<sigh> Ok I'll tell you all the greuling details.
First to UP - yes my proclivities include being tough on regulators. But at the same time, the regulator needs to handle some levels of abuse - and the flow adjustment knob needs to work for at least 1 year between servicings.
Among the problems I've had with Apeks are:
The Venturi adjust burned out the seat 4 times.
The parts kits (including o-rings) were hard to come by on the part of two dive shops. I asked both shops to order a kit and the winner received the kit almost 8 weeks after placing the order. And of all things to reallly make me made, one of the critical parts was missing from all of their kits. So the shop did some jury rigging and made the old part work. We sent a formal complaint to the mfg.
Also my ATX50 - made funny noises from the start, and over time (about 3 montns) it started breathing with much difficulty. So I took it in for servicing. I took it to two shops for a second opinions and both could find nothing wrong. Strangely after the second shop took it apart and pronounced it fine - it did breath ok for a few more dives, and then the problems started over again.
I felt I needed a higher qualtiy reg. I went with the devil I know. So to give Apeks a fair shot I bought an ATX100 - at the time (2 years ago it was the top of the line offering for the shop I was affiliated with). For this environmentally sealed, fully balanced and piston based unit - I spent $400.00 (with discounts). It leaked on the first dive when I was at a 90 degree angle in the water. And I completely aspirated in an upside down position (a problem I didn't have with the 50). On it's last dive with me it started to free-flow and couldn't be shut off - ending another dive. Extremely frustrated I took it back to the shop and they replaced the unit with a brand new one (nice guys that they were).
I quickly discovered it wasn't that my first ATX100 was a lemon ... the model was really that bad, cause the new unit had all the same problems (except the free-flow). So I accepted it at face value dove horizontally about 25 times on the new unit, with only a few minor complaints - like the fact that the adjustment knob started grinding really bad after just these 25 dives. I took the regulator by a dive shop with a really excellent repair facility which also came with many recommendations. They had the gall to scold me for taking so long to have this unit serviced (WHAT!). Anyway they recommended that I have a full overhaul done. I turned them down and went back to my old stand by shop (not the place I bought the reg from). They gave me a really good deal on another overhaul (I pretended that it needed it so as not to have to explain myself all over again).
The reg has never been dove on since that servicing. I couldn't get any bites at $200.00 on Ebay though I tried to sell it 3 times. I'm not surprised because an enlightened public would be nuts to purchase this pile of junk.
After this whole fiasco I borrowed a low-end atomic B1/B2(comparative product offering to the Apeks ATX200 at the time) from a friend and did only 1 dive with it - I HAD TO HAVE this regulator. The shop I was working with at the time - had a keyman deal - so for $625.00 I got an $1800.00 top-of-the-line Atomic T1/T2 x-treme. Exaggeration would fall short of reality regarding this regulator in every category - A dominant winner with no close seconds. Why do I say this you may ask?
Because I have sadly been without my regulator on 2 dozen occasions. Because my buddies who hear all my product endorsements but currently own Apeks, Dacor/Mares, Oceanic, and Zeagle junk have asked to trade me for one dive. It's been fun getting a chance to see if these companies have made any progress since those days. I offer you a resounding NO ... and oh by the way give me back my regulator, go get your own.
(It's been over 15 months and well over 100 dives since I bought my Atomic. Because of all the problems I had in the past with other regs - I felt compelled to take in my reg after 1 year. I asked if I could watch the service guy look at it. He took it apart and said there is NO REASON to clean this unit "bring it in next year" (What!). The manufacturer was right - 2 to 3 years between servicing - and then only a cleaning is usually required.)
