Unless you really enjoy taking everything out of your freezer a couple of times a year and defrosting it go with the no frost. Freezer burn is not a problem if things are wrapped well and even if they are not the difference in freezer burn between the two types is minimal. Manual defrost in an upright is hard to find. Go with the convenience.

As for reliability of any particular brand it seems like you are rolling dice what ever brand you buy.

buy Kenmore at least you will be serviced if a problem occurs

I'm also looking for a manual defrost freezer. I'm having trouble deciding between chest and upright. I know that both GE and Frigidare models exist in several sizes of uprights as well as chest units.

"Freezer burn is not a problem if things are wrapped well and even if they are not the difference in freezer burn between the two types is minimal."

I not convinced this is necessarily accurate and would point out the following: The more fluctuation in temperature, (particularly above 23 degrees [I think but am not positive]), the greater the likeliness of loss in food quality - particularly over time. I'm quite sure you can have significant loss of quality without necessarily being able see significant freezer burn (particularly noticeable in dairy and dessert items I have found).

But I don't know how to quantify how much of a difference there will be - I do know that over the short term (a few months) it shouldn't be that noticeable, but over longer term (like a year) it will be much more noticeable. I'm sure some people may notice it more than others.

Also an important factor not mentioned is how cold the freezer gets. A "deep freeze" freezer (usually below zero degrees F) will keep things (particularly meats) better longer. I haven't yet found out if any uprights will keep foods at "deep freeze" temperatures. Maybe if they do frost free vs. manual becomes less of an issue.

Any experts out there who can fill in more blanks would be most appreciated.

Lastly, I may be seduced by the following frost free upright unit because the smaller top part of it can be either a freezer or a fridge. I'm going to post separately about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gladiator Garageworks Freezerator w/Convertible Upper Refrigerator/Freezer

Just found this in the Harvest forum

Here is a link that might be useful: Frost-Free vs Manual link

Yet another good link

Here is a link that might be useful: Consumersearch.com freezer-reviews

Went ahead and did it: Sears was having a sale, so I bought the Kenmore 28042, normally $600 for $430, and got a rebate for $75 off the delivery.

I figure at that price, if it doesn't pan out, I haven't really lost much. Very basic, no temp display or door open alarm, but does have a 'soft freeze' zone for ice cream [why do I think that means less insulation in that area?].

It is a manual defrost. I currently have a frost free side by side, and a chest manual. The chest really does seem better as far as freezer burn. I suppose part of that is the chest configuration, but I'm pretty certain part is also the manual. Since the side by has ice and water through the door, it isn't opened all that often, which is when the uprights are supposed to be at a disadvantage.

This unit will replace the old chest freezer, which I just can't live with any more. Too much stuff migrates to the bottom and is only seen once or twice a year when I defrost. Though it makes a nice folding table for the laundry room, I've decided life is too short to spend much of it doubled over pawing through hunks of frozen meat in search of toaster waffles. No more!

I appreciated the link from kev mentioning the energy savings of a manual: new one takes only 526KwH/yr, vs. 761 for the same box with frost free.

I do plan to buy some plastic bins to keep things organized, and with luck they'll also help hold in the cold when the door is opened. Should simplify defrosting, too, as will the drain on this unit.

There needs to be an asterisk next to the energy usage. The manual defrost uses less electricity provided it is kept defrosted. If ice is allowed to build up on the walls and contents of the freezer it will actually use more energy than the frost free. Frost can accumulate rather rapidly if you live in a humid climate and the door is opened often.