I’ve owned one of these (52qt version) since September 2019. I paid $629 for it direct from acopower on amazon. I’ve now upgraded to an iceco vl60 which is a metal construction in different league for build and insulation (and has dual zone but has no internal battery). My main use case is using it off-road in the back of a vehicle. Firstly, customer service is excellent. My first acopower unit arrived broken - it would run from the mains but not charge or run from battery. I had a great discussion resulting in me stopping by the California office and swapping it for a new one. The new one stopped working a few days later on a California trip to coyote flat. It had all my food so I had no choice but to take it apart and found a spade connector had fallen off a power connection. An easy fix - adding some duct tape it’s still good more than a year later. I advised them they should probably add glue on the connection and they said they would feed it back to design. Other than that it survived locked down and bouncing around in an fj then 4Runner for a year. The compressor is indeed lg and doesn’t take much juice when down to temp as long as conditions are good but the insulation is minimal and in a Vegas summer of 40c/110f plus is will really initially struggle for hours in the back of the car to get down to temp. You have to chill it on mains power at home well in advance of needing it. The construction is very plastic. All the money is obviously in battery and compressor. So the insulation and ruggedness is not the best. I have some internal cracks in the lining. I removed the wheels and strapped it in place on the back. More recently the unit would not power on at all - I emailed and got good support about dismantlement and checking wiring. I found a blown blade fuse inside which I replaced and it worked fine again. I did run the acopower 90w folding panel. The acopower folding 90 panels were $290 and failed after a year with supply dropping to around 1/3 max - debugging it with covering different panels and checking voltages I think it failed at wiring joins in the seams. I now run an iceco vl60 dual zone fridge freezer on inverter with jackery 500 backup that auto switches and 100w panels from another manufacturer. The efficiencies are many multiples better. But if you don’t have a second battery setup and are not going to bounce this around too hard it does the job. Hope that helps. Like the company, people and service and Idea is great. Quality and execution not quite there yet. If they made a more robust unit and ditched the wheels and made it more off-road friendly it would be a winner. If you want a cheap alternative to dual battery setup In your rig - or jackery/power supply - its a good starting point. Hope this helps.
Hi Hobo, I know this review is 18 months old, but I ended up buying this cooler after watching your review today. I've watched a few others you have posted on the Jackeries, EcoFlo Delta Pro and Bluetti Maxoak 1500. You are very thorough, use layman's words, and you give us glimpses of your cute cats.
You're killing it with these reviews they are so thorough and informative. You've found your niche look at those subs! How is Odin adjusting back to life in a house?
I just wanted to thank you kindly from the bottom of my heart. With being in the military, the Airforce and in the medical profession with being on standby to be sent around the country more due to this virus, I want to be able to take my mini RV with me so turning the air conditioner into solar. Now in respect with learning solar, I do not expect you or anyone guide anyone on installation of solar as it would be a liability risk but basic knowledge on products needed you are the only one to advise how many of what would be needed. That is all I really wanted and you did just that on letting me know the numbers of panels needed for the air conditioner. I just do not know how I could get 3 390 or 400 watt panels up just yet. I know I could do up to 800 watts of solar with ease. But anyways, thank you for supporting my Military career in medical assisting me with travels to hospitals around the country, It means a lot. I hate those channels whom would not take the time or day so I banned their channels as I found them useless. Your channel is different and with a thank you, I will promote your channel further and willing to make a financial donation as well. Thank you so much!
I have been running my own tests with the 52q unit. Much the same results as you outline with the 42q. I have NOT found the fan to be loud or have the odd start up noises you sight. Remarkable off grid freezer/fridge for both home backup and camping. Thanks for reviewing this unit I could not be more please with my unit. My Beaudens 100W solar panel charged the battery from dead to 100% in 3:38 hours in Bay Area smoke filled sun.
I have the slightly older model of this and have been using it for at least a year. Best beer cooler ever! Bought it after seeing this product at CES 2019. Works better than nearly every other 12v fridge cooler out there. Plus battery. Battery lasts so long I have not even used the solar thing until this past summer.
Now we're talking. A completely off-grid fridge with removable battery, multiple charging options, and a long cord for solar panel. I can't touch the price, even with discount, but they've got my attention. Time and competition, after the more affluent early adopters have beaten the crap out of them and the bugs have been worked out, might bring it within reach for me. Always glad to learn about new tech applied to useful products. Your reviews of them are invaluable to me. Thank you. Thor's got catballs of steel, bitch-slapping a giant wasp, and matrixing out of reach of dogs in hot pursuit of a rabbit. That is one lucky rabbit, escaping 3 deadly predators at once. Not sure what I'd do about the loose dogs. I love all animals, but some people are stupid with them. Well, I'm beyond glad that Thor is ok. Hugs and kissies to Thor and Odin. ODIN!!!! Good health and happiness to you and Heidi.
Thank you for reviewing this frig! I've been waiting for a good review on this frig. We purchased the 50 quart last year and didn't understand why it was not getting noticed by the RUclips reviewers. We have all the components along with their 120 volt solar panel. All in all we prefer this frig. The noice level is fine with me and while the price is higher running it stand alone on a battery is better that any of the other frig/freezers out there today.
@@lacha608 Hi there, first let me say we are vendors at our local farmers markets and our purpose for having the fridge freezer was 1. for our product that needs to be refrigerated and 2. have cold water during the summer months and 3. for just being prepared. We were actually looking for a fridge freezer of like this and was already settled on the apicool but then we saw a another vendor with this fridge freezer and we were all in because it was running off of a battery. As far as the weight and the dimensions they should be listed on their website. And as far as going over bumpy road if you mean bumpy roads in the car we drive a minivan and we don't tie it down because we have it packed with our items that we need for the farmers markets soits not moving around and we don't go over any seriously bumpy roads because we're driving here in the city. So with this fridge freezer you set it to either be a refrigerator or a freezer they do not have separate compartments. The wheels are extremely beefy compared to most other coolers. We have their 120 watt solar panel.
I ordered the 50qt but no panels ..can I buy a bigger solar panel lets say 400w to charge the battery only? The company is telling me no I need to go with the 90w foldable. I want a bigger panel to charge the battery faster.
