heh…I responded to tht add 5 minutes ago…
As for the needles, I’d recommend ordering out of Texas Electrolyis Supply as was suggested to me. My ballet gold came in yesterday, and they are simply a work of art. I didnt see any sample packs on there though, the closest I came was some single sheets of precision probes 10 per pack for $5 a sheet.
Yeah, definitely going to try and open a case tomorrow. I really wanted that machine too, what a let down.
I ordered my ballet gold from Texas Electrolysis supply and there was a sample of 10 needles as well, 4 f3 stainless steel, 3 f2 gold, and 3 f3 insulated. I did call them and ask if they had a variety pack but sadly they don’t.
I’m a little hesitant to ask about this one. Having been burnt once on a much older machine ( and stiill not received my money back, which it now looks like I may not for a couple weeks at least) however I cant ignore the price tag of $200.
Can anyone tell me if an ultrasoft US1 model by depilmax is a reliable machine? It appears to be all analogue, with slider dials, which makes me even more hesitant because on older stereo equippment those slider pots tended to depreciate with age.
Seana
I’m heading out this afternoon to montreal. Looks like I’ll be buying an apilus senior, which I managed to find at an incredible price. Not giving too many details until the deal is done, but I could be back poking myself with needles by tonight!
ok so it wasnt a senior. It was a SM500 which I managed to snag for $300 ( well $400 if you count the $75 greyhound fare and supper.) Still think I did ok, and Seana is back in action and being hazardous to hair…
And of course, I’m missing the memory card. The seller says they have the manual which would have the code, but without the card I’m pretty screwed. Emailing, hopefully they can mail it to me
So contacted back the seller , and he’s searching some boxes to see if he can find the card. The good news…I called dectro and they CAN sell me a replacement memory card and have it in stock. The bad news…they cost $250. Sigh. I’m really hoping they find it , because having just borrowed the cash to buy this one ( which I have to pay back friday) I definitely cant afford $250 this month. so this should be a word of warning to anyone buying off ebay or used, ALWAYS test the machine, and make sure if it’s an Apilus SX500 or SM500 you get the memory card.
Wile I know the memory card was a feature designed to make it easier for salons to control who and when the machine got used and to keep the billing honest, I don’t like the fact that this protection is not something that could be turned on or off by the user. Since the average practitioner is a sole proprietor, this feature is unnecessary to keeping the machine from being usede in any unauthorized manor. On the other hand, the batter running out, or the card being lost or stolen shuts your business down until you can get a replacement.
Fortunately I think the people I bought it from, are pretty honest. When the husband came and met me at the bus terminal it made me uncomfortable because I had wanted to test the machine first. However I’ve contacted them and they are looking for the memory card.
When he brought the machine , he had a second device they thought went with it, something called a Sonolift . I told them that wasnt part of the machine, and while it looked expensive, I didnt do that kind of work.They didnt really know what they had, the electrolysis machine, the sonolift, and a esthetics bed had belonged to a now deceased family member and so they were selling it off as part of the estate.
When I researched wht a sonolift was, it turned out to be a VERY expensive ultrasound device for treating and rejuvinating the skin, and one I havent even seen available in North America.The price tag I saw on the one site that listed one, was $2990 euro’s so over $4000 canadian Maybe some of the pro’s here would know what it was. They were going to give it to me as part of the deal, but I said no thanks. They really werent awarre of what they were selling.If anyone here DOES use that sort of thing in their salons, I know where you can purchase one quite reasonbably! Here’s a picture of what was offered to me for sale for $300:
http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAdLargeImage?AdId=521582690
In the end, they are looking for the memory card in the deceased 's house. I’ve offered tht since it costs me $100 to bus up for the day just to return it, and time will be an issue to do that, that if they wanted to split the $250 price tag for a replacement card from Dectro, I’d be ok with that. I think I still would have an okay deal on a SM 500 if it costs me a total of $525, and if I return it I’m still $200 down with no machine to show for it.
If anyone DOES want the sonolift, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with the seller. They would likely happily take what they can get for it.
Seana
The shame of it is, for $250, I can buy a standrd SRAM pcmcia card with a removable battery for alot less. I’m betting, that they just do that and slap their own label on it. Ebay has lots.But not knowing the specs, I could easily be throwing away my money too.
