 3 hours
Starting battery voltage: ##v
3 hours = #v, 6 hours = #v, 9 hours = #v, 12 hours = #v, 15 hours = #v, 18 hours = #v, 21 hours = #v, 24 hours = #v, 27 hours = #v, 30 hours = #v, 33 hours = #v, 36 hours = #v, 39 hours = #v, 42 hours = #v, 45 hours = #v, 48 hours = #v.
Accessories
Engel offers accessories for just about all there fridge-freezers. From hinge locks that secure the lid from sliding off to digital thermometers, transit covers, sliding & locking mounting plates, hardwire & cigarette lighter kits, and more. One accessory I especially like was the TwoZone kit. This enable you to later add almost twice the storage capacity of any fridge-freezer. Its simply replaces the lid with a second compartment above the lower compartment. Enabling two zones essentially with seperate lids for accessing either compartment. So if we ever have the desire for more capacity later this is the solution rather than buy an entire new fridge-freezer.
Click on images for large view
{Hinge Lock Shown Below}
Conclusion
After using this Fridge-Freeze for a few months we've grown to love its capabilities and features. It works flawlessly every time and requires no maintenance. It's already been along with us camping, off-roading, rock crawling, fishing, UTV riding & road trips. I wont say that we haven't used a ice cooler since the Engel came along. I used a small ice chest in tandem with the Fridge Freeze for convenience. The downside to the Fridge-Freezers are their price tags. The 35MT used in this review sells for anywhere from $700-800 online. Your buying a rugged, high performance portable refrigerator so you'd expect to pay a descent price right? I can understand their not in everyones price range but they are a well designed and tough product likely worth every penny they cost. Im hoping our Engel lasts for many years to come. It's an asset to anyone that enjoys the great outdoors like we do. I intend to use the heck out of it and see how well it works and holds up. I will report back on its status.
For more information about Engel USA products check out there website or give them a call.
Engel USA
900 Jupiter Park Drive
Jupiter, FL. 33458
Phone: (888) 272 9838 (In USA only
Website: www.engel-usa.com
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