Brass Monkey 50L Dual Zone Fridge/Freezer

[@adamrobinson9148]

After a year of owning this fridge second hand I thought the left side was broken, the actual manual is hopeless, I was about to buy a new fridge as it's never worked with taking middle compartment out. You are a life saver thanks.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I'm glad it was useful, Adam. ~ Ben

[@homesteadhealth7539]

This was such an excellent review. Bought this 50litre one after watching your review, and am completely happy with its performance! Used it in the car, and running off solar as a full freezer unit for camping. It’s been running 24/7 for a month without a hiccup. Holds temperature beautifully. Also used your review as instructions to understand settings properly. Thanks heaps!

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I'm glad it was useful, Homestead Health. ~ Ben

[@gablia2002]

How do you use as a full freezer..I thought full fridge or half freezer.

[@88skollie]

Solid review, one of the best I've ever seen. Covered everything that I would like to know and the random stuff I think about. Wish you could review lots of different products. Cheers mate. Well done 🤙

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Wed have loads of product reviews on our channel, check it out here - kzbin.info/door/gpO6k-UyaYgwyLg0ESceCg. ~ Ben

[@gablia2002]

Wow... Honest full review from a retailer, no hidden surprises. Well done Richard W. I will be looking at one soon . 👍

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Thanks for recognising that, Gablia2002! Cheers, Laine

[@johnsmythe1744]

Has to be one of the best to the point and informative vids ive ever seen on any product. Might have to buy from you!

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Thanks for watching!| ~ Lauren

[@bobpfaff2258]

Great unit. I used mine on Fraser Island last March this year. My first 4WD adventure. Good for bbq’s also on the deck.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

You've picked a great spot for your first 4WD trip @Bob Pfaff...glad you love your fridge! ~ Lauren

[@jd1413]

Top review dude, awesome delivery of the information .on this 50litre fridge freezer , Thanking You

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I'm glad you found it useful, J D, thanks for the kudos. ~ Ben

[@husa58]

Good honest review no sales BS That's why I trust Snowys ..Brass Monkey fridges are good value and well built ..I have a small 15 Litre I use as a second drinks fridge in the 4wd it's great..

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I'm glad you trust our reviews, husa58, that's what we aim for with all the content we produce. The Brass Monkey fridges do seem like a very affordable option, especially for a second fridge. ~ Ben

[@boomboom78oz]

Nice review, I have 45l dual zone. Works well so far. Had for 6 months. Can flip lid and has baskets on this size. I would highly recommend if you don't have a big budget or only use for trips.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Brass Monkey do have quite a few models in their range, these are the ones we chose to run with for now but I did note that others had more features as you mention, albeit at a higher price. Nice to know you're happy with your Brass Monkey fridge. ~ Ben

[@boomboom78oz]

@@SnowysOutdoors also can put in a lithium battery to be mobile

[@davidjohn9006]

Well explained/demo 👍🏽

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Thanks for watching @David John! ~ Lauren

[@davidjauncey3616]

Excellent, honest assessment. I think this might work well in an outdoor kitchen or bar setup when not being used for camping. Can the wheels be easily removed, or even upgraded?

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I've not tried to remove the wheels, David, but they look to be secured by a phillips head bolt in each end of the metal rod, and the rod slides back and forth. You would be constrained by the body of the fridge though. Brass Monkey don't advertise the wheels as being removable, but I guess it's possible. ~ Ben

[@ClemRobin]

Great review. Keen to understand how long it would keep its contents cool for when disconnected from a power source? e.g. Unpowered camp sites, down on the beach etc.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Great question @Clem Robin, and pretty tricky to answer due to variables. Would depend how cold it was to begin with, how full it is, what kind of stuff you've got in it, and how often you're opening it up! ~ Lauren

[@jennimatheson5824]

This was a really good review thank you. I’m looking for something similar but freezer only to distribute small batches of ice cream. Is there one you recommend

[@SnowysOutdoors]

This one would be fine, Jenni, any of the fridge/freezers will do the job it really just comes down to your budget. The higher the price the better the build quality and efficiency. ~ Ben

[@jennimatheson5824]

@@SnowysOutdoors Thanks Ben for your quick reply, I really appreciate it. :)

[@darknark7325]

How would it go for a day trip in a boat? Or should I be looking for something more robust? Since it would see occasional use and it is my first foray into 12V/240V fridges I would prefer to start in the more economical (cough cough cheaper) range. Or would I be better biting the bullet and paying more initially?

