Elite Paintball Guns

So the Tripod looks like a normal Viewloader hopper and it’s pretty much what it is. There’s one thing special in it though - the loader itself comes with a 200 count pod, but in addition to that you may also get 140 count and 300 count pods and change them whenever you decide. A downside to that brilliant idea though is that you have to buy those separately otherwise you’re stuck with only the 200 count pod. Anyhow this is a loader well worth having. It’s very quite one, easy to clean, and although it’s not the fastest one out there I think 12 bps (not 15 as advertised) is pretty good for a rate. And what I like best in it – it’s nothing like the others of its family when it comes to battery life (meaning that the batteries just seem to last forever). Here are its features:

*  Agitating feed electronic loader - includes multi blade propellor for reliable balanced feed
*  Improved vision system to recognize dark or black shell paintballs
*  Re-engineered feed neck for increased strength and secure fit to your marker
*  Comes standard with X board electronics: Provides faster feed rate to minimize ball           breakage and dry fires, sun proof vision system, moisture resistant electronics, extended battery life
*  Feed rate: Up to 15 balls per second
*  Multi capacity loaders with spring loaded flip lids can be easily changed. The loader comes with a 200 count pod. Additional 140 count and 300 count pods are available in diamond clear only (sold separately).
* Requires 2 9 volt batteries (not included)

There’s not too much to be mentioned on the downside. It tends to be a little heavy, but it’s something you can get used to. It may be slower for many, but as I said I think 12bps is a good rate. And yes you do have to pay separately for the additional pods, but it does costs around $35, so it’s not like you’re adding up to $100 priced loader. It’s a reliable thing to have with less to none problems to be expected. Go for it if you can’t afford something from the high end loaders.

So the next one out of the Viewloader family is the Revolution Force Loader. Believe it or not this thing has some qualities you should know about even though you may think it’s a cheap piece of technology. So for those $30 you’ll have to pay for it you do get the promised 18 bps. And it does holds around 200 balls, although just like with many other loaders you may not want to fill it all the way up. It’s not the prettiest looking loader out there, but I’m sure there are people that’s gonna like it. It is indeed easy one to clean up and maintain and although it has its flaws I think it’s a great loader for beginner players. See its features:

•    18 BPS on marker feed rate
•    Jam free 6 blade force feed paddle
•    2 piece body design for easy cleaning and battery replacement
•    200 ball capacity
•    One 9 volt battery

So on the downside, the main thing people complain about is that the thingy lacks any sort of activation. Meaning that once the raceway and feedneck are full, the flexible impeller continues to spin and jostles balls around in the hopper. I’m pretty sure you see how with more fragile paint this can be a problem. And the other thing coming out of the constant spinning is the noise. You’ll get used to it eventually. Jams are usually not an issue with it, but you may wanna stock up with extra batteries as it tends to eat them too fast. And that’s about pretty much about it. Once again it’s not a bad loader, especially for the $30 you’re paying for it (that’s cheap). I think you’ll be happy with it.

So the Quantum is pretty much the disappointment in the Viewloader family. The thingy comes cheap – around $30 – but sometimes cheap is so not enough to attract people to get it. So when it comes to performance the Quantum is a full disappointment. First of it feeds the miserable 8bps (for a $30 loader that’s a miserable speed), then it holds only about 140 balls (on the positive side that does make it light and small, but still), it’s also very loud and jams are something you have to get used to. On the bright side – it is one strongly made loader (even the lid). So if you’re not totally disappointed by now here are the features for it and I’ll try again later:

“Viewloader introduces the all new VL Quantum electronic agitating feed loader. This 140 count electronic loader designed for the intermediate player features a spring-loaded flip cap lid, one touch operation, a feed rate up to 8 balls per second, and a high impact resistant shell. The new VL Quantum loader requires one 9 volt battery.”

The thingy uses batteries like crazy (nothing new here) and is really not the simplest thing to clean. You’ll be doing yourself a favor if you just save your money for something better. Or spend a little bit more and get a decent Viewloader loader. The Quantum is absolutely not worth that $30 and you’ll be the only one to blame if you decide to get it after you’ve read this review.

So if you’re not too keen on the egg shape of the other Viewloader loaders this may be the solution for you. The Eye-Force not only looks different it also differs in performance – both in a good and in a bad way. The thing is capable of holding about 200 balls which is pretty good for most of the players. It’s also capable of feeding the advertised 20 bps. What’s different is that jams are not excluded. With the previous two loaders reviewed jams were not something to worry about, but here it’s a different situation. Fortunately you have the Auto Anti-Jam which does serve its purpose. The thing is somewhat quieter from the eVLution versions, but at the same time heavier than them. So here are the given specifications:
•    Eye activated force feed comes on only when marker is fired
•    20 BPS on marker feed rate
•    2 piece body design for easy cleaning and battery replacement
•    3 blade spring loaded force feed paddle
•    200 ball capacity
•    Instant Auto Anti-Jam
•    LED low battery indicator
•    Double vision system quickly recognizes dark or black shell paintballs as well as light shells
•    Two 9 volt batteries
The downsides of this loader start with the lid (it’s always the lid). People find it way too fragile and unreliable. It’s also a battery hog (just like the eVLutions), but that’s about all the downsides I can point out. It’s a great loader to have if you ask me. And for the price of around $75 you get amazing performance and great reliability. I can’t really say whether to go for the eVLutions or the Eye-force – they’re all good. Guess it’s all about how you feel for the shape. It’s up to you.

