New regulator very cheap on ebay

[halocline]

I would be servicing it annually regardless, per manufacturers recommendation/ requirement for warranty. Would I need to service it even more often than this?

I would rethink your position on this. There is no maintenance or safety related reason to service regulators annually, unless you are using it almost daily. Manufacturers slap this annual requirement on buyers to get them in the shop more often, and quite honestly, to inflate the perceived value of the 'free' parts programs.

I suspect you could buy this reg online, use it for several years (if you take care of it), then get someone to service it, then dive it again for several years, etc. It really depends on how often you dive, but most well-made regulators will go at least 100 dives, usually more, without needing service.

The warranty for regulators has very limited value in my opinion. The good ones rarely need warranty service, and there are lots of manufacturers that do not require annual service to keep the regs in warranty.

The one thing about your first post that raised an eyebrow to me was the statement that this reg is cheap because it 'came from a lost shipment' (or something like that. To me that smacks of 'it fell off the back of the truck' old cliche about moving stolen goods. I would ask the seller outright, are you 100% certain that this was not a stolen regulator? Because I personally would never buy stolen goods. I might be making a big deal out of nothing, but it did cross my mind.

 

[SaltyFrog]

it's sold out.

OP did you buy?

 

[Snakekid97]

it's sold out.

OP did you buy?

No, I wanted to look into hog and deep 6 a little more and maybe even at some used gear. I was tempted too, but didn't want to rush it if there is *better* gear for a similar price range.

I also noticed that the seller has had them posted for sale multiple times. So they may come back up again. Although, this makes me question the "lost freight" explanation.

 

[Centrals]

My suggestion:
1. Use rental.
2. Deep 6 or Hog
3. Learn how to service the reg properly.

 

[Cdncoldwater]

I bought new Apeks set from dealer. It worked fine for the first year. Did a service course with that same dealer and never bothered with "manufacturer recommended maintenance". If it locks IP, I am not going to open it.

Maybe a case of different country, different rules, Where I live you can't get training or repair kits without working or going through the dealer. I agree that it doesn't need to be rebuilt every two years if the IP is stable and you rinse it well between uses. That being said I have serviced and rebuilt a few with lite use that weren't cared for and corrosion had started; seen it with other brands as well.

 

[admikar]

Maybe a case of different country, different rules, Where I live you can't get training or repair kits without working or going through the dealer. I agree that it doesn't need to be rebuilt every two years if the IP is stable and you rinse it well between uses. That being said I have serviced and rebuilt a few with lite use that weren't cared for and corrosion had started; seen it with other brands as well.

I regularly take a good look at intake filter. If color has changed, I will open it for a quick peek inside. High pressure side, never touching low pressure side without changing valve because of the set.
Edited to add: I am very carefull where I do my fills, so far not a single instance of problematic fill (moisture, oil).

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

No, I wanted to look into hog and deep 6 a little more and maybe even at some used gear. I was tempted too, but didn't want to rush it if there is *better* gear for a similar price range.

I also noticed that the seller has had them posted for sale multiple times. So they may come back up again. Although, this makes me question the "lost freight" explanation.

97.6 is not a great rating, have you looked at their feedback to see what others have complained about?

 

[Snakekid97]

Current update:

I have an old tusa TR-400 that was a hand-me-down from my grandfather. It's 30+ years old I'm told, but it's never been in the water. Prior to this post I had been in contact with tusa about rebuilding it and they said they no longer have service kits for this model. I had written it off as a no go.

I've recently learned it's the same 1st stage as the SP MK5, which I hear is a good regulator. I've talked to someone online who is a tech and willing to service it for about $120 (parts, labor, shipping, hoses, etc all included).

Now I'm wondering if this would be $120 well spent or if I should save that money towards a new hog, deep 6, etc.

 

[Centrals]

I've recently learned it's the same 1st stage as the SP MK5, which I hear is a good regulator. I've talked to someone online who is a tech and willing to service it for about $120 (parts, labor, shipping, hoses, etc all included).
Now I'm wondering if this would be $120 well spent or if I should save that money towards a new hog, deep 6, etc.

Keep the reg and buy either Deep 6 or Hog.
DIY in the future for that Tusa reg.

 

[halocline]

Current update:

I have an old tusa TR-400 that was a hand-me-down from my grandfather. It's 30+ years old I'm told, but it's never been in the water. Prior to this post I had been in contact with tusa about rebuilding it and they said they no longer have service kits for this model. I had written it off as a no go.

I've recently learned it's the same 1st stage as the SP MK5, which I hear is a good regulator. I've talked to someone online who is a tech and willing to service it for about $120 (parts, labor, shipping, hoses, etc all included).

Now I'm wondering if this would be $120 well spent or if I should save that money towards a new hog, deep 6, etc.

I use 30 year old MK5s diving thousands of feet back in caves, so obviously I trust them. But I doubt the TUSA is exactly the same, and especially in the 2nd stage. Still, I think if someone can service this regulator it's a great option. You can likely dive it for several years and then you will have much more experience to make a regulator purchase decision.

I had a large box of vintage TUSA parts that I traded to rsingler, so he might have a seat or other parts for this reg. If it really is a MK5 clone and uses the same seat, then getting it serviced is a piece of cake. But I've seen the parts for some of the older TUSAs and they are not identical to the corresponding SP parts.

Since I know how to service and evaluate regulators, I am much more comfortable using old ones than many divers are. I prefer them, actually. They are simpler and proven to be extremely reliable over decades of use. And they cost next to nothing. What's not to love about that?

The new-regulator-from-a-dive-shop business is filled with hype and nonsense, and the prices are absurd given what these devices actually do, which is the very simple task of lowering tank pressure to ambient and allowing it to be delivered on demand.