Well? Have ya?
Yes.
Glad we got that out of the way.
Are they any good? Would one be worth $200 more than a magic chef? Is the beverage factory a repudable dealer?
Yes, the Beverage Factory is a reputable dealer. I have had several transactions with them and they have always been good.
Yes, though I don’t own one, I have heard they are OK. I don’t think they are metric, so that is good. You will still want an external temperature controller.
FWIW, I also installed a tower blower so that the beer in the lines in the tower don’t warm up as much resulting in a 1st glass of foam. I also got a cheap fishing temperature gauge, the sensor from it is sitting in a beer can filled with distilled water inside the kegerator. The reason for that is liquid temperature is what you are concerned with, not air temperature. But the most important item is the temp. controller.
If you think you’ll want a double faucet in the future then the Magic Chef becomes more attractive because you’ll replace the whole tower so the metric part doesn’t matter then.
In your shopping also look for a Danby. They are probably the most common kegerator out there. They have the same issues with needing an external controller though. And they are more difficult to install the controller… but they can be had for less than the Summit.
Steve
http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kegerators/fulllsizekegerator/danby_Danbyblack-1.shtml
This one comes with an electronic digital controller. And for $10 more I can get a duo faucet tower.
It’s a bit more than $10 - the single comes with a D-coupler or ball locks already, the duo does not.
I just need the single anyway. I cant find any reviews on this item. Would you say Danby is a good brand? I dont mind spending money but I hate spending it and being disappointed with what I bought.
Do you have a costco membership?
http://www.costco.com/Danby-5.2-Cu.Ft.-Keg-Cooler-.product.11751870.html
No. Nearest costco is 70 miles from here.
Well I have a Danby and a Vissani. The Danby is the better of the two. That seems like a pretty decent price, and a lot of people have used them for years. I like mine and would probably purchase another if this one gave up the ghost.
The temperature controller mentioned is the stock one and is not good. But you may have a different opinion. Regardless of which one you go with, I do recommend using it for a bit without modification - you may get lucky and it will work fine for you. Just be forewarned that with all these entry-level kegerators, most people get a Johnson or an ETC, or one of the really cheap ones on ebay - they are still way better than the internal one is.
Steve
I decided rather than buying an entry level unit I would buy this one:
http://www.beveragefactory.com/refrigerators/beer/sbc500bv.shtml
Hopefully it has an adequate temperature controller.
Very nice - let us know how you like it.
Mennards here in town had the Magic Chef I was looking at online on display. I gave the faucet a pull and it felt like if I wasn’t careful I would break it, or the tower would come off. It just had a real cheap toy like feel to it. I would have been really upset if I spent $500 and that is what showed up.
I will let you know what I think of the Summit in a few weeks. Now I need to figure out how to clean my keg and replace the O rings in it.
That is much easier than choosing a kegerator! 
Thats for sure. This thing still has a puddle of 7up syrup in it. Evidently all midwestsupplies does is pressure test thier used kegs. 2 of the o rings are flat. But for $25 and shipping I wont complain.
From what I remember reading, Summit and Sanyo kegerators are the same now. A while ago I was looking into the Sanyo kegerators because they had pretty decent reviews as compared to other models(which the biggest complaints were they couldnt hold low temperatures). I have a Sanyo refrigerator that I bought from Craiglist that I was supposed to convert into a kegerator, but it hasnt happened yet, and it doesnt have any temperature problems…Short story long, I will probably be buying a kegerator and have been really considering Summit. It seems like most people reviewing them online are happy with them. Good luck with your purchase and I am interested in hearing how you like yours.
PS The 7up syrup may actually be the cleanser they used to clean them. I’ve ordered kegs from another place that were cleaned and pressure tested and they smelled like 7up…or maybe they never cleaned them either. Anyway, I cleaned them with soap and water and replaced the orings too and they were fine. Unless the o rings are new, I would replace them anyway.
This thing arrived just before I left for work yesterday. All I can say is WOW! This thing is a very solid unit. The tower is freaking heavy. The top of it is counter top material of some sort roughly 5/8" thick. The instruction sheet is labeled Sanyo. I am looking forward to putting it together. It is a little bigger than I imagined it. And the difference between this thing and the Magic Chef they had on display at Mennards is like night and day.
Putting this thing together was a pain. They didn’t measure for the pilot holes correctly. I had to drill my own. And it teeters and doesn’t seem to have a way of adjusting level so I am going to need to do that with shims. Other than that I am very happy with it.