Best Reg for the Money?

[cbm32]

I am a cheap bastage but I am not interested in a premature death either. I own one pure HOG set up and another with a HOG first and EDGE second stage. Oh and my "octo's" are all HOG as well.

I LOVE my HOG/EDGE regs and I dont find the seconds to be any heavier than others I have tried. I dont worry about local service for them because I tend to dive dive dive dive and dive some more for three months and then not at all for 9 months. If my regs need service it is easy to get done via ups during my dry months and if I were to have a problem with a reg I dont need to worry about getting it fixed NOW because I have two sets (actually I have a third set as my first regs were bought cheaply on the resale market and I still have those around just in case too).

In my opinion, there are just too many avid, knowledgeable divers using HOG/EDGE regs for anyone to be taken seriously when they say that these regs are not of good quality.

 

[James R]

I've got a couple Dive Rite XT2 second stages to play with this week. I'll update when I can get them on the magnehelic and do some testing with them against a Hog 2nd and my ScubaPro A700.

 

[agilis]

A while back I got two brand new old stock Sucbapros, completely unusued: a D300 with a Mk 10 DIN originally boxed, and a SP Graphite 250,with a Mk10, same unused boxed condition. The D300 box had originally had a Mk 2 paired with it because I could see where someone, a long time ago, had put a line through the 'Mk 2' on the box and stamped 'Mk 10' over it.

I've replaced all O rings in everything but the D300, where I carefully replaced the big square o ring (not really an o) behind the selector switch Everything else inside looked very good an unshrunken, (tiny touch of christalube) as did the square selector 'o' ring I removed. I don't know enough or trust anyone local to mess with it. It worked beautifully in a shallow local lake, but that's as far as I've taken it.

I opened the 10s replaced orings and seats; the Graphite its spring, poppet, poppet seat o rings and rubber parts replaced, more as a update than replacement from wear or age, though the Graphite's o rings ( one red) did show a little stiffness. The 250 Graphite works so smoothly breathes so easy that I found it hard to understand why. Better than any 250 or 109/156 I have . Very little free flow with adjustment open full, which stopped instantly when the mouthpiece was placed downward. It is highly tuned, as are all my 2nd stages. First stages are set at 140 IP.

Total cost for everything, including parts, was under $250 for both. At $125 each that's hard to match. Plus, of course, a couple of hours of sheer enjoyment.

Next trip to Dominica the Graphite will be my primary, an older mildly cosmetically imperfect 109 with its adjustment half screwed in will be my safety second.

 

[Tortuga68]

...the hp poppet is changed every other year and is your cost as in not covered in parts for life

Not really 'parts for life' then is it

 

[ams511]

Not really 'parts for life' then is it

I have not studied them carefully but my understanding of most of the revised "parts for life" programs is this. You need to bring in the regulator to the shop yearly. The manufacturer will provide the parts free for a rebuild every other year. For the year between the regulator is just checked by the dive shop. If the regulator needs to be rebuilt in the between years, then the customer pays. So these revised "parts for life" programs save the manufacturers money also.

 

[James R]

So, I have my two XT 2nd stages in hand. I swapped one of them to a left side -- yes I could have ordered it this way, but what fun would that be? I found that all the o-rings were properly lubricated, which is nice. Swapping them is quite easy, and only took a few minutes.

Players: DR XT2, Scubapro A700, Hog D1, and older DR 2nd stages (IIRC DR3000) all connected to DR1208-5 first stage.

I am actually surprised at how good this 2nd stage is especially given the price of $150 each. I set the XT regs both to crack at 1.1" on the magnehelic, which is the same as my A700. The Hog D1 is right between 1.1 and 1.2" (hard to tell really) and my older DR second stages were 1.5" (any lower and they free-flow).

The XT's cracking effort is on-par with my A700, a little easier than the Hog D1, and a lot easier than my older DR regs. Airflow is a little smoother with my A700, but not a huge amount, is pretty close with the Hog D1 (can't really tell them apart to be honest), and far better than the older DR regs.

These are definitely a step in the right direction for Dive Rite, and I will be keeping them for sidemount. They are not good enough to replace my A700, but you can buy 3 or 4 of them for one A700.

 

[Locus]

A member here turned me on to an online deal on a mares carbon 42 for <$400 so I went for it. It sounds like a solid performer with a bit of a blingy touch (the slightly gimmicky but oh so attractive bonus of a carbon fiber casing) and the price was reasonable for a Mares. Plus it will be very light for travelling, and even better than metal for cold water diving. Also, my girlfriend's regs are Mares and our favourite LDS services Mares, so I figured it would simplify maintenance for both of us to have the same brand.

Thinking I'll order a flex long hose from DRIS, put the carbon primary onto it, then use the miflex hose that came with the carbon for my secondary.

Is there a substantive difference between the Mares Proton Ice and the Proton Ice Extreme? I could get the extreme online for $125 or my LDS is offering the other for a few dollars less.

 

[c5diver]

the difference is the coating on the outside of the extreme, that really will chip anyways. if the ice is cheaper go for it.

 

[Locus]

the difference is the coating on the outside of the extreme, that really will chip anyways. if the ice is cheaper go for it.

Excellent. A couple bucks less to spend, and I can give the business to my favourite LDS and have him show me how to set it up. Win-win.

 

[c5diver]

I don't think the proton ice is any different than the proton metal except for the face plate. just avoid the plastic yellow proton.
and the extreme line of regs from mares have a polymer coating on the outside of the regs that is Teflon ish and makes them black, it scratches and chips but effects nothing. you should enjoy that set for years if you take care of it. I have setup very similar to this for singles mine is the mr32 carbon primary and proton extreme octo. could not be happier with the setup, breaths great light second, I like the mares JAX mouthpiece a lot, way better than seacure. if you can find one pick it up. happy diving and congrats on the reg purchase!