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 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