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Author Topic: chest freezers  (Read 14490 times)

rockstar

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • powys
chest freezers
« on: July 07, 2012, 11:23:19 am »
what size freezer would you say i need?we already have a freezer for the basic products but in a couple of months time we will be slaughtering 2 porkers ,1 lamb.Any advice on what size gross capicity,and any reasonable prices. thanks.

tizaala

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Dolau, Llandrindod Wells,Powys
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2012, 11:58:52 am »
Get the biggest you can buy, you're going to fill it eventually :thumbsup:

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2012, 12:13:05 pm »
Get the biggest you can buy, you're going to fill it eventually :thumbsup:
I'll second that! We have a largish one in the garage, bought a smaller one when we had half a pig given, that's always full now as well! (also good for saving a store of goat milk for winter)

Bramblecot

  • Joined Jul 2008
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2012, 12:26:37 pm »
If you can afford it, have at least 2 - that way you can defrost one at a time and, should you have a disaster with it not working, you don't lose all your stuff in one go.  If you are putting one in a outside area make sure it will operate at very low temperatures - a fridge/freezer may cut out as they are designed to be kept at room temperature. (Hard lesson learnt  :-[ ).  A lamb takes up about 3 drawers of a standard upright frezzer but not sure about chest freezers.

Small Farmer

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • Bedfordshire
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2012, 05:30:14 pm »
Get lots of boxes to stack inside the freezer unless you particularly enjoy that casserole of unlabelled odds & sods that you get when defrosting.
Being certain just means you haven't got all the facts

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2012, 06:36:13 pm »
if you get a 'commercial' one (not that much more expensive and dont have to be any bigger) they generally come with a 5 year guarantee rather than 1 year, can be cheaper than buying a rubbish extended warranty at inflated rates on a domestic one. I think they are better made too, and they have proper temp display on the outside of the freezer.
 

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2012, 08:24:02 pm »
^ Yes, it's a good idea to consider the commercial ones, e.g. vestfrost.

Not only do they come with a 5 year warranty, but they're also fully galvanized to prevent rust, and are repairable if things do eventually break, so better for the environment etc etc.  The other thing we found is that the Scandanavian brands come rated for outdoor use, e.g. in a garage, whereas the standard ones in Currys etc were only warranted for external temperatures of 10 degC ish.
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

omnipeasant

  • Joined May 2012
  • Llangurig , Mid Wales
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2012, 09:49:07 pm »
That sounds like good advice Bramblecot. I only have a fridgre freezer at the moment anbd was thinking of upgrading before the pigs go in. Seems agood idea to have two smaller chest freezers than one large one.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2012, 10:01:32 pm »
Get a frost-free one if you can afford it. Also our two live in the garage all year round, no problems wiht low temps, (and the water does freeze in the tap in there, so it does get cold!). We have a chest freezer and a separate up right one (both as big as domestic ones get, and A rated), plus a half one in the house (combine dfridge/freezer). they are mostly quite full (with milk in our case), but also meat and veg.

Simple Simon

  • Guest
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2012, 11:50:42 pm »
First time you have to lean right in you'll find out why it's called a chest freezer!

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2012, 08:53:18 am »
they are more efficient and cost less to run if they are full, so stuff it full of cheapie loaves of bread or something like that.

Polished Arrow

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • Forest of Dean
  • www.cinderhilllfarm.com
    • www.cinderhillfarm.com
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2012, 09:48:41 am »
Yes, we have a problem with having a chest freezer that can't stand low external temperatures and yet it lives in our barn.  I am going to look for a second hand commercial one on ebay soon - something hooge.  But I bet it will eat electricity in comparison with the other...
www.cinderhillfarm.com

We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are.
Anais Nin

Small Farmer

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • Bedfordshire
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2012, 05:15:18 pm »
leaving aside the efficiency of the compressor I'd have thought that the main cost of running a freezer was dependent on insulation.  As long as the compressor was ventilated adequately you could presumably add as much extra  insulation as was convenient, from straw bales to old duvets?
Being certain just means you haven't got all the facts

rockstar

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • powys
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2012, 09:39:45 pm »
Thanks for the good advice,have been looking on websites at the commercial freezers.VESTFROST are offering a 5 year warranty on most chest freezers,are they a good make and efficent to run because they dont seem to mention the energy rating.I would like to see what im buying ,does anyone know of retailers around mid wales area.

Small Farmer

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • Bedfordshire
Re: chest freezers
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2012, 11:54:38 pm »
The lowest temperature I've found a manufacturer admitting to is 10deg.  Some freezers so seem to work lower than that but...


The Vestfrost is Danish and claims A++ efficiency and a temp range of 10-43deg.  Which didn't take long for Google to find out.
Being certain just means you haven't got all the facts

 

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