Anybody use LIFETIME coolers?
Equipment
Just picked up the 55 qt model for $107 at Wallyworld. Looks like a good upgrade from the standard (cheaper) igloo coolers I have had in the past.
Anybody else use them? How many days you get with the ice? Supposed to be rated at 7 days...................
Bought one 3 years ago in Colorado on elk hunt. Happy with it,may actually pic up another.
A buddy has one and is happy with it
I have two. Performed well in my experiences. Mostly used for drinks and sandwiches while on tuna/deep sea multi day trips
I’m staying away from any cooler recommendation deals from bowsite ;-)
I have that 1 and the larger size. Both good buys in my opinion. I hauled elk home from Wyoming in it on dry ice and performed well. Not sure I need more in a cooler than these offer.
OK- THANKS guys! Sounds like I made a good purchase.................
LMBO@old school! : )
I have the 55 and 77 quart. I owned one of the originals 5-6 years ago and the seal kept breaking. Second time, they sent me an improved seal and a new 55 quart cooler for my troubles. I bought the 77 quart earlier this year to bring back fresh tuna and shrimp when I went fishing in may. It’s been a gooder one too. Much better then the Rtic scam I sold everybody on. :^)
As far as ice retention, it’s going to be very hard to beat the updated models. I have grizzly and Rtic brands now too. These out perform them both in keeping ice. They outperform my brothers yeti’s. And hold their own against the two orcas he owns. They are the only coolers that keep stuff from freezing in our annual deer camp too. So, they work very well.
Now, the down side is they aren’t going to take the abuse a yeti will. That’s not putting them down. Because no cooler will do that. Yetis are built to last. I set the tongue of a 8 ton dump trailer on a small yeti when I had to unhook from it. It took a floor jack to lift it up off the ball it was so heavily loaded. I knew it was going to crush it. It didn’t even leave a mark on it. I no longer have that cooler but, it’s not because I broke it. lol.
If you don’t have a crew of men throwing it around, dropping it out of truck beds, knocking it off tailgates, standing in it, or otherwise tend to really abuse it, the lifetime cooler will suit you great. My guess is, for a lifetime. But, if it’s going to get mistreated, I suspect the lid will suffer warpage and it’ll loose sone of its thermal abilities.
OK- THANKS for the detailed review! Just what I was looking for...........................
I was more concerned with their insulating properties than durability. Of course I appreciate a durable product...............................but I tend to take care of my stuff, so I don;t think that will be an issue!
From WVM's description, maybe Yeti needs to start making bow cases (just leave out the insulations)! My high-end SKB cases just get destroyed when flying with them. Sounds like the material Yeti uses might be stronger and more durable.
^.....""I’m staying away from any cooler recommendation deals from bowsite ;-) ""
That's funny right there! I'm glad everyone (I think) can laugh about it.
I have three of them and have bought another for a buddy. By far and away the best value for keeping cool in the game.... by a long shot !!!
The 55 and 77 are great and work all the time for any hunting thing I've done. Filled two to the brim with ice blocks and crushed ice to chill out on our wyoming hunt last year. Had cold beers with just a bit of ice left after 5 1/2 days at 80 degrees in the sun on the 55 and still had blocks and crushed in the 77 to pack in with my buddy's elk the last day.
The 28 quart is a disappointment though. It works great, but bar handle seems to pinch my fingers big time, all the time and it doesn't have a drain hole. You have to turn it upside down to get the water out if you're using it for a beer cooler on warmer days. On 100+ deg days in the sun, you have to add a bag + every day to keep your beverages in top shape. The 55 seems to be a better bet all the time from my experience.
Keeping them full to the brim 24/7 is what makes them work the best and for the money there's no better deal out there, especially if you can get to one of their outlets for the quote unquote "seconds". $89 for a 55 and $119 for the 77. Unbelievable value for sure.
Just my $0.02 on how they work.
Cheers, Pete
Yeti knockoffs get the best forget the rest. All yeti all the time
You must drive an Escalade Bou! ;-)
old school ----- OMG, that was funny!
I won a 65 qt yeti at a drawing about 6 years ago. Although I have nothing against cheaper coolers, in my opinion they is no equal to the yeti. I drive a silverado :).
They also make kayaks and paddle boards. You get a very good product for the money with Lifetime. You aren't paying for a name. I don't personally own any but hear a lot about their kayaks on fishing forums.
After reading this thread yesterday, I ran over to Walmart and grabbed one. Very well built and I like the latches.
Just bought 2 yeti 350. Good solid cooler.
I have one. Works good. Super heavy. Not a ton of internal space. I think pretty standard on all of those style coolers.
I think a good test of a cooler's ability would to put scraps of your next kill in a buddies cooler that he stores in the garage and see how long it takes him to realize - preferable in a warm climate.
there are better cooler then yeti for less $$$
I'd be willing to wager that if you traced back the Yeti's and all the knock-offs you'd find they come from the same group of factories.
Yeti has unique cooler DNA. The knockoffs may be incestuous crossbreeds but yeti is pure cooler royalty. No purer bloodline in the kingdom of coolers can be found.
