Reefer Units: Tmo King vs. Carrier

Me personally, I prefer Carrier over TK. I ve had far less problems with Carrier. But the biggest advantage that TK has over Carrier is the dealer network.

 

There both a well made unit. I have to go with TK. Can almost buy parts @ K Mart. Never had one break down on me. They will freeze a trailer in under three hours. Fuel is a big factor, both are about the same in the long run. No body can predict the loads over a years time. Carrier has a pretty face, more aerodynamic. Ford & Chevy.

 

I have a carrier unit that that stops as soon as it starts. If I hold the start button on, it continues to run.
Any ideas? I have to load tomorrow.

 

That's a safety device. It's telling you it has no oil pressure or is low on coolant or perhaps even no Freon. You don't want to run it until you figure out what the problem is.

 

i got both sb-210 whisper and a carrier 2500A thermo king is better in all ways fuel,sound and cooling

 

From a non-maintenance perspective, I prefer newer TK's to newer Carriers. Thermo-Kings are quieter in either mode and produce less vibration IMO.

 

I like the TKs a hundred times better. My last company had a mix of them form old to new. TKs are much quieter and efficient. I hated when I got stuck with an old Carrier and had to go get an ice cream load. It would scream loud and proud and it was lucky to make it to 5 degrees. I never got turned away though.

It's probably too late I'd say but you must have an alarm code for it to shut down. They have safeties built in like a big truck engine to keep from tearing it up. The first thing is to scroll through the menu and get the code. Inside the right door of most reefer units is a code list. You can try clearing the code and see if it returns. Anyways never load a troubled reefer. You have no choice but to get it fixed.

 

The loudest, most obnoxious, reefers in the lots always seem to be Carriers with alot of hours on them.

One guy 3 trucks away in Ohio has a Carrier that sounded like someone was beating the hell out of his trailer with a 5 lb hammer. I believe it had a cracked exhaust manifold..

No idea in hell how he could sleep

 

carrier vs thermo king, which do you guys prefer?

 

I pull a 53' Utility reefer w/ a Carrier X2 2500 unit. It's 18 years old and will still haul ice cream in the summer cross country out of Bakersfield and rarely come off idle in continuous mode. Delivered loads @ -30 when set @ -20. Pulled another trailer w/ a T/K -- I think it was a 200 -- same load, same conditions and it never came off high speed all the way across the country, drank fuel like it was going out of style, and wouldn't pull below +7. My trailer is well insulated, (rated @ 25% excess capacity w/ an original unit that was only 2/3 the cooling capacity of the X2) and I don't think the trailer w/ the T/K was anything more than a produce trailer. Aside from the operating noise, where the T/K wins hands down (except when it's constantly on high speed, working its guts out) I don't think there's a big performance difference between the brands of comparably rated units IF the trailers are equally capable. BUT the amount of insulation in the trailer is what is really determinative when trying to maintain temperature in adverse conditions w/o (figuratively speaking) killing the unit.