Want a second machine, but what?

[msat]

I'm facing a series of weekly overnight stays in a location to which I'll be travelling by ferry and by city bus -- lots of schlepping. I'm dreading packing and unpacking and hauling my one-and-only machine. And while I have enough money on hand to buy another machine, it is money I may be needing down the road for other things, so I'm cautious about spending several hundred dollars at this time.

If I had a second machine, lightweight or not, I could leave it where I'll be staying for the duration of this time, but it would be nice just to have a back-up machine on hand that could also serve me for any future travels.

Unfortunately, I have high needs: APAP and humidifier for sure. I think I'd probably miss A-flex as well if I didn't have it.

I'm less concerned about noise. I have more trouble with traffic and other city noise when I'm travelling -- the noise of the CPAP machine would probably be relatively soothing!

Thanks for any advice you may have to offer.

[123.Shawn T.W.]

Check out Craig's list or Secondwind.com for a lightly used one ...

[avi123]

If you're ready to pay about a thousand and is used to AutoCPAP then I would consider a Resmed S9 Autoset.

[joeyjernigan]

I bought a mask (hybrid) from Second Wind CPAP. They are good to deal with.

[Julie]

DeVilbiss Intellipap (like mine ). I use it as my every-night machine, and a different very good but no-longer-sold machine for backup that I got long ago. The IP is great (and incidentally quiet whether or not you care). My only slight reservation is that the humidifier (which I hardly use) can be a bit fiddly to clean and put back into the machine with water in it, without getting some in the machine itself and having to let it dry out for 1-2 days afterward... but then maybe I'm just a klutz!

[JohnO]

If you can afford it, I'd suggest getting the same machine as your primary machine. That way, you'll already understand how to use it, how to read its data, and be familiar with the way it operates while it is helping you breath.

[Hawthorne]

cpap.com is having a Labour Day sale. You would probably get a great deal right now even on the machine you have. You would have 2 the same then.

[archangle]

CPAP.com is a good source.

If you're willing to watch for a while, you might find something good on craigslist. I had to wait about 3 months checking a few nearby cities to find a PRS1 Auto or an S9 AutoSet for around $300. Plus a 50 to 90 mile drive one way.

You'll also find lots of people who got robbed by their DME for $3000 for a CPAP machine 5 years ago, and now want $800 for their old brick, when you can get a much better brand new PRS1 Auto machine for $650 or so from cpap.com.

[msat]

A very belated thank you for your responses.

I looked at Second Wind, but I thought that their prices for refurbished machines weren't all that much better than new machines from cpap.com. I did, however, find a ResMed Escape S8 on on my local(!) Craigslist for $300. At my sleep study, which I finally had, the doc questioned my need for an auto machine, and I experimented with mine on the CPAP setting and was fine, so I wasn't so concerned about getting a straight CPAP machine. And, as I suspected, the noise from my "new" machine is less bothersome to me than the noise of the city, which it covers up quite nicely. This worked out well for me.

Thanks again. I probably should use Craigslist for more things!

[Lizistired]

http://evansville.craigslist.org/hab/3394250906.html

I called to check about this. She called back and said it was an S8 Elite 2. The price is negotiable so you might get a good deal.

[msat]

Thanks, Liz, but I did get a machine, and it's just fine for those nights when I'm away from home. I just wanted to post to say thanks for the suggestions to use Craigslist in the first place.

And I got notification about this response... nice... I didn't get notifications for responses to my original post.

[archangle]

I bought a PRS1 Auto for $300, then another for $200, and an S9 AutoSet for $300 off of Craigslist.

I did have to watch the local ads for about a year to find these three deals, and drive 100 to 180 miles round trip for two of them, but I combined the trips with other business.

I've also seen a lot of crappy old equipment for sale for twice the price of top of the line new equipment at cpap.com. People who got screwed by their local DME with fake "fantasy" prices think their old, used medical equipment is worth 80% of the fantasy list price sometimes.