Need an advice on rig purchase

[Mypka 0]

Hello,
Need an advice on my first rig purchase.

Reflex/ Sabre1 150/ Tempo 150
everything manufactured in 1997

Overall rig is in a very good condition, has about 300 jumps on it, and spent rest of the time in a closet.
It fits me well, but not perfectly, has couple holes in a leg pad and no AAD.

I would be interested to hear anyone's opinion on this rig as well as fair price that I can be expected to pay.

[sundevil777 94]

It would be wrong to provide info that might lead you to buy it without knowing your background - jump numbers, time in sport, what and where you've flown so far and how well you've done with it, and weight.

Also, the holes in the leg pads should be checked by an experienced rigger that is not beholding to the seller to confirm whether there is some not so obvious damage to the webbing.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Mypka 0]

thank you for reply. The instructor told me this is good rig for me.So I am just wondering what would be the
approximate price of rig this type so I can bargain with this seller.

[JohnRich 4]

Browse the classifeds here and compare to see what prices others are asking for similar gear.

[councilman24 36]

Unless you have experience on a 150 sabre or similar canopy this is NOT an appropriate rig for a first rig no matter what your size. Any parachute 150 or smaller can be considered a high performance parachute.

Fill out your profile, give us some more information and we can better answer your questions.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[Mypka 0]

I know 150 is too small for me.I have another sabre2 170 (just canopy) and I need container where I can put it.
So I thought if buy this rig I can put there Sabre2 170 and later ( when I'll be ready )put back this Sabre 150. Am I wrong?
My weight is 120 lbs. And I jumped with Naro 290 only. It is TOOOO big on me.

[hackish 8]

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Unless you have experience on a 150 sabre or similar canopy this is NOT an appropriate rig for a first rig no matter what your size. Any parachute 150 or smaller can be considered a high performance parachute.

I'm kinda siding with you on this one but it's not uncommon for little 120lb jumpers at do their 10th+ jump on a 150 sized canopy where I jump. Usually they will start on a 190.

To the OP there is no way people on the interweb can judge what's appropriate for you. Ask the opinion of more than one instructor and if you're still not comfortable with their advice maybe go a size bigger.

-Michael

[554 0]

About $1200-$1500

[nigel99 151]

Quote

Quote

Unless you have experience on a 150 sabre or similar canopy this is NOT an appropriate rig for a first rig no matter what your size. Any parachute 150 or smaller can be considered a high performance parachute.

I'm kinda siding with you on this one but it's not uncommon for little 120lb jumpers at do their 10th+ jump on a 150 sized canopy where I jump. Usually they will start on a 190.

To the OP there is no way people on the interweb can judge what's appropriate for you. Ask the opinion of more than one instructor and if you're still not comfortable with their advice maybe go a size bigger.

-Michael

Going from a 290 down to a 170 is a huge jump! If it is possible I would definitely try and get some jumps on 210's and 190's on the way down.

It sounds like the OP is from a smaller country/dz so maybe equipment availability is scarce making it difficult to do a conservative progression.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[monkycndo 0]

Quote

I know 150 is too small for me.I have another sabre2 170 (just canopy) and I need container where I can put it.
So I thought if buy this rig I can put there Sabre2 170 and later ( when I'll be ready )put back this Sabre 150. Am I wrong?
My weight is 120 lbs. And I jumped with Naro 290 only. It is TOOOO big on me.

You admit that a 150 main is too small for you, but a 150 as your reserve is acceptable? A canopy that you will be flying for the first time, the smallest you have ever flown, most likely lower than you have ever deployed a parachute and maybe having to land out in a tight space.

