I realize for better/for worse ball lock are more desirable kegs, but why?

[boswell]

I am finding a glut of pin lock kegs/equipment, and it's far cheaper than ball lock equipment. The dimensions are different of course, the gas relief is different, but is there any sensible decision to pick one over the other? I'd assume that taking a keg to a party would provide difficulty, but you just bring your own gas line, picnic tap. I already own a couple ball locks and qd's, but I've even found folks who are willing to trade ball locks for pin locks with additional cash.

Is this just a matter of preference?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Some folks have an easier time locating hardware for ball-locks.

 

[Golddiggie]

I think it's more a matter of having one style of QD's more than anything else. IF you have more than enough pin lock kegs, you're fine. If you're looking to add more kegs as time goes on, then you're probably going to want to have ball lock kegs. Plus, I've only seen new kegs in ball lock. Since I use 3 gallon (and a couple of 2.5 gallon) kegs, I'm using all ball locks. My portable kegorator (will hold two of my ball lock kegs with ease) is setup for ball locks. With the portable, I can take two different brews, or 6 gallons of one brew, anywhere I want.

There also seems to be a better supply of ball lock parts available.

 

[boswell]

I thought the same thing, but there's the internet, so hardware for both is readily available. I really prefer the gas release of ball locks, but, I'd like to buy a bunch of kegs at once, and ball locks used to be $20/each, now folks want $50/each/ Where as you can still get pin locks cheap.

 

[Golddiggie]

Do you really want to mix QD types up? You'll also need to get different sockets to take the posts off the pin lock kegs, compared with ball lock. With ball lock, standard tools can be used, not so with pin lock (needs a special socket, either purchased or made). You should be able to replace the relief valve in the lid of a pin lock keg with the same style as ball lock (not 100% sure there) so you can use it to release pressure in the keg.

Personally, I've had ball lock kegs from the start. So it makes more sense (at least to me) to just continue with that type.

 

[boswell]

Should've searched harder, this has been covered yes, and all of my assumptions have been proved right, people just go ball lock. I haven't seen a reason specifically, but pins are wider so, in a minifridge that may make sense. However, it makes no difference what so ever, save for the fact that pins are WAY cheaper (at least what I'm finding). I should be able to sell off my two ball locks and get four pins, I hope.

 

[boswell]

Goldiggie, I wouldn't mix, I'm just going to go pin lock. Easiest option, i'll buy all of them up, sell them for a premium in five years when ball locks are ridiculously expensive. Price wasn't much of an option for you because the smaller ball locks are CRAZY expensive, to me at least. I'd prefer them for portability's sake, but I don't take beer around often enough for that to be a factor.

 

[jmestayer]

Ball locks are taller and narrower than pin locks. Some people find this shape more convenient. One example of this is the common mini-fridge conversion which typically fits two ball locks, but might only fit a single pin lock.

 

[motobrewer]

Do you really want to mix QD types up? You'll also need to get different sockets to take the posts off the pin lock kegs, compared with ball lock. With ball lock, standard tools can be used, not so with pin lock (needs a special socket, either purchased or made). You should be able to replace the relief valve in the lid of a pin lock keg with the same style as ball lock (not 100% sure there) so you can use it to release pressure in the keg.

Personally, I've had ball lock kegs from the start. So it makes more sense (at least to me) to just continue with that type.

you need a QD for everything anyway. if you use MFL connections on your hoses it doesn't matter at all.

 

[kpr121]

-Shape
-Availability (LHBS only carries ball lock)
-Pressure relief valve in lid
-Easier to disassemble, dont need special tools
-My kegconnection kegging kit came with a ball lock keg. This is before I even homebrewed (I had no idea what to do with it). I wanted the keg setup for commercial sankeys.

 

[NWMOBrewer]

What I have bought. Plan to get some pin locks if money becomes an issue. I would have both and not complain.

 

[sudsmcgee]

For me it's about being able to fit two ball lock kegs in my kegerator when only one pin lock would fit.

 

[Homercidal]

Ball locks are narrower, which makes putting two of them in my kegerator easier (with the CO2 tank). They are also very close to the same height, since a balllock KEG is taller, but it's disconnects are shorter.

The main reason I went with ball lock besides the width is because my lhbs started only carrying ball lock. So I swapped my pinlock and standardized.

 

[boswell]

I should have searched harder, all these threads basically say the same thing. My lhbs doesn't carry kegs, so I'd just use the net anyways. I the extra inch width doesn't much matter to me because eventually I like the keezer idea. The price difference is pretty big, I found pins for just over $20, so if anyones looking, I'll be unloading my two ball locks soon in the classifieds, unless you're in philly and just want to come and pick them up.

 

[RensBerserker]

I the extra inch width doesn't much matter to me because eventually I like the keezer idea.

I went with a keezer design myself, and that is actually exactly why the extra inch of width on pin locks DOES bother me. In my keezer (GE 7.0), I can fit 5 ball locks with a collar, but only 4 pin locks.

Sent from my EVO using Home Brew Talk

 

[cricky101]

I went with a keezer design myself, and that is actually exactly why the extra inch of width on pin locks DOES bother me. In my keezer (GE 7.0), I can fit 5 ball locks with a collar, but only 4 pin locks.

