Best type of BiPAP machine?

Hello to all who can help. My husband is new to the sleep apnea world and after not sleeping well for over 2 years, we went looking for answers to why. Come to find out sleep apnea was it and had a 94.5% AHI on watchpat. He did sleep study and looks like surgery nor meds are going to be helpful but was able to get a 1.1/hr AHI on the BiPAP machine with setting of 22/17cm H2O.
We are with Kaiser and it looks like we choose a plan not good enough to get help with getting a machine thru them. So we are to receive a Rx prescription to get a machine elsewhere on our own.

My questions simple... We would like info on the best BiPAP machines out there via users who have tried different ones? how often is a machine's turnover of buying a new one? Cheap vs quality? anything? Please, any experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated as we are trying our best to figure out the best way for him to enjoy quality of life again.

Thanks, shaggychik47

I have used ResMed Bipap machines S9 & Aircurve 10 since I started therapy and have not had problems wit the Aircurve 10 (later model than the S9). Can't speak to other brands but most of the well known brands are pretty similar in features and reliability. Since the BiPaP is on your dime, suggest you try Craigslist such as this one: https://austin.craigslist.org/hab/d/brand-new-top-of-the-line/6521300623.html or a reputable site that sells good second hand machines: www.secondwindcpap.com/ - I would avoid buying anything from CL that isn't new and would test the machine for a few minutes. I bought one in the past that started screaming after about an hour... motor bearings were shot. There are also a bunch of retailers that probably sell for less than a local durable medical equipment store. Again, probably none of the major brands

I have used ResMed and Philips Respironics autobilevels. I felt that both brands successfully treated me. I did happen to find ResMed more comfortable for me, but I do know of others who found Respironics to be very comfortable for them. So I guess that is a matter of individual preference. And I think we tend to adjust to whatever machine we use, over time. Since the blowers are medical machinery that have to pass muster to be sold in the U.S., quality of the machinery itself is generally not an issue in the U.S., in my opinion. I believe that quality of the seller is the larger issue. Buy from someone you trust who would be able to deal with any issues during warranty. Any machine that works past the warranty should have no trouble for years to come if it is well taken care of.

I have used ResMed and Respironics (or Phillips Respironics as they now are) for a many years. Quality is not really a concern because, as jnk suggested, in order to live up to medical equipment standards they all do what they are supposed to do just fine. Most of them have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years or more, depending on how they are set and how well they are looked after. The retail price on them can be very high (in Australia at least, but is probably much less in the US), but one can be purchased for much less at a site like http://www.secondwindcpap.com/ which WiredGeroge mentioned above.

The real problem is that which machine to get depends on what settings it needs to have. Not every model of BiPAP has the same range of functionality, so if you get the wrong one it won't do what you need it to do. Unfortunately the exact details are quite technical and you really need a technician with a good deal of knowledge (and preferably some experience too) to tell exactly which machine will fit your husbands needs. Not being familiar with you particular case or the US medical system I'm not sure what you are supposed to do about that. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.