cc, it depends on what you are freezing. I like a chest freezer because everything falls out of an upright on top of me when I open the door. Others like uprights because it's easier to find things.

I have one that does not self defrost, because the thawing and freezing cycle does compromise the contents of the freezer as the temperature fluctuates. It's not a problem if I'm eating ice cream next week but is a problem if I'm keeping a whole beef for a year.

We have a conglomeration. Amanda has my old Kenmore, which I got as a wedding present in 1974, and it's still going strong, cross your fingers. Elery's upright is a Frigidaire, I think. It's OK, but seems to need defrosting more often than my old huge chest freezer, which is a Gibson and which was Dad's, so it's probably 15 years old, at least. Our newest one is a GE, but we've only had it a couple of months, so I can't conjecture on the quality. We bought it because it was on sale and reviews pretty much were the same on all models available immediately, and we needed one immediately!

Good luck on that freezer shopping. There are lots of bells and whistles now, and the only one I actually think is a good idea is a door alarm. Wouldn't do me any good since my freezers are in the garage and I'd never hear it beep, but my fridge has one and I've found the doors open more than once.

Annie

Most freezers these days are built by the same few companies; they just badge them differently. Figure out if you want a chest or upright, manual or automatic defrost, and size, and just buy from a dealer you trust without worrying too much about the name on the cabinet.

Most all appliances nowadays are built by the same few manufacturers. Trying to update an old one means you are spending money by losing the efficiency of the new models with better insulation and "bells and whistles" so necessary to keep that efficiency -- remote door alarm, water leak alarms, even (gasp!) a light! A manual defrost is twice as efficient (in terms of dollars saved) and marking your calendar for every 6 months to "maintain" it is not that hard. As Annie92 said, "heating and cooling" is death for long term storage when you have an automatic defrost. Manual defrost helps a lot since you get to sort through stuff you just chucked in there a while ago that maybe you will never use, or to find treasures you forgot (like strawberries, half a cake, or that really good bean soup).

Another good investment might be a Food Saver to ensure that what you put in there is free of oxygen, since that is what burns beef (etc.).

LOL, Nancy, my old ones have lights, but that big Gibson sure isn't efficient! The newest one has an alarm, but it's not remote and the freezer is clear out in the pole barn. The literature says it should cost something like $37 a year to run it, so it's efficient. It seems to take a long time to freeze things that I put in there unfrozen, though, where with the Gibson, it freezes in about half the time. Probably another reason it's so inefficient....

You're also right about finding things when it's time to defrost. In the chest freezer, I find things migrate to the bottom. In the upright, they move to the back. It's amazing what I find when I defrost! Unfortunately, it's never cake. (sigh)

Annie

If you want an upright manual defrost freezer with shelf coils, GE still makes one with wire shelves. Twenty years ago, when I got mine, they already didn't have the solid shelves anymore, and those were better, but the wire with coil aren't bad. Even though more cold escapes when you open an upright, if you have to dig around in a chest, you're leaving it open longer. OTOH, heat rises, so a chest has a built in advantage there too. :)

It sounds like you're getting an intrusion of warmer air, probably from your damaged gasket. That kind of localized frost buildup does happen when the seal is compromised.

I have an Amana upright manual, with wire shelves and some are coiled. I am happy with it but it does get frost build up. I think I open the door too much though. I bought it in 2012.

eenie meenie miney mo and cross your fingers.

We went through this last year. Fingers still crossed. And blanked out the whole experience for the most part. Did research but as mentioned above they are all about the same, then not. So far so good with what we ended up with. It is just too big, huge. They sent the wrong one but close enough.

I've not had one in the past to compare, except a horrid small chest type in my vacation home that needs defrosting monthly. And a countertop upright that was free from a friend that works great so that one will go to that home.

In short, we ordered a number of times with e-mail confirmations, then out of stock...repeat. We used Lowes and they we very helpful with all the troubles.

I find it easy to keep organized with some added baskets that i can pull out onto a counter next to it. The door itself holds all my spices nuts grains...the main reason for my choice.

As mentioned, assess your needs and start from there. If we purchased in bulk like ducks chickens turkey or end up with a moose tag a chest freezer would make sense. The wire shelving in most uprights would not hold or store or even makes sense for storing big bulk things. For garden harvest and meats packaged in meal portions i think uprights work really well.

We just bought a new freezer, so glad to read that brand doesn't matter. Our old one still worked fine, although DH was convinced it was running too much & we needed to replace it. We got this one & it runs even more. From what I have read, this is to be expected, something about the motors are smaller & more efficient so need to run more? I'm also not sure how much is too much, but seems to freeze just fine.

Also, bought a Frigidaire, the guy at Lowes told use that brand doesn't come with any kind of warranty. We thought he was just pushing to buy their warranty, but got home & DH read the manual that said the same thing. Although Home Depot guy says they come with a one year warranty.

It's possible that the ones at Lowe's don't have the warranty and the ones at HD do. Could change the price point.

Sleevendog, the wire shelving won't hold a whole deer intact, but it will hold a butchered and packaged deer, no problem. :) The chest freezer has the steadiest cooling for long term storage of the same, however.

I was referring to whole birds frozen. Though a half dozen in a bottom crate would be fine. It is just awkward trying to keep round-ish things secure in an up-right. Like Annie's experience having things fall out. An up-right is more useful for a variety of smaller packages and a smaller family. Veg, protein, spices, grains. I add a half dozen gallon water bottles when mine gets thin for power outages.

My neighbors that commercial fish and hunt with a large extended family living near each other have minimum 6 chest freezers and a couple up-rights. (they don't sell from those...all for winter home use). Their chest freezers are well organized and labeled and much more efficient for meats and fish fillets. Maybe open and grab something once a week.

It was a reviewer that said a turkey bent one of their shelves. One of my shelf supports broke nearly right away but solved with a diy retro-fit peg. I feel it needs one more shelf or drawer do avoid overloading.

In my old fridge with the freezer on top, if stuffed, sometimes the content would shift just as your back was turned and pop the door open a bit. And why we needed an up-right, : ) More room and finally organized.

Oh!. I never had any trouble, but I guess I do put round things in the basket once they're frozen. 'Course my freezer is on a very level platform. I'm sure that helps. :) Interesting about the turkey. I wonder how big it was?

I have never replaced a door seal but it doesn't really sound all that hard. I would also expect that someone would make and sell an exact replacement even if it is not from the manufacturer. I also see that generic seals can be cut to size; at least that what google diy suggests. I didn't check seal prices, but if they aren't expensive, I would think it might be worth the time to get one and see if you can make it work, and if it fails, be ready to buy your choice of a new freezer. If your seal is held on with many screws, a drill driver would be almost necessary.