Sounds like a FANTASTIC idea.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[davelepka 4]

Quote

I know 150 is too small for me.I have another sabre2 170 (just canopy) and I need container where I can put it.
So I thought if buy this rig I can put there Sabre2 170 and later ( when I'll be ready )put back this Sabre 150. Am I wrong?
My weight is 120 lbs. And I jumped with Naro 290 only. It is TOOOO big on me

Most of the problems with the deal have already been mentioned, but I'll put them all together so you can see the whole pitcure -

- The reserve is a 150, so if a 150 is too small, then the reserve is too small. You stand a good chance of a reserve landing not being 'normal', you might be off the DZ or stressed from your cutaway, so the last thing you need is a reserve that is too small.

- If the main is a Sabre 150, and your canopy is a Sabre2 170, you're not going to want to switch from a Sabre2 to a Sabre. They are very different, and the Sabre2 is a much better canopy. You'll probably end up selling the Sabre 150, and they're not worth much these days.

- The Reflex is no longer in production and the company has shut down. There 'may' be a source for replacement parts, but I'm not sure. If you have a cutaway and lose the freebag and pilot chute, you want a rig you can easily get parts for. I know at one time someone was providing replacement parts after the company went under, but that was years ago. You'll want to confirm a steady source for parts before buying a Reflex.

- If all you have jumped is a 290, you have a long way to go before jumping a 170. Even at your light weight, you'll want to step down gradually over the course of several jumps. Look to make a handful of jumps on something in the 240/260 range, than the same on a 210/220, and then the same on a 190 before jumping the 170. When switching from something too huge like a 290, you can take a big step down and drop 40 or 50 sq ft at once (to a 240/260). The smaller you get, the less you want to step down with each size. It might only take 2 or 3 jumps on each size, but you're asking for trouble by making too big of a downsize.

If your DZ only has the 290, look to make a trip to a DZ with a better selection of rental gear. You could also order demo canopies from PD, and have the DZ put them in the student rig for you to jump. You could also look to borrow canopies from other local jumpers that the DZ could put in the student rig for you.

Overall, the rig might be a good deal, but it's not a good deal today, in your current situation. Where are you located? If it's a seasonal DZ, hold off on the purchase and use the winter to look for other options. If you already have the main canopy, a 170 reserve is easy to find, and all you need is a container.

Keep in mind that you can have any harness re-sized to fit you. If you find a rig that will hold 170's, but was built for a bigger jumper, get the serial number and call the manufacturer for a quote on a resize. Typically it will run from $250 to $450, so if you find a good deal on a container, or can get the seller to knock off some money to offset the resize, you could have a 'custom fit' container for much less than the cost of a new rig.

Remember, a rig sized for a 170 will be able to hold a 150 and most likely a 135. With no need to downsize the reserve, you could get a custom harness put on the rig, and jump it for quite a while as you work your way down to something smaller than a 135. Typically, you can sell your used main and buy a smaller used main for about the same money, so the downsizing won't cost you anything.

[skybytch 259]

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You admit that a 150 main is too small for you, but a 150 as your reserve is acceptable? A canopy that you will be flying for the first time, the smallest you have ever flown, most likely lower than you have ever deployed a parachute and maybe having to land out in a tight space.

Sounds like a FANTASTIC idea

Eh, safety. Not nearly as important as style.

Overstuffing the main container with a 170 is a fabulous idea. I know those plastic stiffeners are inexpensive, but they sure do make a rig look like shit when they break. And main flaps are cheap and easy to fix when the grommets start to pull out.

Not to mention how attractive overstuffed rigs are - if you like that whole pregnant look. Assuming, of course, that you can get 170 square feet of slippery snot into a space designed for 150 square feet of slippery snot in the first place.

[skybytch 259]

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There 'may' be a source for replacement parts, but I'm not sure.

There is a source for replacement parts. Call Action Air Parachutes/Bomber Manufacturing in Davis, Ca. They can get you whatever Reflex parts you might need.

[popsjumper 2]

No.
Bad deal all the way around.
You can do better...much better.

Instructors can suggest all they want. It's the rigger who is going to put the final touch on the deal and you will want that opinion BEFORE any money changes hands.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Mypka 0]

Now I see this deal not for me. Thanks a lot =)