Andrew Dawson
Contributor
You can rebuild that "old" MK20 into a "new" MK25 for under $100....you can get a piston [I need to check the price I paid just about 6 or so months ago but it was way less than $50, IIRC]...you can polish the inside of the ambient chamber with micromesh [3200+ grit sand paper] for cheap.
Those S600s are awesome and you can convert them to basically a new [4th gen with metal air barrel] for less than $200...
So, you can have a "new" MK25 plus two "new" S600s for less than $250 [plus the original cost of the regs]...if you are lucky, you can get away with $1000 in "new" regs for about $300...and know how to rebuild and tune them.
You may even just want to keep it an MK20 for now and save $25...IMHO, these are very easy to work on, have tons of parts for them [they are one some of the most popular, proven, and awesome performing regs ever made], and they will last you as far as you go. Pick up another MK20/25 1st stage down the road and you can go into sidemount
Or your buddy can
To be sure, get an IP gauge [$15 or so from DGX], hook them up to a tank...check IP, purge the 2nd stages a few time while watching IP, purge the 2nd stage and wait 30secs while watching IP to see if it is stable or creeps higher, purge it, wait a few mins, check IP again...check again in an hour, check again overnight.
Those S600s are awesome and you can convert them to basically a new [4th gen with metal air barrel] for less than $200...
So, you can have a "new" MK25 plus two "new" S600s for less than $250 [plus the original cost of the regs]...if you are lucky, you can get away with $1000 in "new" regs for about $300...and know how to rebuild and tune them.
You may even just want to keep it an MK20 for now and save $25...IMHO, these are very easy to work on, have tons of parts for them [they are one some of the most popular, proven, and awesome performing regs ever made], and they will last you as far as you go. Pick up another MK20/25 1st stage down the road and you can go into sidemount
Or your buddy can To be sure, get an IP gauge [$15 or so from DGX], hook them up to a tank...check IP, purge the 2nd stages a few time while watching IP, purge the 2nd stage and wait 30secs while watching IP to see if it is stable or creeps higher, purge it, wait a few mins, check IP again...check again in an hour, check again overnight.
