Max Burton fridge/freezer

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John61CT said:
Some models you can replace the battery
I've had mine apart a few times and I could replace the battery but what I'm going to look at is getting one of those small Lithium batteried jump starter things, they're available in different capacities...

I also used the fridge/freezer the last few weeks and the only problem I had was the cigar lighter plug loosening and losing contact. It happened frequently enough that I was difficult to get readings for a 24 hour period. So, I'm going to replace the plug with Anderson Powerpole connectors and wire it to my van's Blue Seas fuse block.
 
Andrew

You sound about as happy with your Max Burton as I am with my Engel. I am half tempted to pick one up to run along side of mine and turn the propane fridge into a storage cabinet.
 
The powerpacks are great for their intended uses, jumping and USB gadgets. Laptop, not very long. Fridge fuggedaboudit, need 100+AH for normal cycling use.

I'd love to find replacement cells for the OEMTools line. . .
 
jimindenver said:
Andrew

You sound about as happy with your Max Burton as I am with my Engel. I am half tempted to pick one up to run along side of mine and turn the propane fridge into a storage cabinet.

Yes, so far I am pleased with it, part of that is due to the fact that I had nothing before. Anything is better than nothing... I'm not sure that's true but it sounds like it oughta be...
 
John61CT said:
The powerpacks are great for their intended uses, jumping and USB gadgets. Laptop, not very long. Fridge fuggedaboudit, need 100+AH for normal cycling use.

I'd love to find replacement cells for the OEMTools line. . .
Re the powerpacks: they usually say in their instructions that you can't jumpstart a car with a totally dead battery, it needs some help. But I only used my jump starter (lead acid) to power some electronic gear, current draw 1-2 amps max, though I often used it for testing 12 equipment... like the freezer.

I don't know what cells they use in tools, but the LiFePo battery I put in my van uses the standard 18650 cells, the same as used by Tesla in their batteries, and many laptops. Have you opened one up to see?
 
I'll wait for one to die.

That 18650 is the little cylinders like AA size right. Don't want to fool with making my own "packs" from those.

They should just make "boxen" with the circuitry designed to take various smaller but standard sized rectangular LFP prismatics, like the ArkPak 730 and a G31 battleborn.

Or maybe give you the ability to insert a bunch of the cylindrical ones without having to do any soldering.
 
anm said:
you can't jumpstart a car with a totally dead battery
Disconnect the dead one, jump start, leave the powerpack then once it's warmed up reconnect the dead one.
 
Just pulled the trigger on a 37qt from , The Survival Store, in Nevada.  It'll be an early Fathers Day pres to myself.  My first 12-120v portable.

For many moons I've used a ~50 qt five day ice chest.  For a long weekend outing I used two to four,  ten lb blocks and had a plastic storage tote that sat inside and between the two blocks. Worked great and no soggy foods.
The totes capacity is a tad less then that of the MB 37 qt so its a wash for now except for the bonus upper section.  

I have a decibel meter and will provide info at a later date.

I wish I could remember where I read a passage somewhere in one of these forums about how poor people end up paying more for life .  Hopefully this doesn't happen with the MB.  Wish us luck
 
John61CT said:
Disconnect the dead one, jump start, leave the powerpack then once it's warmed up reconnect the dead one.
Yeah, might work...
 
John61CT said:
I'll wait for one to die.

That 18650 is the little cylinders like AA size right. Don't want to fool with making my own "packs" from those.

They should just make "boxen" with the circuitry designed to take various smaller but standard sized rectangular LFP prismatics, like the ArkPak 730 and a G31 battleborn.

Or maybe give you the ability to insert a bunch of the cylindrical ones without having to do any soldering.
The 1865(0) are the dimensions, 18mm dia, 65mm long...
 
anm said:
The 1865(0) are the dimensions, 18mm dia, 65mm long...
Overall, are you pretty happy with yours? I found two reviews about this fridge/freezer on amazon, one 5 star, and the other 1 star. The 1 star person complained that the cord was loose and not making a good connection.
 
Ballenxj said:
Overall, are you pretty happy with yours? I found two reviews about this fridge/freezer on amazon, one 5 star, and the other 1 star. The 1 star person complained that the cord was loose and not making a good connection.
I'm satisfied with it so far, even with the cigar lighter connection being a little flaky. I plan to replace the connector with an Anderson Powerpole connector wired to the battery via a fuse. When I first got mine I had it plugged into a cigar lighter socket in the back, connected to the house battery. As luck would have it I was driving and had to brake hard to avoid someone testing Darwin's theory. The freezer slid forward and ran out of wire, putting a severe side load in the connector. I'm thinking that had something to do with the flakyness...
 
anm said:
I'm satisfied with it so far, even with the cigar lighter connection being a little flaky. 

Anderson Powerpole? Keep us informed as to how that fridge works along the way, OK?
 
a note about disconnecting your battery. NEVER disconnect the battery with the engine running. you will have one big headache on your hands. highdesertranger
 
Ciggy plug rant # 659384

This one will be short.

They suck.

While hardwiring the compressor fridge to fuseblock is much much better, the 16awg wire provided with these portable fridges is like a 100 yard dash runner being forced to breathe through a cocktail straw.

Anderson powerpoles are a great electrical connector, but they do not employ a fuse like ciggy plugs do. One can run 10AWG from fuse block to connector, but it must be fused not for 30 amps, but for the thinnest wire on the circuit, which is the likely the 16AWG cord that once had the despicable Ciggy plug attached to it, and hopefully now has received the sledgehammer treatment followed by a volley of sailors curses during each sledgehammer swinging at this disgusting POS connector which insults each electron forced to pass though it.

If you do not yet feel this way about the ubiquitous 12v ciggy plug connector, give it time, as it is only a matter of that before it causes you grief.
 
highdesertranger said:
a note about disconnecting your battery. NEVER disconnect the battery with the engine running. you will have one big headache on your hands. highdesertranger
John61CT said:
Disconnect the dead one, jump start, leave the powerpack then once it's warmed up reconnect the dead one.
Yes I was not as explicit as I should have been, at no point in the above is there no place for alt charge output to go.

The powerpack gets pulled last, after the dead vehicle starter has been hooked back up.
 
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Opened this up earlier today.  I was pleasantly surprised at its capacity and the added upper section.  perfect for my needs.
The basket is a tight fit.  It has a freezer compartment drain plug.  The lid seal looks replaceable or at least macgyver'ed if necessary.  The included 120-12v adapter is 6'.  
The height and width is close to the Coleman but the MB is a full 7" shorter.  Again, Perfect for where it will live.
32# with included electricals.
I'll poke around to find a compressor name
 

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Waeco is the OEM, Chinese clone of Danfoss, see page 2 up to my post#18
 
Noted.  Thanks. I'm not scared now

The Radio Shack decibel meter I have showed ~55 right at the unit.  I researched others from the inter webs.  Found a link to five of the more popular units and they were all in the low 60 range .  I should have access to an ARB and an Engel in about a month at a future GTG.  I'll take readings so as to compare.
This MB is only a tad louder by ear than our house fridge.  I realize noise is a subjective thing but I find it quite tolerable.
I'm sure it could be lessened with some foam padding or dyna mat type stuff But that'll be for another year.  

This is my first portable fridge.
 
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