Older Sub Zero fridges
 

Need a new fridge for the shop. Prefer older, quality brands. Are early 2000s Sub Zeros good fridges?

No.
We were explicitly told not to buy one when we redid the kitchen in 07. Compressors are not good.
The monogram we got is no prize but everyone I know with a subzero has spent more on it.

TBH the $600 standalone Samsung in the garage has been way less hassle. Cheap AF and just works.

[if not clear the two fridges I’m talking about are built in counter depth. No experience with free-standing]

I think Ironically the only way to buy a reliable fridge is to buy the cheap one with no options or a noisy comercial variant

Like cars more money gets you fancier but less reliable.

We put in a Sub Zero fridge in 1992 and it’s never been a problem. I do vacuum the heat exchanger every six months to keep it from collecting dust.

Shaun sub zeros are like porsches expensive and expensive to fix and like porsche you don't need one but want one. I do kitchens for a living and don't no how many have gone bad the good thing about cheep ones when they go bad you just throw them out.

Shaun,

If it’s for the shop and not something that is going to be for show, I would buy a modern no frills unit. It will be fairly inexpensive and most importantly energy efficient.

My take on commercial units is that they are energy hogs and can be noisier than household units.

Shop fridges around me are $50 on facebook marketplace....save the planet and keep them out of the landfill.

All kidding aside, pretty good fridges get pulled out of kitchen remodels all the time. If it's been running the past 5-10 years, it might outlast the crap sold now.

Not sure what a sub zero fridge is. But I just moved the one from my parent's house into my storage unit. Would have given it to you, Shaun. My storage unit has electric (2 outlets plus 2 overhead shop lights) - now a working fridge - and lift table - and soon to have stereo!

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Bought one about 17-18 years ago.

Damn. I love it.

Called the factory and asked how they justify the price. “We design for a 20 year life” was the instant answer.

I liked that. And bought one.

In laws have one as well. It lasted 30ish years.

I’m a fan boy.

The one in my post - a KitchenAide - is well over 20 years old. Runs like a clock - zero noise......

My Mom bought a Sub-Zero 24 cu ft freezer in 1954 and moved it to the new house in 1978. The motor failed a few years later when my parents were out of town for 6 months and came back to a defrosted mess of rotting food. They cleaned it out since it was lined with embossed aluminum and had it fixed. There was no smell in it after the clean out. Sold it in 2006 to a young couple and it was still working when we took it apart and carried it up the stairs. Took 6 people since it was so heavy.
I went to school just down the street from the factory.

We put in lots of those for our kitchens. No known issues but once, around 2006-7. They made a bad batch that had issues but Sub Zero took care of it. Other then that, they are good. I would buy one for myself if they went 10-15k.

My parents built their house in the early-80s. Their Sub Zero has broken down once in that timespan.

Look for a True or similar established brand commercial refrigerator, used and unpretty. Access to everything is easy, parts are available, reliability is - well, it’s commercial.

If I was in the market for a new fridge now, I’d get a True dual temp like T-23DT-HC and pair it with a True all-fridge. 1/4 fridge, 3/4 freezer.

As expected, excellent responses and advice, thank you. Turning in early, more tomorrow on what I’m looking for

John, I found them to be loud, with little to no insulation or sound proofing and not sure if they are energy efficient?

Buy a cheap one, 30" old fashion, floor model or dente/ scratched ref. from Bestbuy or something. 4-500 bucks all day long. Bought one for my mother's garage. It ran for the past 10 years without issue. Once that starts to go out, I am going to pitch it on the curb and get a new one.

True: I don’t find them loud, but they are for sure louder than a residential fridge, I’m just not noise sensitive. I doubt they are energy efficient. I like them for the volume, reliability, and serviceability.

Shaun they are ment to be built in as they are only 24inches deep if not they tip over very easy. Karl

Bought my GE in 1996. No issues until recently. Compressor’s starting to go. Clunk noise when it shuts off. I’m hoping it’s replaceable. Oh, and the light went out.

Yeah, if you have space for the big 'uns. They're great. They are loud, they have an actual compressor, not some residential thing.

Sub zero's get mixed reviews as above, those that have a good one love them, those that have problems hate them.

I'm currently shopping for a nice used true for the garage, and will keep the useless side by side that came with the house in the kitchen until it dies. Then a french door. Personally, I hate combo fridge freezers as the freezers are meat burn units due to the auto defrost.