I’m sure you’ve guessed already that this is the bigger brother of the eVLution 3. Fact is that the two don’t differ that much from each other (design and performance), but yet again the eVLution 3 is newer and slightly upgraded. If you have to choose between the two of them I say go for the newer one. The price is all the same anyway. If you have to choose between this one and something else this is why you should consider getting the eVLution II. The thing is really reliable. It is tough made and we know that accidents happen - drops, hits – the thing will be just fine. Jamming is out of the question with it. It may not be as fast as its inheritor, but 17 bps is pretty good, don’t you think. It’s again very easy to clean and very light. It holds 200+ balls which is like 30+ more than a Halo for instance. I know it’s not really great looking loader, but it sure compensates that with performance. So here are the features for it:

•    a feed rate of up to 17 balls per second,
•    special designed feeding propeller with new JVON flexible blades,
•    a stronger spring loaded curved door which opens down acting as a funnel for faster fills and less spills,
•    high impact resistant shell and longer neck,
•    easy cleaning design takes after the VL Revolution’s field proven construction,
•    LED light low-battery indicator,
•    IR sensor controlling on/off propeller actuation
•    battery saving circuitry.

Guess the eVLution 3 pretty much inherited the flaws cause there’re not that much different here. Again we have the small feedneck, the battery door feeling weak, the noise and the over need of batteries. Other than that it’s one great thing to get. Still, as I said earlier, why spending the same money for an older version? It’s a good loader really, but the better decision will be to go for the eVLution3.

There’s quite a collection of Viewloaders we’re about to review, but I thought it’s gonna be nice to start with probably the best of it. The eVLution 3 is one of the Viewloader’s highly rated markers and there’s a reason for that. It’s not that it’s the most technologically advanced marker out there, but it’s really reliable one and it works almost flawlessly. As advertized the thing can get up to 23 bps making it just a ball or two slower than the Halo. It does hold 200 balls, but you may not wanna fill it all the way up. The 6 blade flexible paddle is really awesome. Jams are not something to fear of with this loader. The lid is pretty good, too. There’s not one or two loaders out there getting lower rates because of lid problems, but this one’s really great. Here are the features for it:

* 23 balls per second feed rate
* 200 ball count capacity
* Jam-free 6 blade flexible paddle
* Spill proof spring loaded lid can be locked
* LED low battery indicator
* Vision system recognizes dark or black shell paintballs

There are some small flaws I’ll point out, but don’t let them ruin your first impression about this thing. First of – people complain that the feedneck is a little small, but there’s a solution for that – tape. The other complain is about the battery door being a somewhat fragile. The noise is something people point out sometimes, but I think the loader is not that loud. As to the battery life – it’s really not the best one, so you better carry some extra batteries with you when you play. And that’s it for the flaws. Did I mention that the thing is light? It is. And it’s also very easy to clean. As to the price – it’s probably the best one for its range. You can get it for about $60 and that’s cheap for the performance you’re getting out of it. It’s true that it’s not quite as good as Halo B, Empire Reloader B or B2, VLocity or Pulse…but if you don’t have enough money to get one of those then I would definitely suggest the eVLution 3. It won’t disappoint you.

This is a hopper for anyone that doesn’t like using batteries or electronics. It’s one very light hopper that can hold a fair amount of paint – 200+ balls. It’s also pretty cheap as it costs around $35. And that’s pretty much all the good things we can say about it. From here all the flaws start to take control. First the body construction is really a weak one and it’s not just one case when people get theirs split in half. The seams are very weak and poorly made. The lid has no spring and does not close very tight so you’re always in danger of loosing paint. As to the performance – the thing does fire up to 12 bps, but that’s only when it decides not to jam. Jamming really is the biggest problem of it. It’s constant, constant, constant…even the agitation doesn’t help. Looks are not on the strong side again – the thing may be light, but it’s pretty big. It’s just not worth that $35 asked. You can get something way more reliable and better for that kind of money. Even some of the gravity fed hoppers are better than it. I’ll give you the manufacturer’s description, but my suggestion is don’t waist your money on it.

