Talk to me about ice makers - TexasBowhunter.com Community Discussion Forums

TB80 · 08-10-2021, 09:56 PM

Our fridge’s ice maker went out. It will cost about $400-$500 to fix. It appears you can buy a stand alone commercial type ice maker for around the same price. I have water plumbed to my garage where my water softener is located and assume a plumber could run a water line to the ice maker. Right now I’m spending about $200-$300/year on buying bags of ice.

Is getting a stand alone ice maker worth it? Any problems putting it in the garage? Any other suggestions?

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ctom87 · 08-10-2021, 10:03 PM

While an ice maker isn't a good enough reason to go out and get a new fridge, our fridge was 15 years old so we decided to get a new one before the old one went out. This was after it woke us up at 5 am screeching one morning...

If you are ok with the inconvenience of going to your garage to get ice and feel like your fridge has another 5 or so years left, yeah that makes total sense to get the ice maker.

Not to mention if its like the one I am thinking, to have ice easily available for when you need it... ice buckets, sore shoulders etc.

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Walker · 08-10-2021, 10:06 PM

Doesn't a commercial icemaker need a drain in the floor?

diamond10x · 08-10-2021, 10:06 PM

Worth every penny! I love ours it’s so much more convenient than having to always stop and buy 4 and 5 bags of ice. I say do it and you’ll be glad you did. If you spend that much on ice a year it’s a no brainer. There shouldn’t be any issues putting in the garage. More than likely whoever installs it would run some pex outside the wall unless you just wanted it covered up. They will need to put a small hole through the wall to the outside so it can drain.

curtintex · 08-10-2021, 10:08 PM

Picking mine up in the morning. Under the counter “Sonic-style” ice machine. I’m gonna be a hero around here!

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huntingfanatic · 08-10-2021, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtintex

Picking mine up in the morning. Under the counter “Sonic-style” ice machine. I’m gonna be a hero around here!

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Thinking about getting the same. What brand are you getting ?

curtintex · 08-10-2021, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntingfanatic

Thinking about getting the same. What brand are you getting ?

Hoshizaki

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Notaguide · 08-10-2021, 10:15 PM

Not sure what unit you are looking for in that price range. We have two older Manitowac machines that have been really good to us. One is a small commercial under counter 80# machine that around 18yrs old. It runs everyday for home use, puts out some heat in the garage, the fan is loud, and probably pulls as much power as a deep freeze but works very well. But when we need ice we have it. Last I checked replacing it would be around $2200. The other machine is larger which we turn on and off to bag ice for fishing trips. Small residential under counter units are problematic in my experience and cost almost as much as a commercial unit. To answer the questions, yes it will work in the garage if you can drain it and yes you would like it but I would recommend Manitowac or Hoshizaki if you can swing it.

oktx · 08-10-2021, 10:18 PM

Ours quit last month. Bought a cheap counter top model today. We shall see.

TB80 · 08-10-2021, 10:22 PM

I didn’t think about the drain line. That could be a problem with our current set up and where I’d want to put it.

Although, I was looking at this one and it doesn’t appear to require a drain. However, it also doesn’t produce as much ice as others.

https://www.compactappliance.com/egd...ker/IB120.html

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Buck hunter332 · 08-10-2021, 10:50 PM

Make one outta a deep freeze!

CyTxCazador · 08-11-2021, 01:05 AM

GE Opal 2.0, a chest freezer, and 50 ice bags will cover your busted ice maker & $2-300 annual ice habit. It’d be a $650 initial setup but you’d have sonic ice inside on demand & if you bag it & stock your chest freezer, you have it in your coolers at the lease all year.

60 Deluxe · 08-11-2021, 05:03 AM

Ice makers are pretty finicky about the water being used in them. If you have any hardness at all, the calcium will build up and they won't dump correctly. We have that type of water so our home and none of our rentals has an ice maker in the refrigerator. I used to haul ice home sixty pounds at a time until I realized that I could go back to the basics and spend two or three minutes a day dumping ice trays and filling them. It is a pain, but so was dealing with the expense of ice makers and buying ice. Get an R.O. instead of an ice maker. Your ice tea will rival anything available commercially.

db@100 · 08-11-2021, 06:17 AM

You can drain it outside if that helps.
You should put a good water filter in the line.

Quackerbox · 08-11-2021, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtintex

Hoshizaki

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Of course!

