As many of ya'll know Brute Outdoors sells some great coolers. When they first started selling coolers I bought a 55qt, and did a review here in 2011. Brute Box Cooler Review I loved the cooler so much that I bought a 90qt. Both of those coolers are great. And, I've used them for everything from drinks, to food, to hogs, to deer, to fish and everything in between. They have traveled with me from the Gulf Coast to the West Texas Panhandle. And, they're still going strong. Not a hiccup anywhere. They are the BEST coolers I've ever owned. But, I only thought they were the best coolers I'd ever owned. Until Now.

I'm retiring from my job soon, after 30yrs there. And, my wife decided to buy me two of Brute Outdoors newest models, a 25qt and a 75qt. I got them in tan. And, as a retirement present, Brute Outdoors included camo lid wraps for both of them.(THANK YOU JEREMY AND EMILY!!)

I ordered the coolers around lunch on Tuesday. I had them this afternoon. You can't get much quicker shipping than that! They came in boxes marked with the Brute Outdoors logo. When I opened them and pulled the coolers out I immediately saw improvements from the older model coolers, SIGNIFICANT improvements.

First, the hinges went the entire length of the lid and cooler. Whereas before there were two distinct hinges, and the hinge pins didn't run the whole length of the cooler. Second, the latches were MUCH IMPROVED over the older style latches. They are a cantilever design, and work exceptionally well. Third, the lids can now be locked. A welcome feature that I commented on the older coolers being without. Fourth, there is an opening at the handle so that I can run a cable or chain through them and lock them to my pickup truck, another feature I commented on that the older models do not have. And, the rope handles are made of better material and are a bit larger. Fifth, the rubber feet are larger in diameter, made of better material, and BOLTED ON with an added washer for secure fit to the cooler. Sixth, the rubber seal on the lid is MUCH BETTER than the seal on the older models, and appears like it will seal the lid much better. And, inside there is a slot for a future seperator, or cutting board to be inserted inside the cooler. Seventh, there are TWO DRAINS. Whereas before there was only one. This is a nice feature as you won't need to worry which side of the cooler goes in your truck first. It won't matter for draining. Eighth, there is now a fish ruler on the lid of the coolers, very handy when you need to know the length of that redfish or trout. And, lastly, the overall appearance of the coolers is MUCH SMOOTHER, MUCH CLEANER, AND MORE APPEALING than the older model coolers. The lid wraps LOOK AWESOME! I highly recommend getting them to really make the looks of your Brute Box cooler POP!

Overall, the improvements and changes to the Brute Outdoors Brute Box Coolers were significant. And, each of the improvements increased the function of the cooler. Many of the suggestions that some of the early Brute Box cooler users made for improvements were listened to. And, Brute Outdoors came through with flying colors. Jeremy, and his crew at Brute Outdoors really outdid themselves. Their new line of coolers are THE BEST COOLER FOR THE MONEY on the market today, period.

This is right before unboxing.



Inside the new coolers are instruction cards with warranty and use information. Very nice, and very informative.




The camo lid wraps look AWESOME. My cell phone camera doesn't do them justice.




The front of the 25 and 75 quart coolers.



The inside of the 25's lid, shows the new rubber seal. It's much better than the older model seals.




The inside of the 75qt, shows the full length hinge, the seperating slot for future cutting board, the two drains, all very nice new improvements to the line of Brute Box coolers.




This is a view of the new model handles, with the thicker rope, stronger handles, and the cut out in the molded handle so you can lock your cooler to the truck.




This is the old model, so you can see the difference.




The new latches are much nicer, and very sturdy.




This is a view of the old verses new rubber foot pads. The new ones are much better, and more sturdy.




