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Pros
Adjustable capacity of 32, 45 or 52 litres.
Durable, reliable and energy efficient in all temperatures and conditions.
Widely praised by customers
Cons
Pricier than similarly-sized alternatives
JeremySydney
- 2 reviews
- 4 likes
Very versatile low power consumption
I have had this fridge for over 10 years I mainly use it as a fridge rather than the freezer which is quite capable of doing. I set the temperature at 2° which means it turns on at 4° Off at 0°. So my drinks are really cold and fresh things such as salad products I put in the baskets above. Over the 10 years I have had a couple of issues. When I called Bushman there was no issue at all the support and backup and guidance everything was back on track.
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JohnWauchope
Awesome experience
Needed a part for my older bushman fridge spoke with Gary he didnt have what i wanted but took details, when an older fridge came in he rang and said he had the parts i required and sent them to me no charge for the parts or postage great service and i will buy a new fridge from him when i require a new one
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Great customer service
Bought our Bushman last Christmas and has not missed a beat since then.
Somehow I managed to lose the red spacer that is used on the 12v plug for the cigarette lighter connection. (Still worked but 'loose')
An email enquiry to Paul resulted in a complimentary spacer being shipped and in my hand in 2 days. Couldn't do better than that.
Well done to the Bushman team
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RoscoPerth, WA
- 2 reviews
Great fridge. Exceptional customer service.
Our 35-52 is almost 13 years old its been around Australia along the gibb river road. Through the goldfields and every where in between. On our recent 2 week fishing trip up north we managed to crack the circuit board on really rough tracks. Up to this point never had a reason to complain about the fridge. Hell its 13 years old. Thought oh well new fridge. We got home the fridge still hanging on and working just. Gave Bushman a ring. On the off chance they could help. What manufacturer still makes circuit boards for fridges that old. Bushman do...Read more
es 2 days later new board arrives in the mail. As well as new seals and and rubber grommets. That they thought i might need since the fridge was old free of charge. So $88 later. My fridge is running smooth as. Thanks guys. Your service is second to none..Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
KeepingitsimpleSydney
Had it for years and never had a problem. Value for money
I bought my bushman original over 10 years ago for camping and keeping the beers cold... never had an issue with it. I love how you can go from fridge to freezer and 35 lt to 59 lt in one unit. My fridge is only as noisy as every other brand, which isn't noisy in my opinion. Everything is still original and going strong .. lile a woman, a fridge will stick around as long as you treat it right! great aussie company with service to match. Cheers.
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Buy one and you will regret it.
I have taken fridge on many a camping trip and use around home, out of all fridges I've owned the bushman causes the most headaches, cable supplied with unit is if extremely poor quality, handle broke off (fridge wasn't even full), constantly failing to start ( supply voltage is not the issue it's the unit itself, fridge is very loud when running compared to other fridges.
My money would have been better spent if I'd just brought bags of ice for my eski.
Do yourself a favour and buy an Engel Waco or arb fridge.
1 comment
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Problem Starting
This unit has been a continuing problem as it has not reliable. I have had a new temp/indicator board fitted with no improvement. Initially I had the light power cord which it was delivered with. I upgraded to the HD power cord without any appreciable difference. It appears as tho the startup current is excessive when on battery (new separate battery fitted) and the battery has been running the fridge for a few (4) hours. It tries to start a few times and then wont start even after the battery has received additional charge. I have lost faith ...Read more
in the unit as we only use it mainly during the winter season when travelling around WA. I am now seriously considering getting rid of it as it has not proved reliable. It is mounted in the back of a covered 4WD ute and used about 3-4 months a year during the Winter months.1 comment
Bushman FridgesBushman Fridges
Hi Edam, Our apologies for your experience to date. In the scenario you explain it sounds like the fridge is sensing a low current after it has been running on your battery for a few hours, so when it... Read more
senses the low current it stops running to protect your battery from further discharge. There could be many different reasons why the compressor is sensing low current and hitting low current cut-out. We are more than happy to look at the fridge for you and the setup in your car to diagnose the issue. Please contact us at head office in Research, VIC on 03 9437 0737. Cheers, BUSHMAN.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Ton
- 2 reviews
Best fridge ever
10 years old been from 1 end of the country 2 the other on every rough road in temperatures varying from -8 to+45 still as good as the day I bought it can't recommend it highly enough lowest power use of any fridge I've had super reliable and great features
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MattTAS, 7467
- 4 reviews
- Verified purchase
Best choice
We purchased this fridge about 5 years ago and we have put it thought all the extreme temperatures Australia has to offer and bad desert roads, dust etc with out it letting us down once. It lives up to its reputation with it been very economical with the power with great temperature control and built solid.Had an issue with a broken clip once and the customer service was great, received it in the mail the next day from Gosford dealer. Cant complain about that service.
