Used equipment

[Free_Flow]

Whats the deal on used equipment? Is it ok to use if it comes from a refutable owner? Is new equipment worth the extra money? For someone with limited monetary resources would used equipment work if only for a short time?
How can you tell if it has been taken care of correctly?

Russ

 

[seabat]

I would not trust any "refutable" owner.

I found it hard to rationalize purchase of second hand equipment when I considered worries about what the previous owner used as guideline for use/maintenance, the possiblity of expired or non-transferring warranties, and expenditure of money anyways on new equipment later.

I made my purchases gradually to offset limited monetary resources starting with the regulator and BC (mask and fins came when I took my first class). Although the reg and BC were a fairly big expenditure they both lasted 10 years.

Yes, I could have most likely found good, used equipment from reputable owners, it just wasn't in my scope of criteria for dive equipment.

 

[detroit diver]

What types of equipment are you talking about? Drysuit? Regulator? Rebreather?

It makes a huge difference as to what type comes from what source. And what type of diving you're doing.

 

[Quarrior]

I buy used and I buy new. Never had a problem. Thing to keep in mind when buying used is to know what you are looking at and to have things like regs and tanks checked out by your LDS before you use them.

 

[Snowbear]

I've bought new equipment and I've bought used equipment. Somehow, all of it is now used and I still rely on it :11: It would just get way too expensive to buy new stuff every time I went diving.
All the stuff I have in my gear stash pile I would still buy if I was lookin' for gear. Of course, some of it I would definitely service it before I actually relied on it during a dive :11:

 

[Padipro]

I've bought a ton of used equipment off ebay and never had a single problem with anything I've bought. Of course I know what questions to ask to determine the condition of the equipment before I bid and then have a certified tech check out any life support equipment I buy before I use it. You can find some great deals on some good equipment if you know what you're looking for. Just remember to always have a certified equipment tech take a through look at anything you buy.

 

[paulwlee]

As long as you know what you are getting, used equipment can be a great way to save. But make sure you factor in the cost of service as sometimes a used regulator that needs to be serviced can end up costing close to what you would have paid for a new one.

I personally had great luck with a fair number of used gear purchases. A couple regulators, a stage bottle, backup lights, SPG's, a pair of fins, canister light, DPV, etc. Since I stepped into tech diving, maybe half the gear I own was bought used. Only way I can afford all that gear.

 

[herman]

I have bought used with no problems. While others have had sucess on ebay, that's the one place I would not buy gear, the reason being that I can't look at it myself first. I know many sellers are accurate on their discriptions but other are not. I just don't want to pay for "good" quality only to get something that was dredged up off the bottom full of mud. There are plenty of horror stories where this has happened. I would have any used life support gear serviced before using it. The warrenty issue is mostly a joke. If you read the warrenty on most equipment, it only covers the cost of the rebuild kit which runs in the $15 to 30 range, you still have to pay for the work, takes a lot of kits to offset 1/2 the price of a new reg. Taken care of, quality dive equipment is difficult to actually wear out. I have a reg and a BC from the early 80's (bought used by the way) which is still in fine diving condtion and I know of others on the board that have even older equipment. Bottom line is, we all dive used equipment, the only real difference is who dove it first.

 

[montyb]

I have over the past year replaced all my (purchased new equipment) complete outfit.
Regs, BC, Computer, Wet Suit, Fins with used updated equipment. When I took new reg in for safety check LDS mentioned how well taken care of and great shape it was in. BC was basically brand new although had 15 dives on it and 200 dollars cheeper than new. Reg saved 300.00. Computer saved 400.00
I have no prob. buying used. just know what you want and ask questions.
montyb