[@SnowysOutdoors]

There are loads of people who run Brass Monkey fridges and love them @Dark Nark, so theres definitely no shame in picking up an economical fridge to see if it's something worth investing in further. For day trips in a boat you should be ok, use some common sense with protecting it from water - especially if your'e on the ocean. If its going to live in your car or shed and just come out on the boat with you on odd occasions, a normal fridge will suffice...if you want something in your boat pretty much permanently down the track, check out a marine specific fridge. ~ Lauren

[@claytonkillips5064]

Great review, quite comprehensive. I haven't looked at one of these in a few months so correct me if I'm wrong, but I was curious about the 100/150mm? ventilation clearance for these. Has anyone had any over heating issues/faults etc. whilst in the back of their 4WD. At a campsite yeah no worries. I was just concerned that it could be problematic in an SUV whilst driving for a few hours with other gear stored against/close to it. Don't get me wrong, everything needs ventilation. That just seemed a little excessive? TIA.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Hopefully someone else can jump on here with their real life experiences @Clayton Killips, we can only really advise off the manufacturers specifications. 10-15cm clearance for ventilation on the compressor end seems fairly standard.

[@claytonkillips5064]

@@SnowysOutdoors Yeah okay. I just hadn't heard it being a specific requirement on other fridges or a concern. Thanks for the reply.

[@rosskilpatrick934]

Good review, So can the whole unit be set to just freeze or just cool?

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Yes you can, see the video at 10:50 (kzbin.info/www/bejne/gairhZaDg7N2g5o) where I go through this. ~ Ben

[@jjkatzer]

How does the divider activate the second control for the freezer? Does it trip a switch or press against something that activates it? Thanks.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I'm not sure, John, we don't have these any more so I can't check but I think it must be a magnet operated switch in the body somewhere. ~ Ben

[@rvvanlife]

Can't that divider slide sideways or be positioned so that the size of both zones be made bigger or smaller to your needs?

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I technically can @RV Van Life, but there is online ridge moulding to hold it into place in the one spot. If you want to move the diver elsewhere it wont seal or stay in place the same way, which may effect performance of the two zones. ~ Lauren

[@jeffreylangford962]

I bought a 74 litre brass monkey only because it was on special at half price at $270. I turned it on at 2:30 PM and put two, two litre bottles of water in the fridge and set it to -20 deg C. The fridge ran all night on the mains power adaptor in an air-conditioned room. The room temp was 26 deg C. At 6 Am in the morning the bottles were still not frozen solid. I placed a thermometer inside the fridge/freezer at 6:00 AM and after 30 minutes the thermometer was only reading -2 deg. Whilst an engle fridge costs over 8 times the price for a similar size fridge, an engle would have frozen the bottles solid. So I guess if you pay peanuts you get monkeys or brass monkeys in this case.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

That's good feedback - thanks Jeffrey ~ Lauren

[@scuba-people]

heyso is it normal if the fridge works continuously ? i ve been trying to to get it to step with a thermostat but with this review i think ure saying they work continuously until the M or L batt protection kicks in

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Yep! Absolutely. 12v fridges run when connected to power, just like a normal fridge. If they have to cut off and on again via a thermostat they'd use way more power than what they do to just maintain a temp. Hope that helps ~ Lauren

[@scaredyet]

I bought one solely on this review

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Good to know, glad you found it useful. ~ Ben

[@sunnychen967]

Hi, does it need to be plugged in while in use? Thank you!

[@SnowysOutdoors]

It will need to be plugged into 12V DC or 240V AC power, it does not have an in-built battery. ~ Ben

[@muzzgit]

Our Waeco fridge lid keeps popping off because it too only relies on plastic tabs to stop it opening too far .. a small nylon tether you can buy from camping shops fixed it ...

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Thanks for the hot tip @muzzgit ~ Lauren

[@gregdogg10]

How do u do this ?

[@ianrush4032]

Hi there, Does your company have any spare dividers for this 50L dual fridge freezer please. Somewhere in the storing for a month or two ours has disappeared and of coarse we cant get it to run as a whole freezer without it. Maybe theres a way to press the right buttons to get the settings to accept a full freezer without the divider. If you dont have a spare one I could purchase maybe you could point me in the right direction as to where I might get one. Thanks, any info will be greatly appreciated. Cheers from NZ

[@SnowysOutdoors]

We don't have spares sorry, Ian, and we don't ship to NZ either. I'd suggest you get in touch with Road Tech Marine to see if they can help - www.roadtechmarine.com.au/brass-monkey. ~ Ben

[@ianrush4032]

@@SnowysOutdoors Hi there Ben, thank you for your reply, very much appreciated. I will check out with roadtechmarine as you have suggested. Have a great day. Cheers, Ian

[@creativityworld6781]

is Brass Monkey another brand of Alpicool? same designs

[@jaicejarrah3319]

Was wondering that too

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I don't know the intricacies of how these products come to exist in other countries in an identical manner other than the brand, but they are more than likely the same product. There are some fridges that also appear under other Aussie brands, so the base design probably exists at a factory somewhere, then the brands buy their slightly modified version of it. You usually see this in the larger companies, the specialty fridge companies hold onto their designs tightly. ~ Ben

[@wendylever2689]

we just bought this and are cranking it up for the first time to temperature. It's coming up with F1 on the fridge section. What is this please and how do we rectify?