Group shot of my family of Brute Box Coolers. I love them all. But, the new models are much better, with better features.
[img]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c211/mley1/2013-03-13153353_zps16046153.jpg[/img]



This is a good comparison shot showing the difference in the hinges. Again, the new models are better.
[img]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c211/mley1/2013-03-13155110_zpsd88a8499.jpg[/img]



On the off chance that a latch does break they will be easily replaceable. A very nice feature, although may never be needed.
[img]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c211/mley1/2013-03-13155221_zpsb9d9417c.jpg[/img]



The lid wraps look very nice. And, they are made from some very tough material. I'm not sure what type of material, but it's some tough stuff. I was very impressed with it.
[img]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c211/mley1/2013-03-13155314_zpsc46cd71f.jpg[/img]



The inside lid of the 75qt. Again, the new seal is very tough, and looks like it is much better than the older models.
[img]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c211/mley1/2013-03-13155329_zps4b5f189d.jpg[/img]



This is a better view of the new rubber feet that are on all the Brute Box models, even the little 25qt has them. They appear to be very tough, and very well attached.
[img]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c211/mley1/2013-03-13155407_zpsab4453bd.jpg[/img]



So, to conclude, Brute Outdoors has taken their coolers to the next level. Their new model Brute Boxes are BETTER, STRONGER, and HAVE MORE FEATURES than their older models. And, quite frankly, I don't think any other cooler manufacturer can match them for the money. In my opinion Brute Box Coolers are THE BEST ON THE MARKET TODAY. Buy one, or two or three!! They are worth every penny!! Which, btw, they are significantly cheaper than their major competitor. WELL DONE BRUTE OUTDOORS!!

Thanks for the review

Thanks Marty! Hope you enjoy your retirement and thanks for providing such a thorough review! We appreciate it

Jeremy

Mley1,

Very thorough review indeed. I've always been a fan of Yeti (and own a few) but the cost is obviously very high. It's one of those one time costs though...hurts at first but after you are happy. Probably the same can be said of these...yet they are at a lower price point which is nice.

I've never seen a Brute in person but I'm sure you have seen a Yeti. Tell me what you think of a Brute vs a Yeti...obviously if all things were even the Brute and the lower price tag would make it the winner.

Also I have a few comments...the tan coolers look good...that's what my Yeti's are but I'm thinking the white ones might actually do their job better if you our outside more. Obviously white will reflect sunlight/heat better than a darker cooler....with that I wish I could trade mine in for a white one.

Thanks for the comments. First, I'll say that I've had lots of white coolers. I shied away from white for two reasons. Number one was they show dirt all to well. And, second, I hunt a lot. And, I take my coolers with me dove hunting, and sometimes on other hunts. White coolers tend to spook birds and game. So, I went with tan, and camo lid wraps. I'm hoping the birds won't spook as I'm sitting on my Brute Box.

I have looked at, and handled several Yeti's. Even the 75qt. I wanted to make sure I got what I wanted. The first two Brute Boxes I got, the older models, were very good. But, Yeti, at that time, had more features. The deciding factors for me were the cost, and the fact that Brute Outdoors was a family operated company with good people running it. Plus, he came on this forum and stuck his neck out for his coolers. I respected that tremendously.

Now, Brute Outdoors has progressed. They are now producing coolers that I think surpass Yeti in features. I think the Brute Boxes are a little lighter in weight too, just from feel. I don't recall off hand the exact weights between the two coolers(we could check that I suppose on the web sites). As far as toughness goes, Brute is right there with Yeti. Yeti has nothing on Brute Boxes toughness. I like Brute Boxes handles better, latches are better, drains are better(especially with 2), locking to my truck is easier with a chain cause Brutes openings on the molded handles is bigger than Yeti's. Also, in the near future Brute Outdoors I believe will be coming out with a dry goods insert for the coolers, and a cutting board seperator for the interior. The slot is already there for both. So, with the significant price difference, it was a no brainer for me. I've been thoroughly happy with my Brute Boxes.

I would add that I haven't done any ice retention tests on my new Brute Boxes yet. But, if they hold ice anything like the older models I'll be happy. The Brute Box coolers hold ice as advertised, very very well.

I would love to see a head to head comparison on ice retention. I don't have a Yeti though to do it with.

I just checked the weights of both. A 75qt Yeti is listed at 30lbs. And, a 75qt Brute Box is listed at 27lbs. So, there is a 3 pound weight difference, in Brutes favor.

