Which Icemaker to buy?

[Gkerlin]

It's time to get an ice maker...

I'm tired looking for Ice, having a cooler in the truck bed, or keeping a big 7 or 10 lb bag of ice in the freezer... It crowds out the space for my ice cream and gin.

I see a Dometic at CW for $250 and Magic Chef at Wallyworld for $140...

Anyone care to share what Ice maker you have... why you like it - or hate it.

My thought is to run it a while - make a couple of days supply and put them in the freezer.

Something as important as the ice for my Gin & Tonic is nothing to be messed with.

[DQDick]

If you type in Ice Maker in the search function this thread comes up, amongst others, and contains most of the answers you need: http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...erms=ice,maker

[vangoes]

They all work and perform basically the same. The first one I purchased was a no-name on ebay and it lasted about 4 years. I replaced it with the Emerson that Target carries and Target has the best prices of anyplace especially when they put it on sale. I believe I paid $109 for mine last winter. I really see no need to pay the CW price that they have on the Dometic because what I've experienced and heard from others is that they all are basically throw aways. They will last 4 - 5 years then need replacing. BTW, I use mine as you mentioned.....make a large freezer bag full and put in freezer for the evening cocktails and repeat every 3 or 4 days.

[Gkerlin]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

If you type in Ice Maker in the search function this thread comes up, amongst others, and contains most of the answers you need: http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...erms=ice,maker

I did that before I posted my question.

I saw a lot of people saying that they loved their machine and wouldn't live without it - some others saying the opposite... but very few saying what brand they had and that's what I'm looking for. Some of the info is also a bit dated.

I've already decided that I want one, just trying to see if there is a consensus as to which brand is great - or which one to stay away from.

With 5 pages(and growing) in the last 3 days as to what brand/type/caliber armament everyone is packing, I thought I might at least get a suggestion or two as what brand ice maker everyone is packing as well.

[bncinwv]

We started with a CW model that lasted less than a year. Fortunately, for one of the few times I had bought an extended warranty and CW replaced it. The replacement lasted less than a year. I then bought a Magic Chef from Home Depot, which had a failure in a limit switch. I replaced it with the limit switch from the CW failed one that I had held onto for some unknown reason. The internal workings were exactly the same by the way (which should influence your decision). Magic Chef is currently entering fifth year of service. We also have an Emerson from target that is entering it's third year of life. They do fail, they are all basically the same inside, so the choice is simply how much you want to pay for the name on the outside. On another note, the Emerson is smaller than the Magic Chef (I guess downsizing appllies to everything). We will not be without one and use one in the rig and one in the house. Hope this helps.
Bingo

[WeBeFulltime]

Bought an Emerson this spring at Target. On sale for $106. Works great!

[cdaniels]

We bought the Emerson from Target also around $100. It is a little smaller than the Magic Chef but also takes up less room. The ice is slightly wet so putting it into the freezer helps alot. It does stick together slightly but a slight bang solves that problem. It is a work in progress during the day hours. The bucket does not keep it frozen so when it is full you need to move it to the freezer. Both of us work at filling it and bagging it. Work great. Love it.

[nosticks]

Have two Emersons one going on three years the other two. They work great. The one in the RV runs round the clock. The one at home is fired up every day we are home an hour before happy hour.Two can not out drink it.

[DQDick]

quote:Originally posted by Gkerlin

I did that before I posted my question.

I saw a lot of people saying that they loved their machine and wouldn't live without it - some others saying the opposite... but very few saying what brand they had and that's what I'm looking for. Some of the info is also a bit dated.

I've already decided that I want one, just trying to see if there is a consensus as to which brand is great - or which one to stay away from.

With 5 pages(and growing) in the last 3 days as to what brand/type/caliber armament everyone is packing, I thought I might at least get a suggestion or two as what brand ice maker everyone is packing as well.

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. A lot of folks who haven't posted a lot yet aren't aware of the function. That being said, the five pages on the gun thread should give you confidence that when the one you finally chose dies you can have a MOC party and we'll all go out in the desert and help you finish it off

[Gkerlin]

No offense taken Dick. I tried to convey that with the smiley face

[Recumbent]

We bought the CW Dometic brand for $199 I think about 12/2011 and it lasted until June 2012. I took the thing apart and found a very small cold roll steel pin had rusted through on the servo switch motor in an area that has high humidity. Even galvanized would have been better than rusting steel. You would think the manufactor would know not to put rusting metal in that area. I replaced with an similar diameter aluminum nail cut to correct length and now all is well. I left part of the sheet metal screws out that hold the lid on to make it easier to clean, and use a bungie cord to hold it together. Having experienced this poor quality construction I can not recommend the Dometic ice maker that CW has been advertising.

[7.3Ford]

Greg,

We are on our second Target special (around $100). The older one (4 years old) the ice cup the hold the water split. I have glued and put safety wire around it, and it works, but when Target had them on sale again for $109 we got new one. The new one doesn't make as big of cubes as the old one.

Also during the summer, we will have the ice machine running when we travel, along with the fridge off the inverter. On clear day the solar panels have no problem keeping up with both.

[onekla]

Earlier this year I bought the $159 Emerson at Target when they were on sale for about $120. We have used the heck out of this machine. As soon as we get set up I plug it in and fill up the reservoir and before bedtime we have a gallon bag full. We have a 3100RL Montana and when we are traveling the machine is kept in the box and it fits nicely between the fireplace and the table chairs and it has never slid around.

[Ozz]

Greg,
Last year we didn't have the ice we love to have in our water glasses, just drank bottled water. When we got home, we agreed we would get the ice maker for our winters, so we checked all around and settled for the Target ice makers, cheaper than any we found on line and are all probably made by the same people, like Bingo said.
We love it, runs fine on the small Honda generator, the Magnum Inverter, and shore power. Will not be without one.
We did opt for the extended warranty on it, they make them cheap, I figure we will need it. I work on commercial Ice makers, lots to go wrong...
My vote if for the Target unit. Wherever you go there is a Target, if it goes Tango Uniform..get another one there.
Good luck buddy, when you get to Tonopah, I'll give you guys a big glass full, you can try it out if you don't have one by then..

[Gkerlin]

Thanks for all the input gang.

I think the next time we make the 40 mile run to the "Big City" we'll head to Target. I mean for a hundred plus $$'s... Fagetaboudit. I probably spent more than that on bags of ice my last trip this spring/summer.

Thanks Ozz... but I can't head West without Ice - that would just be too uncivilized

[bncinwv]

On the limited trips that we take, I did the quick math on ice purchases and for our usage, the ice maker would pay for itself in less than two years. So, if it lasts two or more years (as the later ones have), the purchase price pay back is a no brainer. The one thing no one has mentioned, is keep in mind these units are ice makers, not freezers. Once the ice is formed, it starts melting, so if you need a lot, you have to remove it and freeze it. When it melts, it drips into the water reservoir beneath the ice maker and is used to make ice again, the process never ends, unless the ice bin is full and the "full" sensor keeps the unit from making ice and overfilling.
Bingo

[Gkerlin]

quote:Originally posted by bncinwv

When it melts, it drips into the water reservoir beneath the ice maker and is used to make ice again, the process never ends, unless the ice bin is full and the "full" sensor keeps the unit from making ice and overfilling.
Bingo

Humm... with my solar system providing the juice to power it we've come pretty close to a perpetual motion machine

[snfexpress]

If you are close to Stiles, buy his.