[@SnowysOutdoors]

You'd be best to consult the user manual, Wendy. It looks like it is related to low voltage protection, and adjusting the voltage protection setting will overcome the issue. Might be worth checking to see if your battery is charged too. ~ Ben

[@maxineamon]

Use heavy duty cabling straight from the battery to the cigarette lighter connection - especially if there is distance between battery and the connection. It fixed my F1 issues. Not enough power getting through, especially once the sun dropped. You can test how much power. You have at the connection by using a multimeter.

[@amicihastings28]

@@SnowysOutdoors batteries were fully charged and lithium so nothing not that and user manual not that informative

[@amicihastings28]

@@maxineamon thanks that makes some sense but we had pretty heavy wire going from our cigerette lighter so not the issue in this instance

[@SnowysOutdoors]

@@amicihastings28 if it's still not working then I'd suggest you get in touch with the place you purchased the fridge from for some troubleshooting. ~ Ben

[@michaelocallaghan4731]

I have a brass monkey 55litre I can't get the settings below -1. Help

[@SnowysOutdoors]

Whats the model number @Michael O'Callaghan? ~ Lauren

[@craftrunner]

Hi I have just bought a 36L unit, plugged it in switched it on setting on 3deg, it came down to temperature really fast, just a question the motor unit you can hear running which is not too loud (the best way to describe it, is like a battery drill running ) . But what I would like to know is there is a gurgling sound at the same time as the motor is running, it sounds like water gurgling down a kitchen sink as the last water leaves the plug hole. It only does it while the compressor is running. Gurgle , gurgle, gurgle...Is this normal. Hope someone can help. Regards

[@SnowysOutdoors]

It's more than likely normal, craftrunner, you are just hearing the refrigerant being pumped around the cooling system. If it works as expected then I wouldn't worry about it. ~ Ben

[@craftrunner]

@@SnowysOutdoors Hi I called the supplier they said that it is not normal and can cause problems with the pump seals, they are replacing it with a another new one. Cool great company thanks

[@SnowysOutdoors]

@@craftrunner that's good to know, thanks for the update. ~ Ben

[@doinkeroni]

@@craftrunner this is exactly what mine is doing! I just received a 36L and it sounds like gurgling/ boiling water when the compressor is running. (Very annoying sound when trying to sleep) I am thinking of returning it, but the manufacturer told me it is normal. May I ask if your new replacement 36L makes the same gurgling sounds? Thank you!!!

[@craftrunner]

Hi yes I now have used the replacement unit for the last 4 months, yes it does gurgle, but the fan on this one is a lot quieter than the first one. So I am getting used to it. One thing I have found that it likes to be either a fridge, or a freezer but not both. It seems to work like that a lot better. I have been using it as a fridge set it at 1deg and remove the centre divider. After researching other similar fridges they seem to be the same. We leave it in the tow vehicle running now so can't hear it at night.

[@cusinadigio]

Hows the noise level of this fridge?

[@SnowysOutdoors]

I reckon the Brass Monkey fridges are a little bit noisier than others, check out the sound test we did here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWXNkGeEjJuKpas. ~ Ben

[@maxineamon]

I have had one in my motorhome for a year now and hardly notice any sound

[@sandraspink7641]

Mine won't work unless it's plugged into the cigarette lighter and the car is running?? I thought they had their own battery power storage so they can be used without power input for an amount of time? I've read the manual but it doesn't refer to this. Can you enlighten me please.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

This fridge does not have an inbuilt battery @Sandra Spink, it operates via 12/24v or 240V power supply. Brass Monkey do have some fridge models with a build in battery, but they are not in our range, and we dont know much more about them sorry. ~ Lauren

[@sandraspink7641]

@@SnowysOutdoors Thank you for your quick response :) appreciate it :)

[@maxineamon]

The connection needs to either have heavier duty wiring (with appropriate fuse) or be closer to the battery. You can get cigarette lighter connections that clip directly to the battery.

[@robertboyd321]

Almost Good portable fridge freezers except for the fact that the lids do not seal very well. In fact they a terrible. They do not even have a seal, just plastic closing on plastic and it does not take long for the plastic lids to warp & change shape. Then they are almost useless.

[@SnowysOutdoors]

We like the value that Brass Monkey brings to the table in the portable fridge category. Not everyone needs to spend the money on a high end efficient feature packed fridge, they might only use it now and then. In this case a Brass Money fridge is worth the money. However, given the affordable price there are some shortcomings, a good seal being one of them, and the absence of baskets in many of their models being another. ~ Ben