Best machine to choose if they all cost 50 cents

Awesome replies, thanks everyone. I will try to fix my profile problem, but in the meantime - My name is Dan, I live in Western Australia. I'm self employed in IT. Some of the suggestions so far are great, I will reread them when I get home from work and reply to everyone.

dsm wrote:I guess I should have added that if I were to choose a preferred machine over all others it would be ...

A Bipap Auto (Biflex model) or Vpap Auto (the 1 slinky has). I'd want 1 of each .

I won't mention the SV models because there are too many complexities associated in choosing them & not worth going into here. SV technology may well find its way into the mainstream in time but a lot of evaluation & assessing of peoples actual situations and matching of requirements needs to be done before we will see this happen.

DSM

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): bipap, auto

Dear Santa, While yer at it ....Please drop a couple under my Spruce This december ...Seriously danmc,i sure do like your enthusiasm ..you should do fine with what ever machine you end up with because you've got your head on right !

dsm wrote:I guess I should have added that if I were to choose a preferred machine over all others it would be ...

A Bipap Auto (Biflex model) or Vpap Auto (the 1 slinky has). I'd want 1 of each . ...

Ha, DSM!! Brilliant minds think alike!!

The new Resmed VPAP Auto AND the Respironics Bi-PAP Auto w/Bi-Flex!!

Those were the two I opted for when my sleep doc said he was switching me to a bi-level!!

Except that I insisted if it were the Respironics it HAD to be the pre-M Series Respironics Bi-PAP Auto w/Bi-Flex. I wouldn't accept the M Series model. The decision for the Resmed VPAP was that it wouldn't require the purchase of yet another integrated humidifier.

If bi-levels weren't so darn EXPENSIVE I'd buy a pre-M Series w/Bi-Flex as a backup and travel device in a heartbeat!

Slinky,

Of course I meant the 'tank' (pre M-series) Bipap Auto.

I should have included that point. And should add that I have one already & it is very good.



DSM

http://investor.covidien.com/preview/ph ... id=1162848

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2008--Covidien (NYSE: COV, BSX: COV), a leading global healthcare products company, today announced that two new continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, the Sandman Info(TM) and the Sandman Auto(TM), are now available in the United States.

My emphasis.
O.

Hot dang, Ozij!!! Thanks!

[quote="ozij"]If money is not such an issue, buy all three brands of auto and try them out. They have different algorithms - which sometime makes one of them much better for one person - and another for the other.

You have to find the one that is best for you - and theoretically, that might be the machine that is best for only 4% of the poplation.

O.

Edit: on second thought, it's four brands, but the DeVilbiss is not necessarily data capable and does not have software yet.

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Good advice, I intended to buy a couple anyway since I will need one for travel.

[quote="deerslayer"][quote="dsm"]IDear Santa, While yer at it ....Please drop a couple under my Spruce This december ...Seriously danmc,i sure do like your enthusiasm ..you should do fine with what ever machine you end up with because you've got your head on right !

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Haha thanks Deerslayer, I'm glad my head does something right. Pity it's such a funny shaped head that the masks pop off like champagne corks...On santa though, is he really going to bring the reindeer to your house given your nickname?

Slinky wrote:
If bi-levels weren't so darn EXPENSIVE I'd buy a pre-M Series w/Bi-Flex as a backup and travel device in a heartbeat!

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Thanks Slinky, I know I probably come off to a few people as just more money than sense, but its not really about that. I drive an old bunky car and am as tight as they come on some expenses. I hate spending money. But I figure sleep problems cost me thousands every year, I want the best. You comment is exactly what I am looking for -if we ignore the cost, then whats the best.

Wow so much info on this forum. Great stuff. I havent even heard of some of these machines so much work for me to do researching them. Just to clarify somewhat how I am comparing - If a machine has all the features of a lesser machine but adds some, then it is my prime choice. Eg the cpap vs apa argument - in general cpap seems to do everything apap does. I am assuming though that things get more complicated at the bipap level as some features may be a tradeoff for others. But I can sure list the features and get a better idea.

