lost at sea
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blind loyalty makes them better apparently
Ultratap versus Intertap
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blind loyalty makes them better apparently
Genuinely curious as to why you say the ultratap is significantly better @wide eyed and legless? I've just bought eight SS Intertaps (replacing eight FC Intertaps) so I'm out of the market, but they look basically identical (body, spout, bonnet cap, lever) to the photos posted aside from a slightly different shuttle and using olives instead of o-rings as seals on the lever ball.
The machining and finishing on these new Intertaps is a big step up from what they were 18 months ago on the Gen 1 and 2s at the time - they were pretty rough but these are really nicely finished inside.
The machining and finishing on these new Intertaps is a big step up from what they were 18 months ago on the Gen 1 and 2s at the time - they were pretty rough but these are really nicely finished inside.
wide eyed and legless
Well-Known Member
The photo's in post 7 sold me, as you would know take apart the flow control Intertaps and compere them to the parts in the Ultratap. Purely from a mechanical feature you are always on a winner when there are the least number of parts to give any problems. Looks like you were not happy with the FC Intertaps either, or you wouldn't have changed them, I have no issues with the manufacture and finish of the FC Intertap, just the design. Wouldn't even be surprised if they were manufactured in the same factory, comparing the finishes.
Yeah I wasn't super happy with the FCs but the standard SS tap is no more complex than the ultratap. Limited sample in a week but I am certainly happyha with the new non-FCs.The photo's in post 7 sold me, as you would know take apart the flow control Intertaps and compere them to the parts in the Ultratap. Purely from a mechanical feature you are always on a winner when there are the least number of parts to give any problems. Looks like you were not happy with the FC Intertaps either, or you wouldn't have changed them, I have no issues with the manufacture and finish of the FC Intertap, just the design. Wouldn't even be surprised if they were manufactured in the same factory, comparing the finishes.
I would be absolutely certain that ITs/UTs are manufactured in the same factory - the body, spout and bonnet appear to be identical.
Thurston Forabrew
Member
Just got an Ultratap. Fewer parts, excellent pour in the shop. Haven't hooked my own up yet. The shop guy showed me one broken down and it is very different/less complicated than the other tap they had. Very solid build. Bigger shuttle. They could have come up with a better name that is a little more stand out-ish though because it's a completely different animal. I only got one. If it is really good I'll buy two more next check. Got the growler filler insert too for nine bucks, but they didn't have the hose I like to use to fit the barb. Lucky I have some at home.
theQuinny
Well-Known Member
I just ordered x2 Ultrataps ... now standing next to the mailbox, waiting ...
mashmaniac
Well-Known Member
Fewer than what? FC vs non FC don't really count. Nice sale blurb but bullshit. So same for same how many LESS parts does your Ultra tap have say compared to a perlic or standard intertap? Wait the perlic wins, and intertap and ultratap are the same.
Boys the one eyed blind sales pitch crap is get fucken old.
Problem is, maybe the Ultra tap is better, maybe it isn't. Posting bullshit because either that's what the sales rep said or where your loyalty lies, really aint going to cut it with a bunch of blokes most of whom have blown a dozen or 20 (dozen) kegs. The only thing that has peaked my interest is that the shuttle is bigger, probably giving a larger surface area to seal, possibly reducing any chance of squirting as some taps do.
My view from owning the non-FC version of the Intertap and seeing pictures of the ultratap is that UT probably has a slightly better (smoother) shuttle design, whereas the IT has better seals around the lever ball. My only unknown with the UT shuttle is how well the seal at the front performs and lasts? I could be wrong but I don't think there have been any complaints about Intertaps leaking from the spout, although some early versions did leak under the bonnet.
Comparing an ultratap to the flow control Intertap is apples and oranges and not really relevant.
Comparing an ultratap to the flow control Intertap is apples and oranges and not really relevant.
I was happy with my FC Intertaps, from a weeks usage of my new non-FC Intertaps I'm happier again. Given the improvement in quality of the Intertap since it was released, and the similarity and feedback here about the ultratap, I'd be pretty surprised if any new owners of either were unhappy with their purchase.
Mattyh777
Member
I wonder if Weal would be saying the same if Intertap were still with Keg King.
mashmaniac
Well-Known Member
Funny thing is he bought his intertaps from keg king and is now saying they're shit and has replaced them with another product from the same company .... go figure.
Thurston Forabrew
Member
Mash Maniac, I've made about 5 posts on this forum so far and you have by far responded with the most unwelcoming, hostile, foaming at the mouth ranting that I've seen. What is your deal?
