Reddit mentions of Igloo FRF450-B Chest Freezer, 5.1 Cubic Foot Chest Freezer

I just built myself a fementation chamber...I used this.

I put a collar around the top like people do for keezers to give it more height. I can fit 2 6 gallon carboys in it, one on the "floor" and one on the compressor "hump". I did have to build a little bench thingy to support the carboy on the hump.

It's hard to pin it down, but if you look long enough, you'll see a whole bunch of machines with the exact same features - the molded handles will all be very similar but slightly different, but they will all fit the same template - they will mount in the exact same way and features will all be in the same place.

For example:
RCA (but also igloo?):
https://www.amazon.com/RCA-Cubic-Foot-Chest-Freezer/dp/B00ZPN3YNM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=igloo+chest+freezer&qid=1573074716&s=appliances&sr=1-3

Kuppet ???:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YY1GCFX/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07YY1GCFX&pd_rd_w=Be0L4&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=Qip8v&pf_rd_r=JJENA9GKCEQ49A2P84ND&pd_rd_r=fc1dbfa4-754c-4a1d-af2b-f0c875b1e07f&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWUw4VjhIUDUxM0FTJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODA3Njk3MU9HTjhMUTg1RjgyViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDU1NzgxMjNXU1cwOVpaRUJSOCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Northair ?????:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X8NLN9V/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07X8NLN9V&pd_rd_w=Be0L4&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=Qip8v&pf_rd_r=JJENA9GKCEQ49A2P84ND&pd_rd_r=fc1dbfa4-754c-4a1d-af2b-f0c875b1e07f&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWUw4VjhIUDUxM0FTJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODA3Njk3MU9HTjhMUTg1RjgyViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDMzMDc4MThCTjA1WktNN1Y4OSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

RCA and igloo are both very old brands in the US, but have almost certainly fallen to the wayside and been bought out. I've never heard of Kuppet or NorthAir. Take a close look - there are some differences in the handles and the knobs, but all three of these products all have the same layout - sheetmetal grille on the right hand side, controls on the lower right - power light, run light, and a knob. The lights and knobs are shaped different, but they are all in the exact same place. It's just a slightly different skin over the exact same chassis. There may be some cosmetic differences, such as the racks or handles, but they are basically the same thing. Another giveaway is if the exterior dimensions are exactly the same in every direction. Some appliances have to fit standard gaps, like a kitchen fridge or a range, so the width will always be pretty close, but the backsplash doesn't have to be an exact height.

I actually have an Igloo branded version of the RCA-Igloo and it's pretty decent. Quiet, it cools quickly, it stays frozen for days if the power goes out, and it was pretty cheap. A relative of mine bought a much bigger, front opening freezer. They spent more on it thinking it will be a better machine. And to some extent, it is. It's a completely different type and class of freezer. It was also at the upper end of the price range for that type of appliance. It looks nicer, the interior lighting is better, etc. But within a year their thermostat went bad. It's really not the manufacturer's fault, they don't make the thermostats, and it would be stupid for them to reinvent the wheel. There are already a number of other companies that have specialized knowledge that make them. It just turned out that they happened to get a lemon that didn't show up for a year. I replaced it a few years ago and it's been fine ever since.

Funny thing is the cheap Igloo has the exact same thermostat. The reason I know that is about a year into it, the Igloo also failed, only my issue was the motor starter / overload, again, not made by Igloo. After replacing that, mine has been strong for years. I didn't look at the other one closely, but I vaguely remember it being a very similar looking starter. I'd be willing to bet that, other being sized slightly larger for the bigger compressor, it's the exact same part by the same manufacturer, and it's probably on a larger but otherwise identical compressor.

What I'm getting at is it is sort of a crapshoot; infant mortality is higher these days. You can spend a lot and have it die, you can get something cheap and have it die. But you can also spend $10 to fix either and have a great machine.

I'm not an expert, but what I'm getting at is if you see two very similar but cosmetically different machines at different prices, one is a name brand, the other is not, and both have fairly similar reviews, it's usually safe to go with the cheaper one. It's probably the same thing.