what is better to get used or new?

[swoopfly 7]

so i was wondering when buying new and used gear, which is better to go with new and which will work just as good used? is it better to buy a new canopy over a new harness? im thinking a used harness will work just the same while a used canopy will not so what wwould be better to get ued andd whats worth the extra mony for new?

[monkycndo 0]

I'm really surprised this question has never been asked before.

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[Nicolai 0]

A new canopy is more fun to fly, and an old harness will work just fine..

And afterall: a harness is just a harness.. I mean... sure spacerfoam and other options can be nice and safety concerns when freeflying is also something to have in mind.

I used to jump an old vector 2 replica and had a sabre2 190 in it.. sure the fit was not all that good but i was a happy puppy jumping my awesome sabre2:-D

But then again it all depends on what dicipline you are into... If canopy flying is just a matter from getting from freefall to the ground and all you wanna do is to freefly then you should probably spend a bit more on getting a rig designed for that and then consider your canopy choice after that...

Well.. if you want more input just pm me, im happy to chat about gear all day long.. or... use the search function. this has been discussed to death over and over and over again:-D and then some more.

[shropshire 0]

So, have you been renting gear for the past 3 years/200 jumps..... or do you actually already know the answer to your question?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[likestojump 3]

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A new canopy is more fun to fly, and an old harness will work just fine..

I call TRIPLE bullshit on this one.

A new canopy is no fun to pack, and it's a bitch to find an old (used) harness that will fit you well.

If given a choice, I would take a new container, and a used canopy. Not like most people stick with their canopies longer than their harnesses.

[Nicolai 0]

I stand corrected.. funny how a thought is so hard to get in writing, the way its meant to be understood...

I'll try to pick my words better next time

[likestojump 3]

hey, I did not mean to say that your opinion is wrong - it is not. Those things are quite subjective, and given the choice some may feel a nicer canopy is better as their intrinsic values are different.

Technically and practically - new container is a better choice, but offsetting for the varying human psyche - the answer varies.

no way to make this a blanket statement :)

[Nicolai 0]

As i read your comment i realized that my post was partly BS..

Theres a lot of consideration about getting new OR used gear.... I think that was my point.
What are your budget?
What will it be used for(RW, vRW, swooping(or canopyflying in genral) or a combination of diciplines)?
How good are you at packing?

And probably a lot more..

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

so i was wondering when buying new and used gear, which is better to go with new and which will work just as good used? is it better to buy a new canopy over a new harness? im thinking a used harness will work just the same while a used canopy will not so what wwould be better to get ued andd whats worth the extra mony for new?

You want gear which is safe, comfortable, and going to have the lowest total cost of ownership. Some people would want colors that don't disgust them, although I do have one pink blue and black canopy which was a good deal.

Usually that means used gear. It's a lot easier to sell a canopy you buy for $800 and put 150 jumps on for $650 or more than a $1600 canopy for $1450 so you're more likely to knock a few hundred more off the price on the new canopy.

Conversely, a $600 canopy which needs a $300 line set may only be worth $500 when you sell so you'd have spent $400 instead of $150 for the jumps you make on it.

A Cypres AAD should cost about $11 a month over it's life time which you'll get with a brand new Cypres 2 for $1300.

A Cypres which expires in a year for $300 is going to cost you over twice that to own and isn't a good deal.

Sufficiently old units that need their 8 year check and new batteries are arguably worth no more than the $80 trade-in value.

Start with the purchase price, add $160 for each 4-year check you need and $85 for batteries every 2 years on the Cypres 1, subtract $80 for the trade-in value, and divide by the months use you get out of it.

Special deals may change the economics. You're probably not going to loose money with a 50% military or door prize discount on a new container (about 1/3 off what you'd pay to a dealer). A long time ago Aerodyne had a sale on new mains in stock colors for $1000 which priced them the same as nice used ones. Fliteline had the millenium deal with 40% off MSRP on Reflexes (about 20% off regular dealer prices).

If you down-size as fast as you can according to Brian Germain's chart and stop jumping conventional canopies around 1.8 pounds per square foot you might be on your final container size at 400 jumps. After 800-1000 jumps you might be done downsizing too.

Once you're not going to sell anything how much money you'd get if you did is a lot less important.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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A new canopy is more fun to fly, and an old harness will work just fine..

A sabre2 with 600 jumps and a brand new line set will fly as well as one with 0 jumps. It'll just cost less and be a lot easier to pack.

I bought my Stiletto 120 with 600 jumps and a new line set for $600-$700 and put 600 more on it. Late in life after a few steering line replacemens but before the rest of the lines had shrunk too much it still flew like new but almost packed itself.

[jsreznor 0]

Quote

A Cypres AAD should cost about $11 a month over it's life time which you'll get with a brand new Cypres 2 for $1300.

A Cypres which expires in a year for $300 is going to cost you over twice that to own and isn't a good deal.

Start with the purchase price, add $160 for each 4-year check you need and $85 for batteries every 2 years on the Cypres 1, subtract $80 for the trade-in value, and divide by the months use you get out of it.

Or don't get a Cyprus.

[humbled1 0]

I would think a brand new, custom built for your body size containter would be the most important piece of gear. Of course other factors are very important, such as how often/quickly is the jumper going to downsize etc. Used mains seem to be easy to find and you most likely keep a new container longer than a new main. As for a reserve, I would go used if I could find a good one at a good price, if not new would be ok since it will most likely stay with the container.

But I have never owned a new rig/canopy so take my advice with a grain of salt...

"Tell ya the truth, I don't think this is a brains kind of operation."

[dsbbreck 0]

As the gear sales manager at my dropzone, I tell all my customers that if they are going to buy anything new it should be the container. A container that is made for you is incredible. If sized right, you can downsize a couple times or more and it will last you a long time.

I almost never advise anyone to buy their 1st canopy new. It loses so much value once it's been jumped. You wouldn't buy a brand new car that you only plan on using for 6 months, why do that with a canopy. Buy used until you know you've reached the size you're going to jump for a while.

Buying a new Reserve and AAD vs buying a used one really comes down to your budget.

David

"Socrates wasn't killed because he had the answer.......he was killed because he asked the question."

[mr_music11 0]

Used everything except AAD and helmet.. saved a bunch of money and got my gear faster than if I bought new. Not tryin' to flame..but yes, this topic has been discussed extensivly/the search function is your friend.

If flying is piloting a plane.. then swimming is driving a boat. I know why birds sing.. I skydive.

[firstime 0]

I bought new fresh out of the gate (everything). I am by no means rich but that is the way I am. I could have saved a bunch of $ had I went for used but I started in my late 40's. I guess everyone's situation is different.