Kegging Question

Hey guys. So my brother and I are looking into getting a kegerator this summer. We were going to initially going to build it but then I came upon this:

Haier Kegerator HBF05EABB-2 Keg Beer Tap | BeverageFactory.com

Brew Logic Dual Tap Draft System- with Reconditioned CO2 Tank :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

I am pretty sure that if we buy both of those things we will be all set. On the website that has the actual kegerator if you scroll down towards the bottom there are a whole bunch of add ons that you can put on the kegerator. I was reading through some of them and to be quite honest I have no clue what they are or what they do. (For example what does a keg coupler do? and why would I want one, two, or none?) I was wondering if you guys can help me clear up some of my confusion by either giving me some answers or a website that can clear up some of my answers. I really appreciate all of your help. Thanks a lot everyone.

keg coupler = Sanke plug or Corny Keg QD

you stick it on the liquid out post to get, well, liquid.

If you buy them both you are going to end up with a extra co2 regulator and 2 co2 tanks and the only thing you wouldn't get with the kegerator is Corny kegs and the corny couplers (which you can buy elsewhere for 1/3 the price.)

~645$
In short, you can get the kegorator and a co2 reg upgrade (25$) and serve 2 beers at the different carb levels. Buy 4 kegs elsewhere (100$) (Pedalbiker in the classified forum is great) and 2 corny gas and liquid couplers (20$) and be set.

OR

~325
Buy the midwest kit, get a free/25$ craigslist fridge/freezer(add 50$ if freezer for temp controller) and just throw it all in and use the dual regulator to serve at 2 carb levels (and buy line splitters if you want more kegs). Still get 4 kegs (100$) (you need kegs to fill while keeping 2 on tap.) This is assuming you will be satisfied with the plastic cobra taps the kit comes with. Later on you can add taps to the cheap fridge if desired, add 50$ per tap.

I pretty much agree with Nugu. The kegerator will come with a CO2 bottle and regulator. Not that there is anything wrong with having a spare. I have 3 or 4 CO2 bottles that I aquired over the years. Most of the posts you read on here will have people that build their own. I did, but when I moved, I gave away my kegerator. I bought one very similar (one tap) to the one you show from a scratch and dent with all the goods for $300 (SWMBO told me to buy it). The Haier gives me the option of putting BMC on tap for parties (SWMBO's family is huge) so I don't waste homebrew on those that don't appreciate it. Having said that, if ya'll are reasonably handy, research on here and build one yourself. There are several parts list or if you see one you really like, PM the builder for plans/parts list. This is a very helpful group. Once you get all of your stuff together, the build won't take too long. Not only can you save money, you will have Major bragging rights amoung your buddies. As far as initial keg set-up, the Midwest system has the stuff you need. But, I haven't priced the components so I don't know if it's a good price or not. Don't forget shipping. It kind of comes down to buy it (instant gratification) or build it (long term gratification).
I am a cheap, hard headed bastage so I typically do as much DIY as possible. On top of that, I have a finite amount that I can feel OK with spending. If I save some building one thing, I can spend it on some other goody! Let us know which direction you decide to go. Luck - Dwain

Just a heads up - I am not a "techy" guy, nor do I consider myself that "handy" but I built my own keggerator a month or so back and I did it all for WAY cheaper than that and all of my components were new (aside from the 2 corny kegs.). It is a Holiday 6.8 Chest Freezer from Lowe's, with a 5 lb CO2 tank, all the tubing/gauges, 2 cornys, a stainless steel 2 tap tower, digital temperature controller, and a contraption to cool the tower. AND It only took about 30 min- 1hr. I dunno, it's up to you but for how easy it was, the cost, the expandability I have (if I want to have more than 2 kegs down the road), and the satisfaction/sense of accomplishment of building it on my own made it a simple decision for me. You should look into it and compare apples to apples.

Good luck! Let me know if I can help in any way....

Cheers!

MistyMountainHops: How much total did you end up spending for everything. I am just curious.

Um - the freezer was $180 @ Lowe's. I paid $300 from my local homebrew store for the two tap tower, 2 cornys, a filled 5lb CO@ tank and all the tubing/gauges. For my temperature controller I went with a digital one (bc I am anal) so I could have it dialed in to the exact degree - it was around $100, but you can get an analog one for MUCH cheaper. And the last thing was my blower - it was about $30. The only other thing I needed besides a drill and some velcro to attach the temp controller was a 2x8, which I "borrowed" from some new construction around my house. So in total it was around $600. I know this sounds high, and it is, but I, for whatever reason, wanted all new components and when it came down to buying the "guts" to the keggerator I felt the need to buy from the local guy vs price shopping him online.

If you went on craig's list you could knock down a freezer/fridge for a fraction of the cost of a new one. The same goes for shopping for the components vs supporting your local guy. You could easily build one for half the price I did. I guess at the end of the day it was peice of mind for me to have all new parts and to support my local shop. I'd be bummed if they went out of business.

I hope this helps.

I bought
Brew Logic Dual Tap Draft System- with Reconditioned CO2 Tank :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies
and
Magic Chef 7.2 Cu. Ft. Chest Freezer - MCCF7WBX at The Home Depot

+ 2 mroe kegs from Craigslist for $25 each
+ Johnson Controls thermostat for $60

$510 out the door, PLUS I sold my old 2door fridge for $200 on craigslist.

Future upgrades planned...
2x Y gas splitters so i can serve 4 kegs with 2 different pressures
Colar (so i can add 2 more kegs AND taps)