The old cooler at my shop finally gave out last Tuesday

It was a 15 year old True unit that came with the place when I bought it. The compressor just quit with a sad click, right in the middle of arranging a wedding order for 40 centerpieces. Had to scramble and rent a temporary unit from the place over in Middleton for $75 a day while I sorted a replacement. Anyone have a lead on a good, simple cooler that won't break the bank?

4 comments

4 Comments

leehall2mo ago

Honestly, I'm going to disagree with @shane_park92 on chasing rebates. That's a lot of paperwork and hassle for maybe a couple hundred bucks back. Your old True lasted 15 years, that's the real goal. New energy efficient units are packed with fancy circuit boards that are expensive to fix. I'd look for a basic, solid used cooler from a restaurant closing sale. Get something simple that any repair guy can work on. Paying more upfront for a tough unit beats cheap parts failing in five years.

vera1952mo ago

But what about the power bill savings over 15 years? Those new boards are in there for a reason... they use way less electricity. A couple hundred back is just the start. The real money is in the lower bill every single month. That old True was a tank, but it probably cost a fortune to run near the end.

kim.nina10d ago

Actually, leehall is right about the circuit boards being a hassle, but vera195 has a point too. Newer coolers do draw less power, but the savings are usually smaller than people think unless you're running it in a hot kitchen. Your old True unit was a tank and lasted 15 years, so I'd lean toward finding another simple one from a closing sale that any repair guy can work on.

shane_park922mo ago

Damn, that rental cost adds up fast. Check if your power company has rebates for new energy efficient models, might help with the upfront hit.