Larry OKC Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 I am new to flying and just wanted to know what to look at when buying a used rev? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northwavesailor Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Wayne??? We met Wayne D. at a kite field in Portland and he had a pretty good list of questions to ask and details of inspection to try to get a 'good' Rev! I'm sure he'll chime in................ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Most important is the leading edge screen - is it torn or ripped? If it's not a bad tear, it can be repaired! Leading edge pocket showing wear signs - warning! Look at the bridle - it'll tell you how much flying has been done by the wear! Unless someone has put a new one on! Check the caps for wear, they can show any "street use" if they are all ground down! Stretch is a hard one unless really obvious on the trailing edge! Setup the kite and look for any signs of extreme wear, and look down the sail at the vertical rods - are there any small horizontal "cracks" along that line! More wear!! Check the rods for loose ferrules, ill seating rods can snap and/or rip your sail!! We use a scale of 1-10 to rate wear, 1 being crap and 10 being perfect! Good used would fall in the 7-9 category! Beware anything below 5 unless you can sew and don't mind doing repairs, they would be called "beaters"! Good hunting!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkieRob Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Sail stretch would be the biggest thing. Most others can be fixed with a patch or some thread. Use. If your not confident then spend less and get a beater! Guaranteed though, you can't stop at just one... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry OKC Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Thanks everyone for the great info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Carter Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Buy from people who are regulars on forums like this and GWTW. Folks in these social groups tend to be honest about the condition of used kites and are easy to track down if you have questions or need help with something. I've bought and sold well over 100 kites this way and never had a problem. Anonymous transacations over other media are more risky. I've made great friends swapping kites over the years. If you cant fly with someone, share kites with 'em! I tend to buy beat up kites for cheap and fix 'em if needed, but stretches and tears in mesh and fabric should be avoided unless you are are real DIY kind of person (with a sewing machine). One of my most bet up Revs is one of my favorites. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barresi Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Reference from the archives... http://kitelife.com/general-topics/buy-sell-trade-used-kites/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 Look at places that keep track of the seller's feedback. As Allen has mentioned earlier, try to buy from people who are regulars on the kite forums, like this forum, the Rev forum, and the GWTW Swap Shop. People that frequent these places are usually good honest folks, like yourself, and they are truthful about their kites, and the condition of the kite you are interested in. Also, they don't want you to come back and slam them, for sending you a beater kite, when you were expecting something much better. The most important thing is communication. If the seller won't take the time to communicate with you, or answer your questions completely - walk away ! If you can't find them, circulating somewhere within the online kiting community - walk away ! If you can't find anybody that is familiar with the person - walk away ! If you just have a bad feeling, about what's going on - walk away ! And always, always use PayPal to pay, if possible. They will usually back you up, should you venture out, and get taken............... Again, stay within the realms of the active kiting community, and you'll be in good hands......... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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