SnoMaster Fridge/Freezer Review (1 Viewer)

[TexasD90]

Hey everybody

We have been testing and reviewing the SnoMaster fridge/freezer units for a while now. I have just written a product review of the units. SnowMaster is new to the USA, but not new to the 12V fridge market. They manufacture their own compressor, and it is not available in any other fridge on the market in the USA. Check it out, it's always good to see new options available.

SnoMaster Fridge Review

 

[Semi Hex]

I was directed to this review from a different direction but I liked the line up and if there was a show that Snomaster was at that was closer to me I would be checking them out but I will have to wait until Overland Expo. in May.

 

[Tapage]

Always nice to have another competitor on the market .. like the side opening lid configuration ..

 

[NyNomad]

Looks like a solid unit. I like the additional thermal protection bag

 

[Cruiserdrew]

It looks a lot like an Edgestar to me. Fancied up a bit. Where is this made? My guess is it's yet another Chinese 12 volt fridge but at a premium price. And what makes it better than what is already available for less money?

And, BTW, a 5 amp draw is huge, and not a good thing. Most 12 volt fridges this size are 2-3 amps @ 12 volts when running and the duty cycle is about 1:3 on hot days. It matters a lot when dry camping on solar or battery power alone.

But amp draw really means nothing. What's important is the total power consumption. Is it more efficient than your average ARB, Engel or other proven brand, or is it just another Chinese Fridge that should be bought based on price alone? Where Edgestar makes a decent fridge for $400 and sometimes less! So what is the reason to buy this vs others? Your review is a sales pitch, not a real review.

It also looks expensive to me for what it is here:
SnoMaster USA

With no track record , a premium price, and high power consumption (based on your numbers), I don't see a reason to buy this fridge.

 

[TexasD90]

It looks a lot like an Edgestar to me. Fancied up a bit. Where is this made? My guess is it's yet another Chinese 12 volt fridge but at a premium price. And what makes it better than what is already available for less money?

And, BTW, a 5 amp draw is huge, and not a good thing. Most 12 volt fridges this size are 2-3 amps @ 12 volts when running and the duty cycle is about 1:3 on hot days. It matters a lot when dry camping on solar or battery power alone.

But amp draw really means nothing. What's important is the total power consumption. Is it more efficient than your average ARB, Engel or other proven brand, or is it just another Chinese Fridge that should be bought based on price alone? Where Edgestar makes a decent fridge for $400 and sometimes less! So what is the reason to buy this vs others? Your review is a sales pitch, not a real review.

It also looks expensive to me for what it is here:
SnoMaster USA

With no track record , a premium price, and high power consumption (based on your numbers), I don't see a reason to buy this fridge.

I can appreciate your response. My review was not intended as a sales pitch. I can get you just about any fridge you want. This fridge, however is my choice of the ones I've been around. I've had 3 different ARBs and as a matter of fact I sold one of them to get the SnoMaster. The ARB is a solid product, but in my opinion it's not as good as this one. By the way, ARB doesn't make their fridge.

SnoMaster is a long standing company in South Africa. They manufacture their own fridge, and its compressor. The 5 amp draw is a max draw, standard use is in that 2 amp range. I use my equipment off the grid running on solar on a regular basis, and with a 90 watt panel I run my trailer and my fridge with no problems.

As for looking like other brands, there are lots of fridges out there, and many of them have a similar appearance. The SnoMaster is the only fridge brand in the USA that is built by SnoMaster and the only one with their compressor.

So, why do I recommend you buy this fridge? It is built by a company that uses only high quality parts, manufactures their own compressor, cools more evenly than other fridges on the market, runs efficiently and has a 5 year warranty. Is it for everyone? No. But if you are looking for a great product from a great company this is it.

 

[NMBruce]

does the power plug, plug into the front or back? if it is the front, is it straight in or a 90deg plug?

 

[TexasD90]

does the power plug, plug into the front or back? if it is the front, is it straight in or a 90deg plug?

It's in the front and it's a 90deg plug. The cord is long enough to run under the fridge and plug in in the back if that's where your power source is. The fridge can still slide all the way out for access.

 

[DC82]

Thanks for the review, do you have any information about the power consumption of the fridges? I read in the review it would take about 3 days to drain the battery to 10v, but what is its capacity?

It would be great if you could give an idea of the approximate power consumption, I'm very interested in these SnoMaster fridges but I struggle to find their "real" power consumption when attached to a 12v car charger.

Thank you

 

[TexasD90]

Thanks for the review, do you have any information about the power consumption of the fridges? I read in the review it would take about 3 days to drain the battery to 10v, but what is its capacity?

It would be great if you could give an idea of the approximate power consumption, I'm very interested in these SnoMaster fridges but I struggle to find their "real" power consumption when attached to a 12v car charger.

Thank you

What are you looking for exactly? I'm no electrician by any means, but I'd be happy to try to figure out what you are looking for. Also, for the record, the time it takes to pull your battery down will vary greatly depending on ambient temps, fresh air to the fridge, how packed it is, how the fridge is set, etc.., I don't want to mislead anyone. If it helps, I ran my 42qt. SnoMaster last weekend off of a deep cycle battery hooked to a 90W solar panel. The battery stayed above 12V all weekend. Compared to my ARB fridge I am pleased with the efficiency of this fridge. From a very non scientific look at things!!