@@jefferyhickey7342 I'm not sure. We have a 120 watt panel but I never charged the battery from empty to full with it. On another note since my last post our compressor has started making a really loud humming sound as if if it is about to die/burn out. I contacted to company and they were not helpful at all!! I never expected the refrigerator to only last for 2 1/2 years. For the money it should have lasted a whole hell of a lot longer. The company offered a refurbished refrigerator as a replacement not a new one or 50% off a new refrigerator. But get this the 50% is not at checkout its after you make the purchase and they they say that they will send the 50% vis paypal after the purchase. Complete bullshit on their part and I'm 100% dissatisfied.
Great little refrigerator/freezer. Being able to charge the batteries outside the unit is a game changer and the fact that it uses so little juice is amazing. I am glad that I have not bought one yet as I this one is the best yet. The only downside seems the noise level of the compressor and the cost (as some have pointed out). Perhaps on eco mode it is quieter, hopefully, when it is not pushed to the max as during testing. Over time, they will come down in price when competition comes into the market. So cool, no pun intended. Oh, your cat looks pretty fierce and adorable.
Thor looks so much like our old kitty Trouble (bubba)! I love this fridge, damn, I need it AND a solar generator! I’m gonna need to work some serious overtime!
I bought this fridge around 4/1/21. I have to eat a special diet of Whole Food plant-based Foods. I drive a truck and I'm gone all week. It stays plugged in overnight while I'm in hotels and so far has not drain the battery down. I set the temperature to around 37 and I'm in the hotel anywhere from 10 to 12 hours at a time and so far I have no complaints.
Love your killer kitty!!! If I hadn't just purchased 3 fridge/freezers I'd be a lot more interested in this one. Keeping food safe is more important to me than noise levels. Love those long cords. Very impressive!
Very cool! Pun intended! Lol! This is a great discovery! I am prepping a 98 Suburban as the base for a tent camping setup and this just made my list of must haves. Excellent test and review!
Thanks, Tom, for the usual excellent review and for calling this to our attention. I was giving the JP40 serious consideration, but this package, with the solar panels and batteries, meets our needs to a T. We're in hurricane country (eastern NC) and get frequent severe storms as well, so any given moment for months out of the year -- thunderstorms forecast for tonight! -- we might have a power outage. Besides emergencies, we live in a small townhouse with no room for a chest freezer, so this item will give us some extra food storage space in a compact package. It's also an improvement over the smaller unit we've been using for camping and travel. That one sucks energy like no one's business. During Hurricane Isaias, I plugged it into the Bluetti EB150 and was appalled at how quickly it was drawing down the battery. All in all, the LionCooler is a fantastic choice which we'll use in home and camper.
I have an Alpicool and love it. Just get yourself a VMAX lithium 35 Ah (588 Wh) battery with charger for about $300 and you are all set. It will operate the fridge for 3.5 days. Battery is small and light (7.5 lbs) and comes with a battery monitor.
Professor, excellent review. That fan is way too loud. I have an old Engel fridge/freezer. That sucker ways 55 lbs. So, I like the weight of the X40. Excellent review because you give the prospective buyer information of real world usage versus expectations or product hype. Of course, one thing to keep in mind fellas/gals is that the professor had the unit in a climate controlled room and out of direct sunlight. A hot car or hot cabin on a boat would absolutely drag those times down. But the professor is correct in keeping the environmental factors at a controlled number. Job well done Proffesor.
This coming week I will be testing my Aco52 for four days while camping. I have been using it as a secondary freezer at my home and it has worked flawlessly. I discovered while communicating with AcoPower that the batteries have a built in BMS and can be charged DIRECTLY from solar without the refrigerator unit. I hooked one of my Beaudens 100W solar panels with the 5.5mm male to male plug into one of the AcoPower batteries. I purposely ran the battery down to no bars. In the SF Bay Area sun during November it took 3.4 hours to fully charge the battery! I will be doing a full written review after my findings next week about this unit. Incredible so far that's for sure!
HI Hobo, great job you do! Jackery has their 500w at 499.00 now on their Site and also Amazon. Leads me to believe they are coming out with a 500w with the features of the 300w you just reviewed. I think I'll wait to see what's up their sleeve. Thanks for all your great reviews!
Dude, you need to keep speaking. LEGIT video. I saw their price online is 800 and with the solar and two batteries, I believe. I hope so. I need to watch the rest of this video. Brb.
Universal adaptor that accepts all slide in types & has inputs for pv charging with the controllers & inverters to use the power as needed. Hell someone made a drag racer powered by cordless batteries ( a lot of them granted) Be nice if this tech had some general cross brand function vs all the proprietary single uses only. Need a mad EE hacker to create a 3d printer to build a diy off grid power supply to get power to the people so they can boot strap themselves to a better place where ever they are...
Professor H. Thanks for another great review. I own the AcoPower R40a. I found mine on Amazon, and it was much cheaper, item #HY-R40A. My model is more basic, the battery plugs in and has a wired lead, but it is also replaceable, no blue tooth, and no solar panel. I purchased mine back in March of this year (2020), just as Covid-19 took off. Mine too is loud and hits my batteries around 60 watts. But be advised the ambient temperature makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE. My plugin (AC / DC) port broke; instead of returning, I opened it up and wired in my own lead and fixed the problem. Mine has GE components, all electronics plugged in and easily replaceable and serviceable (I was pleasantly surprised at the internal build quality). * I've run mine constantly in refrigerator mode nonstop in my converted cargo trailer camper. * Due to the noise, I run mine as cold as possible without freezing, then adjust up 10 to 15 degrees and get through the night. * I pack items on top of it to help insulate it. One big deal with mine, it that the unit seems to allow voltage output from the charging port (?it's not regulated?). For my application, it is hooked to two 12v wet cell batteries (the refrigerator battery is lithium); so I unhook the internal battery on mine and the camper's battery pull it 24/7. Hope this helps.
You've mentioned the essential point! I agree with you, Danfoss is the great one, and compressor has the largest influence on its performance, also influences the price haha.