Hahaha.
Funny stuff. I have both Yetis and Rtics. They are identical made coolers. Yeti even sued them because of it. I have 65 RTIC (bought on sale for $145) and a Yeti 65 (won at RMEF banquet). Both work equally well but RTIC 65 is 65 quarts INSIDE measurements of cooler space and Yeti is 65 quarts outside measurement. Both have their place but you get more cooler with RTIC
Figured someone would eventually make similar coolers for less. Sounds like Lifetime May be close.
But anyone wants the cooling ability and not the durability can buy cheaper and get by. The reason to buy these coolers is the cooling AND DURABILITY. I have a Yeti that is 20 years old and still works great. And I abuse them!
Well, that’s a new one on me, I mean incest in the cooler family. You think any of them change genders Bou, or are they just cross dressers ?
BTW, I have an RTIC that I’ll stack up against my Yeti any day.
Yeti has unique cooler DNA. The knockoffs may be incestuous crossbreeds but yeti is pure cooler royalty. No purer bloodline in the kingdom of coolers can be found.
Funny, there's more incestuous crossbreeding in European royal families than any crazy religious cult. ;-)
Got the Cabela’s one several years back. 100 qt. Same cost as Yeti but got slightly better reviews and kept ice longest. But it’s heavier and bulkier so, not sure if better or not. Hard to beat the price/value of the Lifetime. But, can’t go wrong with a Yeti
I am a Coleman Extreme 5 advocate. I does what it claims to do, if you do your part. It will retain ice for 5 days. I own 3 of them.
Had a rtic small cooler and was not satisfied with it. Small bag of ice a day. Couple of years bought a lifetime and get two plus days. Very good cooler imo. These ride in back of truck with cap in summer. Won a yeti and it's good but glad I didn't pay 400 for it.
Rut Nut, I bought a 77 quart Lifetime a year ago. I did not want the cost of the Yeti or the weight. I wanted a better quality cooler than just an Igloo or similar brand. I have not been disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I love my Yetis and Cabelas on long camping trips, but that is not why I purchased the Lifetime. I had an aging 100 quart Marine Igloo-you know back when they actually had insulation in the lid-that I needed to replace. The Lifetime is a solid cooler.
Thanks guys! Sounds good!
YETI: Too expensive. Too heavy (hard coolers). Not attractive. Too much hype. Copied by everyone. Hated by many. We own 5 of them. If anything works better, we simply don't need it.
I think a lot of the copies (including Lifetime) are doing a pretty good job of filling the niche between basic picnic coolers and the snob-quality coolers costing 2-3x.
^....."Snob-quality coolers"
Ha....another good one.
I don't get caught up in the cooler wars too much. I never looked....but "if" it's true Yeti's quantity size is based on outside measurements and not inside.....that's pretty lame and misleading. You could end up having to buy two Yetis to do the job that another quality brand (and lower cost), single one could do that uses actual inside quantity measurements.
If Yeti starts making bow cases they will be the only bow cases that cost more than the bow inside of them. Still blows my mind people will pay $50 for a 5 gallon bucket because it says Yeti on it. The reviews are hilarious too. "This is the bucket to end all buckets!" But hey, good on em. $65 dog dishes and people love em.
Never understood people paying anything for a 5 gal bucket.
"$65 dog dishes"....Adam, my beloved drinks wine from an $80 Riedel glass....so delicate you can break it just by hand-washing it. At least the $65 dog bowl has durability to go with the snob factor!
If you want something to keep your coffee hot and your drink cold try a Takeya bottle. I have a 40 oz bottle and it will hold ice for two days. Keeps coffee hot all day but I normally drink it before that. It has a great lid. You unscrew the drinking spout and the lid holds the spout cover so you can't drop it. IT has a neat tab on top that you can hang it on a limb or nail. If you are in a ground blind you can lay it down and nothing will leak.
Well, I have to say I am impressed! Think I got 6 days out of my ice last week on vacation. Then I dumped it out and transferred half a case of refrigerated beer back into the cooler (with NO ice) and it stayed cool for 30 hours until I unpacked it at home! I swear it was like coming out of a fridge...................
I have that exact one. Love it. I like the handles and the latches a lot. Not sure how long ice lasts but ling enough. They really put the price of a Yeti into perspective. Why!?!
Rut Nut, that's been my experience as well. I bought it to transport my quartered game home and age. In 90+ weather, I'm getting 4-5 days before I need to add more ice. At least in this size, 77 quart, the tubs from the old Igloo fit perfectly to keep some things dry.
Looks like I know what my next cooler will be. Great thread.
Well, I have to say I am impressed! Think I got 6 days out of my ice last week on vacation. Then I dumped it out and transferred half a case of refrigerated beer back into the cooler (with NO ice) and it stayed cool for 30 hours until I unpacked it at home! I swear it was like coming out of a fridge................... Why was there beer left??
Another good cooler if anyone else is looking is the Canyon Cooler brand. The smaller 30 quart size and such of any brand will need ice more often than the larger sizes. But the Canyon cooler works as well as all the other premium brands and usually cheaper.