If you drain it right outside the wall expect plenty of water to be around. The last one we did was on an outside wall and drained to a pool drain type cover in the driveway then french style toward the front yard

6.5 shooter · 08-11-2021, 06:31 AM

I ordered one a couple months ago and it’s still not shipped. Most of them that are in that price range you are talking about, don’t work well in the hot places like garages.

db@100 · 08-11-2021, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6.5 shooter

I ordered one a couple months ago and it’s still not shipped. Most of them that are in that price range you are talking about, don’t work well in the hot places like garages.

The compressors are being used to build small freezers for the Covid shots.

Leemo · 08-11-2021, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtintex

Hoshizaki

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The only brand we use in the Commercial Seafood biz
Extremely reliable, very few moving parts, make sure you have a good in-line water filter

7sdad · 08-11-2021, 07:22 AM

I have a Hoshizaki that sets on the counter that also has water. It is in our laundry room and I ran the drain over to the drain for the sink.

SNKETR · 08-11-2021, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtintex

Hoshizaki

Where did you order it from? I'm looking at getting one as well.

newmathewsfan · 08-11-2021, 08:13 AM

We installed a 30# hoshizaki under counter when we built our house. We supply it with filtered RO water and we get commercial quality ice. As others have mentioned, a good drain is needed because that thing goes through a lot of water in a days time. Can’t remember what we paid for the unit but I do remember it wasn’t cheap.

Dugie · 08-11-2021, 08:26 AM

I bought one of the smaller Opal sonic ice machines that is self contained and sits on the counter....for home use it puts out plenty of ice......I bag some a day ahead for the boat or if we have a party.

cmwessels · 08-11-2021, 08:40 AM

Installed a Hoshizaki Km 301-BAJ ice machine in my garage 3-4 months ago. This one has the 100 lb bin. I'm not sure how I ever made it without one before and can tell you that if something happens I will get another immediately. I had to bring water in from overhead and plumb the drain outside as I was not set up for an icemaker. I did install their recommended filter. So far no issues and I always have plenty of ice.

I've never kept up with my ice expenses but I'm sure it's several hundred/year. The convenience is worth way more than the actual ice.

curtintex · 08-11-2021, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quackerbox

Of course!

“Must be nice”

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bowtecmike · 11-29-2021, 05:00 PM

Bump for any new info. Thinking of getting one for my mother, the soft Sonic kind.

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Dugie · 11-29-2021, 05:05 PM

Opal is still rolling and I saw it was a Cyber Monday deal call out.
Works great!

08-10-2021, 09:56 PM	#1
TB80 Ten Point Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hill Country	Talk to me about ice makers Our fridge’s ice maker went out. It will cost about $400-$500 to fix. It appears you can buy a stand alone commercial type ice maker for around the same price. I have water plumbed to my garage where my water softener is located and assume a plumber could run a water line to the ice maker. Right now I’m spending about $200-$300/year on buying bags of ice. Is getting a stand alone ice maker worth it? Any problems putting it in the garage? Any other suggestions? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08-10-2021, 10:06 PM	#4
diamond10x Ten Point Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: AK Hunt In: AK & TX	Worth every penny! I love ours it’s so much more convenient than having to always stop and buy 4 and 5 bags of ice. I say do it and you’ll be glad you did. If you spend that much on ice a year it’s a no brainer. There shouldn’t be any issues putting in the garage. More than likely whoever installs it would run some pex outside the wall unless you just wanted it covered up. They will need to put a small hole through the wall to the outside so it can drain. Last edited by diamond10x; 08-10-2021 at 10:10 PM.

08-10-2021, 10:22 PM	#10
TB80 Ten Point Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hill Country	Talk to me about ice makers I didn’t think about the drain line. That could be a problem with our current set up and where I’d want to put it. Although, I was looking at this one and it doesn’t appear to require a drain. However, it also doesn’t produce as much ice as others. https://www.compactappliance.com/egd...ker/IB120.html Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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08-10-2021, 10:03 PM	#2
ctom87 Ten Point Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Fort Worth Hunt In: Searching.	While an ice maker isn't a good enough reason to go out and get a new fridge, our fridge was 15 years old so we decided to get a new one before the old one went out. This was after it woke us up at 5 am screeching one morning... If you are ok with the inconvenience of going to your garage to get ice and feel like your fridge has another 5 or so years left, yeah that makes total sense to get the ice maker. Not to mention if its like the one I am thinking, to have ice easily available for when you need it... ice buckets, sore shoulders etc. Sent from my SM-N9600 using Tapatalk

08-10-2021, 10:06 PM	#3
Walker Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: San Antonio	Doesn't a commercial icemaker need a drain in the floor?