Thank you for your review(s) on this freezer/fridge. I ordered the 52 quart version based on your review bundled with the extra battery. Just FYI the charger for the battery does NOT come with that bundle so I purchased it separately. I've wanted an extra 'freezer' for my home and looked at the standing side door type for years. The ones I wanted ranged between 300-600 USD. Certainly much less than the 52q AcoPower with much more capacity. BUT being able to use this as a backup self powered freezer and solar powered fridge/freezer for my multi day camping (4-6) makes it a good investment for my use. Thank you again for introducing so many to your reviews. I always appreciate it...and I'm NOT a cat person! LOL
Auto thumb up kitty shows up. Bought EB 240. 4(170w) panels n stuff to put on from video you had on it. Great results. Ran load test 91 days from house. Used Dishwasher/Washer several times a month. Peak at 950w avg rest of time -100 w. Only got Eo13 dc output trip when heater of dishwasher heated water less than 120°. Actually runs old toaster at about 800w (base load at -100). I use a pc power strip to trip at 10amps total. EB runs tv cable phone alarm system optional blueray looking to add small fridge in jeep trip. Also have Jackery 509(2panels). Guys led grow lights great for camping. Use about 7-10 watts n super bright. Use USB solar panels/usb ports on sg's too. TV, bray in campers with all home stuff too. Even Ladies love it.
Hi! I really enjoy your videos! Thank you so much!! I would love for you to do a review of the GoSun Chill, also a solar fridge, which I think actually came out before the Acopower LiON, but not sure. And then a versus with this Aco would be awesome! Thank you so much again!!
I appreciate the work you put into your reviews. Don’t understand 75% of what you say... not a technical person but do love watching the doodads numbers flashing all over the place!! Keep up the awesome work! Just FYI, I didn’t buy this fridge but love a lot of the conveniences but in the end settle for the Iceco JP40 (you reviewed the bigger) because of the compressor) . Usually it’s the internal mechanism that fails first, so reliability outweigh features. As always keep rolling!,🌟🌟
THIS for my 'Righteous Ranchos,' if I can get there...washes every direction look worse on new google earth photos. It's rained hard since the last time I was there many years ago. I'm determined to drive in there again this winter though, but I won't be able to bring my van. 4WD+trailer this time.
I'm amazed by the innovation happening at this level , Very interesting at how energy independent a person could get .... Hmmm ! Go with it guys ... I think your on to something with enter chargeable batteries ...
The only advantage to this type of refrigerator is portability. Most of us don't bring our refrigerators out when camping. if you need to bring this to the beach then it would be convenience. This model is close to $1000. My generic 52 Liter generic refrigerator was $279 ( now on sale for $259), 100 watt Windy nation panel, PWM controller, Walmart Eveready deep cycle battery only put me out $463 total. The system is pretty permanently installed in the back seat floor of my truck as once it's filled it too heavy to take out. Just got back on a one week camping trip and everything worked beautifully.
Impressive. Change the fans, or without compromising the function use sound baffles, and this is a serious contender for RVs and general camping. At $1000, it’s a great place to store the caviar, right? Another _excellent_ review, Professor!
I know this is probably asking for a lot but I wish you'd do some power tool tests on the larger power station models like the AC200P/MAX etc, I'm dying to get one for my business.
Hello Hobotech! Thanks for another great video. Amazon only has this older X40A model, they do not have the newer PX40. The X40A is currently on sale (one battery, no panel) for $459. You also talked about the ICECO JP40 and I've watched your video for the JP42(was $299 then). Amazon has the JP42 for $475. Given they are roughly the same price, would you recommend the JP42 or the PX40. I have a Jackery with Panels. I feel like the JP42 has better components. While the PX40 does have more features (not all important to me; the internal battery is compelling). Thanks for your opinion. Anyone else have an opinion please let me know too. Thanks all!
To do a complete test you need to verify that the internal thermostat is correct and if it is we need to know if the thermostat can maintain a constant steady temp without fluctuating above 40f and below 32f when using it as a refrigerator. Most of these fridges freeze fine but most cannot keep a steady temperature to keep food at a safe temp. Food becomes unsafe above 40f and freezing below 30f over time. I want to buy this and use it for refrigeration mostly but worried about a incorrect eternal thermostat.
Thanks so much for the comprehensive video. I wish you lived down the block so you could help me figure this thing out. Is this a refrigerator and freezer or is it a refrigerator or freezer
That’s definitely a little pricey, but assuming that you could get at least 10 years of service from it, it’s actually not too bad. That would be awesome for long road trips, going off-roading, camping, and all kinds of stuff. With how expensive it is to eat out, this could actually save you money if you used it enough. If it saved just $10 a meal (which it easily would for two people) and you used it 100 times, it would pay for itself.
Great idea, a built in battery, but one of these batteries wouldn't keep the freezer running overnight (but how often would you do that), since you'd get less than 13 hours of usable sun per day and you'd have to keep adjusting those panels. As soon as I saw the 173WHr capacity I thought that'd be too small
Good job on the review, I always wonder about running down the battery in the truck or sizing small solar system to run a 12v refrigerator especially in a small space. I have a 200 folding solar panel, got it for the same price they want for the 90w panel. This thing could probably stay cold all the time with it hooked up to a 100 w solar panel mounted on the roof , pretty cool
It may need a battery as big as several hundreds watt hours or to operate 7 hour on load for 14 hour and use 200watt solar panel for a fast recharge and operation during the day. Multiple batteries needed for rainy day.
In a room at 25C the fridge stay at 3C during 24 hours (max mode) on his battery. The temperature panel is between +2 -2 of the targeted one. In the middle of the fridge half full of vaccins the oscillation is of one degree Celcius.
@19:20 5 bars, each bar represents 20%. 24h = day 24h / 5 = 4,8h or 4 hours 48 minutes. 3 bars down and you got about 16 hours. Which is pretty good since it's about 5,3h so you got 0,5 x 3 surplus from that, which is 1,5 h extra. Now if you ran it all 5 bars for 5,3h you would get 26,5h. But of course, there's a gap between the 40% and 60% battery bar range. My estimates were based on using full 60%, but if there was, say 50% used (still would show 2 bars), you might get an even longer functioning time. With a 300W solar panel, you could probably accumulate enough surplus charge during the sunny days to make it actually work 24/7.