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Nothing but endless problems
Bought to use as a Truck fridge, had to send back 3 times for repairs, after 4th failure with it, turfed it out & went & purchased a good old reliable Engal in which I never had 1 issue with at all, the bushman fridge was nothing but a problem from the start
1 comment
Bushman FridgesBushman Fridges
Hi S.R, thanks for contributing. My apologies. If you are up to it, please call us at head office in Research, VIC. 03 9437 0737. We'd love to find out a bit more about your fridge and which service a... Read more
gent you were dealing with. Even though you purchased your Bushman fridge 15 years ago, your experience doesn't sound right at all. Thank You. Bushman.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
One of the best things my wife and I have ever bought.
We bought the original sc35 litre Bushman 20 + years ago and it has been faultless ! It has now been converted to the 52 litre with the extra baskets, which make it even better.
Now many people could say say they have had a 12 volt fridge for 20 plus years, but few could say that it has been used nearly full time in that 20 years, as it lives permanently in what ever 4x4 we have owned and runs at least 60% of the time. I have had it up in the Territory at work for me, has been left in the rain for days, have seen it tumble across a boat deck ...Read more
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A great fridge
we have owned our Bushman for about 13 to 14 years. it has lived in the back of our Rodeo nearly all that time, we had an issue with the mother board when in WA and saw the guy at the Perth 4x4 show about it, he took it home with him that night and we picked it up the next day. He replaced the mother board, which was about $65 he also replaced the cover and new lead as the old one was not a right angle one also replaced the handle as they weren't the current looking ones and this was at no charge to us. Great service from a great company. Since then it has not missed a beat I would replace it in a heart beat with a new one. It is also the quickest cooling fridge on the market and 4x4 Action rate it as the best fridge for its price
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Go the Bushman
We've owned a Bushman for about 6 years and its the best 4wd camping investment we've made. Runs perfectly, uses very little power, very robust construction and the 3 basket design is great for separating frozen food from the rest. Would recommend this fridge to anyone. You get personal service from the company too. Very good.
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service above and beyond..
Resently had a problem with my bushman. After 3 years of almost constant use it lost it's get up and go. After a call to a few refrig repairers i was disillusioned, they all stated that it would be 5 to 6 weeks before they could even look at the fridge, one even required an $80.00 booking fee. I sent an email off to bushman that evening, within minutes i had a reply advising me to give Paul a call the next morning. A diagnosis is difficult over the phone, but it was thought to be a voltage problem and a new mother board was despatched expres...Read more
s post free of charge that day. Alas this didn't fix my problem. Another phone call to Paul, no problem, freight details were given and fridge was on it's way back to Bushman.The trip from Newcastle to Melbourne takes a couple of days but my fridge was repaired and back to me in just over a week. This kind of service is very rare in this day and age. Cannot praise the treatment i received enough.....from go to woo my issues were handled with true professionalism. Thank you Bushman.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Irate consumerSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 9 reviews
- 8 likes
AMAZING QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!!!!
Got my Bushman second hand. Called Bushman for parts, and a gentleman named Paul helped. He was AWESOME and I'm an old school bloke who hates bad service. After dealing with them, I will never buy from another small fridge manufacturer again. Top marks for product and service fellas!!!! I am in NO way affiliated with this company. TIM.. edit..... Received my parts today and yet again I am impressed. Not only with the quality of the products delivered...( seals, new computer, new feet, new flat lid and all three new baskets) My faith in ...Read more
people has been uplifted A LOT. So a big thank you to PAUL from Bushman and Big thanks to Bushman in general for making such a fair dinkum, bloody awesome Australian product!!!!!! edit; 21 May 2017.... Been camping several times with it and when it's not camping it is my soft drink fridge in my shed running on solar and a battery. I would be devastated if something happened to my bushman, I love it to bits.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Find out how Bushman Original SC35-52 compares to other Portable Fridges / Freezers
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the best 4x4 fridge freezer
I have no need to write a lot about the bushman fridge freezer as it is the best and being able to change size is very good design idea, love it.The amount of food and drink you put in it is great. I put a drop slide in my camper to make it all the easier it is perfect for my needs.
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Don Juan FinandoSydney
- 2 reviews
- 2 likes
Rugged, good looking and practical
Remember when things were built with pride, and made to last? (makes me sound old) Well, now you can still achieve that satisfaction by buying from a local Aussie company.. I've owned one of these fridges for near on 8 years, without fault or damage.... It goes with me for work, rest and play which is more than I can say about the missus! Genuine friendly service from an Australian business.. Sure, you can find cheaper, but will they lasts like a bushman? Born and bred to work in the outback.... You can find many of the" other" brands in the product recall pages of the ACC website, but not this lil'beauty. The choice is yours to make, but I believethe decision is obvious; buy a Bushman and save a lot of money and heartache in the long run.!
