Didn't see any threads comparing pros/cons. Sorry if I missed it. I'll be doing one or the other soon, DIY. I'm not usually undecided, but on this one I am. Assume: Have room for either style. Need 4 cornies plus some bomber storage space inside. CO2 outside. Looks are not important as it will be in a back room that stays 50-70 year round. Efficiency and longevity are.
There is some great information and links here for these builds, be sure to search around and compare builds. IIRC, the big thing with keezers is that the temp range was never intended for what you want and frozen moisture collection can be an issue.
With space for 4 cornies you are looking at a commercial kegerator. That will be more expensive than a keezer by a good amount, unless you can score a good used one. Down side to keezer is top loading. Long life shouldn't be an issue with either. One thing that may sway me towards kegerator is that you can get a club top which is where a bar would normally store glasses. You could use that for bombers.
I have both. the kegerator is small and the keezer is giant. I think anyone of us could list a few pro and con of each style. one isn't better than the other; depends a lot on circumstances. the big drawback to a keezer is that it can be difficult for some people to lift a full corny up and over the collar. a full 1/2 barrel is nearly impossible for mortals. you need room for 4 cornies, but that will be 5 or 6 eventually. just saying. one thing to keep in mind is the cost to buy the unit before it is altered. if you own either a chest freezer or fridge that will hold what you want, I say just build with that. otherwise troll CL for a while until a nice deal comes up. my chest freezer lists for $600 and I was able to pick it up for less than a hundred. my kegerator is a U-Line wine fridge that lists for close to $1,000. get a good deal and run with it. old units are power hogs; saving a few dollars today is not really worth it long term. check all the rubber seals. lastly, have the seller run the appliance full power with a glass of water before you inspect. bring your thermometer. Cheers.
^^^ I agree with the need for a keezer. You might find a fridge big enough for 4 kegs but you'll regret having to swap the ones in the back every time one kicks. Assuming you have a healthy back and can throw a filled corny up to shoulder height to get it over the lip of the keezer I think it'll be the way to go. The worst part about a keezer is that you'll need to build a collar to drill into.
He isn't looking at fridges, he is looking at kegerators vs. keezers, at least by his description. Plenty of room for lots of kegs in a commercial unit and not a lot of jockeying around. A true TDD-2 will hold 8 cornies or two full barrels or 6 slim quarters or a variety of mix-n-match of those. Downside is cost, upside is front opening, and good performance out of the box.
I think stating that this is a DIY project implies that he will be building the unit himself. he will need to have a chest freezer or a refrigerator. also, the term "keezer" is not so widely used outside of our world. commercial units are usually described as "direct draw dispenser". google keezer and you'll see hundreds of plans and DIY photos but nothing from True or Bev-Air. Cheers.
I'm pretty clear on what a keezer is, thanks as always for excellent details. I misread his original post as kegerator or DIY keezer which is why my posts were headed towards commercial units vs keezers. Carry on.
I find myself deleting lots of my posts today or I realize that I said what you've said--only a few minutes later. Great minds think like me.
There are a lot of us on here with keezers and are very happy with them, FWIW. You don't hear as much about the guys who rock the kegerators with homebrew. It seems like it's trendy to use half barrels in a kegerator.
