I recently contacted Sturmanbg to ask this very question. Here is the reply I received...
Hello Steven,
Thank you for your interest in our Tap-A-Draft System.
Yes, there is a difference between the two systems. We did license Miller/Coors to use our technology for their DISPOSABLE home draft system. They made a few changes to our design to lower manufacturing costs, since their unit is designed for a single use and they manufacture it. In order to reuse their unit, you have to "break" it to replace the cartridge. And then, the cartridge does not sit properly and is potentially very dangerous. More recently, I believe they have redesigned their unit further to make it even more difficult for people to reuse. Reusing their units is not recommended.
We manufacture/assembly our Tap-A-Draft units in Woodland Park, Colorado and stand behind our products. Our Tap-A-Draft unit is designed for many uses, with many customers using their units for over five years.
Although both units have the same technological principles, our Tap-A-Draft units are better for multiple home uses.
I hope I've answered your question. If you have further questions, please feel free to e-mail me.
Thank you.
Regards,
Carol Crandall
Tap-A-Draft
Hope this helps everyone. I gueass I'm just going to spend the 60 bucks on the new one...