Sunpentown Ice Maker IM-150US Review: Suspiciously Familiar

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There seems to be a sweet spot in ice cube production at 12 pounds per day. More than one popular ice maker lets you harvest this amount. The Sunpentown IM-150US is one of those machines. Another is the EdgeStar IB120.

This review is mainly about the Sunpentown ice maker, but I’ll compare it to the EdgeStar ice maker too. (Sunpentown often appears as SPT, and I’ll use that short form here sometimes too.) I’ll also show you how the SPT stacks up against its bigger brother, the SPT IM-600US.

If you’re in a hurry and simply want to check the pricing and availability of these Sunpentown machines at Amazon, you can click the links below.

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Comparing the SPT IM-150US to Other Models

Let’s first do a side by side comparison of the EdgeStar IB120 ice maker and the Sunpentown IM-150US.

The table just below gives you most of the pertinent comparison points among these two ice makers. You’ll see that they are virtually identical. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they are actually made by the same manufacturer and sold as more than one brand. I don’t have any proof of this, but when even the on/off button is in the same location (lower right on the front grille), you start to wonder.

Some of the other online reviews seem to suggest this possibility as well. One owner needed to exchange his first purchase and received a similar but slightly different model in return. Another (without providing any real proof) flat out stated that these are sold as various brands.

Manufacturer	EdgeStar	Sunpentown (SPT)
Model	IB120	IM-150US
Cube Style	Crescent	Crescent
Cube Size (in.)	n/a*	½ x ¾ x 2 ½
Production per Day (lbs.)	12	12
Storage (lbs.)	6	6
Drain Required?	No	No
Defrost	Manual	Manual
Installation Type	Built-in or Freestanding	Built-in or Freestanding
Dimensions H x W x D (in.)	25 ¼ x 15 x 18 ½	25 x 15 x 18
Reversible Door?	Yes	Yes
Weight (lbs.)	54	54
Warranty	1 year parts; 90 days labor	1 year parts and labor

*About 1 inch long

Differences between the Sunpentown and Edgestar Ice Makers

The only obvious differences in these two machines is the warranty and the handle that you find on the EdgeStar. To open the SPT, you simply grip an edge of the door.

Cube size might also seem to be a difference, but this is adjustable on the EdgeStar.

Now compare the above to the larger SPT IM-600US machine. Obviously, the ice harvest amount and overall size and weight of the unit are all greater. The cube shape is different too.

A major difference is that the IM-600US requires a drain as it is not a freezer like the models above are.

Here are the details of the Sunpentown IM-600US.

Manufacturer	Sunpentown (SPT)
Model	IM-600US
Cube Style	Gourmet
Cube Size (in.)	¾ x ¾ x 1
Production per Day (lbs.)	50
Storage (lbs.)	25
Drain Required?	Yes
Defrost	n/a
Installation Type	Built-in or Freestanding
Dimensions H x W x D (in.)	32.8 x 14.6 x 25**
Reversible Door?	Yes
Weight (lbs.)	84
Warranty	1 year parts and labor

**Depth given above is with handle. Without handle: 23.6 inches. Without door: 21.5 inches.

If you need more ice than the smaller models can provide, perhaps this larger ice maker is the way to go for you.

What Do You Get When Purchasing the SPT IM-150US?

The unit itself comes with a stainless steel door, while the rest of the cabinet is black. Keep this in mind especially if you want to use this as a freestanding ice maker.

As noted earlier, there is a grille below the door. This is where the exhaust fan is located, so while it is extremely unlikely that you would ever place anything in front of the grille, know that this area must be kept open for the cooling system to work properly.

In addition to the ice bin, you get a scoop that makes it easy to transfer the cubes from the bin to another container. The scoop is probably too large for filling individual glasses.

You get a 25 foot long water line, which some owners decided to upgrade, along with some of the other installation parts.

How Do You Install the Ice Maker?

This machine is really intended to fit in the same space as one cabinet under one of the drawers in your existing decor. It’s nearly exactly the same size (height and width) of a standard cabinet door.

The owner’s manual states (in all capital letters, which I have changed for ease of reading)…

“All the necessary hardware is not [emphasis mine] provided (as the plumbing fixtures at the installation point may differ) for installation so it is necessary to hire a professional licensed plumber to complete the installation.”

Apparently, not all purchasers have followed the instruction to hire a plumber. Those who proceeded on their own and were qualified to do so, didn’t have any problems, especially after they upgraded some of the components.

Those who proceeded without the qualifications, often had troubles, such as water lines that leaked, cubes that were too small, and so on.

The manual also says…

“The first cubes may be small due to air in the water line. Later cubes will be of standard crescent moon shape and size.”

And finally…

“IMPORTANT: Throw away all ice cubes made during the first 3 hours of operation.”

I wonder how many people read, understood, and followed those directions.

The bottom line here is that (unless you are a plumber) you should follow the directions, spend the extra money, and hire someone qualified to do the installation.

What’s the Verdict on the SPT IM-150US?

Despite the troubles some users have had with this machine, the vast majority of them love their ice maker and use it without issue.

I have no problems recommending this model (or the EdgeStar, which is so similar), if this is all the ice you regularly need. (If you need more, consider the IM-600US instead.)

Just be sure to follow the directions mentioned above and others found in the user manual, and you should be fine.

Click here to check the pricing and availability of the Sunpentown IM-150US ice maker at Amazon now.