yes, another Kegerator Advice Thread....

New to BA here - but have been spending weeks reviewing posts here about equipment options and recommendations for a home kegerator....and you guessed it, for a Christmas gift for my husband (isn't he a lucky man....). Since everything is delivered freight, I'm only worried about confirming the order in the next couple of days so that it actually arrives just after Christmas (I'll find a tap handle to wrap to represent it coming - as it would be hard to surprise him if it shows up before Christmas).

We live in Michigan and will use it in the garage for half the year (which is off of the kitchen) and out on the deck the other half (where we spent oodles of time BBQ'ing and hanging out).

So, I've deciding on an outdoor model, dual tap for options, with casters and a 14.5" tower for ease of filling growlers if needed (to not have to go out to the garage, or make as many trips in rainy weather....).

I've done my diligence doing reviews and am committed to SS for anything that touches the beer, updated faucets, quality regulator, cooled tower, etc. And I've taken note of the various comments to buy the equipment from a retailer that knows about the equipment (e.g., not where you buy your lawn mower).

I've searched various sites and have been keeping an eye on Holiday deals and have landed on 2 options for consideration.

Bev Air 23 outdoor with upgrade to 14.5" SS tower (via Bev Factory)
https://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kegerators/bm23s-2.shtml
- pros - it's considered one of "the" best kegerators as far as reliability, serviceability, and performance
- con - cost. Figure about $3100-ish delivered. There aren't any "promo deals" and I have to piece mail accessories to get a complete solution, potential of being considered noisy (although we aren't putting in our main living area, and we are already used to noise from a built in ice machine and a salt water fish tank in nearby living spaces....)

KegCo outdoor commercial unit (via Bev Factory)
https://www.beveragefactory.com/dra...cet-digital-commercial-outdoor-kegerator.html
-pros - cost. It hits all of the specs for quite a bit less ($1800-ish delivered)
-cons - drip tray doesn't have a drain or collection bottle. Bev Factory is their authorized distributor - so I feel some what cautious of taking their word for it being their recommended option for the specs/need. I also see the brand represented in a lot of cross-market retailers (including those that sell lawnmowers). And, for the same size unit, it weighs quite a bit less - so what aren't they including in the build that put them that less in weight than the other units that fit the bill? (BevAir, True, Marvel, etc - all come in around 150 pounds for the unit, and the Kegdo is 115).

Both appear to have the same warranty (surprised me that the BevAir was only listed with a 1 year warranty on the entire unit on Bev Factory site).

So - what I'm looking for feedback on is if the $1200 more for the Bev Air is going to be worth it over the long use of this? Knowing we will move it 2x a year, use it outdoors and not have it in a main living area of our house (so although I don't want to add extra noise, it's not a deal breaker if we hear it similar to a reg fridge or ice machine).

And I'm open to other sources/recommendations if I've overlooked an option (Marvel made my original short list, but they don't have an OEM option for cooling the tower).

Thanks!

 

Haven't seen any replies - but wanted to close this out to share that I pulled the trigger on the Bev Air.

 

You're right in that for consumption at our house, pitchers will probably be the container of choice. For transport to neighbors, we have a few options that are more condusive to cleaning than growlers - but just as tall.

We have future plans for a covered outdoor kitchen and grilling area designed around various grills and prep/serving area on casters (for maintenance of the deck surface as needed) - and I suspect we'll design the components around the kegerator to have out there as well. Or perhaps it will be too much of a pain to move or foam issues - but we'll have the option with this model.

Thanks for the feedback.