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PeteGreater Melbourne (Outer), VIC
The Fridge is awesome and the service is even better
This fridge uses level power than your other popular brands = longer battery life. The fridge itself i have travelled 50000km+ without issue. With the extension we can fit enough to keep our family of 4 in food and drink (replace cold ones with warm ones as you drink them) for a week easy.
One of the plastic switches failed on mine, Tom knew what do and sorted me out quickly and cheaply. Not bad when your fridge is about 8 years old.
Tom and the team are so easy to deal with - proper old fashioned excellent customer service. No massive call centre or telephone support queues. Just a great product and great support.
I've put a few mate on to them and we have 4 or 5 in our group - everyone loves them.
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GeorgeUmina Beach
- 2 reviews
- 3 likes
The Best
I have two Bushman . I bought my first Bushman in early 1998 and is still going strong it been nearly all over Australia Now a freezer I brought a second one 18 mth ago for 52lts frig. I would recommend it to anyone
When not traveling it's a beer frig
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Tone DMelbourne
Never missed a beat.
I've had my Bushman for almost 20 years now and it's worked perfectly the whole time. It's been all over Australia and lives in the car for extended periods and also in garage as a beer fridge. I've purchased both expanded lids which makes it more versatile. The service from DP Refrigeration is also great. Would certainly buy another.
April 17th, 2017 Update: So good that I bought another.
Sadly after about twenty years of near constant use my much loved Bushman is no longer. I returned it to DP Refrigeration for a diagnosis and possible ...Read more
repair and was told that a new compressor was the only way it could be repaired. This would cost almost as much as a replacement. I wasn't too annoyed as twenty years is a pretty good run I thought. I know of some "popular" brands that have failed after a few short years. So I did my homework, researched all the brands, read all the reviews and almost bought a Waeco CF50 for several hundred dollars cheaper than a Bushman. There are also several other brands around that are even cheaper, which were also very tempting. In the end I realised that I was so happy with my previous Bushman experience, that I couldn't go past them. But what really convinced me to buy another was the three year warranty and the five year warranty on the compressor, and the superb after sales service that DP Refrigeration provide and the way they looked after me with my new replacement. From previous experience, DP have always responded promptly with advice and or service when required. They also stock all spares such as replacement baskets etc. This type of "old fashion " service is hard to find these days and should certainly be considered before deciding on a cheap price product. Thanks Paul and Gary, keep up the good work and I look forward to many years with my new Bushman. Cheers- Tony.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Questions & Answers
Peter Steffanoniasked
how good is it as a freezer
1 answer
Bushman FridgesBushman Fridges
Hi Peter,
Works excellent as a freezer in 35L or 45L configuration.
Hopefully you will get an answer from some customers too.
Let me know if you have any other queries.
Cheers,
Tom.
Justinasked
Gday, had this fridge for years and hasn't missed a beat, till now the power light is on and displays the current temp but the compressor won't kick in at all, suggestions?
3 answers
Hi Justin, I also have owned mine for years and the exact same thing happened yesterday. Compressor won’t kick in but it is displaying the temp. I’m a sparky by trade, checked the connections to the controller/module next to the compressor and they were all good.
Dc supply was reading 13.3v from the car and also tried 240v supply and had 13.6v at the fridge from the transformer.
Not sure what is going on...
Must be thermostat
Bushman FridgesBushman Fridges
Hi Guys,
Check the incoming current on the back of the control panel. This needs to be done at the exact second the compressor tries to start. If it drops below 11V for an instance the compressor will try to start then stop.
If the current is good, try the toggle switch on the back of the control panel. If you switch it to ON, does the compressor run continuously? If so, you will need to replace the thermostat. Either way once you have done this, give us a call 03 9437 0737 and we can work out what to do next.
Thanks, Tom. BUSHMAN.
Janeasked
What is the max Watts for the Bushman Fridge SC35. I'm looking to run it on a generator and currently doing homework before I purchase either. Also what is the best way to link the fridge to a generator. Looking to buy a Yamaha Inverter generator.
1 answer
Bushman FridgesBushman Fridges
Hi Jane, The Original Bushman Fridge will draw maximum 60watts when it first starts. The wattage will drop over time as the compressor speed reduces. Most often customers would run the fridge from a 12V battery and use a smart charger to maintain the battery from the generator. This way you will not need to run the generator all the time.
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Bushman FridgesBushman Fridges
Hi. Thanks for taking the time to write a review. Our apologies if you have experienced this with your fridge. Have you given us a call at head office in Research VIC? Please do. As this does not soun... Read more
d right. We are always happy to talk to our customers and help in every way we can. Hope to hear from you soon. BUSHMAN.