DIR- GUE Regulator Set Recommendations

[galodoido]

Just looking for stage regulator recommendations. I'm inclined to get the Halcyon stage regulator package for the convenience of having everything included. It's just a bummer that they don't do free parts for life like Apeks, for instance.

 

[rddvet]

I find the free parts for life BS anyway with most companies. They usually find an excuse not to honor it. At least they did 10 years ago when I stopped buying regs that came with free service. I love SP regs, but if I was buying new I would buy Halcyon regs since they're the same thing but cheaper. I just find the halcyon regs ugly. If I wasn't buying new, I'd go on ebay and buy SP MK10s and G250s or G200s and get them serviced. I literally have boxes of them and you can often find a first and second for $150 or less (ususally less). I've yet to have one I bought that couldn't be serviced due to some sort of damage or issue.
I avoid apeks like the plague. Me and quite a few people have been plagued by the hp seat failures that supposedly are fixed now, but I had one a few months ago on a reg with the "new" service parts, serviced by an authorized tech. The only thiing I liike about apeks is their ease of repair and ubiiquitous parts. Other than that there are many things I dislike about the apeks

 

[lexvil]

I find the free parts for life BS anyway with most companies. They usually find an excuse not to honor it. At least they did 10 years ago when I stopped buying regs that came with free service. I love SP regs, but if I was buying new I would buy Halcyon regs since they're the same thing but cheaper. I just find the halcyon regs ugly. If I wasn't buying new, I'd go on ebay and buy SP MK10s and G250s or G200s and get them serviced. I literally have boxes of them and you can often find a first and second for $150 or less (ususally less). I've yet to have one I bought that couldn't be serviced due to some sort of damage or issue.
I avoid apeks like the plague. Me and quite a few people have been plagued by the hp seat failures that supposedly are fixed now, but I had one a few months ago on a reg with the "new" service parts, serviced by an authorized tech. The only thiing I liike about apeks is their ease of repair and ubiiquitous parts. Other than that there are many things I dislike about the apeks

Good advice, I would modify it in suggesting a mk25 or Mk11 for first stages, just easier to get parts and service, MK 10 is a good solid reg though.

 

[rddvet]

Good advice, I would modify it in suggesting a mk25 or Mk11 for first stages, just easier to get parts and service, MK 10 is a good solid reg though.

I've got a ton of MK25s and Mk11s as well and like them all equally. The only reason I lean towards the MK10s when buying used is typically they're cheaper than 25s and therefore the savings compared to buying new is huge. The mk25s lower that savings and make me just consider new at that point

 

[BoltSnap]

Other than that there are many things I dislike about the apeks

Like what?

 

[rddvet]

Hp seat failures is the biggest. My other two big annoyances are the hand wheel on the din valve sucks. When my hand is wet and cold it’s a pain in the rear to tighten or looen the reg from the valve. It sounds really dumb, but I’ve got quite a few friends that tell me it secretly annoys them as well. Another thing is how crappy their din threads feed onto tank threads. Every sp and other brand I’ve had, the male din just screws right into the valve easily. Rarely any cross threading. My wife and I have 8 apeks firsts. Every single one of them are a pain in the ass to screw onto the valve. You’re guaranteed at least one attempt at putting your reg on your tank it’s going to try and crossthread and you’re going to have to back it up amd restart. I’ve asked others that have apeks and they notice the same things.
The apeks are good regs, but there’s just annoyances about them that turn me off to them. The main one being the number of hp seat failures I’ve had. And the fact that I don’t think apeks still acknowledged they exist, even though they changed their service kit after all of the complaints of failures.

 

[galodoido]

I have Apeks Tek3s and one thing I can say is that I get annoyed with the crappy hose routing for doubles

 

[Jimchris]

I have multiple reg sets from apeks (tek3, ds4 and xtx50 2nds),and have not had any issues with seat failure, all have been great workhorses.

 

[rddvet]

I have multiple reg sets from apeks (tek3, ds4 and xtx50 2nds),and have not had any issues with seat failure, all have been great workhorses.

Are they older than 5 years old. It seems to plague the newer ones. Mine are 3 years old. I know of at least 4 people locally that have had well over 15 seat failures amongst us. Then about twice that many that I know that live elsewhere.

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

I find the free parts for life BS anyway with most companies. They usually find an excuse not to honor it. At least they did 10 years ago when I stopped buying regs that came with free service. I love SP regs, but if I was buying new I would buy Halcyon regs since they're the same thing but cheaper. I just find the halcyon regs ugly. If I wasn't buying new, I'd go on ebay and buy SP MK10s and G250s or G200s and get them serviced. I literally have boxes of them and you can often find a first and second for $150 or less (ususally less). I've yet to have one I bought that couldn't be serviced due to some sort of damage or issue.
I avoid apeks like the plague. Me and quite a few people have been plagued by the hp seat failures that supposedly are fixed now, but I had one a few months ago on a reg with the "new" service parts, serviced by an authorized tech. The only thiing I liike about apeks is their ease of repair and ubiiquitous parts. Other than that there are many things I dislike about the apeks

If I may ask, which Apeks had the HP seat issues?