The benefit is you can just swap out the battery with a charged one. And you can charge the dead battery outside of the cooler with a panel in an ideal location
Nice testing... gives me ball park for the technology... I am on different power station ... cabling and so on... the cooler design inside looks similar to the GoSun Chill... wonder if some design sharing or perhaps a related source manufacturer... just enough differences in designs ... I got Started on Goal Zero power stations... a bit heavier battery set up with a bit more solar panel in put without going fixed installation solar.
Well,i can't find the video that i asked you about the $30-$80 solar generators... Well,i ordered the absolute cheapest one on Ebay $30.00 (yellow.. one switch on front,2 bulbs..just in case you would care to look...) It has two 11650s in it and that's all.. I have now used this thing for a week,just as lights.. Running both from 530 when i get home until 1030ish when i go to bed.. It's great,for what it is,which is a light...I think for the price,that its very useful for a bug out bag or small bug in faraday box... Next im ordering the 84 amp hr generator with the picture of the globe on the side for $50.... It has great reviews Wish you would check these out for an objective review
Cool idea. Removed a lot of flexibility though. You are paying for batteries that only work with that system vs just buying an external that you can use with multiple other devices.
Hobo you should review the Dewalt 1800 power station. In my opinion this is a far better way to power a small cabin or rv. Check it out i know youd find this impressive
Im sure it will have it's appeal for somes circumstances but in a RV I'm not sold. I place a double layer of paper towels in the bottom of mine it makes for easy cleanup. Mine is all smooth inside no places for yuck to settle. I remove the paper towels at each shopping trip ( 3 to 4 weeks) sponge clean with Dawn or a clorox wipe and done. Mine is a chest type has such easy viewing of all content. I dont like that place where things go and never to be seen again that is under the battery on that one. Mine is basically more for one or 2 people, 15 quart storage. It can freeze also but I just use it as a fridge. So 2 units can be an option and has a much smaller footprint. It is so quite, I dont even know if it's running. The noise of that one if it where in your van would be awful, Im sure. I use my 2 Jackery 500's and charge one and use one giving me a weeks use between both plus, I can still use a fan and charge a phone at the same time. Love my Jackerys.
@@rayneday-trippin2554 its a Ausranvik 16 qt. it plugs in the front and vents in the front so you can place it pretty much against a wall. Mine has the door open from front to back so makes it easy to use. Some have the door opening from the side not the end where the plug is. The only thing I did not like is no cover over the buttons so I found a little clear plastic lid from a deli at Smith's that worked perfect. It comes with a cig adapter so I use that and when on the move plug it into the Jackery. Using the adapter frees up the plug for a small fan if I need it boondocking.
I’ve owned one of these (52qt version) since September 2019. I paid $629 for it direct from acopower on amazon. I’ve now upgraded to an iceco vl60 which is a metal construction in different league for build and insulation (and has dual zone but has no internal battery). My main use case is using it off-road in the back of a vehicle. Firstly, customer service is excellent. My first acopower unit arrived broken - it would run from the mains but not charge or run from battery. I had a great discussion resulting in me stopping by the California office and swapping it for a new one. The new one stopped working a few days later on a California trip to coyote flat. It had all my food so I had no choice but to take it apart and found a spade connector had fallen off a power connection. An easy fix - adding some duct tape it’s still good more than a year later. I advised them they should probably add glue on the connection and they said they would feed it back to design. Other than that it survived locked down and bouncing around in an fj then 4Runner for a year. The compressor is indeed lg and doesn’t take much juice when down to temp as long as conditions are good but the insulation is minimal and in a Vegas summer of 40c/110f plus is will really initially struggle for hours in the back of the car to get down to temp. You have to chill it on mains power at home well in advance of needing it. The construction is very plastic. All the money is obviously in battery and compressor. So the insulation and ruggedness is not the best. I have some internal cracks in the lining. I removed the wheels and strapped it in place on the back. More recently the unit would not power on at all - I emailed and got good support about dismantlement and checking wiring. I found a blown blade fuse inside which I replaced and it worked fine again.
I did run the acopower 90w folding panel. The acopower folding 90 panels were $290 and failed after a year with supply dropping to around 1/3 max - debugging it with covering different panels and checking voltages I think it failed at wiring joins in the seams. I now run an iceco vl60 dual zone fridge freezer on inverter with jackery 500 backup that auto switches and 100w panels from another manufacturer. The efficiencies are many multiples better. But if you don’t have a second battery setup and are not going to bounce this around too hard it does the job.
Hope that helps. Like the company, people and service and Idea is great. Quality and execution not quite there yet. If they made a more robust unit and ditched the wheels and made it more off-road friendly it would be a winner. If you want a cheap alternative to dual battery setup In your rig - or jackery/power supply - its a good starting point.
Hope this helps.
Hi Hobo, I know this review is 18 months old, but I ended up buying this cooler after watching your review today. I've watched a few others you have posted on the Jackeries, EcoFlo Delta Pro and Bluetti Maxoak 1500. You are very thorough, use layman's words, and you give us glimpses of your cute cats.
You're killing it with these reviews they are so thorough and informative. You've found your niche look at those subs! How is Odin adjusting back to life in a house?
He's running around playing like a kitten!
I just wanted to thank you kindly from the bottom of my heart. With being in the military, the Airforce and in the medical profession with being on standby to be sent around the country more due to this virus, I want to be able to take my mini RV with me so turning the air conditioner into solar. Now in respect with learning solar, I do not expect you or anyone guide anyone on installation of solar as it would be a liability risk but basic knowledge on products needed you are the only one to advise how many of what would be needed.
That is all I really wanted and you did just that on letting me know the numbers of panels needed for the air conditioner. I just do not know how I could get 3 390 or 400 watt panels up just yet. I know I could do up to 800 watts of solar with ease. But anyways, thank you for supporting my Military career in medical assisting me with travels to hospitals around the country, It means a lot. I hate those channels whom would not take the time or day so I banned their channels as I found them useless. Your channel is different and with a thank you, I will promote your channel further and willing to make a financial donation as well. Thank you so much!
