Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This unit has VERY mixed reviews (most of the reviews for these are on westmarine site), and the main reason for them is very simple. There was a silent MAJOR design change to this unit by the manufacturer (norcold). This model number has been around for a long time, and until recently has a reasonably good reputation. I researched this product extensively before purchasing a replacement for my current Dometic fridge/freezer. The main problem is this is the ONLY option currently available in a two door unit approximately this size that has a dedicated freezer (as opposed to a small ice tray/compartment that takes up fridge space). All the other options are no longer available (the company in mexico that made Dometic/Tundra TJ85 burned down a few years ago, and all old stock has disappeared, and the Waeco unit this size is also discontinued and stock has dried up), currently this is truly the only option for a unit this size. Historically the Norcold DE-0061 used the linear sawafuji (made in japan) compressor/refrigeration system. It is very easy to identify as it has a long cylindrical compressor and a very large condenser coil on the back of the refrigerator (kind of like a home refrigerator) which is mostly cooled by convection. These are known for high reliability in mobile applications, Engel currently uses them in all their expedition type fridge/freezers that have to perform well in high ambient temperatures (>95F). The downside is Sawafuji refrigeration components are expensive. This was an excellent design and worked very well (people have had these type of DE-0061 units running 20 years+). A few years ago (around 2009), the Norcold DE-0061 switched to a Danfoss compressor with a very small condenser in an effort to save cost (the Danfoss parts used in these units are currently made in China, they haven't been made in Denmark/Germany for a long time). The way to tell is by serial number, if serial num <14328523, its the Sawafuji. The tradeoff of small condenser danfoss system is since it has very little area, it requires a lot of forced air to cool it, to do so they put a noisy fan to force air through the condenser, and this is the main reason for the noise and poor performance everyone is complaining about. The other problem with the danfoss units is they tend to be less reliable as the Sawafuji units in a moving application (especially if tilted while operating). The main advantage of the newer units is they are less expensive to manufacture. Overall aside from the refrigeration system, this thing is made very cheaply, the doors do not latch easily. On my old fridge, I used to be able to just close the doors and they would latch, on this unit, I have to apply approx. 40lbs of pressure to the lower door to get it to latch closed. Everything on it is plastic and flimsy. Short of doing major cabinet work to accommodate two smaller units stacked on top of each other, this is the only thing that fits if you want a fully electric compressor type refrigerator. I really wish there was a better option, but until there is, I'm stuck with this thing.