Did I get ripped off on service?

[Hatul]

Atomics charged me $40 the last time to seal my ST1.

 

[NC Air Hog]

The answer to this is very easy. What we have here COULD be considered a life lesson of sorts. While the shop in question may, or may not, have overcharged for the service; we could all agree that the problem could be avoided in the future very easily.

Atomic Packing Tool

For $34 plus shipping, the packing tool can be purchased by anyone. From there, you just add the Christo-lube 111 or 129 (as recommended from Atomic) and away you go. While the regulator itself may not actually take the full 2oz tube, that is what threads into the tool.

ChristoLube MCG 111, 2 oz tube

Just look at the purchase of the tool as a one- time fee. From there, you can repack the regulator yourself as much as you want for only the cost of the lubricant. I know that some folks use Tribo-lube and have had no problems, but as an Atomic dealer / technician I cannot recommend going against their recommendation.


Personally, I would compare this to changing the oil in my car (yes I have made this comparison before). While I do not think that paying upwards of $50 for someone to do it for me, I would rather just avoid the PITA that comes along with it. Servicing your own regulator can be fun though, and I bet that you learn more about how the system works overall.

 

[ams511]

Assured me that AA insists on Christolube for all their regs and that nothing else can be used and that 2oz is not unusual.

This is disappointing, according to Atomic's website the sealing is optional. I think the tech made a mistake and is trying to cover his you know what.

 

[flots am]

This is disappointing, according to Atomic's website the sealing is optional. I think the tech made a mistake and is trying to cover his you know what.

Sealing is optional, but recommended for cold or contaminated water. The reg is shipped that way.

flots.

 

[spectrum]

Totally agree. I'm feeling so burned. I understand that the B2 gets packed with lube but 2 ounces seems ridiculous and the price even more so. Trust me. - they've lost my business and I will be telling my friends too.

They charged you $55. the bargain hunters can find it for $35 - $30. from somebody doing a volume business selling it. In your case it was a fully marked up service part. Go buy brakes shoes at the parts store and then see what you mechanic charges for brake shoes when he is installing them. It's all part of the service pricing structure.

Scuba Toys will charge even less for the material used for the job. My read is that you are not looking at a 2 ounce unit package rather they are working from a larger economy container and use only what your regulator needs.

Questions:

Atomic gurus: Does the whole 2 ounces go into the regulator?

tridacna: Did you get any leftovers?

 

[ams511]

Sealing is optional, but recommended for cold or contaminated water. The reg is shipped that way.

flots.

The OP claims he is not diving in either cold or contaminated waters and the reg may not have shipped that way. Atomic's website shows the reg can be purchased sealed or unsealed

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

If the shop was sealing it, we have to assume (I know that's bad, benefit of doubt) that it was the sealed version. There is a special tool that is used when sealing the Atomic regs. In order to do it properly, the tool takes a full 2oz..

 

[flots am]

The OP claims he is not diving in either cold or contaminated waters and the reg may not have shipped that way. Atomic's website shows the reg can be purchased sealed or unsealed

Regardless of the OP's diving, this was a sealed model because putting grease into the unsealed model requires a parts change, as does making it unsealed. Since there was no mention of the required parts, and it got grease, it had to be a sealed model.

Also, while nobody likes getting screwed over, this doesn't seem like a really big deal in a hobby where a couple of tank fills with a high % of O2 can cost $50. If the shop made a few extra dollars, all I can say is "Congratulations!" if they keep doing it, maybe the lights will still be on next year.

flots

 

[tridacna]

if they keep doing it, maybe the lights will still be on next year.

flots

Let me fix this: If they keep screwing over customers, maybe the lights will be OFF next year. Trust me, I nor anyone else I speak to will be back this year or next year.

 

[Tbar]

Let me fix this: If they keep screwing over customers, maybe the lights will be OFF next year. Trust me, I nor anyone else I speak to will be back this year or next year.

Burned, screwed, ripped off - this appears to be at worst a $30 unexpected cost ($55 cost less $25 price of lube).

Was the servicing good? Done on time? what was serviced, a full set of gear? Was the overall cost okay?

Just trying to bring some overall perspective here.