High Pressure Gauge on Regulator necessary

[GREMMELS]

How important is the High Pressure Gauge on a Regulator? I was thinking about buying this dual pressure regulator with a high pressure gauge but if the high pressure gauge isn't really even needed or I can do without it then I might just go with a secondary regulator with multiple bodies. What are everyones thoughts on this?

http://www.beveragefactory.com/draf...-10d-uP7PK6ByAGVQa4Ozj9D-2VkpWdCNGPzOkW3w_wcB

or

http://www.beveragefactory.com/draf...4STC-01_four_product_secondary_regulator.html

This other secondary gauge also seems to be more expensive and of higher quality.
http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/gas-equipment-pid-1162.html

is it worth the extra money to go with the premium regulator?

 

[Zepth]

My guess, repeat that guess, is that the high pressure gauge is quite useful but not entirely required. It lets you know how much you've got left in your tank (without the qualitative method of picking it up), will show you in a relatively short while if you've got a leak somewhere in the works, etc. I know I'd like to know that I'm leaking out or running low before I end up at empty.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Since co2 is a liquid in in the tank the pressure gauge won't move much at all until all the liquid is gone and the remaining gas starts to go.

It has a great entertainment value but I don't think I'd go out of my way to get one. You could also get one at a welding supply shop.

 

[day_trippr]

What was the question again? Is it to connect a secondary reg bank to the bypass port of a primary regulator instead of having a high pressure gauge there?

fwiw, I'd put Micro Matic a notch below Taprite...

Cheers!

 

[Hammy71]

If you are keeping your tank inside your cooler, than the high pressure gauge is useless. It will only read accurately at room temperature. As to the quality issue, I would purchase the nicest reg you can afford. I've went the cheap route before and to be honest....there's a high probability you'll spend more cash down the road to replace the cheap regulator. The cheap ones I've owned seem to leak CO2 out of the gauges after a year or so. Very frustrating to find a leak that way!! Also in my opinion Micro-Matic sells top notch equipment.

 

[LordUlrich]

The high pressure gauge is pretty useless, it tells you the temperature, low side gages are important though. I really like the premium micromatic regulators, but haven't used any other brand name regulator. The cheap ones are a pain, save yourself the headache

 

[GREMMELS]

Ok Cool. It sounds like getting the more expensive micromatic is the way to go without a high pressure gauge. Now here is my second question. What combination of regulator bodies would be the best. If I assume that there are three main serving pressures that will be used, one for stout, one for ales, and one for hefeweisens then do I just need to get the 3 body regulator, plus a single regulator for force carbing. Or do I get the 4 body regulator (which would eliminate ease of portability). Or I get a two body regulator now and then another two body regulator later. Or Just a 3 body regulator. Or a single body regulator now and a 3 body later.

Let me list these different options a little more clearly for best regulator body setup (and by "best" I mean most economic and offers the flexbility to serve various styles, while also allowing for portability):
3+1
2+1
3(only)
1(now)+3(later)
4(now)
2(now)+1(later)
1(now)+2(later)
1(now)+3(later)

I've added the options for (now) and (later) because its not absolutely crucial me to have the ability to serve three various styles simultaneously at this current moment in time. I just knowI want to have that ability down the road without having to revamp my entire regulator setup. You can call this the stepping stone approach if you will.
Ok. sorry for the long post. Hope I was clear in my writing.

 

[GREMMELS]

Just saw I put
1(now)+3(later) twice.
Sub one of those for
2(now)+2(later)

So that would mean a two body regulator now and a two body regulator later
or
One body regulator now and three body regulator later

 

[AnOldUR]

With my 20lb tank I can serve beer for a week or more after the liquid CO2 is gone and the high pressure gauge starts to drop. Maybe no one else finds that to be useful information, but I do.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

The old adage: "Buy once, cry once".

Buy what you think you'll need, and be done with it.