Budget baller question

[djeclypse]

I'd also recommend the PMI Trracer or ACI Maverick pumps. They go for 40-80 used. Used VFORCE masks go for 40 or so. Can find used in hydro CF tanks sub 100 if you look around, and steelies around 30-40. For a mech or pump, the Gog multi cal is hard to beat at 8, or 15 for a Proto Primo. There's also the Base hopper, similar to the primo but more "tacticool" and available for 10. My favorite mech currently are the Emek and EMF100 but they are holding value quite high. Can't ever go wrong with the ole reliable 98, and they're available for 40-100 depending on condition and options. It's sad that the A5 has dropped so far as they are excellent mechs but that's great for those looking to ball on a budget.

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[MrBarraclough]

Over on the paintball subreddit, I find myself constantly telling new kids looking for the first setups some variation of "EMEK if you can afford it; eNMEy if you cannot."

[Chuck E Ducky]

I would buy two good masks and just use rentals. Use the money to play more.

[MrBarraclough]

• Marker: I'd get a used 2nd generation GoG eNMEy, or a used 1st gen as long as it has the upgraded valve (look for a metal faceplate on the bottom of the valve). I have an upgraded 1st gen that I keep as a backup/loaner, an ex-rental I got off ebay for like $85. When my buddy's nephew wanted to get into the sport, we set him up with a used 2nd gen eNMEy with a used aluminum tank and Proto Primo gravity fed hopper for $150 total. The eNMEy is a lightweight but durable little shooter that will cycle about as fast as you can pull the trigger. Dead simple internal design. It's essentially a mech Ion. The 2nd gen models have a bigger dump chamber so they work at slightly lower pressure and feature toolless bolt-out-the-back disassembly. Main drawback is that the trigger pull isn't very crisp and it is possible to short stroke, so you need to use good trigger technique. And the barrel is Ion/Impulse/SP/GoG/Luxe/whatever-SP-is-calling-it-now threaded. The stock barrel is pretty blah. I run an Ion-threaded CP one piece on mine and the nephew runs a thread adapter and an AC-threaded old Invert barrel on his.
• Tank: 48/3000 aluminum tank, preferably used, if in hydro.
• Hopper: Proto Primo is the best gravity fed in the game these days, and only about $20 new. I'd set that as the baseline and then move up to a used revvy or used original Rotor if one can be found within budget.
• Mask: I'm partial to the older style JT Proshield with the horizontal vents. They can still be found relatively cheaply (the vintage Proflex crowd hasn't gone nuts over them yet). Only trouble with a used mask is needing to replace the lens, which'll run you another $30 and might negate the savings from buying used. If you want a new mask, one of the cheapest I'd be willing to recommend is the Valken MI-7 or MI-9, about $45-55 new. The Helix/X-Ray masks have too little venting, in my opinion, but your mileage may vary depending on climate. It's really hot and humid most of the year where I live, so I place a premium on how well a mask is vented. I use the older Spectra/Proshields, but I know guys who wear the Valken MI series masks and really like them.

The above list is totally doable on a $250 budget. If you find yourself coming in under budget and want to upgrade something, I'd start with the hopper. My go-to hopper is an old Rotor I scored on eBay for about $50-60.