After calling back Dectro, that’s exactly what they are. He did warn me though to get it from them, as only theirs will work. Of course they would tell me that. Sigh. I really hope the seller finds the card.
Wow…just wow. Just spoke the seller, they are going to refund $200 of the $300 I paid them. I’m amazed!
I can tell you that I checked into that many years ago with a computer guy in Texas. Although the standard SRAM card would fit into the slot and make a connection, it would not work, as we had no way of pre-loading the proprietary software.
I could feel my short and curlies getting pulled tight, and a certain familiar pressure in my mid section. 
Yes, you have to buy it from them.
I wondered about that, but also thought that the reset proceedure described in another thread probably copied the basic kernal onto the card from the machine.Oh well, they have me by the short and curleys, I feel bad for the seller who’s refunding most of the money I paid them because without that card the machine doesnt work at all . I feel it’s really poor design on Apilus’s part, because the fact the card must be taken out and put back in every time you use the machine means it is also a point of high wear.That’s just poor forethought and design to me, not to mention a pain to every practitioner that uses it.
Seana
Again, the idea was to make salon owners happy about controlling the machine. You want to hear annoying? If you leave the card in and the machine off, the battery eventually dies and you have to not only buy a new battery, but call the mother ship and get them to reauthorize the machine. Practitioners like me just left the card in, and the machine on all the time. As far as energy used, it is like leaving a radio on all day and all night.
Now a point of fairness, while I understand your financial situation, I really do believe that at some time in the future, you should send the seller the money back, because even the full price you paid was about $1,200 less than normal for that machine.
I’ve had a really hard time pricing out machines, there doesnt seem to be alot of rhyme or reason towards pricing.I heard back from the seller that another poster posted a few days ago, offering me a Silouette Tone st-250 for $150 plus shipping, but I’ve seen that same machine locally for 800-1000. If the machine I bought does end up working with no issues once the card is replaced I may just do that. On the other hand if I find out there’s more than that wrong wioth it, it may have been priced about right.We’ll see. I agree though, it did seem like a really low price for that machine.
To professionals, the scale is usually about 40 to 60% of the list price on a used machine. The world of Ebay, Kijiji and Criagslist are really more about who sees the listing and what else is available that week. I have seen Tronco-4-SS-69’s sell for $500 when they normally go for 100 to 300, and I have seen SM-500’s go for $300 when they really should not be less than $800 on a bad bidding day.
Well, that Silhouet ST-250 for $150 on Kijiji that I thought was too good to be true, wasn’t after all. I haven’t actually tested it, but I have no reason to believe that it shouldn’t work, as I purchased it from a reputable medi-spa. They were getting rid of it because the only staff member that knew how to do electrolysis went on maternity leave and wasn’t coming back. No other staff were interested in taking it on. They offer laser hair removal, so as far as they were concerned electrolysis was a thing of the past and they just wanted to get rid of something that was collecting dust. The machine looks like it’s in very good condition and they gave me a whole bunch of stuff (including needles and the manual) along with it. Now I just have to get some books and start reading. Do I need to read both Hinkle’s and Richard’s, or would just one of them suffice?
Ahhhh James, I wish they had a reputation button on here because you’d be voted up in a second. Good deals indeed are out there, it just takes a good eye and patience!
Congrats Tanya! I hope it works out for you. I looked at it myself, but as it stands it looks like I now own two machines, an non-functional SB2 I’m going to have to follow through the quebec small claims division to get my money out of, and a similarly non-functional SM500 that is missing a memory card ( but infinitely more correctable). Glad you had more luck.
One word of advice though, test it…and SOON! I got bit twice ina row with exactly the same thought pattern you had. Remember, in god we trust, everyone else pays cash.
Seana
I still say that even with repairs, both those machines were deals. The cost of fixing what ails them still leaves you under the normal sale price of those machines.
want pain? I might have been able to have sent you my spare SRAM card, but before I sold the machine, my cleaning lady through away my spare! It was in the box it was delivered in, still sealed, with all postal markings on it, and she just tossed it. I lost an autographed book from a friend of mine as well this way. Maybe it is because I am a guy that I don’t understand the thought process at work here.