Brass Monkey 80L Dual Zone Fridge Freezer GH1646
4 reviews
Dodgy retailer selling exclusive “own brand” fridge freezers (Brass Monkey) that are cheap, nasty and don’t last. Unfortunately I was unaware of the common temperature and compressor issues (see online reviews)… My wife purchased a Brass Monkey from Jaycar for me as a gift which failed within the warranty period I sent a request to Brass Monkey for help to fix and was told to take it to for help. Jaycar weren’t interested at all and automatically tried to sell me another one basically dismissing the issue I had. When I asked for it to be checked as per instructions from Brass Monkey I left it for a week only to be told it’s faulty and they don’t deal with that.
Turns out the fridge is within warranty period but Jaycar refuse to help without proof via receipt (was gift a few years ago so never given receipt) even though they own and sell Brass monkey exclusively and the manufacturer date on the fridge is within warranty period.
When questioned today Jaycar Croyden denied any relationship with Brass Monkey and just wanted me to pick up my faulty fridge.
I’ll be lodging a complaint against this dodgy retailer for unethical and deceptive behaviour.
very disappointing – purchased a brand new 80lt GH1646 and faults found internal light cover in freezer had fallen off doors dont align with latch latch doesnt pull down door or hold doors closed freezer wire tray forced down into freezer area pushing side wall inwards will return this unit for a refund very poor quality finish
Purchased in at jarcar for $799.
OK...kind of......Returned in the end for another model – UPDATE - I bought it back and swapped for the Brass Monkey plastic version. The stainless was 304 --- not at all suited to anywhere near beach -- and the poor seals, poor insulation around side - condensate just wasn't good enough. Full credit to Jaycar -- they took it back and were very helpful in swapping out. The people at RTM were also very good at giving addtional information.
Have had it for a month and paired it with 140Ah AGM battery and 250W solar panel. I am planning to take it to island off-shore on the reef for a week. I have been testing it beforehand as there is no power on island - no ice and long way off the coast. Considered Kings but was put off by product review for dual zone version inlcuding feedback on warranty and service support. Did not want to go down that route. Also looked at Oztrail 80L and XTM75 ---- but went with Brass Monkey as it offered 3 yr warranty and I have also found Jaycar better informed and a little closer to 'coal face' when dealing with potential warranty problems in the past. The issue is poor design really / lack of attention fo QC which makes me doubt it will go the distance. Pros: Good up front price, 3 yr warranty and stainless finish
Cons: 1) Poor insulation on walls. Freezer gets condensate on outside front and side panel of freeezer. Imagine if your applicances did this at home. Suggests poor insulation. 2) Latches don't do anything -- clasp placed to high. You can close the latch on both sections and still open the lid 10mm or so. 3) Seal design is not that great. It comes off easy and there is no magnetic closure. Given this and the problems from 2) --- this results in condensation forming around seal at base of frezzer lid and running into the freezer -- the water then freezes on the wall and you get ice type build-up 4) Lesser isssue -- but again testament to detail and quality ---- the condensate has run down wall onto hinge at the side -- and it is already starting to rust. This thing is sitting undercover btw.
If I had to do it over again, I would keep looking. Perhaps this is what you get for cheap combos in this price range. I will bring it back to Jaycar but at the end of the day -- it actually works and I suspect they won't do much. It's just poor design and does not instill faith and confidence on my part. I have offered some product feedback to Jaycar -- they have said bring it in for them to 'look at'.
Purchased in at Jaycar Woollongabba for $799.
Super efficient dual fridge/freezer – We bought the 80 litre Brass Monkey dual compartment fridge from Jaycar for a very competitive price of $799. It had to be ordered in by the store but that only took 3 days. Pros The 80 litre Brass Monkey fridge has a stainless steel body and strong latches on the lids. We prefer this to the somewhat flimsy seals on plastic body fridges. The two compartments are controlled separately and reach temperature very quickly. You only need to use one compartment if you want. One compartment has a wire basket.
The temperatures seem accurate - the beer from 4 degrees setting was just right and the freezer at -8 degrees kept the frozens frozen.
Very small battery drain over 5 days. The LG compressor works quietly and has eco and hi power modes. You can set 3 different low voltage cutouts to avoid draining the vehicle's battery if you don't have dual battery system.
The fridge can be controlled by a very good bluetooth app.
Cons
The transport packaging is not great - the unit was dinged in the side when I picked it up from the store (price adjusted).
The instruction manual is hopeless about setting the temperatures - using the app is much easier.
Tips
Join the Jaycar Rewards Program before you buy it and get 5% back in store credits ($40).
If you want an insulated cover, buy it from Ananconda (this is the same unit as their X-Trail fridge) and save $30.
Extra Information
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