08-10-2021, 10:08 PM	#5
curtintex Pope & Young Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Porter Trash Hunt In: Tyler County	Picking mine up in the morning. Under the counter “Sonic-style” ice machine. I’m gonna be a hero around here! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08-10-2021, 10:15 PM	#8
Notaguide Eight Point Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Waco - Rockport Hunt In: Evant	Not sure what unit you are looking for in that price range. We have two older Manitowac machines that have been really good to us. One is a small commercial under counter 80# machine that around 18yrs old. It runs everyday for home use, puts out some heat in the garage, the fan is loud, and probably pulls as much power as a deep freeze but works very well. But when we need ice we have it. Last I checked replacing it would be around $2200. The other machine is larger which we turn on and off to bag ice for fishing trips. Small residential under counter units are problematic in my experience and cost almost as much as a commercial unit. To answer the questions, yes it will work in the garage if you can drain it and yes you would like it but I would recommend Manitowac or Hoshizaki if you can swing it.

08-10-2021, 10:18 PM	#9
oktx Banned!!! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wise County Hunt In: Wise County	Ours quit last month. Bought a cheap counter top model today. We shall see.

08-10-2021, 10:50 PM	#11
Buck hunter332 Eight Point Join Date: Oct 2016 Hunt In: The water	Make one outta a deep freeze!

08-11-2021, 01:05 AM	#12
CyTxCazador Six Point Join Date: Mar 2020 Location: Cypress Hunt In: Mexico, Rockdale, Normangee, Madisonville	GE Opal 2.0, a chest freezer, and 50 ice bags will cover your busted ice maker & $2-300 annual ice habit. It’d be a $650 initial setup but you’d have sonic ice inside on demand & if you bag it & stock your chest freezer, you have it in your coolers at the lease all year.

08-11-2021, 05:03 AM	#13
60 Deluxe Ten Point Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Coke County Hunt In: at home	Ice makers are pretty finicky about the water being used in them. If you have any hardness at all, the calcium will build up and they won't dump correctly. We have that type of water so our home and none of our rentals has an ice maker in the refrigerator. I used to haul ice home sixty pounds at a time until I realized that I could go back to the basics and spend two or three minutes a day dumping ice trays and filling them. It is a pain, but so was dealing with the expense of ice makers and buying ice. Get an R.O. instead of an ice maker. Your ice tea will rival anything available commercially.

08-11-2021, 06:17 AM	#14
db@100 Ten Point Join Date: Sep 2009	You can drain it outside if that helps. You should put a good water filter in the line.

08-11-2021, 06:31 AM	#16
6.5 shooter Ten Point Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: San Antonio Hunt In: Montell, Hondo, Laredo	I ordered one a couple months ago and it’s still not shipped. Most of them that are in that price range you are talking about, don’t work well in the hot places like garages.

08-11-2021, 07:22 AM	#19
7sdad Ten Point Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Joshua, Texas	I have a Hoshizaki that sets on the counter that also has water. It is in our laundry room and I ran the drain over to the drain for the sink.

08-11-2021, 08:13 AM	#21
newmathewsfan Eight Point Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Clyde Hunt In: Callahan County/Val Verde County	We installed a 30# hoshizaki under counter when we built our house. We supply it with filtered RO water and we get commercial quality ice. As others have mentioned, a good drain is needed because that thing goes through a lot of water in a days time. Can’t remember what we paid for the unit but I do remember it wasn’t cheap.

08-11-2021, 08:26 AM	#22
Dugie Ten Point Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tyler Hunt In: Ireland, TX	I bought one of the smaller Opal sonic ice machines that is self contained and sits on the counter....for home use it puts out plenty of ice......I bag some a day ahead for the boat or if we have a party.

08-11-2021, 08:40 AM	#23
cmwessels Four Point Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Columbus Hunt In: Columbus	Installed a Hoshizaki Km 301-BAJ ice machine in my garage 3-4 months ago. This one has the 100 lb bin. I'm not sure how I ever made it without one before and can tell you that if something happens I will get another immediately. I had to bring water in from overhead and plumb the drain outside as I was not set up for an icemaker. I did install their recommended filter. So far no issues and I always have plenty of ice. I've never kept up with my ice expenses but I'm sure it's several hundred/year. The convenience is worth way more than the actual ice.

11-29-2021, 05:00 PM	#25
bowtecmike Ten Point Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Shallowater,tx Hunt In: Kent County, SA St Park	Bump for any new info. Thinking of getting one for my mother, the soft Sonic kind. Sent from my SM-A716V using Tapatalk

11-29-2021, 05:05 PM	#26
Dugie Ten Point Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tyler Hunt In: Ireland, TX	Opal is still rolling and I saw it was a Cyber Monday deal call out. Works great!