Walmart selling a cheap-o kegerator

[I-dont]

Walmart's price on this
"Keg O Rator Beer Dispenser for 1/2, 1/4, and Mini-Barrel Kegs" is now $388.76. Considering I have extra parts from the last kegerator I built (from a full fridge), I think it's going to be worth it to get this and put in a little extra effort to get it to work well. I've been seeing people on craigslist selling used cruddy ones for $400+, so even if it needs a few improvements, it's probably worth it. What does everyone else think? The only problem I forsee is a warm tower.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5679263

[BathroomBrew]

I actually work in a Sam's club, the Kegerator we carry is a pretty solid build, has the different stands in there for various barrel sizes, Digital temp display with controls right there.
Sam's Club kegerator (http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=535&item=357130&prDeTab=2#A)

If i had 400 to blow, i'd get it. But i've been eyeing a freezer chest that $135 that would fit 4 korny kegs and hosing quite well.

(seriously not trying to promote Walmart/Sam's club, just know of this item first hand)

[psychodad]

When I went to Sam's, they had Danbys instead of Haiers (and I bought one). From what I gather there is not a lot of difference and both have their problems but can be fixed. The Wal-Mart one I suspect is going to flop. When folks get these home and have foam problems that arise from warm towers, they'll be returning them instead of fixing them.

[dparsons]

I haven't ever seen or bought any appliance, mechanical, or elecrical item from Wallmart that wasn't compromized in quality somewhere to meet a low price point. Look at the first review on the link. The guy talks about the necessary upgrades to make the thing work - new CO2 regulator gauge, a long enough beer line to prevent foaming, mods to cool the tower. If it isn't what you want then look further.

[I-dont]

Yeah, I understand it's not perfect, but it's probably at least set up well for a small project. I have an extra regulator that I used for my old kegerator, I wouldn't really call adding beer line an "improvement" since I like to change it somewhat frequently anyway, and I'd say even many of those you pay 500-600 bucks for have the same tower cooling issues. Thanks for all the input though. I wish they had one at a store near me so I could go take a look, but it looks like I'd have to order it online. . .

[I-dont]

Looks like I'm going to go with the Walmart Keg-O-Rator. I'll try to keep you posted as the quality of the unit, and any improvements I make. It's either that or something like this:

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/for/413951819.html
(But I'd have to clean that one up, possibly paint it. And no warranty)

Something better is out of my budget right now, and I can't keep buying 6-packs!

[I-dont]

So I went ahead and got one of these Walmart units. Yes, the CO2 gauge is real crappy. And I want a bigger tank installed than the 2.5lb comes with it, so I didn't even have to move the guage I had on my 5lb tank. It even fits in the fridge allright, in the same spot the 2.5 goes, with very minor effort. I haven't tried to fit a 1/2 bbl in there yet, I think I'm going to start with a 1/6, but it doesn't look too tight. I think the tower might need better insulation, the foam in there is pretty thin, and the tap feels pretty cheap, but I ordered a perlick anyway. So if I find that tower cooling is an issue, I'll hook up a fan to circulate air, and put a better insulation on the inside, I've seen pipe insulation fitting pretty well on other sites, and it looks like it should work well.

Pros:

Cheap
Easy setup
Everything included (even extra gaskets/small parts, some tools.
Oh, and they even have dimensions of standard kegs posted on the inside door of the unit, as well as in the manual.
(It's quite user-friendly.)


Cons:

Lousy CO2 regulator, and not a real standard connection (at least it didn't match mine) so I had to do a little converting (about a buck worth of supplies at the hardware store).
No easy way to adjust the temp, it's got a dial on the back of the unit with "OFF, LOW, MED, HI" (but a thermometer can do wonders for adjustment, and if this gets too frustrating, an external thermostat could easily be used, and then you could just leave it on "HI")
Possibly poor tower insulation.
Update: My new Ventmatic faucet wouldn't fit on the cheap shank. (Good thing I'm planning on getting a new one for duals)



I'm still planning upgrades, like dual taps, because even the user manual says I can easily fit 2 1/6 barrels or cornies in there. I'll keep the community updated.

[mookow]

I realize that you already made your purchase, so this post is mainly for anyone else considering buying this kegerator from Walmart.

My brewing partner bought a new chest freezer for $150. It will hold 10 corny kegs at maximum capacity, but usually we only have 8 in there at one time, and use the rest of the space for bottles.

CO2 tank (10#) was ~$70 if I recall correctly, and the regulator was $50. Add in a temperature controller ($50), and four cobra head taps (~$50) and you're good to go. The total for all that is about $370. As long as you have the space, I'd much prefer a ten corny keg kegerator over a dually.

And yes, the eventual plan is to upgrade and put a collar around the lid, and have all ten taps coming out through that. However, the cost of ten good taps + shanks totals out to just about $400, which is more than the cost of the entire kegerator at this point.