Wow Hobo, you put a lot of work into this, thanks.
5 days + 1 for photos and editing. This was a doozy! Glad you appreciate it.
Agreed. Very good review
As soon as you said there are 4 lights I thought about Picard. Thank you so much for including the clip
jean luck pie card
Great reveiw . Thats one of the best coolers , refrigerator . I am
Impressed with the battery life .
I have been running my own tests with the 52q unit. Much the same results as you outline with the 42q. I have NOT found the fan to be loud or have the odd start up noises you sight. Remarkable off grid freezer/fridge for both home backup and camping. Thanks for reviewing this unit I could not be more please with my unit. My Beaudens 100W solar panel charged the battery from dead to 100% in 3:38 hours in Bay Area smoke filled sun.
I've been using mine for almost a year and it works daily. It's awesome.
Can you change the direction of the lid? And remove the handle/wheels? We’re we have to put it the vents would be in the wrong place unfortunately
What a beauty. That be great for the car even for shopping as the inside of the car seems to get hot easier.
My cat is almost identical. His name is Chewbacca. Excited about this fridge👍
I have the slightly older model of this and have been using it for at least a year. Best beer cooler ever!
Bought it after seeing this product at CES 2019. Works better than nearly every other 12v fridge cooler out there. Plus battery. Battery lasts so long I have not even used the solar thing until this past summer.
Now we're talking. A completely off-grid fridge with removable battery, multiple charging options, and a long cord for solar panel. I can't touch the price, even with discount, but they've got my attention. Time and competition, after the more affluent early adopters have beaten the crap out of them and the bugs have been worked out, might bring it within reach for me. Always glad to learn about new tech applied to useful products. Your reviews of them are invaluable to me. Thank you. Thor's got catballs of steel, bitch-slapping a giant wasp, and matrixing out of reach of dogs in hot pursuit of a rabbit. That is one lucky rabbit, escaping 3 deadly predators at once. Not sure what I'd do about the loose dogs. I love all animals, but some people are stupid with them. Well, I'm beyond glad that Thor is ok. Hugs and kissies to Thor and Odin. ODIN!!!! Good health and happiness to you and Heidi.
Thank you for reviewing this frig! I've been waiting for a good review on this frig. We purchased the 50 quart last year and didn't understand why it was not getting noticed by the RUclips reviewers. We have all the components along with their 120 volt solar panel. All in all we prefer this frig. The noice level is fine with me and while the price is higher running it stand alone on a battery is better that any of the other frig/freezers out there today.
@@lacha608 Hi there, first let me say we are vendors at our local farmers markets and our purpose for having the fridge freezer was 1. for our product that needs to be refrigerated and 2. have cold water during the summer months and 3. for just being prepared. We were actually looking for a fridge freezer of like this and was already settled on the apicool but then we saw a another vendor with this fridge freezer and we were all in because it was running off of a battery. As far as the weight and the dimensions they should be listed on their website. And as far as going over bumpy road if you mean bumpy roads in the car we drive a minivan and we don't tie it down because we have it packed with our items that we need for the farmers markets soits not moving around and we don't go over any seriously bumpy roads because we're driving here in the city. So with this fridge freezer you set it to either be a refrigerator or a freezer they do not have separate compartments. The wheels are extremely beefy compared to most other coolers. We have their 120 watt solar panel.
I ordered the 50qt but no panels ..can I buy a bigger solar panel lets say 400w to charge the battery only? The company is telling me no I need to go with the 90w foldable. I want a bigger panel to charge the battery faster.
@@jefferyhickey7342 I'm not sure. We have a 120 watt panel but I never charged the battery from empty to full with it. On another note since my last post our compressor has started making a really loud humming sound as if if it is about to die/burn out. I contacted to company and they were not helpful at all!! I never expected the refrigerator to only last for 2 1/2 years. For the money it should have lasted a whole hell of a lot longer. The company offered a refurbished refrigerator as a replacement not a new one or 50% off a new refrigerator. But get this the 50% is not at checkout its after you make the purchase and they they say that they will send the 50% vis paypal after the purchase. Complete bullshit on their part and I'm 100% dissatisfied.
That's pretty awesome. If it functioned as fridge and freezer at the same time, I would be extremely tempted to buy one.
You can get it here, dual zone fridge/freezer
Great!! This is on our wish list! Signed up on their website through your link! THanks so much!! Great review!
I bought the bundle with extra battery. AC/DC adapter and solar panel, your promocode saved me almost $120! Thank you
Odin has the high ground, This Fridge just solved all my issues. Thanks HOBOTECH.
Great little refrigerator/freezer. Being able to charge the batteries outside the unit is a game changer and the fact that it uses so little juice is amazing. I am glad that I have not bought one yet as I this one is the best yet. The only downside seems the noise level of the compressor and the cost (as some have pointed out). Perhaps on eco mode it is quieter, hopefully, when it is not pushed to the max as during testing. Over time, they will come down in price when competition comes into the market. So cool, no pun intended. Oh, your cat looks pretty fierce and adorable.
Always a cheerful and comprehensive review. Thank you for working so hard. We will be looking for you out at Shay Road this winter.
That whitish cat looks EXACTLY like a cat I got .as a kitten in 1976 til we had to put him down in 1995
Thor looks so much like our old kitty Trouble (bubba)! I love this fridge, damn, I need it AND a solar generator! I’m gonna need to work some serious overtime!
I bought this fridge around 4/1/21. I have to eat a special diet of Whole Food plant-based Foods. I drive a truck and I'm gone all week. It stays plugged in overnight while I'm in hotels and so far has not drain the battery down. I set the temperature to around 37 and I'm in the hotel anywhere from 10 to 12 hours at a time and so far I have no complaints.
Love your killer kitty!!! If I hadn't just purchased 3 fridge/freezers I'd be a lot more interested in this one. Keeping food safe is more important to me than noise levels. Love those long cords. Very impressive!