I never really though about the camo when hunting factor...mine will pretty much be in the back of the truck, hotel, RV, etc when I hunt so that's not an issue with me but yeah if you are sitting on one while hunting that makes sense. I also understand about the white getting dirty...to me that's a non factor as well...I don't really care if they get a little dirty.

Weight is a factor but it's the price you pay for toughness and insulation.

Yeti's have a trey in them that come standard. If I had to buy one separately I wouldn't...I don't use the ones that came with my very often.

As far as ice retention tests I doubt there would be a significant difference...I could see tests being even. I think it would come down to the quality of the ice you put in the cooler in the first place. I wonder if Brute's lower weight is at a cost of less insulation? This could cause them to under-preform Yeti but again I can't see it being significant enough to notice.

Yep great coolers, I will be getting another before to long.

Yes, I agree on those points. And, I do think white may be better, especially in the summer for holding ice. Comes down to personal preference. On the tray thing, I do like that Yeti comes with a tray inside standard. But, personally, I don't like their tray. I prefer something that will keep the water off the goods I need to keep dry. So, I, strangely enough, like the plastic ones that I got with my Igloo's and Colemans. In fact, I commandeered one to go in my 75 Brute Box, and it works quite well.

On the weight difference, I think most of the difference is probably due to Yeti lids being thicker. At least it appeared to me that they were a bit thicker in the lid area. Yeti's Achilles heal, in my opinion, is their bottoms. I've seen cutouts where the bottom of a Yeti cooler thins to about 1 inch or so due to the trough in their coolers. Brutes don't do that. I think that may be one reason why in some ice retention tests Yeti was beaten by some others. The one test that comes to mind is the one on Sportsmans Guide I think. Since heat rises, and a Yeti coolers bottom is thinner down the center, it may absorb more heat that way. Especially if it's put onto a hot pickup bed. But, like I said earlier, I don't have a Yeti to personally test that theory.

Either way, they are both EXCELLENT coolers. I certainly wouldn't feel my cooler was inadequate with either one in the field.

Are you talking about that sportsmansGuys.com youtube video? What that told me is other than the one that looked like a big box they were all fairly good at holding ice except the igloo. Even the Coleman extreme did well in their tests.

I don't buy it though..I also have a Coleman extreme and it will not hold ice like my yeti.

Holding ice is just one factor but I would say any high end cooler should stand it's ground there...to me toughness is going to be the key. When I go camping my Yeti's will end up also being used as a step stool much of the time...I don't stand on my Coleman Extreme...it's just too lightweight. I can see that the Brutes would also stand up to my abuse.

Toughness is the key for me too. Bare minimum it needs to hold ice a little better than a coleman extreme, but I want it to be able to take punishment. I bet Brute, Yeti and Grizzlies all do this well.

I just happened to be given my first yeti as a gift, and I went to UT, so I'm partial to businesses in Austin. That being said if I was given one of the others first I'm sure I would've stuck with which ever brand I was given.

The shot of the new versus old brute cooler is night and day. Honestly the old version isn't the prettiest thing I've see; glad they fixed it.

I agree guy's, toughness is key. The high end coolers wouldn't be worth the money if they weren't tougher than the cheaper Igoo and colemans. Although the older Brutes weren't too pretty, they were very tough. I'm rough on my coolers and they stood the test. I thought they looked real similar to Engles, the latches especially.

I had one(actually several at one time) of Coleman Extremes too. Mine didn't hold ice any better than my marine Igloo. My Brutes beat them both for ice retention. They both suffered from hinge, latch and drain breaks. Plus the inside and outside plastic cracked pretty quickly on me. They both are somewhere in a land fill in Galveston county. I did keep the plastic tub inserts though. They come in handy for deer and hog processing, plus one of them fits perfect in my new Brute 75.

I guess it's like the old Chevy versus Ford debate. You'll alway's seem some die hard Chevy fans that won't drive anything else, same for Ford. But, in the end, they are both great trucks.

