Quote:
Originally Posted by fundmark19
Do you think it is smarter to just buy the spare mini fridge and do it myself? How much was your kit? I know it isn't that bad to do I was thinking more in the warranty front. But if I can make it for 200 dollars cheaper then buying from costco I can just replace fridge if anything happens
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The fridge I had had directions online for the exact same model so I felt comfortable doing it myself and the thing is a conversation piece and I liked being able to say that I built it myself. So if that appeals to you it might sway your decision.
I was planning (mostly) to only to use it for homebrewing so I could get away with using a smaller fridge and the one I happened to have at home fit the bill. If you want to use regular size kegs, you have to make sure you have a fridge big enough. Similar thing with décor. If it’s in your garage and your OK with any old fridge vs if you want a specific look for a room... If you want a tower kegerator (where the beer tower sits on top of the fridge) you need a fridge without a freezer on top…
The more specific kind of used fridge you want, you run the risk of not saving as much money. I also had to buy a couple of tools (likely the circular drill bit/saw attachment to make the hole for the beer tower) so there might be a cost there.
I might be wrong but I think my kit was ~$350 (which would've included kit plus some homebrewing stuff). And when I priced it out, kegerators were priced in the $800 range.
So in the end, is it 'smarter' to do it yourself? Not necessarily. But it's a pretty fun project to do with a buddy (or yourself) and there's a sweet payoff (endless beer).
Here's what mine ended up looking like for reference/comparison with the costco one.