Getting into AG...question on mash tun kits

[green_giant43]

So I'm looking to make the move to AG.
Debating between building a mash tun (and maybe HLT) or buying a kit.
I've seen that NB is having a sale on gift cards so I was looking at their Fermenter's Favorite 10 gallon kit (here- http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...-all-grain-brewing-starter-kit-10-gallon.html )

Question- anybody have experience with these? I'm not sure how well they are built, if they are just rebranded igloos, how well they hold the temp, etc.
I'm tempted to just get it and be done with it but I want to make sure it's a quality product. Is it still vastly cheaper to just build a couple tuns?
I was looking at this from 2007 ( https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-easy-10-gallon-rubbermaid-mlt-conversion-23008/ ) and it seems that if you take into account price increases it'd probably be around 60 or so plus I would like a false bottom so that's another forty or so. Then it just makes it seem about the same price only I would have to build all of it myself anyway.

So any suggestions? I'd probably like to jump on the NB deal and it seems that they sell quality stuff anyway so I would hope it's good.

 

[brewbama]

There are cheaper ways to go. I got a cooler, installed a valve and screen and walla: instant mash/lauter tun. It works great!


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[CA_Mouse]

I built my own as well. I bought a 52-quart eXtreme cooler on sale for $30, bought the braided hose at Lowes for $8 and a weldless SS bulkhead and ball valve at the LHBS for $35 and a bag of SS hose Clamps for $8 (more than I needed, but always good to have spares). About $80 and about an hour of work. I can mash about 28lbs of grain if I want to make a barleywine, I average about 16-20lbs of grain for my Imperial batches.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Most folks I know who built their own MLTs using their own ball valves/braids/whatever, have had problems, namely leaks. I bought a 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler on my own, and bought all the hardware, including false bottom, from Northern Brewer, and it's worked fantastic for me. It was the old setup, not the one you linked, so I can't give any direct experience on that one.

 

[byrone]

From what I've seen it looks like an ok deal. Building a mash tun alone will cost approx $125(that's with a home depot rubbermaid 10g cooler-$45, NB false bottom-$46, NB stainless 3/8" 1/2"npt barb-$7.50 and NB stainless weldless kit-NB$36). The And building a hlt will cost approx $80 using the same weldless kit and cooler. The false bottom you can probable find cheaper. I built my first mash tun using those parts listed and it worked great. Also you'll need a 1ft(cut down) piece of high temp tubing and worm clamps to connect the false bottom to the weldless fitting.

 

[govner1]

I have both a 7 gal & 10 gal Rubbermaid cooler for use as MT's. Picked them up on sale @ HD. My LHBS installed SS ball locks for about $35 ea.
They've proved to be very useful and efficient. BTW- I also installed copper manifolds in both. Much easier to use & very rarely a stuck sparge.


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[sejasba]

I just got a 10 gallon mash tun (orange Igloo cooler) with valve and kettle screen from my LHBS for $89. I didn't see the need for a separate HLT.