Which reg under $450 (used)

[Moby_]

I'm trying to find the best options for a 1st and 2nd stage. I'll be diving in Monterey monthly and in warm water 2-4 times a year. I should only need 2hp ports and 4lp ports, max. I'd also like something that is not difficult to get serviced in Hawaii and Mexico as those will be my primary warm-water destinations. I've been looking at specs and searching forums for days but can't cut through the noise to get the low-down on what's really the best deal. I don't care AT ALL about looks or style or any BS like that. I'm a function over form kind of guy. Ideally it will breathe nicely and not give me problems when servicing. Ideally, I'll also be able to service it myself. I'm a mechanical engineer and have been hands-on, fixing things my whole life and almost never pay anyone to fix anything. My M.O. is to buy barely used gear on ebay or local for a big discount vs retail. With that said, what advice do you have? I'd like it to be more like $400, but I can go to $500 for something great or higher quality.

I'm currently considering this deal for $525 (I'd sell the octo and guages)
Scubapro MK25
Scubapro S620Ti
Scubapro R195 octopus
Apeks 2 gauge console
Bigblue AL1200NP light with rechargeable battery and charger.
Comes with travel bag, manuals and CD. Supposedly used only 5 times.

 

[drk5036]

I'm trying to find the best options for a 1st and 2nd stage. I'll be diving in Monterey monthly and in warm water 2-4 times a year. I should only need 2hp ports and 4lp ports, max. I'd also like something that is not difficult to get serviced in Hawaii and Mexico as those will be my primary warm-water destinations. I've been looking at specs and searching forums for days but can't cut through the noise to get the low-down on what's really the best deal. I don't care AT ALL about looks or style or any BS like that. I'm a function over form kind of guy. Ideally it will breathe nicely and not give me problems when servicing. Ideally, I'll also be able to service it myself. I'm a mechanical engineer and have been hands-on, fixing things my whole life and almost never pay anyone to fix anything. My M.O. is to buy barely used gear on ebay or local for a big discount vs retail. With that said, what advice do you have? I'd like it to be more like $400, but I can go to $500 for something great or higher quality.

I'm currently considering this deal for $525 (I'd sell the octo and guages)
Scubapro MK25
Scubapro S620Ti
Scubapro R195 octopus
Apeks 2 gauge console
Bigblue AL1200NP light with rechargeable battery and charger.
Comes with travel bag, manuals and CD. Supposedly used only 5 times.

Seems like that's perfectly the best setup. MK25 is considered one of "the best" first stages, and while people have debates about whether the S6xx or the G2xx line of second stages are better, they're both regarded as top of the line. I'd jump at that deal if it was available to me.

 

[runsongas]

Wait till Black Friday, and check deep 6.

Regulators

don't worry about servicing. you can mail it back to deep 6.

 

[drk5036]

Wait till Black Friday, and check deep 6.

Regulators

don't worry about servicing. you can mail it back to deep 6.

or, since he said he was interested, you can service them yourself. With a black friday deal, you might be able to get a new setup for under your 500 dollar target window.

 

[lowwall]

Also take a look at the Mares Abyss (second stage) with pretty much any of their first stages (22, 32, 42 and 52). It's a all metal, time-tested design. It's been in production forever and thus parts are available throughout the world. They aren't super popular in the US, so are pretty inexpensive secondhand.

Also once you decide what you want, unless there's an amazing deal on eBay, try posting a Want To Buy on the regulator classifieds here. I just picked up a Mares Proton Metal regset here in very nice condition for $180 incl. shipping.

 

[84CJ7]

Scubapro is good, they were always a bit obnoxious about parts availability to non dealers but the internet has pretty well fixed that.
The 109/mk5 are super popular with the vintage crowd and everything you need can be had from vintage double hose (who is doing inventory so his store is offline right now).

Mares is super annoying to service yourself because parts availability to non dealers can be somewhat spotty and the kits don't come with half the parts (yes I know some are not considered annual replacement) and so you end up spending three times as much to get the same kit as aqualung uses with everything included (the easiest brand in my opinion to get aftermarket parts for).
I make up for that by servicing my stuff maybe every 5 years unless something requires attention.

That said my MR22/Abyss that I rebuilt once and then switched to aqualung stuff for easier service parts was the best breathing regulator I have used and never had a single hiccup at any temperature. I still own it because used resale on most everything sucks so I just hang onto stuff now.

If you go Mares and want to rebuild your own stuff go used on ebay and get one with the current version of the abyss second which has the screw in plug opposite where the hose goes into it which is for adjusting the second stage without taking the cover of and putting it back on to test, and off, and on, and off, and on. Maybe an experience reg tech can get it perfect in one try, not me. The current MR22 also uses a normal size hose wheras the older ones used 1/2" hoses to the 2nd stage which are more of a hindrance than a help though I just use an adapter to a regular hose on mine on the 1st stage end (the abyss second always uses a normal size hose fitting).
You can still find the kits to convert it to DIN if you need them and the dry environmental kits which are nice for keeping the saltwater out of more areas as well as theoretically helping prevent freeze up.

Currently I am using three late production Aqualung Conshelf 14 second stages with the same service port the later abyss has, attached to 3 titan 1st stages because the 14 first stage is super obnoxious to find the din kits and dry kits that I put on all three titans though they perform the same and even share rebuild kits which come with the hp seat and diaphragm and can be had from VDH cheaply.

For me parts availability and durability are more important than maximum performance.

$450 is enough to cover almost anything used plus the cost to refurbish it.

 

[spoolin01]

They're pretty much all well under $450 used, unless you're after something esoteric and/or aspirational where limited supply keeps price high.

 

[buddhasummer]

I have one last new G250V for sale, plug plug.