Very cool! Pun intended! Lol! This is a great discovery! I am prepping a 98 Suburban as the base for a tent camping setup and this just made my list of must haves. Excellent test and review!
Thanks, Tom, for the usual excellent review and for calling this to our attention. I was giving the JP40 serious consideration, but this package, with the solar panels and batteries, meets our needs to a T. We're in hurricane country (eastern NC) and get frequent severe storms as well, so any given moment for months out of the year -- thunderstorms forecast for tonight! -- we might have a power outage. Besides emergencies, we live in a small townhouse with no room for a chest freezer, so this item will give us some extra food storage space in a compact package. It's also an improvement over the smaller unit we've been using for camping and travel. That one sucks energy like no one's business. During Hurricane Isaias, I plugged it into the Bluetti EB150 and was appalled at how quickly it was drawing down the battery. All in all, the LionCooler is a fantastic choice which we'll use in home and camper.
I like that fridge! Bought an Alpicool a few mos. ago, darn it.
I have an Alpicool and love it. Just get yourself a VMAX lithium 35 Ah (588 Wh) battery with charger for about $300 and you are all set. It will operate the fridge for 3.5 days. Battery is small and light (7.5 lbs) and comes with a battery monitor.
Professor, excellent review. That fan is way too loud. I have an old Engel fridge/freezer. That sucker ways 55 lbs. So, I like the weight of the X40. Excellent review because you give the prospective buyer information of real world usage versus expectations or product hype. Of course, one thing to keep in mind fellas/gals is that the professor had the unit in a climate controlled room and out of direct sunlight. A hot car or hot cabin on a boat would absolutely drag those times down. But the professor is correct in keeping the environmental factors at a controlled number. Job well done Proffesor.
Bet your old Engel is still working just fine, very heavy fridge but still the best
This coming week I will be testing my Aco52 for four days while camping. I have been using it as a secondary freezer at my home and it has worked flawlessly. I discovered while communicating with AcoPower that the batteries have a built in BMS and can be charged DIRECTLY from solar without the refrigerator unit. I hooked one of my Beaudens 100W solar panels with the 5.5mm male to male plug into one of the AcoPower batteries. I purposely ran the battery down to no bars. In the SF Bay Area sun during November it took 3.4 hours to fully charge the battery! I will be doing a full written review after my findings next week about this unit. Incredible so far that's for sure!
Supper cool review, this fridge/cooler is a game changer... thumbs up man 👍 with this product "The future is now"
HI Hobo, great job you do! Jackery has their 500w at 499.00 now on their Site and also Amazon. Leads me to believe they are coming out with a 500w with the features of the 300w you just reviewed. I think I'll wait to see what's up their sleeve. Thanks for all your great reviews!
"Secret laboratory "!!! I love it.
Another caper foiled by the all knowing & powerful HOBOTECH,,,,,,, Good stuff! be well out there!
Super great for medication in the remote world areas.
yes, Missouri state goverment has bought this fridge freezer to ship vaccnine and medical in over 100 locations.
Jeff T. Thanks Jeff. That is really good of Missouri State.
I wish the manufactures would build a compartment on their units to store all the cables and power supplies.
I bought a GoSun Chill solar fridge/freezer over a year ago. Came with battery, 30 watt solar panel, ac cord, and 12 volt cord.
That's nice but it's not a solar powered fridge. GoSun is powered by an external power bank and 30 watts is nowhere near enough to run it constantly.
Dude, you need to keep speaking. LEGIT video. I saw their price online is 800 and with the solar and two batteries, I believe. I hope so. I need to watch the rest of this video. Brb.
Wish Dewalt would build one I got all kinds of their batteries and tools.
Same here. At least twenty 20v, and 60v batteries. 50 tools. DeWalt needs to get more innovative.
Maybe Walmart brand, Hypertough, will come out with one. Just a thought.
Universal adaptor that accepts all slide in types & has inputs for pv charging with the controllers & inverters to use the power as needed. Hell someone made a drag racer powered by cordless batteries ( a lot of them granted) Be nice if this tech had some general cross brand function vs all the proprietary single uses only.
Need a mad EE hacker to create a 3d printer to build a diy off grid power supply to get power to the people so they can boot strap themselves to a better place where ever they are...
Professor H. Thanks for another great review.
I own the AcoPower R40a. I found mine on Amazon, and it was much cheaper, item #HY-R40A. My model is more basic, the battery plugs in and has a wired lead, but it is also replaceable, no blue tooth, and no solar panel. I purchased mine back in March of this year (2020), just as Covid-19 took off.
Mine too is loud and hits my batteries around 60 watts. But be advised the ambient temperature makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE.
My plugin (AC / DC) port broke; instead of returning, I opened it up and wired in my own lead and fixed the problem. Mine has GE components, all electronics plugged in and easily replaceable and serviceable (I was pleasantly surprised at the internal build quality).
* I've run mine constantly in refrigerator mode nonstop in my converted cargo trailer camper.
* Due to the noise, I run mine as cold as possible without freezing, then adjust up 10 to 15 degrees and get through the night.
* I pack items on top of it to help insulate it.
One big deal with mine, it that the unit seems to allow voltage output from the charging port (?it's not regulated?). For my application, it is hooked to two 12v wet cell batteries (the refrigerator battery is lithium); so I unhook the internal battery on mine and the camper's battery pull it 24/7. Hope this helps.
They key is how durable and how much longevity the compressor has. I learned Danfoss I’s the best made.
You've mentioned the essential point! I agree with you, Danfoss is the great one, and compressor has the largest influence on its performance, also influences the price haha.