“The Turbo Active Response Feeder is a pneumatically operated paintball loader designed for high performance and reliability. The patented design allows for continuous agitation for the high rates of fire encountered with modern paintball markers. The Turbo Active Response Feeder was designed by our team of engineers and paintball playing enthusiasts to provide tournament level performance without the use of batteries or electronics.
The goal of the designers of the Turbo Active Response Feeder was to deliver a high performance paintball loader utilizing the excess energy that is readily available with most modern paintball markers. Utilizing an industry first Power Take-Off Pin (PTO-Pin) or simple press on fitting the engineers at Turbo Paintball LLC. have harnessed ‘Free’ Energy and used it to keep your paintballs from jamming. The Turbo Active Response Feeder delivers continuous agitation with every cycle of the paintball marker without the use of batteries or electronics.”

Even though it’s new the Torque is one really high rated loader. People seem to like it very much and trust its performance and reliability. Just like given in the description below the loader is extremely light and durable one. Its screw-less design helps a lot with cleaning the thing, because there are no screw holes to catch paint. You get three battery options for it – one 9 v battery, two 9 v batteries or 6 AA ones. The battery life is great no matter which option you’ll choose. The speed – you may not believe it, but the thing does feed the given 30 bps making it one of the fastest loaders out there. Jams are usually not a problem, but since nothing is perfect we can’t really claim it is jam proof. If a jam occurs you can get rid of it very easily – just use the reverse switch – it really works. Anyway here is the manufacturer’s description for it:

“Hard Corps Torque Loader is the newest addition to the loader market for 2007. Made from quality ABS plastic it is both durable and light weight. At 1.01 lbs. out of the box, Torque is significantly lighter than it’s competition. Also without the need for a battery door and it’s screw-less design, Torque is incredibly easy to disassemble.
Now changing batteries and cleaning is your loader is made to be easy.
Internally, all of the gears are built into the motor assembly making the drive system unique as well and at over 30 BPS, Torque has no problems feeding quickly and efficiently. And, if a jam were to occur? The Torque has a reverse switch that allows fast, easy de-jamming.
With such highend features and the Torques 3D style and look this loader makes an excellent choice for anyone in the market for a new loader or looking to upgrade from a existing model.”

The thingy does look good and you do have several color options for it. It’s very easy to work with and clean. It’s also one of the quietest loaders on the market. The only downside players find is its capacity. It holds around 160 balls which some find insufficient. The other problem again connected to the low capacity is that you have to wait till you are completely out of paint to reload it or it will over fill. Those are really the only downsides for this loader and I think you’ll like it very much if you decide to give it a try. You can get the Torque for about $100 which is not a small amount of money, but at least you know you’re getting a great loader that’s not gonna cause you any problems.

The last of the Ricochet series is the Ricochet 2K. The thing is somewhat a good hopper and if you’re running a semi marker, this is the loader for you. It’s capable of around 12 bps which is pretty much the rate of all the Ricochets reviewed. It has the same design and we already commented that it does work sometimes and actually reflects a ball or two. What we have here that’s different is the LCD screen with the ball counter and timer function. It’s a feature half the players like and others just don’t pay attention to. Anyway here’s the manufacturer’s given information:

“The Ricochet-2k agitates with each ball fired, never leaving you without a ball to shoot! The Ricochet-2k operates on one 9 volt battery, and averages about 5000 shots for the battery life. This makes the Ricochet-2k one of the most economical paintball hopper’s on the market today.”

So about the ball counter and timer…people complain that the counter is not dead accurate, but it still does the job and if you’re a beginner it may really help you, at least till you learn to tell how many shots you’ve done. The timer is not something everybody needs, but still is a good feature. The battery life of the hopper is pretty good, but the LCD screen does affect it and you’ll definitely get a longer battery life with the AK for instance. The price can vary depending on the place you’re getting it. It can be as low as $60 and as high as $110, so it’s better if you check here and there before you go and buy it. If you do decide to get it though I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed of it. It’s a good hopper for a fair amount of money.

The G2K is a gravity fed hopper, but one that people like very much. It is very strongly made and although it doesn’t look awesome (that’s my own personal opinion) at least it does the work it’s supposed to.  It too have the specific Ricochet shape and although it’s not always of a help there are those times that you may have one or two balls deflected. Since it is gravity fed you can’t really expect the thing to be fast. It manages to get some 6-7 bps, but you can’t really expect more. Jams do occur sometimes, so keep that in mind, too. Here are the features:
•    Heavy duty polycarbon construction
•    No spill top loading lid
•    Adjustable O-Ring neck
•    Patented deflection engineering
•    180 ball capacity
About the capacity…the thing really can hold the mentioned above 180 balls, but it’s not exactly recommendable to fill it up all the way. If you do the jamming problem increases dramatically. 130-140 balls will the most reasonable number if you really want a smoother game. Other than that the thing works just fine. You can get it for about $10 and I really have to say that of all the gravity fed hoppers out there this definitely makes it to the top three. Try it out and see for yourself. Even if you don’t like it it’s not like you’ve lost 100 bucks.