Going price for Ball Lock Kegs?

I ordered some kegs form keg connection and they were ok, one had a broken post and they sent me what appeared to be a brand new replacement which was great. The kegs were pretty clean, but one has some semi large (IMO) dents and seemed to leak when I cleaned it when it was not under pressure (seemed to seal up under pressure though). They come with a free O-ring kit too.

$55 seems to be about the going price?

I found another place selling 4 used kegs for $130, but the lids do not have manual pressure relief valves. But once new lids are added they are cheaper than keg connection by a little still, plus I would get to keep the lids with no manual pressure relief valves (maybe use them for secondary fermenters?). The kegs do not come cleaned though, only pressure tested)

I like that Keg Connection has pre-cleaned their kegs too. But how much work is it to clean up caked on soda residue? I have no idea, please advise.

When I buy my kegs at my LHBS they sell for 55$ , they always come uncleaned with all the used parts, my LHBS sells a replacement gasket kit for 4$ so when I buy the keg I allways change the gaskets all around... I fill my keg with water to the top and add 4 to 5 scoops of oxi-clean and let it soak for at least 24 hours then I empty rince and scrub with a little scrubbing pad, after that I unmount the posts with a wrench then I clean the fittings in hot water dry the whole thing out then change ALL the gaskets, lub them up with food grade lubricant and close her up for storage... I only sanitise before kegging, where I will before hand clean with oxiclean seconds before...

It is normal that she leaks if not under pressure the snap lid is not tight enough without the added pressure no worries...

Best thing for only 4$ is change your gaskets even if they look new and still good believe me 4$ for a gasket change is less expencive than 25 to 50 dollars for a new Co2 tank refill because it leaked

Cheers and GL

Justintoxicated said:

I found another place selling 4 used kegs for $130, but the lids do not have manual pressure relief valves. But once new lids are added they are cheaper than keg connection by a little still, plus I would get to keep the lids with no manual pressure relief valves (maybe use them for secondary fermenters?). The kegs do not come cleaned though, only pressure tested)

Click to expand...

That same place sells ball locks with normal lids for $40 a piece and they are usually in pretty good shape. I bought 4 of them recently and was very pleased.

I buy mine from them all the time(they are my LHBS), and after a normal clean up, they work great. I think they are the best deal out there.

I try not to pay more than $35 on Craigslist - less if I can. LHBS sells them in the mid $40s.

I always strip and replace all seals. It's a cheap investment in my beer.

I picked up a few ball lock kegs from the local soda vendor $35 each, they were "dirty" half filled with Kola and lemon up. Five minutes of cleaning and they were good to go. Don't worry about "dirty", if they are used then that is their way of selling you something that has not been sterilized, covering their butts. Even with a new keg I would clean and soak with c-brite or star-san for 24 hours.

One of mine has pressure relief, the other does not. Even at the soda shop all they did was use their thumb nail to push the top of the gas and the pressure was relieved, no big deal.

LHBS I work at charges $55 but that's a fully reconditioned (new seals and any parts that need replaced), cleaned, sanitized, and pressurized keg. $17 to swap for another reconditioned keg if you're too lazy to clean and sanitize when you're done with it...

My LHBS is $55.
There's a place in Toledo that I stopped at on my way back to Indiana that had them for $35! I regret not getting them, but at the time, I was just starting to get all my kegging stuff together and didn't want to to "overkill" like I usually do.

My LHBS has a shelf full and they're going for $40 right now.

I would say $35-40 is going rate but I have seen them go much, much higher. As long as they are pressure tested, you can clean them and replace seals. No reason to pay a premium to have somebody else rinse it out and let it soak in oxyclean.

Corny keg prices are definitely on the rise. I think that trend has a clock on it. As more craft brewers are offering 1/6 bbl kegs they will start to go out of service and it will start to get just as easy, or easier, to get 1/6 bbl kegs and use sanke connectors and spend the same price. So demand for cornys will start to fall as 1/6 bbl kegs start to be decommissioned and/or start being unreturned (not that I am suggesting people not return their kegs).

E-Mursed said:

That same place sells ball locks with normal lids for $40 a piece and they are usually in pretty good shape. I bought 4 of them recently and was very pleased.

I buy mine from them all the time(they are my LHBS), and after a normal clean up, they work great. I think they are the best deal out there.

Click to expand...

Your right, but their re-conditioned kegs are $67, vs keg connections $54, so I wonder they the re-conditioned kegs are so much more? Sounds like there is more to re-conditioning than swapping out the o-rings?

http://www.homebrewing.org/Reconditioned-5-Gallon-Cornelious-Keg-Ball-Lock-_p_963.html

vs

http://www.homebrewing.org/5-Gallon-Cornelius-Keg-Ball-Lock_p_70.html

vs

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=1

They sell for about $100 locally, although I have seen them for $50 on CL (not reconditioned)

Reconditioned is overpriced.
Get their standard ball locks for $40 and do the work to get them in shape.