Aftermarket ice makers

[Stephen Tashiro]

Are there "aftermarket" replacements for the ice makers in refrigerators that are better than the ice makers sold by the refrigerator manufacturers?

I have the impression that the OEM ice makers on inexpensive refrigerators are inferior. (The example at hand being the ice maker for the Frigidaire FFTR1821TW5). Yes, it's easy to find OEM replacement ice makers and easy to find directions about how to install them, but that's not what I'm asking about. I want better than OEM.

[Steve Eure]

I bought one from McCombs online for my Frigidaire. It lasted a few weeks and quit. They replaced it and the newer one lasted until the fridge completely quit. That was only four or five months later. The ice maker was still working at that time. As for longevity I cannot say since the fridge quit.

[Kev Williams]

If you have the room for it, a counter top icemaker may be an option...

[Stephen Tashiro]

If you have the room for it, a counter top icemaker may be an option...

I have a Magic Chef brand counter top ice maker and I like it, but I try to remember to turn it off at night because it does not store the ice in a refrigerated compartment. The ice it makes gradually melts. The melt water runs back into the reservoir so this helps in making new ice. However, it strikes me as inefficient to run that cycle when no ice is being demanded.

[Jim Koepke]

My father used to sell refrigerators. We often had a new refrigerator/freezer at home as he would sell mom's refrigerator as a used unit to someone who couldn't afford new. Mom was happy and dad mad the sell. In all that time we never had one with an ice maker. My father saw them as a flawed item that took up room in the freezer. Then you have upset customers when they need servicing.

Everyone of my friends and acquaintances who ever had an ice maker in their refrigerator/freezer had a problem with it.

jtk