C02 regulator on trademe

[Josh Woolf]

Hey all, I'm just about to start kegging. I've got everything but the regulator, Do you think this one will do? 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=483618260&perma...

[Tilt]

Just gone through the same thing myself. 

The advice I had was that its best to have a regulator made for the gas you're going to use as the diapragm materials differ - so this one's made for Argon rather than CO2. 

Also - the secondary (low pressure side) on that one is a flow meter, not a pressure gauge.  You want one that tells you the pressure of the gas going into your keg.

[Hugh Grierson]

Get yourself a Toff or Micromatic, Hoshizaki Lancer sells Micromatics. Its worth getting a good one, Chinese ones tend to be shit, Aussie ones ok, Germans ze best. A one way John Guest fitting is worth getting to stop beer coming back into your reg if your coupler is a bit dodge.

[Josh Woolf]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm trying to do this on a shoe string budget, is it possible that a co2 regulator from USA will work or will the threading be imperial?

I'm going to the states soon so i could get it there

[Tilt]

US threads don't fit on our gas bottles - and I understand to convert costs similar to what it would be to buy the reg here in the first place unfortunately.  I picked up my reg from Oz when I was over for work - micromatic reg here for $80AU was a reasonable deal I thought.

[Chuck]

Duroweld also sells the nut to convert the US thread to Aus/NZ standard thread. You just have to unscrew the spigot from the regulator, so some DIY is involved.

[Tilt]

Another thought Josh.  Haish mentioned on here a while ago that Duroweld in New Plymouth do a cheap, reasonable quality CO2 regulator.  I can't find the thread but here's their catalogue.  Maybe give them a call?  I'd think you'd need to tell them what you're using it for and the pressures you'd want the secondary to manage.  $70NZ comes to mind as a price.

[Haish]

Hugh's comments are spot on, the chinese ones are shite. However that said, I have used a few of them from Duroweld and they will do the trick. The secondary gauge on them is marked to measure flowrate but I got them to mark on the pressure up to 35 psi. That price sounds familiar but was years ago so most likely more expensive now.