Buying Used Regs

[DivemasterDennis]

I would buy used regulators or computers only from someone I met face to face and who had a documented history of use and servicing. What a used reg is more likely to do than a new one, especially if it has not been regularly serviced, is fail during use. New ones can do that to, but are less likely to do so. Divers who have training and experience in servicing and repairing gear can get away with on line used gear purchases, but novices should steer clear. I just looked at my oldest 1st and second stage- 13 years old, about 600 dives by various users, with hardly any visible scratches on metal or plastic parts. So the scratched up reg would seem to indicate some level of abuse in use or storage, even if cosmetic. Everyone has their own view on used vs. new, and I just shared mine.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Also depends on where they dive them. Cave divers and Wreck diver regs might tend to show a bit more wear than the occasional open water vacation divers regs. Someone who flies a lot to dive may have more marks on their regs just because they get handled more. Regs used in saltwater may look different than ones used in fresh depending on how well the owner rinses everything. I have some 20 yr old Sherwood seconds that still look pretty good. My main doubles regs have a few scratches since they get used a lot more. What others have said about service is true. I'd buy pretty much any reg I could get parts for at this point if I had to. I can do the service, have the tools, and am not reliant on a shop for getting em fixed. Someone just starting out should carefully consider a used reg. If you don't know how to service em make sure your shop will. Some will not, even if it's a brand they carry cause they'll be pissed you went on line or they will charge through the nose. Others are not so nasty and greedy.

And you may be able to get new regs for much less than you think. Less than used depending on brand and they will be freshly serviced, carry a warranty, and be able to have serviced later on. Some brands will even sell you the kits.

 

[Nereus]

Thanks for the info herman,GinoB, Divemaster Dennis, and Jim Lapenta. I completely understand the "Life support" thought, but money is money, equipment is rebuildable and cost effective if you get it for the right price. There are many pawn shops within a 50 mile radius of me, and since I live in Florida, there is a lot of equipment for sale by private owners too. I've seen a few good deals out there, but not "the right one" yet. I have also looked online, but if you can't hold it in your hands and look at it thoroughly, it's not worth buying at this point. Ebay can be a great place to see what equipment is going for. Craigslist can be a good place to buy because you can go look at an item before you buy if you buy local. I've bought many items off of craigslist, and almost as many on Ebay. I have friends that have been diving for years that I consult with before buying, and I expect to have anything I buy used, serviced by a professional. I do want to learn to rebuild regs myself. (not something I'd tackle on my first go around) I may be new, but I'm not stupid.
For those of you with the rebuilding of cars analogy, I've done 7 in my life. 4 were frame off restorations on my 84 Jeep CJ7, 1965 Chevy Pick Up, 1966 Chevy Malibu, and a 1971 Cougar XR7 convertable. Rebuilding a car is a lot different than rebuilding a regulator. It takes a lot more patience to rebuild a car the right way than it does a regulator, although a regulator does take that same patience. A regulator can be done in a few hours, a car can take months and even years. Both take a special talent and caution to do it right. I can fix anything if given the tools and the knowledge, but I'll leave the regulators up to the pro's until I learn from one.
From what I gather, some scratches are normal, but excessive scratches can mean they were abused and not taken care of. I just found it interesting that people are selling reg sets for almost the price of new, that look like they've been through WWII. And yes they might look bad, and function flawlessly, but I take care of my stuff and wouldn't buy something that someone else hasn't taken care of too. I feel it will last longer.

Dave

 

[windapp]

If the regulator was recently serviced you need to be able to trust the shop that did the service. If not, add $150 to the upfront cost to have it serviced at a shop you trust. Your risk then is losing the money you payed for it if it turns out to be a lemon. Keep in mind your lds probably sells used regulator sets so ask there first. The key is that if you don't have the know how or tools to do it yourself, you need to be able to trust the person who services them. The same applies to regulators you buy new.

 

[SnorkelLA]

My current reg set was one I bought used for $350, it was a steal. Someone had bought out all stock of a dive shop that had gone under, and the dive shop had some NICE rental gear. The rental regs were setups of Aqualung Titan LXs with Suunto SPG consoles with glow in the dark guages and compasses, and Aqualung octos. The BCDs were old, bad looking Dacor junk versions. But the regs were awesome, my particular set only had 9 dives on them. Unfortunately, deals like that don't come around often, and when they do they are here and gone very quick.

My own personal advice, just buy new Regs and BCDs when you can, because no matter what anyone says, they truly are your life support. Maybe not as much with BCDs(but since they're fabric, it helps to buy new ones) but definately with regs. They are the difference between drowning and breathing easy, taking out the buddy factor. And when you can get a good deal on like-new, recently serviced regs, take it. But most of the time, just buy new, because there's a lot of little nasties that can happen with buying used regs that have sat around, like dry-rotted O-rings and stuck diaphragms.

 

[Randy43068]

All but two of my regulators were purchased used and I think either from someone on the boards or from eBay.

If you are tech savvy, then I would suggest buying used. If you aren't then buy new. Contrary to the line "it's life support don't take a chance" mantra, as long as you buy a decent brand then have a reputable tech service it then you good.

To make the used regulator a good bargain you have to buy the used thing pretty cheap. You'll have the cost of service plus your purchase price which could put it close to cost of new. My rule of thumb, if a regulator after being serviced and including purchase price is within 30% of new, I will buy new.

Having said that, I do my own servicing so when I buy used I can pay a little more base price.

 

[diverrex]

When I bought my first set of gear everything was new. Since then I've bought used a 2nd reg for a pony, same as my main reg, Scubapro MK25/S600 that was a good deal from a dive shop that is a regular SB poster and has a good reputation. I think I got a good deal for a barely used reg. I've also bought "used" a previously purchased but ever dived computer at 66% of retail. If you look around enough and buy quality products from reputable places then I think you can save money buying used and still be safe. Also the large internet retailers like Scubatoys, LeisurePro and Scuba.com usually have closeouts of new products that may be a model year old being sold for good prices.

 

[SnorkelLA]

That MK25 rig you got was indeed a good deal. How much did you give them for it if you don't mind me asking?

 

[diverrex]

I think I paid $300 for a MK25/S600, a few years old, around 60 dives, just serviced by the shop I bought it from. It came just as advertised and breathes normal. If that shop tells me it was just serviced I believe them the same as I would believe my LDS.

 

[SnorkelLA]

I think I paid $300 for a MK25/S600, a few years old, around 60 dives, just serviced by the shop I bought it from. It came just as advertised and breathes normal. If that shop tells me it was just serviced I believe them the same as I would believe my LDS.

I'm thinking of purchasing a MK25 setup, how does it breathe in cold water, of you've dived it in cold water.

(mods, if this is off-topic, please tell me and I'll move it to a PM)


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