I don't claim to know everything about taps, I'm just sharing what my experience is, but you seem to be making yourself out to be some sort of aficionado that blows a dozen kegs regularly at the same time. Great.
Thanks for being a gatekeeper, but I'll shop where I want, go where I please and run my beer through anything that makes it shine like a gem because last I checked this is a free country so maybe jog on. As for blind loyalty, what the hell are you on about? Because I didn't buy any other tap?
I still bought the Ultratap without your input and it still poured well and sealed well. If you take an Intertap apart and an Ultratap apart both without flow control, there are less parts in the Ultratap and the parts appear to be more solid and different shaped than the Intertap. That's a fact. The taps are without a doubt, side by side, totally different designs.
mashmaniac
Well-Known Member
You made a statement of fewer moving parts. Not I. Your posting in a thread stating one product is better than another and now your saying you only have knowledge of one of the 2. Shop where you like, tell us you like the product you have bought.
Moving Parts in Ultra tap, Perlic, Intertap, Brumby,: Shuttle, Lever. Seals don't count. And myself I rate the Floryte as better than all of these and it does have more moving parts, still a better tap.
Not a gate keeper, just call bullshit when I see it and I hate sales blurbs being stated as fact.
ED: And please come back and tell us how it's performing in 3 or 4 months with the larger shuttle I would expect them to hold up quite well. Just remember to service every couple of kegs.
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Side by side. The intertap is plated and the ultratap is stainless.
I'm not sure about the o rings but they may be ok.
Looks like the same amount of moving parts too.
Edit. The spouts are not interchangeable either. They are a different thread.
I'm not sure about the o rings but they may be ok.
Looks like the same amount of moving parts too.
Edit. The spouts are not interchangeable either. They are a different thread.
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With respect, (and admitting I haven't seen an Ultratap in the flesh) if the photo posted on page 1 was representative then there are exactly the same number of parts (except the Intertap has two olives and a washer sealing the lever ball whereas the Ultratap has two o-rings) and an almost identical design of metal between the Ultratap and a standard SS Intertap. The body and spout appear to be identical to the nearest micron, including the tiny lug underneath at the back of the body. The shuttles are minor variations on the same idea, with slightly different lever ends where they interface with the shuttle.
The Ultratap and Intertap appear to be near-identical, quality taps. To me the differences appear so slight that an arbitrary purchase of one or the other would result in a satisfied customer (assuming the internal finishing of the Ultratap is as good as the new Intertaps, which feedback on here suggests it is).
Edit: as per @pcmfisher 's photo above. Note that for the Intertap there is an additional white olive on the underside of the ball that has been retained in the body of the tap in that photo.
There does appear to be a slight difference in the body as to how far the thread for the bonnet extends, but otherwise it's a pretty close match to my eye.
Interesting re the spouts, I wonder whether the Intertap SS spout is interchangeable with the SS ultratap? Probably not, easy enough to change the thread to ensure non-compatibility I guess.
mashmaniac
Well-Known Member
So the biggest difference is the Ultra tap has a bigger shuttle and less seals and the seals are orings when every other manufacturer(some of whom have been in the commercial game for ever) use nylon olives and orings. The nylon is there for durability if they could have done away with it, Andale and Perlic would have done so years ago. But I suppose changing a couple of (i'd guess standard) Orings isn't much of a chore, you'd just want spares on hand.
Thurston Forabrew
Member
The Intertap photo is missing the other couple of parts that are seated inside the tap body. There is another black o-ring and another white cap/ring.olive thing that aren't showing. both taps have that bigger black o-ring on the back of the tap. The intertap shuttle also has a removable o-ring on the shuttle. The Ultratap shuttle seal is not removable.
wide eyed and legless
Well-Known Member
As usual wrong on both counts, never said the Intertaps were shit, and they were Intertap FC bought off eBay. As I said I was impressed by the photo of the Ultratap, also the review from the Ikegger team who seems to have dropped the Intertap in favour of the Ultratap.
When comparing the two it should also be noted that your design team had two cracks at getting it right, whereas KegKing nailed it in one, thanks to their design engineers and R& D department burning the midnight oil and getting it right, makes more sense than marketing something that has to go through generation changes every year. Fermentasaurus is on the Gen 2 , Robobrew on Gen 3, probably looking at a Gen 4 to get the false bottom to stand on all three legs instead of two. But I have no doubt there will inevitably be a Robobrew V Guten thread before long.
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