used reg vs new reg

Iam looking for my first piece of major equipment and I am looking at a reg. I have priced them out new and quite like the idea of a new reg for the piece of mind. I also have been looking at used regs and the price range is a little better but I feel a little unsure of going used. If I bought a used reg I would bring it in and get it looked at but I am just worried that I might be cutting corners where I shouldnt be. New or used? and am I being a worry wart?

You can get a good deal with a used regulator but you need to buy it right and know what you are doing. A regulator that looks nice on the outside could be loaded with corrosion inside for instance. Also you won't get much peace of mind by having the regulator looked at. Peace of mind may come with a $70-$100 rebuild.

If you have a trusted mentor that will look it over or if the seller will allow a pre-by dealer inspection then the risks start to go down.

Some of the best used deals are when shops turn over their rental training gear. Those rigs usually come freshly serviced which of course the shops can do a cost and at their convenience.

As a practical matter you new regulator will be a used one after the first dive and regulators should last for thousands of dives. The key to a used one is buying it low enough and in good enough shape to limit your initial service cost.

Pete

Greetings Strawhouse and welcome aboard. The regulator question has been answered very well by spectrum and the only other issue I would add would be to check with your LDS how much it will be to service a used regulator. I know that my LDS encourages new regs to take advantage of the parts warranty for a service cost is cut in half. Normal fee is $45-50 labor or double if the parts are not covered by the warranty.
Now obviously as mentioned by spectrum LDS rental turn over regulators yearly and usually with a fresh service for a discounted cost. I have recommended this to several of my friends as well. It does not seem like a lot but a 50% savings at service time once a year buys a lot of air or new dive gadgets!
Have fun and dive safe!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

Hi strawhouse,

A well-maintained, good quality regulator will out-live the diver. It may need to be serviced before use (a very good idea when buying a used reg), but if it properly cared for by the previous owner, you should be good to go after getting it serviced.

If you are on a tight budget, buying a used regulator can allow you to get a regulator a couple steps "higher" in the product line than a new one.

You do need to factor in cost of service when you look at the price of a used reg. The "parts for life" warranty will not follow the used reg, so at service time you'll pay for labor and parts, rather than just labor. But this can stilll be really good deal if you shop carefully.

If you decide to go the "used" route, go to the regulator section of this board and ask about the specific used reg you are considering before buying it.... there is a wealth of knowledge here, and people here are happy to help.

Best wishes.

Another thing to consider when looking at a used reg is whether or not you can actually get is serviced locally. What you think may be a great deal on eBay may turn out to be a gigantic pain in the nether regions if you have to either ship it or drive half way around the country to get it serviced.

Check out LeisuePro. They usually have a ScubaPro reg set for around $150 delivered. Plenty good enough for recreational diving. I've been buying from them for a couple years and selling the year-old regs on Ebay. Ends up costing me about $75 a year for a new reg.

Garrobo:

Check out LeisuePro. They usually have a ScubaPro reg set for around $150 delivered. Plenty good enough for recreational diving. I've been buying from them for a couple years and selling the year-old regs on Ebay. Ends up costing me about $75 a year for a new reg.

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Interesting strategy!

most people here would suggest getting a BC as your first item but if you want a reg I think you should buy new where you get it serviced so that you get free parts like CamG said. Everything else you can get used. I don't think I would personally get my regs from leisure pro unless you plan on only having them for a year or two like Garrobo.

LeadTurn_SD:

A well-maintained, good quality regulator will out-live the diver. It may need to be serviced before use (a very good idea when buying a used reg), but if it properly cared for by the previous owner, you should be good to go after getting it serviced.

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A poorly maintained regulator will also out-live the diver.

strawhouse:

Iam looking for my first piece of major equipment and I am looking at a reg. I have priced them out new and quite like the idea of a new reg for the piece of mind. I also have been looking at used regs and the price range is a little better but I feel a little unsure of going used. If I bought a used reg I would bring it in and get it looked at but I am just worried that I might be cutting corners where I shouldnt be. New or used? and am I being a worry wart?

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You can absolutely buy used and get a great deal. You can also get hosed if you buy the wrong thing.

The trick is to work the purchase backwards. First, find out what shop in your area has the best service department, then find out what brand(s) they do the most work for, then go look for a used reg.

When you find one that they can service, give them a call and ask if they can still get parts for the brand and model you're thinking about. If they say "yes" you can think about buying the reg.

Just for an example, I bought a SCUBAPro Mk1 on eBay for $50 in a grab-bag. The shop I work with cleaned and rebuilt it, and it breathes as well as anything else I own.

On the other hand, our service department regularly gets in regs from people who bought an "xyz" reg used only to find out that there are no parts available, which means they now have a really cool looking paperweight.

So . . . check with the shop first and see if it's serviceable, then if you like it and can get a good price, buy it! This is also a good test for the shop. If they say "Yer gonna die!!" or "It's life support equipment, don't buy used!", find somewhere else to get service. A well run service department stands on it's own and will be happy to service anything they're qualified to do and can get parts for.

In any case, all regulators are used once you use them, and all regs require periodic service, so no matter what you buy, you'll be diving a "used regulator".

As mentioned before, a well maintained rental reg can also be a good deal, although finding them requires a bit of luck, since they tend to appear in batches and infrequently.

Terry