Kegconnection

[wolfstar]

I picked up a 2 keg kit...Kegs were in very good shape, and at the time they had a promotion with a free set of extra seals with the kegs. Got the order in 4 business days (Rural AZ). I plan on getting a couple more kegs from KC soon...

 

[futzwash]

usually "good" customer service means that they at least pick up the phone or call you back.

I am building a 5 tap keezer and wanted to get a custom setup from kc... Its like pulling teeth trying to get these guys to answer the phone. When I finally do get ben to answer, he says he is at lunch and will call me "first thing when he gets back in the office." THAT WAS 2 DAYS AGO!... what a joke.

Anyways, I ended up purchasing my order for $100 cheaper from beveragefactory.com yesterday, and will be getting my shipment on friday! Although they werent that friendly on the phone at first, their prices are cheaper and at least I can get ahold of them during "normal business hours."

 

[Marlowefire]

shipping always takes about 4-5 days for me (including the weekend) I tend to order during the week. On my last order they forgot to pack the actual keg. So I called and then Todd called me back around 6pm last night, and he assured me that they will get a keg out to my today. Not too upset, mistakes happen. We had a good laugh about how 3 people (# required to check off a packing list) could miss something as big as a Keg.

So ended up that because they forgot my keg and I placed the order over the phone. They had no order to reference, so whoever is in shipping referenced my first order online ad shipped me 2 kegs instead of one. So I got a free keg. Thanks keg connection!!! So that's $50 dollars I didn't have to spend.

 

[Domminigan]

I've never heard that it was specifically against federal law to ship any pressurized or liquefied gas. While working at UPS, I handled hundreds of cylinders containing everything from Hydrogen to Xenon and even Halon. The restrictions on such things were and are that they cannot be shipped any air service, and prohibitively high cost of shipping a full tank. Most shippers only take filled cylinders (Or any hazardous material) from companies under specific contracts to do so, and then charge based on a hazmat-specific fee schedule and an additional hazmat handling fee. Basically, it can cost an additional $30-50 to ship what; $10, $20 worth of something as common as CO2? It might be worth it if the stuff wasn't available locally everywhere.

 

[r2eng]

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title49/49cfr173_main_02.tpl

As Domminigan said, it's not against the law if permits are paid for and boxes are properly marked. The permit fees are pretty steep, so i seriously doubt any HB shop would ship compressed gas.

 

[ASublimeDay]

Ordered their two-tap kegerator conversion kit and received everything in a timely manner.

The first night, the co2 tank tipped over and the attached regulator (their in-house model) lightly bumped into the leg of a table. No understatement, it hit the table about as lightly as a dog brushing by a table would hit it. I caught it, relieved that damage couldnt have been done.

It was pretty much destroyed. Two of the three gauges were bent-up. I did the soap test and they didn't leak, plus they could still display pressure, but not beyond a certain limit (One was bent to the point it would only show up to 12 PSI, the other was the CO2 capacity gauge, it wouldn't go down past 500 PSI).

So I went ahead and hooked everything up.

Second night? CO2 tank is drained. After I got it re-filled (so now I'm down 40 bucks total) and soap-tested the whole setup, one keg was pissing air from the release valve (its a pin lock, no manual release). It blows my mind this made it past their quality control.

SO I decide to only hook it up to just the good keg. This works for 3 days. Then, AGAIN, the pressure starts dropping at an alarming rate. I read up and am told to submerge the tank and regulators in a tub of water, and see where bubbles come out.

Bubbles pour from the regulator, and the tank is once again drained.

Please don't give me the "well, don't knock your tank over!". My close friend has a regulator made by another company that he has accidentally slammed to the ground repeatedly (AND done the water test to without issues) over the YEARS and it continues to run fine and the only ascetic damage is a few scratches on the regulator. The gauges and pressure-holding ability are unaffected.

Upon contacting KC.com, I was sent another lid for the keg and told that regulators are, by nature, fragile (which is essentially the opposite of standing behind your product)

Extremely dissatisfied. I'm buying a regulator from another company and once again filling up my tank (so...60 in the hole, plus the 55 for another dual-gauge regulator, two keg pressure, one co2 gauge).

I thought I was getting a bargain (lets face it, they blow everybody's prices out of the water).

Now I wish I just paid for quality.

 

[passedpawn]

Now I wish I just paid for quality.

Well there you go. So it was a learning experience.

 

[ASublimeDay]

Ordered their two-tap kegerator conversion kit and received everything in a timely manner.

The first night, the co2 tank tipped over and the attached regulator (their in-house model) lightly bumped into the leg of a table. No understatement, it hit the table about as lightly as a dog brushing by a table would hit it. I caught it, relieved that damage couldnt have been done.

It was pretty much destroyed. Two of the three gauges were bent-up. I did the soap test and they didn't leak, plus they could still display pressure, but not beyond a certain limit (One was bent to the point it would only show up to 12 PSI, the other was the CO2 capacity gauge, it wouldn't go down past 500 PSI).

