G260 vs. A700

[rsingler]

What's it gonna cost to get a S620ti maintenance done if they need to replace any titanium parts though. It's possible to do it yourself?

The titanium parts will last the life of the regulator. No reason to worry that you'll have an expensive replacement. There's no wear on the barrel. And it doesn't corrode. The service cost is same as a regular S600. Most shops ~$30 + parts kit.
And if you can service an S600 or a G250, you can do an S620Ti. Adjustment knob is more complex than the G250, but tuning is easier.

 

[DeepSeaPirate]

The titanium parts will last the life of the regulator. No reason to worry that you'll have an expensive replacement. There's no wear on the barrel. And it doesn't corrode. The service cost is same as a regular S600. Most shops ~$30 + parts kit.
And if you can service an S600 or a G250, you can do an S620Ti. Adjustment knob is more complex than the G250, but tuning is easier.

My primary is a a700 but it sounds like the S620ti is the best of the bunch right now then. Nice and light too

 

[stuartv]

I have Mk 25 EVO with G260 regs and Mk 25 EVO with S620Ti regs. I also took the SP class on reg servicing a few months ago, which included the A700. I have not breathed off the A700.

To me, the G260 breathes just a little nicer than the S620Ti. The 620 may have better WOB numbers on an ANSTI machine, but I believe that does not tell the whole story. I am buying a couple more regs shortly and it will be 2 more G260s. The 620 is lighter and less bulky and the ones I have will be dedicated to single tank diving and travel. My regs with G260s will be used for technical diving (sidemount and backmount doubles sets). I also have Dive Rite XT and Hollis DC3/212 regs. To ME, the 620s don't really breathe any differently/better than those other regs. They all seem about the same, to me.

I loaned a reg set to a friend last week. She used them for 13 dives while we were down in NC. It was a Mk 25 EVO with 1 G260 and 1 S620Ti. She compared them both and said that she could tell a difference and the G260 breathed a little nicer, in her opinion, as well.

I was pretty hot to get A700s until I took the SP class. I will not be buying any for myself simply because (as @rsingler already alluded to), the air barrel is brazed into place and it's not hard to ruin the whole reg body by accidentally trying to turn the air barrel with a wrench. Plus, replacement of the body (whether it was ruined as described or just because somebody dropped a tank on it or whatever) is $200 vs $20 for a replacement G260 body. And there's the whole thing of needing a tool to remove the face plate on the A700 and having to make sure you don't drop/lose any of the screws. I would not want to be trying to take the face plate off of an A700 while on a pitching boat. Say, because it got some sand or sediment in there that wouldn't come out on its own. OTOH, if I had to, I would feel fairly comfortable doing it underwater, during a dive, if I NEEDED to take the face plate off a G260.

Bottom line: The G260 is an awesome breathing reg and, bonus(!), it's the least expensive of their "top line" regs.

 

[halocline]

I just splurged and spent a whole $50 on a very nice looking D300, that's one of the more expensive reg purchases I"ve made in a while. I did have to replace the pre dive switch o-ring which is a big pain in the butt. The SP D400 repair manual has a helpful suggestion for that procedure, it says to not do it.

Anyhow, I must be the cheapest guy on earth, but for the life of me I can't figure out why anyone who actually knows how to repair these things would spend hundreds of dollars on a regulator, multiple times, no less. I'm pretty sure the D series regs breathe as well as any 2nd stage available new.

I just don't get it. I can see how new divers get hoodwinked into buying a $1,000 regulator set right out of OW class.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

The 260 is the continuation of the 250 line and the G-250 is my all-time favorite reg.

 

[buddhasummer]

The 260 is the continuation of the 250 line and the G-250 is my all-time favorite reg.

Mine too.

 

[TTPaws]

I'm like @stuartv, I have 5 260s. I even use them as my pool reg (MK17+260) when teaching and one on a MK25 for my pony. I really like how much punishment the pool reg has taken and other then minor cleaning has needed nothing. My mentor dives the 700 because of it being smaller, but in the water I don't notice a difference.