Poll -- easiest to service

[Diversauras]

Posideon, they are common outside the US and very easy to work on. I have had several and the are hard working high performance machines.

 

[Texas Tek-diver]

I'm also a Poseidon user. These are the finest performing regulators I've ever used.

I agree with NetDoc about the timing of regulator failures. Just give your self enough time to dive them after servicing to make any final adjustments you might need before you travel. I also take along back-up regs and spare o-ring kits.

 

[DNAXdiver]

You can spare yourself a whole lot of grief by doing a routine "after-servicing check" whenever you reg comes back from the shop. Vance's book gives the whole shebang, but basically you want to to do a hand test - where you just try to undo all the threaded connections with your bare hands to make sure they aren't just finger tight (which would avoid the frequent blown-out hose O-ring problem mentioned here) and a water test which is immersing the 2nd stage mouthpiece up to see how deep it goe before it cracks which is a low budget cracking pressure test and then if you are really ambitious hooking up an IP gauge to make sure the IP is within specs.

Yah isn't it funny how if you carry tools and spares how rarely they get used on your gear! I guess that's for the better though.

Originally posted by NetDoc
Most of the regulator failures that I have seen have been on "just serviced" regs... not the neglected ones. After having a few of my personal regs fail on their first outing, I have taken the steps to learn how to do this myself. I do travel with an extensive fix-it kit, though I never seem to get to use it on my gear.

 

[canuckton]

I can't say what is easiest. I mean, all have their ups and downs.

I've serviced so many USD conshelfs, now that irritating spring stack filter thing is quick and easy.

Sherwoods are simple, but tuning IP is rough with the shims in the old ones.

Dacor is never easy...too many orings

Spro is fine, but for those finicky orings around the piston, and the number of seat issues they seem to have

Mares are easy peasy, and quick. However, for me, their warranty service dept sucks, and it makes it hard to get odd parts. I have a set that has been waiting 14 months for parts.

Apeks are great to service, though the 2nds can take some time.

Poseidon are a joy to work on, but older ones are finicky. They need a lot of specialized tools to do properly.

TUSA regs, though not the greatest, are without doubt, the easiest to service...to their spec., anyway.

I'm not an atomic tech, so I will withhold comment, but I suspect them to be similar to spro.

IDI, the only one I ever used scared me so much I hung it on the wall forever after

did I miss any of the majors?

 

[Norm]

To answer your question: Which reg is easiest to get serviced?
I don't know (because dealerships seemingly tend to form geographically).
If you asked which reg is easiest to service? I have worked on almost everything out there and I would have to say a Sherwood. I believe that almost anyone could rebuild one.
JMO

 

[DiverBuoy]

What NetDoc is saying happened to me twice ... just after a servicing is the worst time to go diving on a regulator. Plan a special pool session just for a newly serviced regulator. It's a safe and quick way to insure. And giving yourself plenty of time to return to the service department and work out the kinks. Nothing quite as frustrating as going on the trip of a lifetime, lugging equipment with you, and not being able to use it. Then you are at the mercy of the local rental gear ... yikes!

NetDoc once bubbled...
...and TEST DIVE with them before you head out. Most of the regulator failures that I have seen have been on "just serviced" regs... not the neglected ones.