So I went ahead and hooked everything up.

Second night? CO2 tank is drained. After I got it re-filled (so now I'm down 40 bucks total) and soap-tested the whole setup, one keg was pissing air from the release valve (its a pin lock, no manual release). It blows my mind this made it past their quality control.

SO I decide to only hook it up to just the good keg. This works for 3 days. Then, AGAIN, the pressure starts dropping at an alarming rate. I read up and am told to submerge the tank and regulators in a tub of water, and see where bubbles come out.

Bubbles pour from the regulator, and the tank is once again drained.

Please don't give me the "well, don't knock your tank over!". My close friend has a regulator made by another company that he has accidentally slammed to the ground repeatedly (AND done the water test to without issues) over the YEARS and it continues to run fine and the only ascetic damage is a few scratches on the regulator. The gauges and pressure-holding ability are unaffected.

Upon contacting KC.com, I was sent another lid for the keg and told that regulators are, by nature, fragile (which is essentially the opposite of standing behind your product)

Extremely dissatisfied. I'm buying a regulator from another company and once again filling up my tank (so...60 in the hole, plus the 55 for another dual-gauge regulator, two keg pressure, one co2 gauge).

I thought I was getting a bargain (lets face it, they blow everybody's prices out of the water).

Now I wish I just paid for quality.

 

[brettclutch]

You admit you dropped the tank... Not sure why I'm responding to this just your post frustrates me in that you clearly caused the damage yet you place the blame in another instead... Good luck with getting your system going though. I took notes and will try not to drop my own tank.

 

[passedpawn]

Maybe pics would help your cause.

 

[pickles]

A friend of mine recently bought a regulator from an online vendor, however not Keg Connection, that arrived with the face of the dial some how bent yet no physical damage to the clear plastic housing. It was their own brand of regulator.... He is easy going and said he'll with it I'll use it it still tells the pressure despite the deformed gauge face. Well two kegs later the regulator reads 2-3 psi whether gas is flowing or not. I suspect this is a manufacturing issue, that's not to say the vendor isnt responsible. In contrast, the regulator that came with my very old and USED Beverage-Air draft cooler is built like a tank and has been abused by me and presumably by the frat I bought it from and bar(s) that owned it previously.

 

[ASublimeDay]

You admit you dropped the tank... Not sure why I'm responding to this just your post frustrates me in that you clearly caused the damage yet you place the blame in another instead... Good luck with getting your system going though. I took notes and will try not to drop my own tank.

I bumped the tank. Its just poorly made. I compare it to a buddy's regulator and my lhbs regulators and it definitely doesn't stack up in quality or durability. I drop my iPhone. It still works perfectly.

It sounds like you're making excuses for a bad product. Consumers shouldn't expect shoddy construction and excessively fragile products. The onus is on the company.

 

[ASublimeDay]

You admit you dropped the tank... Not sure why I'm responding to this just your post frustrates me in that you clearly caused the damage yet you place the blame in another instead... Good luck with getting your system going though. I took notes and will try not to drop my own tank.

"Please don't give me the "well, don't knock your tank over!". My close friend has a regulator made by another company that he has accidentally slammed to the ground repeatedly (AND done the water test to without issues) over the YEARS and it continues to run fine and the only ascetic damage is a few scratches on the regulator. The gauges and pressure-holding ability are unaffected."

You should take a note to gain some level of literacy. Also, Where do you see the word "dropped"?

 

[Airborneguy]

I understand your point about the product not being top quality, but I still think its a stretch to blame them for this one.

 

[Keith_Mahoney]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I wonder if they are using different gauges now. I have a set up I purchased over a year ago from them. I keep my C02 tank in the chest freezer and have knocked it over many times loading and unloading kegs and it still works fine.

 

[Marlowefire]

Hey I dropped my car and it broke. Must be volkswagens fault. I dropped my iphone and it broke must be apples fault. Sorry if your regulator doesn't withstand a 2 megaton blast but try not to drop things. I've gotten a lot of stuff through kegconnection and they have always had quality products.

 

[pickles]

Hey I dropped my car and it broke. Must be volkswagens fault. I dropped my iphone and it broke must be apples fault. Sorry if your regulator doesn't withstand a 2 megaton blast but try not to drop things. I've gotten a lot of stuff through kegconnection and they have always had quality products.

Wow, you're way off base! He's not expecting it withstand a "blast", but it should be able to withstand the tank being knocked over. I have a set I'd gauges in my MIG welder that have withstood a ton of abuse. It is not unreasonable for the OP to expect it perform after being knocked over. It didn't, the vendor should make it right, period!

 

[Marlowefire]

Wow, you're way off base! He's not expecting it withstand a "blast", but it should be able to withstand the tank being knocked over. I have a set I'd gauges in my MIG welder that have withstood a ton of abuse. It is not unreasonable for the OP to expect it perform after being knocked over. It didn't, the vendor should make it right, period!