Thank you for your review(s) on this freezer/fridge. I ordered the 52 quart version based on your review bundled with the extra battery. Just FYI the charger for the battery does NOT come with that bundle so I purchased it separately. I've wanted an extra 'freezer' for my home and looked at the standing side door type for years. The ones I wanted ranged between 300-600 USD. Certainly much less than the 52q AcoPower with much more capacity. BUT being able to use this as a backup self powered freezer and solar powered fridge/freezer for my multi day camping (4-6) makes it a good investment for my use. Thank you again for introducing so many to your reviews. I always appreciate it...and I'm NOT a cat person! LOL
Auto thumb up kitty shows up. Bought EB 240. 4(170w) panels n stuff to put on from video you had on it. Great results. Ran load test 91 days from house. Used Dishwasher/Washer several times a month. Peak at 950w avg rest of time -100 w. Only got Eo13 dc output trip when heater of dishwasher heated water less than 120°. Actually runs old toaster at about 800w (base load at -100). I use a pc power strip to trip at 10amps total. EB runs tv cable phone alarm system optional blueray looking to add small fridge in jeep trip. Also have Jackery 509(2panels). Guys led grow lights great for camping. Use about 7-10 watts n super bright. Use USB solar panels/usb ports on sg's too. TV, bray in campers with all home stuff too. Even Ladies love it.
Professor, I loved the Star Trek "There are Four Lights" reference....hahaha
...by the way! Dont forget about Blue ice cold insulation.
Hi! I really enjoy your videos! Thank you so much!!
I would love for you to do a review of the GoSun Chill, also a solar fridge, which I think actually came out before the Acopower LiON, but not sure. And then a versus with this Aco would be awesome! Thank you so much again!!
Very impressive, and as always a brilliant presentation.
Guys legit learned alot from him. Keep em coming
I SEE FOUR LIGHTS!! 🤣
They should put a sliding door over the changing ports, so you can only access one OR the other, not both at the same time.
Great idea.
My same thought. It's a cheap and low tech solution.
Better that they will add a internal relay to circuitry so when you plug the AC will take the charge priority over the DC...
Idiot proof it!!
That's a good fridge!
nice review man! Thanks for the technicals... and props for the nod to the crew of the SDF-1 :P
I appreciate the work you put into your reviews. Don’t understand 75% of what you say... not a technical person but do love watching the doodads numbers flashing all over the place!! Keep up the awesome work! Just FYI, I didn’t buy this fridge but love a lot of the conveniences but in the end settle for the Iceco JP40 (you reviewed the bigger) because of the compressor) . Usually it’s the internal mechanism that fails first, so reliability outweigh features. As always keep rolling!,🌟🌟
THIS for my 'Righteous Ranchos,' if I can get there...washes every direction look worse on new google earth photos. It's rained hard since the last time I was there many years ago. I'm determined to drive in there again this winter though, but I won't be able to bring my van. 4WD+trailer this time.
Ironic that while I was watching this Video for an ACPower-OffGrid Refrigerator, that an advertisement for an IceCo Fridge showed up...
18 WH, that is impressive.
Thanks professor!
I see four lights!!! Lol Great review
Professor, well done! You just sold me on Acopower fridges.
I'm amazed by the innovation happening at this level , Very interesting at how energy independent a person could get .... Hmmm ! Go with it guys ... I think your on to something with enter chargeable batteries ...
And they said it couldn't be done.
The only advantage to this type of refrigerator is portability. Most of us don't bring our refrigerators out when camping. if you need to bring this to the beach then it would be convenience. This model is close to $1000. My generic 52 Liter generic refrigerator was $279 ( now on sale for $259), 100 watt Windy nation panel, PWM controller, Walmart Eveready deep cycle battery only put me out $463 total. The system is pretty permanently installed in the back seat floor of my truck as once it's filled it too heavy to take out. Just got back on a one week camping trip and everything worked beautifully.
Impressive. Change the fans, or without compromising the function use sound baffles, and this is a serious contender for RVs and general camping. At $1000, it’s a great place to store the caviar, right?
Another _excellent_ review, Professor!
I really love the battery design. Great for day trips. Are there any other ones like that?
The 1st and the only one in the market now
So much information, looking for the best way to incorporate some solar into my preps. My dog is also named Odin, and yes he has only one eye!
WoW !!! Thanks that is so Cool!! I hope Ryobi builds one!! Will you let us know of more that come out!! So you can use it as a frig or freezer?
It can be used as a fridge or a freezer, but not both at the same time.
I know this is probably asking for a lot but I wish you'd do some power tool tests on the larger power station models like the AC200P/MAX etc, I'm dying to get one for my business.
Luminiser 28W Solar Charger
Can you do a review on this solar charger please?
wish the dain plug was outside and the LED light in the lid or higher....Enjoying your reviews man!!!
This could be perfect for me
Exteremly informative, thank you!
This is an awesome machine. Thank you for your thorough review.
Hello Hobotech! Thanks for another great video. Amazon only has this older X40A model, they do not have the newer PX40. The X40A is currently on sale (one battery, no panel) for $459. You also talked about the ICECO JP40 and I've watched your video for the JP42(was $299 then). Amazon has the JP42 for $475. Given they are roughly the same price, would you recommend the JP42 or the PX40. I have a Jackery with Panels. I feel like the JP42 has better components. While the PX40 does have more features (not all important to me; the internal battery is compelling). Thanks for your opinion. Anyone else have an opinion please let me know too. Thanks all!
To do a complete test you need to verify that the internal thermostat is correct and if it is we need to know if the thermostat can maintain a constant steady temp without fluctuating above 40f and below 32f when using it as a refrigerator. Most of these fridges freeze fine but most cannot keep a steady temperature to keep food at a safe temp. Food becomes unsafe above 40f and freezing below 30f over time. I want to buy this and use it for refrigeration mostly but worried about a incorrect eternal thermostat.
Thanks so much for the comprehensive video. I wish you lived down the block so you could help me figure this thing out. Is this a refrigerator and freezer or is it a refrigerator or freezer
17:30 Haha! I love that episode...
1:02 - wireless freezers are a great idea!
That’s definitely a little pricey, but assuming that you could get at least 10 years of service from it, it’s actually not too bad. That would be awesome for long road trips, going off-roading, camping, and all kinds of stuff. With how expensive it is to eat out, this could actually save you money if you used it enough. If it saved just $10 a meal (which it easily would for two people) and you used it 100 times, it would pay for itself.
Love the almost ZZ Top, man!
Was wondering if you ever thought of reviewing the GoSun Chill freezer?
