Piranha Hog Regulators?

[longshotgene]

Okay, I know the old adage "you get what you pay for." What is your take on these regs? My wife holds the purse strings and won't let me buy the Poseidons I would really like to have. She pointed out the Hog regs and told me to see if they would be good, and last a long time. You guys have helped me out in the past, and I could really use it now. Will I be dissappointed with these regs? I am going to be doing most of my diving in cold water. I can't have free flows happening all of the time. Let me know what you all think.

 

[Jimmer]

I'd buy the HOG's over the Poseidon's even if they were the same price, and yes I have owned Poseidon regs. They are a very classic design, that is well sorted out and works well. It's a simple design and easy for any competent technician to service, or learn to service them yourself. Poseidon's have a reputation for being tricky regs, even for experienced technicians.

In addition to that, you can come on here and contact the owner of HOG for advice, service, warranty or just to ask questions, whereas Poseidon has in the past been very difficult to get support for in North America (that may have changed now).

 

[longshotgene]

Sounds good. Here are two more questions. Hopefully the owner is listening. Is the standard Hog 2nd stage Nitrox compatible? I see the Orca is. Also, where are these regs constructed? Are they made in China to keep costs down? I just want to know that I am trusting my life to something of quality and quality wasn't sacrificed for money. I know that little can go wrong with the regs, but I just want to make sure. In photography there is a company called "Alien Bees". I was skeptical about buying their stuff, but took the plunge and never regretted it. The ease of fixing the stuff on my own made it all worth the while. Most of the parts at the time were made in the U.S. From an engineering standpoint, I know that parts manufactured in China normally have a low quality control rating.

 

[Tortuga68]

Piranha just sell them, they're made by http://www.edge-gear.com/

The Nitrox compatibility is listed on the website - it varies according to the maximum tank pressure

If you want to ask a question, try the http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/edge-gear/ or you could PM cerich

There's quite a few people here that have them, and seem very happy. I had a set briefly which I've since sold to my dive buddy, they're going strong for him

 

[Jimmer]

Yes, the HOG regs come right out of the box oxygen ready. The regs are made in China, which as you mentioned keeps the costs down. The difference between HOG and some other brands that use Chinese parts, is that HOG seems to pass those savings on to the customer, moreso than other brands.

The chinese are perfectly capable of making high quality parts, but it is up to the manufacturer to ensure that. In this case Chris Richardson of HOG/EDGE Gear does an excellent job of monitoring the quality, and if there is a problem he will be there to help rectify it.

 

[FWADIVER]

Where are you at in Indiana? There is a shop here in fort wayne that would lend you a set of hogs to try out if you were considering buying them. They are fantastic regs, easy breathing, easily adjusted and just fantastic, cant beat the price, and customer service.

 

[mselenaous]

HOG is an up and comer and is quickly gaining market share. Great service directly from the owner (SB name cerich) of the company (see the Edge/HOG forum here on SB) and they have contracted some great folks (SBers) as dealers. They are easy breathing regs at an affordable price. Unlike some other companies who enforce minimum pricing policies on their dealers, HOG gives dealers quality gear at very reasonable prices and leaves it up to the dealer to sell at a fair market price. Service kits are available to consumers who have trained to service their own regs. Many of my rec and tech friends are switching to HOGS. I now have HOG regs for my doubles and noticed no difference in breathability/function between them and my Scubapro MK25/S600 except the $$$.
Here is a user review http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/344299-got-demo-hog-piston-adjustable-reg-sweet.html.
Make sure to get the environmentally sealed regs for cold water diving.
Safe Diving!

 

[Tortuga68]

Finally found the thread I was looking to link: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/356539-hog-regulators-do-you-still-love-them.html

 

[ECpirates96]

I would buy HOG over Poseidon even if the Poseidon were cheaper. I have Scubapro and HOG regulators sets. I have 5 SP 1st stages and 4 SP second stages. One Tech HOG setup and looking at buying at least one more if not 2 more HOGs. The D1 st with the cold water kits are enviro sealed with a swivel for the LP hoses and already setup for DIN. Its like the Scubapro MK17 and adding the Swivel from the MK 25. SP charges $70 for the DIN alone. I see the $160 for the D1 1st stage as a deal. As for the HOG D1 second stage it is similar to the SP G250 which is a legend itself and at a cost of only $100. Call Mike at Dive Right In Scuba in IL (815) 267-8400 since they teach a class on how to service your on HOG regulator and ask his opinion.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I wanted a nice expensive set of regs but as with you, I do not hold the wallet . I purchased a complete set of HOG regs and love them. The coldest I have had them is in 35° water and they seemed to perform well (even if the visibility did not). I am looking forward to diving them more. The only issue I have is that right now, in my area the service options are very limited. I either have to drive 2 hours each way to drop them off somewhere or I have to courier them somewhere. I will not hesitate to recommend these regs to even someone in my area because even though the servicing may be an issue, the value is there and the limited service options will correct eventually.