Igloo has a touching faith in plastic flex hinges, and makes the hinge itself very thin. The latch on my cooler breaks almost every season and the hinges usually last a couple of seasons. This stuff is expensive when bought individually and the shipping is usually more than the part cost. This kit provides enough parts to last for several years (even the SS screws) at a price much, much lower than individual purchases. Highly recommended.
BTW, if the plastic lid retainer strap breaks and you don't want to pay a zillion dollars for a replacement, grab a piece of the woven-type plastic box strapping. I punched screw holes in mine with a hot nail to seal the edges, melted the cut edges and the strap has worked for 2 years now. I think I would have been in for well over $20 for a replacement.
UPDATE 24Jun11--Ixnay on the retainer strap made from box strapping. My ham-handed beer drinking friends broke it (it splits) about 10 minutes into a party. I got stainless steel picture frame wire and a couple of washers. They'll probably rip the screws out of the chest now, but the cable's not going to break. Also, nylon cord as mentioned by the commenter. Igloo Parts Kit for Ice Chests
Our aged cooler needed the new spout AND the hinges AND the latch. Everyone else at our group camping trip was impressed that we could replace those. The cooler was otherwise fine. My husband installed the parts and says that they worked fine, no problem, and that he appreciated the extra spare parts.
I am not hard on my things, but the latches on the original cooler and the replacement latches both lasted only about a month of full time use. Maybe because of the desert heat? Whatever, I think that the life span should be measured in years, not in months or even weeks.
If you are looking at latches, then you are having the same problems I am. I know Igloo sells metal latches, though you may need to go to the Igloo site to find them. That's going to be my next attempt. I've got about as much invested now in latches as I did in the original cooler.
I am happy to see that Igloo has replacement parts for their coolers. I means that we don't have to replace a cooler when something breaks. The concern is that Igloo has replacement parts for it's coolers, which mean that parts do break. If they tend to break, it would be nice if the spare parts came with the cooler when purchased, or let's look into better parts. It fixed our broken latch and now we have extra pieces for the next break.
This replacement latch kit looks adequate. The latches now use one only screw instead of two to secure the latch to the upper lid of the cooler. It certainly is not superior to the original design. The kit installed easily.
Great repair kit. The parts were not exactly the same for the repair but an improved part. That's probably why the old ones broke - not as well designed. The parts are still labeled Igloo even though they are listed as generic replacements. I broke the retainer to the cap of the drain first few times I used it. Then the latch for the lid broke when someone caught a pant leg on it and tore the plastic. The latch sticks out when not latched down. Nobody wants to keep latching the top when you're using it at a BBQ.
The new latches do not stick out like the old ones, but they do hang up on the latch button when you drop the lid. They could have built in a ramp on the latch so it wouldn't catch but no. Maybe this will cease when the latches get used a few times. Don't know... time will tell.
The kit comes with new latches, drain plug, and hinges. But not the lid strap for my 100 Qt cooler. That is separate for $5.
Easy to do repairs with a screwdriver and sandpaper or a knife.
Got this kit to replace a hinge on my 120qt cooler. My old hinge was an older model and I was afraid that the new hinge wouldn't fit but I just followed the instructions and my chest was good as new again. The entire process to change the hinge took less than 5 mins ... all you need is a screwdriver and small bit of elbow grease.
Overall I'm glad the cooler is fixed now rather than having to drop a bill for a new cooler. - Cooling - Igloo - Hinges - Replacement Latch Set'
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