by Bojest » Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:43 pm
If the price is right, it could be worth the risks. That one is over $1300 new, right? If they are asking less than $650, I would probably go for it. But, you can get a pretty nice new one, albeit smaller, for that kind of money. And if you get four years under warranty, I would say that reduces the risk. I don't have any first hand knowledge of that brand but my GF had a 28 bottle Vinotemp (a brand I thought had a good rep) that lasted maybe 4 years. It was gonna cost too much to have it fixed so I started looking for a replacement. Anything in the 28-32 bottle range was going for over $330 (internet searches) but I was walking through Costco and they had several 34 bottle Vinotemps for only $188. I jumped on it, in spite of the first one failing. Even if it only lasts another 4 years, that's a small price to pay to keep your better bottles properly stored. But I don't envision "cellaring" any particular wines for many years....they are usually just in there until I get to them. Maybe you do plan to, so reliability would be a bigger concern for you. My best advice is, if you know what you want and what you're willing to pay, you'll know what to do. I don't think anyone can assure you it will hold up, but I wouldn't worry about noise. Shouldn't be any louder than your refrigerator when it runs.