Buying used Regs

[reactive]

When you buy used regs, does the manufactures warranty carry over to the new owner? For instance, if a company like scubapro offers the manufactures warranty and the lifetime free parts when you get them serviced, would I as the second owner of those regs still get the same benefits or do I forfeit that?

[CODMAN]

From what I understand (and others, please correct me if I'm wrong), the answer is no. It doesn't.

[fireflock]

Not usually. Sometimes you can work something out if you know the person you buy from and they are local.

Buying used regs works Ok if you know how to service them yourself. By the time you buy the reg and get it serviced, the cost is often close to the price of a new one. Throw in something like a parts plan (if you like the plan and use it) and new is sometimes the way to go. If you can get the reg serviced cheap, and don't care about a parts policy, used can be a nice option.

[mitsuguy]

Originally Posted by fireflock

Not usually. Sometimes you can work something out if you know the person you buy from and they are local.

Buying used regs works Ok if you know how to service them yourself. By the time you buy the reg and get it serviced, the cost is often close to the price of a new one. Throw in something like a parts plan (if you like the plan and use it) and new is sometimes the way to go. If you can get the reg serviced cheap, and don't care about a parts policy, used can be a nice option.

Yup... I bought a pair of Tusa regs that way and saved about $500 between the two... I'm going to learn to service them myself, so, money saved will be huge...

[Kabniel]

unless I knew the seller personally, and possibly even in the biblical sense of the word, I wouldn't touch second hand regs with a 10 foot pole.

From the prices I've seen on ST you'd be better off buying new with a warranty by the time you've had second hand regs serviced. It's a pity the UK import tax prices them out of being a serious option for me

[mike_s]

This reminds me of a friend who bought a used reg and bragged to me that he saved $100 bucks off its new price. Then he went and had it serviced as it hadn't been used in 3+ years and the initial service cost almost $150 bucks. what did he really save? So now he has a used reg out of warranty and out of "free parts warranty" that cost more than a new one.


for a "general comparison" consider the below.

New reg, lets say average $400 with free parts warranty.

Lets compare to old reg. First thing you'd want to do is get it serviced. Average $60 labor and $60 parts. $120 total on average. (yeah, I know someone can get it done somewhere cheaper, but those are average prices). So then lets throw in the next 4 years parts at $60/year average. that's $240 bucks. (not counting labor the next 4 years as you have to pay that anyway with annual service).

So initial service ($120) plus parts for 4 more years ($240) sums up to $360 bucks. Now compare that to a cost of a new regulator.

[mwhities]

I just bought 4 sets of DR regs.... I'm fortunate enough that the gentleman I bought them from is an authorized dealer and tech for DRs. He said he'd pass the free part warranty to me and give me free services. All I have to do is pay shipping there and back. Priced at 8 bucks a reg, 32 X 2 = 64. 64 dollars a year to get my 4 regs serviced.

I have heard that the warranty on new regs don't transfer but, if you pay for a service kit one time, those parts are then under warranty. Can someone find this out for sure? (I'll see if my guy knows..)

[BSea]

Originally Posted by mwhities

I have heard that the warranty on new regs don't transfer but, if you pay for a service kit one time, those parts are then under warranty. Can someone find this out for sure? (I'll see if my guy knows..)

The parts in the service kit are under warranty from the dealer (lets be honest, an o-ring is only a few cents, so he can afford to warranty the parts), but they are replaceable parts. Mostly they are O-rings a diaphram and high & low pressure seats. Some springs might be included, but the main parts of the reg still won't be under warranty. It sounds like your dealer really cut you a good deal.

I wouldn't service a used reg every year unless It was used in 100+ dives. For an average diver yearly service just isn't needed. I know other may disagree, and this is just my opinion. In fact Aqua Lung generally doesn't replace parts each year, they just inspect and clean each year. Parts are replaced FREE every other year.

[mitsuguy]

I look at it this way... every deal is different...

I bought two Tusa Regs, both about 6 months old, and one, was a dealer that basically wrote me a sales slip and gave me the paperwork so one set is "as new"

RS460 - from ST: $330
SS10 octo - from ST: $80
Mares SPG - from DiverSupply: $120
Extra Inflator Hose: $20
Total if bought outright: $550
I paid $250 with working warranty card and receipt.

RS460 - $330
Mares Console - $160
Inflator Hose - $20
Then I bought the SS10 octo from ST for $80
So, total value - $590
I paid $230

I saved $660, and the only thing that is not under warranty is one of the RS460's...

So, it depends on what kind of deal you get on the used equipment... I definitely made out well... even paying for services, it'll be 4-5 years before I'd be over what I saved...

[CODMAN]

Personally, I wouldn't buy used gear unless I was getting a killer deal on it (like over 50% off the price for new). Exactly, to offset the initial service I'd have done to it. For 20-30% savings? I'd just buy new (for many of the same reasons others stated).

120$ for a regular service? Man, that's bleeding people dry! Around here, it's about half that...

Cheers!