Sent from my EVO using Home Brew Talk

Same for me, but it was 3 pinlocks vs 4 ball locks. I NEED that 4th keg!!

 

[two_hearted]

You'll also need to get different sockets to take the posts off the pin lock kegs, compared with ball lock. With ball lock, standard tools can be used, not so with pin lock (needs a special socket, either purchased or made).

Not true. My vise grips work just fine. You just have to go at an angle.

 

[day_trippr]

Not true. My vise grips work just fine. You just have to go at an angle.

Vice grips? That's nasty

Cheers!

 

[Golddiggie]

Not true. My vise grips work just fine. You just have to go at an angle.

So when you get one that was put on with an impact wrench you'll end up busting a nut getting it off with your vice grips. Nice... When you want to actually do it without risking buggering up the post, you'll use the correct tool for the job. That's easy with ball lock kegs, since it's a standard tool that has other applications. Not so with pin lock kegs (it's a unitasker). I use the same wrenches for the dip tubes in my MLT and HLT... I also used a pipe to extend the handle on my ratchet to remove the posts from my very first keg. That was the extra leverage I needed to get the posts off. With vice grips, you risk releasing them if you were to try and slip a pipe over the handle (probably not a good idea).

As also mentioned, the extra width of pin lock kegs does make it more of a challenge to fit them into keezers/kegorators/brew fridges. You can always add a collar to a keezer for more clearance, you can't make it wider.

Personally, I'd rather have just one set of QD's to use, not two.

I think it does come down to a personal choice that you need to make when you start getting kegs. I know you can convert pin lock to ball lock, but not sure if you can go the other direction (haven't seen any pin lock replacement posts, or don't recall seeing them). Just figure any conversions you'll need/want to make into the cost of the keg. It could negate any initial keg savings you might have.

 

[boswell]

Pin lock replacement posts on NB, $12.99. The tool sucks, I realize that, but that technically should be a one time purchase. Now with the way I lose sockets.......

 

[BigRob]

I bought a deep socket at a local auto-surplus place for $2 bucks and ground the proper slots into it with $0.50 worth of Dremel Fiberglass cut off wheels. Took about 20 minutes.

I destroyed a post due to someone wrenching it on with an insane amount of torque and trying to use a set of vise grips to take it off... Cost of the special socket is less than a new post, learned that one pretty quickly.

The QDs cost the same, with MFL connections it's a no-brainer to just snag deals on whatever type of keg you happen to find the cheapest.

 

[shelly_belly]

I have both and prefer the pin locks as I don't have to put my glasses on to tell which post is in and which post is out. Also the pin locks seem to be thicker walled but I haven't verified this.

 

[sweet_corn]

I think it depends on how much you read. I always read ball lock was better, but when I bought pin lock were cheaper. I use a regular fridge so space is not the issue (actually pin lock fit better because they are shorter). I figured if I bought all the same (bought 2 packs of 4) I would be OK. LHBS said "pinlock? really. But I was able to find the fittings.

At the time $32 for a ball lock vs $65 for 4 pin locks it was a no brainer....

 

[TomSD]

Ball locks weren't so expensive when I bought them but the main reason I liked them is I can fit four on the floor and another on the hump in my keezer... can't do that with pin locks since they are fatter.

 

[boswell]

They're just big boned, not fat.

 

[two_hearted]

So when you get one that was put on with an impact wrench you'll end up busting a nut getting it off with your vice grips. Nice... When you want to actually do it without risking buggering up the post, you'll use the correct tool for the job. That's easy with ball lock kegs, since it's a standard tool that has other applications. Not so with pin lock kegs (it's a unitasker). I use the same wrenches for the dip tubes in my MLT and HLT... I also used a pipe to extend the handle on my ratchet to remove the posts from my very first keg. That was the extra leverage I needed to get the posts off. With vice grips, you risk releasing them if you were to try and slip a pipe over the handle (probably not a good idea).

As also mentioned, the extra width of pin lock kegs does make it more of a challenge to fit them into keezers/kegorators/brew fridges. You can always add a collar to a keezer for more clearance, you can't make it wider.

Personally, I'd rather have just one set of QD's to use, not two.

I think it does come down to a personal choice that you need to make when you start getting kegs. I know you can convert pin lock to ball lock, but not sure if you can go the other direction (haven't seen any pin lock replacement posts, or don't recall seeing them). Just figure any conversions you'll need/want to make into the cost of the keg. It could negate any initial keg savings you might have.

They work fine for me. My posts are no worse for wear.

 

[dfess1]

I have a mix. In my kenmore kegerator, I have a hump in the back that comes down where the motor sits. With my ball lock, it's too tall to fit under the hump. The pin lock slides right under there, allowing me to put 3 kegs on at once, including the CO2 bottle and the Nitrous bottle. All of the lines are set up with the MFL quick disconnects, so it's not really an issue. That said, i had already swapped out the posts for ball lock posts. Were pretty cheap from Cornykeg.com

 

[DustBow]

Yep, you can always convert the pin lock legs to ball lock fittings/posts down the road if you want - I believe CornyKeg started that but now I see several of the online guys offer the conversion posts. So if you can get the pin lock kegs that much cheaper now, you might as well do it