I don't see how lightly he says it bumped would "bend" gauges. That means it had to bend the frame or bend the plastic cover or something. Something is greatly amiss with the OPs retelling

Pics would help

 

[pickles]

I believe it 100% I saw similar damage on my friends setup. His gauges are lightweight junk and can assume it came from a similar if not the same supplier.

 

[passedpawn]

I have Micromatic gauge ( I think they call it "premium") and it looks very sturdy. It doesn't look like it would break, but really that's why gauge cages exist. OP might look into one of those.

 

[bob1852]

Did keg connection actually manufacture the gage? I'm guessing no. Your beef, if you have one, should be with the manufacturer, not the retailer. This is like blaming Walmart because a lamp made by acme, inc broke when it tipped over.

 

[pickles]

Did keg connection actually manufacture the gage? I'm guessing no. Your beef, if you have one, should be with the manufacturer, not the retailer. This is like blaming Walmart because a lamp made by acme, inc broke when it tipped over.

So your saying that you wouldn't return an item that's broken to the point of purchase and expect them to deal with the issue? I wouldn't blame Walmart but I'd expect them to make the return and they can settle up with their supplier. That's part of being a retailer. He's not saying that Kegconnection made a crappy product but he is accusing them of not standing behind their "In-house" model. Go their website it says they sell their "In-house" regulators and Taprite regulators. He bought the former.

Edit: from Kegconnection website: We build and test these high quality regulators in house using an American made body and other high quality components.

 

[binaryc0de]

I ordered my kegerator conversion kit from kegconnection as well... I've been happy with them, but I will say that I had two pin lock kegs from them that could not hold pressure (leaked) and one of the gauges on the regulator were bent (one reading PSI). I didn't really care much about the gauge because it doesn't leak and the kegs they were more than happy to replace for me free of charge.

 

[ASublimeDay]

Hey I dropped my car and it broke. Must be volkswagens fault. I dropped my iphone and it broke must be apples fault. Sorry if your regulator doesn't withstand a 2 megaton blast but try not to drop things. I've gotten a lot of stuff through kegconnection and they have always had quality products.

Again, where are you getting dropped? Read the OP, AND the clarification post.

It is a fragile product. I bought a Taprite today and the comparison in quality of construction and durability is unbelievably stacked in Taprite's favor.

Sorry I offended you with my expectation for quality products. I was able to find another company that fulfills my expectation.

 

[ASublimeDay]

Wow, you're way off base! He's not expecting it withstand a "blast", but it should be able to withstand the tank being knocked over. I have a set I'd gauges in my MIG welder that have withstood a ton of abuse. It is not unreasonable for the OP to expect it perform after being knocked over. It didn't, the vendor should make it right, period!

Thank you. I fully agree. I ended up buying a Taprite today and was shocked at the difference in construction and durability.

Another gripe I had was that the faces of the KC gauges didn't come off for repairs, even though they told me to "run my finger along the sides, it'll come off", I went to an oxygen shop and the guy couldnt get the faceplate off with a vice and pliers. The Taprite's twist off.

 

[ASublimeDay]

I believe it 100% I saw similar damage on my friends setup. His gauges are lightweight junk and can assume it came from a similar if not the same supplier.

The guy at the oxygen shop said "no offense, but where the hell did you get these?" Again, compared to my new regulator and my buddy's (not a Taprite), these things are junk.

I'm mad at myself for getting ripped off.

 

[ASublimeDay]

I have Micromatic gauge ( I think they call it "premium") and it looks very sturdy. It doesn't look like it would break, but really that's why gauge cages exist. OP might look into one of those.

I believe thats what my buddy has.

Had I known the quality of the regulators, I would've bought a roll of bubble wrap and a guard dog.

 

[ASublimeDay]

Did keg connection actually manufacture the gage? I'm guessing no. Your beef, if you have one, should be with the manufacturer, not the retailer. This is like blaming Walmart because a lamp made by acme, inc broke when it tipped over.

They do. The logos are on the gauges.

 

[ASublimeDay]

So your saying that you wouldn't return an item that's broken to the point of purchase and expect them to deal with the issue? I wouldn't blame Walmart but I'd expect them to make the return and they can settle up with their supplier. That's part of being a retailer. He's not saying that Kegconnection made a crappy product but he is accusing them of not standing behind their "In-house" model. Go their website it says they sell their "In-house" regulators and Taprite regulators. He bought the former.

Edit: from Kegconnection website: We build and test these high quality regulators in house using an American made body and other high quality components.

Agreed. I would stand behind my product. They didnt even offer to repair it for a cost. They literally just said "yeah, those are fragile" and moved on to my leaky keg.

 

[ASublimeDay]

Okay, heres the pics:

This is how it hit the table. (For those with reading problems): I CAUGHT IT BEFORE IT HIT THE GROUND AND DID NOT DROP IT

Bent needle

Bent metal plate displaying pressure

Bent plate on the gauge with the bent needle

I think this is an absurd amount of damage for the minimal impact, and the biggest issue is that it no longer holds pressure.

New company, new regulator. Very happy.