One other thing on the difference between pin lock and ball lock is their footprint. Generally (though not always) ball locks are slimmer and taller where pin locks are wider and shorter. They're both good options depending on your set up but for me I couldn't fit as many kegs in the freezer if I went with pin locks. Right now I could fit 8 kegs in there but I typically keep between 5-6 in there and use the rest of the room for extra refrigeration space (bottled beers, kitchen overflow when there's company, etc).
If you go the keezer route you'll need some basic tools but it really is pretty straight forward. I used this (
Keezer Video) for a resource, they really hit all the high points. One thing to look out for is your selection of wood for the collar. I stupidly picked up some boards that had a bit of a bow to them, so I had to build the collar, put a piece of plywood on top, and find every heavy object in the house to put on top to bend it down to the point that it would be flush against the freezer. Once it was straight I ran a bead of gorilla glue, put the collar back on, weighted it down again, and it was done. Aside from the plumbing all I did was put some foam insulation on the inside to up the R value of the collar (not entirely sure this was necessary).
I've been nickle and diming the thing for a few years now. I picked up the freezer for pretty cheap from best buy because it had a dent in it (bottom right corner of the picture). Older Perlicks are usually on "sale" at homebrewing.org. Like TL mentioned, if you can find kegs on craigslist they're great, but they are hit and miss. I scored some for as little as $12 each and some as high as $30, but they're not always available there. You've got some options for tanks but I opted for buying a new one and having it refilled instead of doing the exchange thing. Ultimately CO2 is CO2, you can't go wrong either way.
The only other thing I recently did that I wish I had done a long time ago was to add a CO2 line for burst carbing outside of the keezer. My tank sits outside with a single primary regulator but I recently put a Y splitter on it with a shutoff valve on each end. One end goes to the keezer, the other has a CO2 disconnect on it so I can use my tank without opening the lid. I opted for the removable threaded ends so when I want to, I can take off the disconnect to flush carboys with CO2.
If I could do it again I don't think I would spread the taps out along the front. It looks better than having them grouped (or it will when I get the final tap and bottle opener installed) but keeping the tubing organized on the inside is an absolute mess. Just something else to consider. Either way you do your taps, don't be a jag like me, have them in a straight line instead
). Almost certain it wasn't worth the money.
