Viewloader Revolution / Empire ReLoader Info

[Cdn_Cuda]

IMG_3515.jpg Going through some of my horde looking to trim things down a little and recoup from my latest purchase. I realize I have way too many of these hoppers and looking for info and approximate value. Have tried Googling but Empire has dumb naming conventions so getting info is challenging.

So what I have is a Viewloader VL (with eyeballs) Revolution, which is a motion activated. Also had oldschool charm.

Up next are a pair of Empire ReLoader 2s, which are motion and sound activated, I believe. One is black one is smoke.

Third is an Invert branded ReLoader 2 which is sound and motion activated as well.

what are the approximate values? And is another distinctly better than the others? I assume 3 are all about the same.

[Myrkul]

I am by no means an expert, but The old-school view loader with the eyeballs has the best shell, & the invert loader likely has the best board. Check to see what impellers are in them, more prongs = better.

I think the internals should be cross compatible with all of these, so you can stick the invert board into the old-school view loader shell, and throw the best impeller in, and you should have a really solid hopper on your hands.

[Cdn_Cuda]

All the ReLoaders have the same impellers. The VL only has 4 arms.

Good to know they can all take the same guts.
IMG_3516.jpg

[Magmoormaster]

I don't have any experience with the Invert version, but I had a reloader 1. The feedneck was broken, so I stuffed into some eyeball shells. I did have to dremel out a bit of material to make the motor fit. Also, the Empire impeller did not fit (and vice versa) onto the revi. It was an early 9v version with 2 fins, IDK if they changed the motor later or not.

[Myrkul]

I'm trying to remember what I ended up doing with mine. It was originally at single 9 volt revy, but the eyes had failed, then someone at the field gave me a new style one with completely trashed shells, then there was the communal revy parts bag that was getting passed around, and somehow it ended up with two 9 volts, a sound activated board, and the good impeller all in the OG revy body. I do have a vague recollection of one of the motors being different, but there were a lot of parts in that bag....

[Drunkscriblerian]

I don't know anything about the motorized bits...but I can tell you that the shells, hinges and lids on the old 90s-era Viewloaders are freakin' bomb-proof. I own two VL200s purchased in that era, and both went through every kind of hopper-related torture test you can think of ( bashed into trees, dropped in the mud, one even had a 250lb man sit on it) and despite that + 30 years of aging both still work the same as the day I bought them. I still use them and to this day, the only time the lid on either hopper has popped open was when I made it. Viewloaders are the Tippmann of hoppers.

So yeah, if you can transfer the motorized guts into the Viewloader shell, I'd do that.

[Ramfaux]

If pay 25 for a nice OG revy. Everything else shell condition dictates. If it's fine with no cracks 15-20 ish. If not better off harvesting the innards.