Im also looking to set up a kegging setup. This is a bit new to me. I have a co2 tank but that's it. I also have no experience with the smaller kegs and associated taps. So, please offer any ideas, advice, and setups I could buy. Im going to start with 1 keg but will expand to 3 or 4 with a refrigerator converted to hold kegs and taps.
I suggest 5 gallon ball-lock kegs
(click here), as they are plentiful and inexpensive. Get a new set of gaskets with it. They are about 25" tall, so be sure you have a place to keep them cold. Smaller kegs are available, but generally new and therefore more costly. In any case, try to stick to ball lock OR pin lock, keep them all the same. Ball lock is dominant.
Each keg has an inlet and an outlet, gray fittings are used for inlet (gas in), black fittings for liquid out. The
gray fitting is connected to your regulator hose somehow (I suggest using quick disconnects like
these). For dispensing, get a "picnic tap" (
like this), real taps can come later.
The tank and regulator should remain outside the fridge, as some will argue that the cold and attendant moisture (from condensation when the fridge is opened) can hurt the regulator. I drilled a 2" hole in the side of the fridge to run the gas line in.
As for a converted fridge: Good! It can double as a fermentation chamber (maybe later, room temperature is mostly fine) by getting a temperature controller (
like this) for the fridge. It handles heat (I use a heating pad, the kind you get at a drugstore for a sore back) and cooling (the fridge!). This can set you up for more interesting yeasts and beers, but the downside (for me at least) is by having only one, my kegs are not cold when I am fermenting.
Welcome back to the craft, we're here and happy to help!
Oh, by the way: On the last Saturday of every month, a bunch of us get together on Zoom to chat, drink, and show off for a couple hours. The next one is July 31, next Saturday. They start at 4pm Eastern. There's a separate forum here just for the monthly zoom call, and posts in there have all the details for joining in. Consider this an invitation!