Apeks with Delrin hand wheel - DIR?

[Adam_sc]

I am shopping around for the best price on Apeks DS4 TX50. Divetheabyss.com seem to have them @ $364 but they also offer an option that I have never come across - they offer a choice of normal metal and delrin hand wheel on DIN first stage.

Delrin is very tough but is it DIR to have a non-metal ring. It would be quite dissapointing to pay more than 700 for two regs to have a non-DIR setup, hence the question.

 

[diveh3]

I had no complaints from my instructor on the derlin wheels BUT if you have the option get the chrome plated brass wheels. My derlins were falling apart. Just last week I had to buy the brass wheels and replace them.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

I am shopping around for the best price on Apeks DS4 TX50. Divetheabyss.com seem to have them @ $364 but they also offer an option that I have never come across - they offer a choice of normal metal and delrin hand wheel on DIN first stage.

Delrin is very tough but is it DIR to have a non-metal ring. It would be quite dissapointing to pay more than 700 for two regs to have a non-DIR setup, hence the question.

Barry at Salvo might save you a few bucks, but not much - your prices are in the ballpark.

http://www.salvodiving.com/apeks__gauges

FWIW, they're excellent regs and as DIR as you wanna be....delrin rings and all. But if you have a choice and no price difference, I'd go with the metal rings.

go for it.

 

[Adam_sc]

Thanks. I was under impression Delrin is more withstanding. Apparently it is not.

 

[RTodd]

I am shopping around for the best price on Apeks DS4 TX50. Divetheabyss.com seem to have them @ $364 but they also offer an option that I have never come across - they offer a choice of normal metal and delrin hand wheel on DIN first stage.

Delrin is very tough but is it DIR to have a non-metal ring. It would be quite dissapointing to pay more than 700 for two regs to have a non-DIR setup, hence the question.

I have both. The Delrin ones were shipped to me and I did not know they would be Delrin. While I would not order any more Delrin ones on purpose, so far they are holding up fine. I use them on open water regs and pretend I am saving travel weight. If you have not ordered them yet, get the metal ones.

 

[Soggy]

If I were to build a car out of brass and a car out of delrin and ram them into each other head-on, my money would be on the brass car.

Plastic breaks, brass dents/bends.

That being said, I have the plastic ones on my deco bottle reg and have whacked it into a fair number of things with no issues. We'll see if it holds out.

Thanks. I was under impression Delrin is more withstanding. Apparently it is not.

 

[jagfish]

I have 5 DS4 regs, and the last pair I ordered is the Delrin version. I have read some early posts on these and heard that the initial compound was brittle, and readily relaced by Apeks if you asked.

On the Delrin upside, this version has a larger diameter wheel and I am sure it will be much easier to remove in cold weather with numb fingers...

To be safe, I'll probably procure a spare brass ring and keep it in the ever-growing save a dive kit.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Does anybody know for sure that the plastic wheels are "Delrin"?

Not all plastic is delrin.

If not does Apeks list what resin the wheels are made of?

Acetal (delrin is a trade name) is a very tough "engineering" resin.

I'd be a bit surprised if the wheels are infact made of Delrin and are failing as regularly as people report.


Tobin

 

[diveh3]

I doubt mine were derlin, more like a molded plastic.

 

[Soggy]

Doesn't look like Delrin to me.