 

[DC82]

What are you looking for exactly? I'm no electrician by any means, but I'd be happy to try to figure out what you are looking for. Also, for the record, the time it takes to pull your battery down will vary greatly depending on ambient temps, fresh air to the fridge, how packed it is, how the fridge is set, etc.., I don't want to mislead anyone. If it helps, I ran my 42qt. SnoMaster last weekend off of a deep cycle battery hooked to a 90W solar panel. The battery stayed above 12V all weekend. Compared to my ARB fridge I am pleased with the efficiency of this fridge. From a very non scientific look at things!!

I'm trying to figure out how long a battery of 110Ah would last with this fridge (42l SnoMaster), but you are right it depends on the conditions of use! I plan to get a 100w solar panel for my set up, so it's great to know it's been working fine with your 90w solar panel!

Thank you for your answer! it comforts me in my choice of fridge (SnoMaster vs Waeco)

 

[spressomon]

Be nice if they/others made a dual zone/dual compartment 60l + 25-30l. I need about 10l more fridge than my Waeco 51 provides with the option of a small amount of freezer space or additional fridge space.

 

[TexasD90]

Be nice if they/others made a dual zone/dual compartment 60l + 25-30l. I need about 10l more fridge than my Waeco 51 provides with the option of a small amount of freezer space or additional fridge space.

The SnoMaster BD/C-60D is split in 32L fridge and 24L freezer. Either side can be set to any desired temp.

 

[spressomon]

I'd need 2 of them ... been there done that with two units. All I've seen for dual zone/dual compartment is 50l largest compartment.

 

[TexasD90]

I'd need 2 of them ... been there done that with two units. All I've seen for dual zone/dual compartment is 50l largest compartment.

Sorry about that, I misunderstood your first post. The 95D is a 48L/37L split. That's the biggest one I know of.

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

Your review is a sales pitch, not a real review.

It also looks expensive to me for what it is here:
SnoMaster USA

With no track record , a premium price, and high power consumption (based on your numbers), I don't see a reason to buy this fridge.[/QUOTE]
Haha wow I'm gonna double check my notes before I show you anything (as I should), I love it, keep doing it. That said different strokes for different folks.

 

[shay]

Your review is a sales pitch, not a real review.

It also looks expensive to me for what it is here:
SnoMaster USA

With no track record , a premium price, and high power consumption (based on your numbers), I don't see a reason to buy this fridge.

Haha wow I'm gonna double check my notes before I show you anything (as I should), I love it, keep doing it. That said different strokes for different folks.[/QUOTE]

A word fro Oz - the SnoMaster fridges showed up here about 3 years ago and they are taking the market by storm. In a test late last year by 4x4 Australia magazine the Opposite Lock fordge which is basically a SnoMaster without some of the nice bits absolutely nailed the competition to the wall - Eight-way fridge comparison

I have had one of the Expedition Series dual zone fridges in the back of my 60 series for the last 18 months and I have to say that it is outstanding in very sense. It only draws an average of 1.6 amps per hour even when the temp starts to get up in the high 30's, and the compressor handles the demands of the dual zone so easily it is incredible. Have given my old Engel 45L to the lad for the back of his Ute

 

[TexasD90]

It's great to hear some longer term reviews from those that have had access to SnoMaster longer than we have in the US. There is more and more data and information available and of all the units I've sold (from the west coast to the east coast) I haven't heard a single complaint yet. The quality and efficiency of these fridges continues to impress me.

 

[shay]

Check out the Snomaster YouTube channel, there are some good product review videos on there that go through all of the main features.

SnoMaster YouTube Channel - Ice Cold Anywhere

 

[spressomon]

Short update on my brand new SnoMaster CL61: I wanted a larger fridge/freezer for my LBZ and decided on the SnoMaster CL61. This is their 61 liter model but a lower height version. It arrived safely and securely strapped to an oversize (oversize for the size of the CL61) pallet via ABF truck freight. Although this shipping method is surely more expensive than UPS or FedEx it arrived without being turned upside down, boot prints on the box, crushed panels or worse: Damage to the fridge (like when I ordered a Dometic 95L unit earlier this year and it arrived destroyed via UPS).

Although it has only been keeping a full load of frozen food frozen solid for the past week I have zero regret about my decision to purchase the SnoMaster. Walls are a super thick 60mm. The lid is suitably thick, both of which are substantially thicker than my 12-year old Waeco CF51 and has a nice wide soft seal on the bottom side of the lid. The lid is so secure with such a tight seal one has to have both hands to raise the lid due to the vacuum hold.

The unit comes with a nice, small but adequately sized solar powered (USB port also included for charging) remote control unit that sits on my dash. I can instantly see charging & battery voltage, interior unit temp and also full remote control functionality. It also came with a nice insulating cover with a large #10 zipper. And three sturdy coated steel baskets to aid in keeping fresh produce from getting beat by bottles, cans, etc. And it has a drain for easy washout if/when necessary.

Todd at SnoMaster USA promised the new shipment of units are 15% more efficient and the temp deviation is +/- 2 degrees F. I've got mine set for 5 degrees F and it typically is keeping the readout between 2 and 7 degrees F. Also, the cooling grid is a top to bottom affair so little to no cold/warm spots (I haven't verified this yet).

Working with Todd at SnoMaster USA was a 5 out of 5-star experience! He kept me constantly updated on the ETA, etc.

Just a FWIW/FYI for those considering a SnoMaster.