Old model bev-air bm23 on craigslist: advice needed

An old model bev air bm-23 popped up on craigslist last night (see the link and pics below). According to the seller the unit is at least 20 years old and the data plate says it uses r12 refrigerant. It has been maintained by a Budweiser wholesaler and was recently serviced again with new hoses.

Co2 tank, Dual gauge regulator and coupler are included. List price is $400.
I'm a kegging newb and need some help...

The seller has agreed to place a 5 gallon bucket of water in the unit and run it for a few days so that I can use my digital thermometer to see if it will hit 38f. At this time he cannot figure out the serial number, which I wanted to look up to determine age,etc.

Any tips or things I should look for or research prior to looking at this unit? Given the age is $400 reasonable or should I offer less (how much?). Eventually looking to convert the tower to a two tap system and use one or both for homebrewing, so there will be some additional costs down the road.

Here is the link to the add and additional pics the seller sent:

https://rochester.craigslist.org/app/5347137155.html

 

Thanks bill it is definitely fake wood grain (see the craigslist post). I'm ok with that as it fits the look of my retro 70s bar haha. Maybe I can paint it too? So you think given the good reputation of the bm-23 and ability to service that $400 may not be too far off? Assuming the unit will hit 38f when I go look I was debating offering $300 due to the age, old refrigerant, potentially old regular and unknowns in general. You are correct that I'm not buying a comparable unit new for anywhere close to $400....but since the seller doesn't seem overly knowledgable I can maybe use the fact that I can buy a new (albeit inferior) unit from Home Depot for around $400 with a warrantee etc

 

To answer about the regulator brand: zooming in closely it looks like an old dual gauge taprite regulator. I know that is a solid brand but is there any way I can determine if it actually works once I go look at the unit? Pardon my ignorance doing a bunch of research and it appears a new one will run me at least $50

 

Thanks guys for all of the help. I agree the regulator and tank look old and I'll be very surprised if the tank has been tested within 5 years. Any good retailers online that you recommend for a solid regulator? Down the road I'm looking to convert to a two tap tower so I may end up taking this into account now rather than later.

Bill it sounds like you have a good kegerator in Ithaca already haha .

ll let you know how it works out once I get a hands on look.

 

Fwiw a moderator on another forum said he wouldn't pay more than $150 for a unit like this since the regulator and co2 tank will likely need to be replaced. Assuming the unit cools as it should I think it would probably be a stretch to get it for less than half of asking though.

 

I'm interested in seeing the pics for sure. Just out of curiosity what do you typically re-sell your bm-23s for?

 

I agree and would gladly pay $750 for a custom keezer. You ever sell to people from rochester?

I sell the posts constantly with the Home Depot specials on here. Usually worth a laugh

 

Hey guys thanks again for the advice. Getting ready to look at this unit soon and it appears that it is missing a blow hose for the air cooled tower. Any idea how much a replacement costs or if it is easy to install? I assume this part is necessary to keep the tower cold and prevent first beer foam. Thanks again

 

Thanks again bill. My DIY is pretty non-existent but it's worth a shot. Looks pretty simple

 

update: I finally got a chance to take a look at this unit this morning. The seller, who seems slightly clueless about the unit, says he has had the unit for a few years and hasn't used it since 2013. Apparently it was owned by Genesee and he claims the co2 tank and beverage lines were "new" when he used it in 2013. He didn't realize he had the thermostat set on 1 instead of 7 (coldest). As a result the bucket of water was only 45f. I turned the knob as far as it would go and the compressor kicked on. I hope to test the temp again tomorrow. Obviously a deal breaker if it doesn't cool lower.

As for the rest of the unit, is in pretty solid shape structurally. The tower fan ran the entire time and wasn't super loud. It needs a good cleaning, is missing a thermometer, drip tray tube/collection vessel, and there isn't a functioning light, which I'm not positive these older models had to begin with.

The door seal looked ok but slightly damaged at one of the corners. It may need to be replaced. The regulator is pretty knicked up and will almost certainly need to be replaced, as will the beverage line and likely the co2 tank.

The seller has not ever done a refrigerant re-charge and doesn't know if one has been done.

I also noticed that it did have a blow hose for the air cooled tower, but it looked pretty nasty/possibly moldy.

If I go tomorrow and it is <<38f (I assume that 5 gallons of water should be somewhat frozen at the coldest setting), I plan to make an offer. In light of what I stated above, do you think a starting offer of $200 is offensive for a unit listed at $400? I will not spend more than $300 and I will likely need to pump a few hundred more dollars into it in the near future.

 

He's absolutely firm on the $400 price all of the sudden even without me testing the temp tomorrow.
Not going to happen unfortunately. Oh well