Great idea, a built in battery, but one of these batteries wouldn't keep the freezer running overnight (but how often would you do that), since you'd get less than 13 hours of usable sun per day and you'd have to keep adjusting those panels. As soon as I saw the 173WHr capacity I thought that'd be too small
With two batteries you can run overnight then charge them with solar while the fridge is running during the day.
Little cables are good for passing thur doors.
Professor good review on this fridge. I might have missed it, but is there a charge life on their batteries?
As in how long will they last in storage? As long as any other Li-ion NMC battery or at least 12 months.
@@HOBOTECH I meant how many charge cycles before we get to 80%. Like the aka solar generators boast.
@@bradcooke5383 They don't say but it is probably the typical 500 cycles to 80%.
@@HOBOTECH Roger that. Thanks Prof.
You need 1 12volt 100 amphr. Battleborn LifePo-4 battery & you can use it for days on end. 10yr warranty
excellent testing of this cooler, Loved it!
Good job on the review, I always wonder about running down the battery in the truck or sizing small solar system to run a 12v refrigerator especially in a small space. I have a 200 folding solar panel, got it for the same price they want for the 90w panel. This thing could probably stay cold all the time with it hooked up to a 100 w solar panel mounted on the roof , pretty cool
Can you make a review on Alpicool T50 please.
It may need a battery as big as several hundreds watt hours or to operate 7 hour on load for 14 hour and use 200watt solar panel for a fast recharge and operation during the day. Multiple batteries needed for rainy day.
In a room at 25C the fridge stay at 3C during 24 hours (max mode) on his battery. The temperature panel is between +2 -2 of the targeted one. In the middle of the fridge half full of vaccins the oscillation is of one degree Celcius.
No use of cord all day long, perfect for me. I am glad having seen this video and having change my idea of buying (the fridge only) a standard one.
I bet a case ( 7 fl. oz bottles, 24 ct. ) of Heineken Lager Beer would fit AOK in that cooler. Hummm
Brass Monkey 35l here in Oz have same features.
Wow very cool ref the battery is amazing
@19:20
5 bars, each bar represents 20%.
24h = day
24h / 5 = 4,8h or 4 hours 48 minutes.
3 bars down and you got about 16 hours. Which is pretty good since it's about 5,3h so you got 0,5 x 3 surplus from that, which is 1,5 h extra.
Now if you ran it all 5 bars for 5,3h you would get 26,5h. But of course, there's a gap between the 40% and 60% battery bar range. My estimates were based on using full 60%, but if there was, say 50% used (still would show 2 bars), you might get an even longer functioning time.
With a 300W solar panel, you could probably accumulate enough surplus charge during the sunny days to make it actually work 24/7.
The benefit is you can just swap out the battery with a charged one. And you can charge the dead battery outside of the cooler with a panel in an ideal location
Nice testing... gives me ball park for the technology... I am on different power station ... cabling and so on... the cooler design inside looks similar to the GoSun Chill... wonder if some design sharing or perhaps a related source manufacturer... just enough differences in designs ... I got Started on Goal Zero power stations... a bit heavier battery set up with a bit more solar panel in put without going fixed installation solar.
Well,i can't find the video that i asked you about the $30-$80 solar generators... Well,i ordered the absolute cheapest one on Ebay $30.00 (yellow.. one switch on front,2 bulbs..just in case you would care to look...) It has two 11650s in it and that's all.. I have now used this thing for a week,just as lights.. Running both from 530 when i get home until 1030ish when i go to bed.. It's great,for what it is,which is a light...I think for the price,that its very useful for a bug out bag or small bug in faraday box... Next im ordering the 84 amp hr generator with the picture of the globe on the side for $50.... It has great reviews
Wish you would check these out for an objective review
These reviews are short and useful.
Is there a comparative list of the generators some where on your site?
Cool idea.
Removed a lot of flexibility though. You are paying for batteries that only work with that system vs just buying an external that you can use with multiple other devices.
That would defeat the purpose of being cordless.
Well if i ever need to use a cooler.. to freeze things.. indoors.. now I know how this one performs..
Good useful video! Is that Hidie's cat?
Its my cat now, unfortunately.
I wish you well in your Homestead adventure. 😁
Good stuff! Thanks for the detailed review.
Hobo you should review the Dewalt 1800 power station. In my opinion this is a far better way to power a small cabin or rv. Check it out i know youd find this impressive
Low cycle power tool batteries are not the answer. It's also not a solar generator.
I think it’s cool but it is very pricey.
Personally I think I am happier with my set up with a Jackery.
Excellent video Thank You for sharing.
Im sure it will have it's appeal for somes circumstances but in a RV I'm not sold.
I place a double layer of paper towels in the bottom of mine it makes for easy cleanup. Mine is all smooth inside no places for yuck to settle. I remove the paper towels at each shopping trip ( 3 to 4 weeks) sponge clean with Dawn or a clorox wipe and done.
Mine is a chest type has such easy viewing of all content.
I dont like that place where things go and never to be seen again that is under the battery on that one.
Mine is basically more for one or 2 people, 15 quart storage. It can freeze also but I just use it as a fridge. So 2 units can be an option and has a much smaller footprint.
It is so quite, I dont even know if it's running. The noise of that one if it where in your van would be awful, Im sure.
I use my 2 Jackery 500's and charge one and use one giving me a weeks use between both plus, I can still use a fan and charge a phone at the same time.
Love my Jackerys.
What kind of fridge you running was going to use my jackery 500 to power mine also
@@rayneday-trippin2554 its a Ausranvik 16 qt. it plugs in the front and vents in the front so you can place it pretty much against a wall. Mine has the door open from front to back so makes it easy to use. Some have the door opening from the side not the end where the plug is. The only thing I did not like is no cover over the buttons so I found a little clear plastic lid from a deli at Smith's that worked perfect. It comes with a cig adapter so I use that and when on the move plug it into the Jackery. Using the adapter frees up the plug for a small fan if I need it boondocking.
@@rvingtheusa thanks for the quick response and detailed answer is akeaus appreciated 😎✌🚐
@@rvingtheusa one more question .is it quiet?
@@rayneday-trippin2554 very.