That is great Baz and could have picked it up in early March going to Amelia Island. :D

Some thoughts on the subject. My Monogram fridge lasted somewhere around 30 years before compressor went out. Loved that fridge. Food lasted forever in it. Can't find another like it though there is one in NH but I'll spend $200 just to get it. One thing I like is how many older Sub Zeros are for sale on FBMP, so they have to be reliable in some way. Plenty of new Frigidaires and Samsungs too.

This may sound a little odd but one over-arching theme in my life is aesthetics so whether it's for home or the shop, anything like this I have to like seeing it and have to like opening the door to seeing what's inside which includes the feeling of opening the door which is slightly analogous to closing a 911 door. New fridges are too light.

I like the style of older fridges though a few new Samsungs I've seen aren't bad. Lot of scratch and dent Frigidaires. I recently bought a $3000 Frigidaire induction top range on FBMP for $200. It had clearly fallen off a forklift. Took it apart and straightened all the sheet metal so the front door closes now, and if I got new sides for $100 each, it would be brand new to take home, but perfect for a Cerakote oven for fans & housings. So many cool features including a ball bearing pull-out rack.

This 642 is one I want to look at, $750 but I'd offer $400 and see where it goes.

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Seems like there would be more motorcycles

You can't replace the compressor?

My sub zero is 30 years old. Had some minor issues but the two compressors just keep humming along. That model(550) had issues with condensation freezing at the bottom of the non frozen food side. They finally came up with a fix that cost a couple hundred. $7000 new back in 1995 is now around $12,000-15,000.

Shaun, I love my 642.

Thank you Dan and Bugs, good to hear. Snowing tomorrow so I'll try this week for it.

When it comes to any appliance, old is good. New, not so much. But you know that.

I bought an almost new BI-36 nine years ago off Craigslist and it's been awesome and I've spent $0 on repairs so far. I love it and I'm pretty confident from my experience with SZ and Wolf that if I need repair the parts chain will be robust and I can talk to a helpful person - in the USA - in English , if I need to. That has value IMO.

Our last one lasted 39 years until the freezer side compressor went bad. No issues during those 39 years. Had to be replaced because compressor failed and system was 2 Freon generations old and was not compatible with new parts. Could have replaced entire system at $5,000+, decided to get new one because of the age of the rest of the unit and the other compressor. A not well known rebate of 5%, maybe it was 10% can’t remember, from the manufacturer is available for existing unit owners when buying a new one!

2003 we built our kitchen. Sub zero fridge. Zero issues. Absolutely nothing. In fact. I just changed one light bulb last week. That’s it. I clean the condenser coils every year or two when I think about it.

This 642/F was made in Jan 2000. 2 years ago they updated to stainless panels and seller states "professionally serviced two years ago and the tech said it was in terrific shape and that as long as we kept vacuuming the intake vent (it gives a message when it needs it) it should serve us well for many more years."

On the pricier side but I like that it has been given a clean bill of health

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I suspect it’s the same mechanicals of my bottom freezer. Nice find.

Shawn, Using one of those in a shop? They are really intended to be built into cabinets, if not you need to make sure you have it fastened to a strong wall, 500+lbs of fridge falling on you could hurt.

They're really are quite a lot of these for sale so I want to be choosy. I prefer the bar rail door handles to these strips but I more prefer a fridge with a clean bill of health so I'm leaning toward this one.

Thanks, yes, I've got concrete walls and a hammer drill ready to go. :)

This is one reason I got a Sub Zero, easy to work on and also worth working on vs replacing. The one I got, the freezer compressor was replaced a year ago. Owner didn't know if or when the fridge compressor had been but we both thought a 25 year old fridge would have had a new compressor by now.

Fridge stopped cooling well a few days ago. Lot of research, with Youtube degree in hand, $28 later it's back to work. The compressor was original made in September 2000.

When it finally quits, an original entire kit goes for $500. Just need to braze in the lines and the dryer, and it will last another 25+ years. Cant beat the access, can't imagine being a regular fridge tech crawling around on dusty floors.

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Nice!

My Mom's Sub Zero was 54 years old when it went down the road with it's new owners. Still was a very good freezer.

Yeah baby!!!! I really do like my subzero. Cost me $8K in 2007 or so. When my most expensive car at the time was far less. Mine keeps on ticking...

Well done!