So what is AGD doing with all their old classic valves?

[aqua_scummm]

What's AGD doing with all their old classic valves? I was thinking of a way to have a little fun, and realized it wouldn't be all that hard to make a pseudo valve front, just the air input, face where it meets the regulator seat, and output as a standard ASA threaded male end. I'd end up with an automag regulator to put on my autococker! Talk about awesomeness!

If AGD were to take all the classic valves that are cosmetically blemished or turned in for the valve upgrade program, and sell them like this as plain regulators for other markers, I would definitely buy one or three.

It'd be great for the environment! Instead of wasting fuel melting them down to be recycled, they would be reused. AGD would make some money off their old used parts that are just sitting around. And consumers would have another cheap high quality regulator available. And I dare you to find me a regulator as durable as an AGD stainless steel one. Plus most of us already have a spare seal kit waiting for it :)

I was thinking around $70 per regulator?


I know that this will most likely never happen, my ideas rarely come to reality, but it made me happy and I wanted to share.

[matteusz]

Enter the cost to profit ratio and free market forces. It is cheaper (and lighter) to make a new reg out of aluminum in mass that it would be to do this with used mag valves. Plus I am betting the demand for the product would be minimal given the weight issue. If people really want AGD performance on other markers there are products like the PPS stab available and widely known.

Nevermind the nightmarish insurance/ liabitly issues if you didn't test the valves. If you did there goes any potential profits. I think I read somewhere that when the xvalve came out demand for classics pretty much died. I am betting the old valves are being stored and if at some point in the future AGD runs out of valves and still has demand for pro classics they will have them tested and refurbished in a large quantity.

Good thought though.

[Tao]

I always wondered what they did with the trade in vavles. When the pro claasic came out I wondered if this was what they did with them, but on the other hand I couldn't see AGD selling a refurbished product as new. I imagine they are canibalized for parts and recycled.

A good question for TK.

[aqua_scummm]

I don't see a safety issue as long as they aren't visibly damaged, the valves are incredibly strong. Still, I will agree that a good disclaimer and a signed agreement before buying them wouldn't be a bad idea. They were originally rated to take 2200 psi right? Say they're now rated for 1300 psi and you shouldn't have any issues

And cost would be pretty low. You gotta remember, this is just scrap metal right now, and the one part needed to be machined wouldn't be that expensive. Just a basic tube of SS, which can be costly, but design is limited cost, as they already have CAD files for the male ASA end and the inner face part, as well as the threading, and it's not intricate or anything.

I would be interested to see the math behind their actual cost to do something like this, as well as the pile of traded in or blemished valves they have.

As for weight, they'd be a little heavier, but not all that much, since it's such a short regulator. It can be a lot more compact, too, which can be good or bad, depending on the user's wants.

[ScatterPlot]

Wow, almost an identical thread about this was posted many moons ago. I mean like almost Identical wording.

Anyways, the reason they do the trade-in program is so they can get the old stuff off the market. They're not going to sell them out, because people would see old crappy mag valves and think man, mags stink, and then they get one less person to spread the word about mags. I seem to remember people seeing big buckets of old mag valves that they were going to destroy. Many people would like to buy them, but nearly all companies will make more money by making a new one and selling it than selling old, nearly broken stuff.

[maglover728]

I think they are getting them (old valves) off the street to make the private market thinner. If there were all these valves on the street, and I know there are plenty, then AGD wouldn't sell any new ones at all. If Joe Noob, mag owner, wanted another valve and we had not turned in out old classics for the X, he would only have to pay what, $20 for a complete classic valve?

In the end, the used market wasn't inflated, and the new market was made more affordable, and everyone was left smiling.

[aqua_scummm]

Ah yes, the age old dilemma, build something that lasts forever and watch your market soar... and disappear

[nathanjones008]

huh, i always thought that when peeps tade in their old valves that agd recyles the old ones to make retro valves or to make more classic valves. Think about it you used to be able to trade in your old valve and get 100 bucks off a retro or a x-valve( now i think you only get 50 bucks) If agd doesnt do anything with the valves then they are loosing money. When someone trades in their old valve for a new one agd is losing some profit, ie. 50 - 100 bucks.

i hope this makes sense.

[edweird]

the truth about what happens with old valves is something I dont think you kids would like to hear.

/segway

Hammertime!

[Shane-O-Mac]

I think that once they get a 55gal barrel of them, the send them to the recyclers. Thats a good chunk of change! And yes there are barrels of them, and they wont sell you one out of there, I have asked............... ;)

Not enough people want a SS secondary reg, you wouldnt get many buyers. If you want something like that, find a AA Violator, pretty much the same thing, different seat and reg pin. You can even find a old Uni-reg, that would look just like a mag valve made into a secondary reg.