Yea, it was that video. In fact, it was because of that particular video that I ended up getting my IRP Ice Wave 120. And, even though it's a monster, and extremely heavy, it holds ice a LOOOOONG time. It has up to 8 inches of insulation in places. I'm talking massive amounts of insulation. I've left it with ice in it after a trip before and still had some ice almost 2 weeks later. That was not opening it though. It's one hell of a cooler. But, like I said before, it's a heavy sucker. And, it's bulky. I use it for special occasions, and on long camping and hunting trips when I bring my utility trailer.

My Coleman extreme is still in working condition...I've had it for 3 years...the one thing I like about it is it has wheels. I could not carry that thing for long loaded if it didnt. I'm thinking the Yeti's and Brutes of the world won't make one with wheels as it could be a weak point on the cooler that would break over time. This happened with my last wheeled cooler. But anything over say 65 or 75 qt...it's almost impossible for one guy to carry that thing any farther than a few feet without breaking your back.

Yea, much bigger than the 75 and it's too heavy for one guy to carry loaded up. My IRP 120 is a monster. And, even with two grown men it's a bear to carry fully loaded. I normally carry a dolly to move it when I use it. I'd love to see Brute, Yeti, IRP...and the other high end cooler manufacturers come up with a large cooler on wheels that was tough enough to really work well. It would be great to be able to move the larger coolers by yourself. I go hunting a lot on my own. So, having the ability to lift or move an large ice chest is of importance to me.

Shucks, it would be cool if someone came up with a good fold up cooler dolly with large heavy duty wheels that could be rolled over bumps, rough terrain, like you'd find at the deer lease. You know, one you could use on multiple coolers if need be. That way it would be versatile enough to be used anywhere on any cooler. I'd pick one up in a second, if reasonably priced of course.

A lot of folks ask us what the difference is between us and a "Y" so I thought I'd explain. The biggest differentiators that a Brute Cooler offers is:

[*]More insulation and a thicker outer shell
[*]Made in USA (all of it!)
[*]Built-in ruler
[*]Custom lid graphics available
[*]Dual drain plugs
[*]True to size capacity (our 100 Quart cooler provides 100 quarts of capacity)
[*]Open handles allowing for cable or chain to secure cooler
[*]About $100 cheaper


We spent a lot of money on our competitor's coolers when we engineered the new generation of Brute Boxes.

Here's a cutout comparing the thickness of the walls (Brute has the lighter color on the right). Notice the thicker plastic as well.


The thickness of the insulation on bottom is extremely important especially if you're planning to keep it on the bed of the truck. Brute has the lighter color insulation on bottom.


Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Jeremy

Very well stated Jeremy.

Thanks for those pics Jeremy. They really show the quality that's been put into the Brute Outdoors coolers. THANK YOU!!!!

Why must buying a cooler be so hard? Iam in the market for a heavy duty cooler. I do not have any but my friends have yeti coolers. But after talking to the brute company and seeing their pics on the forum. Iam not sure what to do I know that yeti is more $ but they do have the rack for food. So do you think that when brute gets their dry food racks in and the cutting board the price will go up and make just as much? Also brute is made in the USA and are in fort worth Tx

Our dividers will cost around $10 at most and the dry goods trays will range from $15-50 depending on size and if you want the traditional wire rack or a stainless steel tray. Either way, you can customize the heck out of your Brute with all the accessories and still save a ton of money. We also have custom lid wraps and seat cushions as well.

Our goal is to offer a superior product at a much more affordable price point.

Jeremy

I stopped by Industrial Outfitters in Abilene Yesterday and found the new Brute Coolers. I purchased the 75 quart.

After getting home, I filled both my Yeti and new Brute with Ice and cokes. Hauled em both around all day while out repairing blinds, feeder pens and such. Me and my boys drank cokes/ bottled water from both coolers alternating which ones we opened each time.

I CANNOT TELL any difference in the amount of melted ice between the two this morning.

I have nothing negative to say about either cooler, but I wont be spending extra $ on the next one because of brand. I'll take the Brute hands down.

The drain plugs on BOTH ends of the Brute is another positive as well

Where would I find the seat cushions? I didn't see any yesterday and I cant find them on your website.

Seat cushions are expected to arrive next week actually. They'll be available on white and camo. Should be on the site next week.

Jeremy