Touching on masks - they cost a couple hundred plus in Australia but seem to be cheap as chips online. I'm off to order a few. I will try to do my own review of them and feed info back to the board.

Dan,

I'm in Sydney & have bought quite a lot of gear from the US over time. Some places will ship to Oz & some won't. But, if ever you do get stuff shipped to you here, do what ever you can to get the shipper to use USPS Global Priority. It is cheaper than UPS Fedex etc: plus they deliver through Aust Post & provide parcel tracking & usually get here within 4-5 working days - the other courier services just aren't as good & they can nail you if the parcel is for example an item over $1000.

Aust customs now require that all parcels with a value over $1000 go through their customs parcel tracking service even if the item (like xpaps) attract no duty & no GST. I have had to register with them as one recent parcel did exceed $1000 (a Bipap Auto SV). It took me a few days to get the required docs in place & amazingly the customs help desk in Sydney went out of their way to expedite the Bipap through their system once I explained it was a medical device.

They need us to quote the appropriate import laws that exempt cpaps.

Masks are usually no issue at all due to them being well under the $ limit.

Good luck in your search.

DSM

danmc wrote:

Slinky wrote:
If bi-levels weren't so darn EXPENSIVE I'd buy a pre-M Series w/Bi-Flex as a backup and travel device in a heartbeat!

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Thanks Slinky, I know I probably come off to a few people as just more money than sense, but its not really about that. I drive an old bunky car and am as tight as they come on some expenses. I hate spending money. But I figure sleep problems cost me thousands every year, I want the best. You comment is exactly what I am looking for -if we ignore the cost, then whats the best.

I so understand where you are coming from!! My oldest half sister and I are similar in that respect altho our priorities are CONSIDERABLY different.

Just bear in mind that I said my TWO preferences (because I have COPD) are the Resmed VPAP Auto and the Respironics pre-M Series Bi-PAP Auto w/Bi-Flex.

VPAP is Resmed's proprietary name for a bi-level, just as Bi-PAP is Respironics' proprietary name for a bi-level.

[quote="dsm"]Dan,

I'm in Sydney & have bought quite a lot of gear from the US over time. Some places will ship to Oz & some won't. But, if ever you do get stuff shipped to you here, do what ever you can to get the shipper to use USPS Global Priority. It is cheaper than UPS Fedex etc: plus they deliver through Aust Post & provide parcel tracking & usually get here within 4-5 working days - the other courier services just aren't as good & they can nail you if the parcel is for example an item over $1000.

Aust customs now require that all parcels with a value over $1000 go through their customs parcel tracking service even if the item (like xpaps) attract no duty & no GST. I have had to register with them as one recent parcel did exceed $1000 (a Bipap Auto SV). It took me a few days to get the required docs in place & amazingly the customs help desk in Sydney went out of their way to expedite the Bipap through their system once I explained it was a medical device.

They need us to quote the appropriate import laws that exempt cpaps.

Masks are usually no issue at all due to them being well under the $ limit.

Good luck in your search.

DSM

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Thanks DSM - I have a shipping forward service in Florida, a USA indial number (so stores in the USA can call me, some wont sell without it - I'm looking at you Lenovo...) and so forth because I hit that problem a lot. I did not know much about the diff between courier services though so I will use your advice. I too find customs excellent, I get a lot of stuff that hits the limit and they are very helpful.

dsm wrote:
They need us to quote the appropriate import laws that exempt cpaps.


DSM

Actually DSM you are brilliant, we should find out exactly what the code is for cpap gear then list it here for other Aussies and overseas resellers. Cheers mate!

Slinky wrote:
Except that I insisted if it were the Respironics it HAD to be the pre-M Series Respironics Bi-PAP Auto w/Bi-Flex. I wouldn't accept the M Series model. The decision for the Resmed VPAP was that it wouldn't require the purchase of yet another integrated humidifier.

If bi-levels weren't so darn EXPENSIVE I'd buy a pre-M Series w/Bi-Flex as a backup and travel device in a heartbeat!

Can I ask why the pre-m series ? They are only about a grand aren't they? Whats the diff with the pre m and m series that the m series costs nearly 2 grand I wonder?