Choices for regs in certain price range

[Fishpie]

I must admit to being biased towards diaphragm regs.....but my choice is based on different needs to the average diver.
I need regs that are simple and cheap to service, can be put away wet in a sailboat lazerette and will work perfectly when pulled out 6 months later, and do this for many years.

---------- Post added May 11th, 2012 at 06:21 PM ----------

Here's 4 mid priced regs that have real life performance as good as any higher priced contender.
Apeks XTX20 US4
AquaLung Titan LX
Zeagle Envoy
HOG/Edge
....all are balanced diaphragm 1st's with balanced 2nd's.

 

[highflier]

I always take good care of my stuff, wether it be cars, scuba or what ever else. I do not like to buy used as I never know what it's been through. I also own stuff a long time.. so I don't replace very often. Thus new is for me. That said if your a beat it up and throw it away kind of guy maybe think used.

I bought Hog singles package. I am happy with it. The local dive shops use tanks that are convertable so it really does not matter Din Vs Yoke.

Service might be mail order.. but that is the case for me unless I was buying at a retail outlet at retail prices.

I am happy with the Hogs. Just wish I got a manual with it, as I am a newer diver.
Thus 1 vote for the HOgs, with cold water setup. One thing I did not see mentioned is that with the Hog d1 singles your octo is the same as the primary, Thus you have the same quality unit as your backup as you primary.

Highflier

 

[halocline]

The MK25 is a piston design.
The whole middle part of piston regs is open to the water (inside there are the 2 main dynamic o rings).
For someone that was sold on the enviro seal of double diaphragm regs this is a step backwards.

This is a little misleading. Both piston and diaphragm regs have an ambient chamber where water flows to allow for depth compensation. On diaphragm regs, the parts that are exposed are the outside of the diaphragm, the main spring, the spring pad, and usually some sort of diaphragm retainer; sometimes this is just the endcap of the reg. On piston regs, the exposed parts are part of the piston shaft and head, the mainspring, and part of the reg body. There are two o-rings, one on the piston head and one on the shaft, that seal the ambient chamber from the pressurized internal chambers. In very cold water, it's easier for the piston shaft to freeze because rapidly expanding air cools the piston to well below freezing, and in water that is cold enough, ice can form on the piston shaft. That's the primary reason that diaphragm regs are generally preferred in very cold conditions. The rapidly expanding air is not in nearly as close proximity to ambient water, and so freezes in the 1st stage are less likely.

But to say that piston regs are not as durable or reliable because of this is not true. There are plenty of MK5s around with 30 years of service that still look and work fine. All 1st stages need to be soaked in fresh water after use in salt water; even sealed regs will take a beating otherwise. It's just a little easier to rinse off all the saltwater in diaphragm regs, at least in the older, simple USD (now aqualung titan) design.

Don't make a decision based solely on piston vs diaphragm. The most important thing for the OP, buying a new 1st regulator, is to get yoke if you're diving yoke tanks and DIN if you're diving DIN. Lots of SB regulars are pushing HOG regs; at least one is selling them, and they do seem to be very high quality for the price; I've never dove with one, so I really don't know. But, it's DEFINITELY a mistake to buy a DIN reg if you're diving yoke tanks, and at the moment, HOG comes only in the DIN configuration.

Aside from that I'd stick with a major brand and try to avoid buying anything with a lot of gimmicky features.

 

[cerich]

hmmm...where as you seem to be making a inference while carefully not saying anything...allow me to.

Complying with the Made in USA Standard | BCP Business Center

Regulators - Zeagle Dive Systems

I wish I still had the particular issue of Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine from years ago that was titled "Unsafe at any Depth"
An in depth lab test of bargain priced regulators mostly sold mail order, that were imports, AT THAT TIME would sure make you stick with a name brand.
Anybody else old enough to remember the article? Anyone have a copy?

---------- Post added May 12th, 2012 at 09:43 AM ----------

I have a buddy that purchased a set brand new with parts missing in the 2nd-stage. That's enough of a reason for me to avoid them. The other reason is that I've owned a few of the other ODS re-brands, and while they did the job,

interesting that I never heard of that. I did recently have one that arrived with the cover on the exhaust tee busted in shipping however. It may have happened when we shipped or my hve happened when the dealer shipped. I honestly don't know but we send a new one right away.

It's interesting that you paint all the regs that ODS makes with the same brush. They aren't. What a buyer specs plays a LARGE part, plus I can honestly say that they have improved leaps and bounds in the last few years.

I spend a TON of time working with them to get the highest build quality and performance possible. Build quality shows and to be honest so does antsi machine testing.

The biggest issue I seem to face is getting them built fast enough.

 

[aj555]

Check out Atomic regs if it hasnt already been mentioned

 

[CaveMD]

fwiw I own 8 hog d1's and frequently take them below 200' and recently past 300ft, all in caves.

 

[Capt.Gene]

Thank you for providing the link to the performance testing charts for the Zeagle regulators.
And while an owner might not be able to tell the diference in performance between any number of similarly priced products they can choose from, performance issues or service delays for lack of availabily of parts or service always makes the headlines.
My recomendation always will be to buy what you can get serviced by a highly trained and equipped service tech. And don't buy the cheapest thing you can find.
Every dive shop has boxes of used regulator stuff that seemed like a good idea to somebody at the time.

 

[SandyRobinson]

FWIW, one of my cave buddies uses SP MK 25s. On a trip earlier this year, he bought a HOG reg and used it at JB that same day at a depth of 90 to 95'. At the end of the dive, he said the HOG breathed great and that he could not tell a difference between it and his SPs.

 

[cerich]

no further comment

 

[BoltSnap]

FWIW, one of my cave buddies uses SP MK 25s. On a trip earlier this year, he bought a HOG reg and used it at JB that same day at a depth of 90 to 95'. At the end of the dive, he said the HOG breathed great and that he could not tell a difference between it and his SPs.

So his SP was that much out of tune? He should have bought an Atomic regulator.