What happened to all the mid range hoppers?

[Trbo323]

So I was browsing around ans today and realized that the cheapest, halfway decent hopper starts at like $80. What happened? You used to be able to get stuff like the vl eye force at $40. The Spyder fasta is $70, excuse me what? They are selling empire b2 again, at $80.

If someone asked me what's a good budget hopper, I really don't know what to tell them in the current market

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[Cdn_Cuda]

Just checked out Badlands to see what’s offered north of the border. $50-$60 range gets you only a speed feed for a hopper. Just a hair under $100 is the eclipse hopper and a Halo too is $115. Pretty steep for those just starting out!

[Trbo323]

Just checked out Badlands to see what’s offered north of the border. $50-$60 range gets you only a speed feed for a hopper. Just a hair under $100 is the eclipse hopper and a Halo too is $115. Pretty steep for those just starting out!

Right?

If I remember right the halo too hit the market at $50 when it first came out

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[JonM]

Mid range loaders aren’t very common anymore. There are a couple exceptions to this though. The first one to come to mind is the Protoyz Speedster. Another option for compatible PE guns is the PAL loader. Aside from these examples, I really can’t think of many examples in the sub $80 price range that are worth using.

[Trbo323]

I just saw that Protoyz Speedster. It didn't really look at that special and especially for $65. Id like to see one in person but it just seems odd that it tops out at 10bps. My big concern with that is, how long into the battery life until it's 9bps...8bps etc

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[Toestr]

Valken vmax still being made?

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[spikeball]

Unfortunately not. Why they discontinued it, I will never know.

[glaman5266]

Toestr I could be wrong, but I don't believe they're currently being made.

I just saw that Protoyz Speedster. It didn't really look at that special and especially for $65. Id like to see one in person but it just seems odd that it tops out at 10bps. My big concern with that is, how long into the battery life until it's 9bps...8bps etc

I can't speak from experience (yet), but I'd think the Speedster would be fine. Here's a vid about it. The test shooting starts at 15mins, tested on a Macdev Prime, and keeps up at NXL speeds. It's capable of going slightly faster than it's advertised rate. I'm considering picking one up for my mechs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y26kWs9c6w

I think the midrange is creeping up. The current "midrange" is the LTR and the Spire IR. IMO you're hard-pressed to get a bigger bang for your buck with any other new loader. The reliability, toolless teardown, durability & speed of a hopper that's $150+ in something that's ~$100 (less if used) is hard to beat (which is part of the problem, see below). There's also the low-end electronic loader, the JT Revolution, which already retails at, what, $50? Seems like it'd be kinda tough to make something that fits smack in the middle of the two current loader tiers.

The problem, in my eyes, is that people are willing to shell out for the LTR & Spire IR. Why go down any further & sacrifice profit margins? Perhaps there's no real demand? IMO it's kinda the same with pickup trucks- people are willing to buy big dollar trucks, so manufacturers cheap out on the base models & there's no compact truck market anymore.

I also want a lower dollar "midrange" hopper, but I just don't see it happening right now. And honestly, there's nothing wrong with the Revolution. I think most manufacturers simply don't see a market between the $50 and $100 price points, at least not one worth pursuing.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

The reason their aint a compact truck market is really down to the chicken tax. F*** our courts.


F*** the 25 year import rule. Will never own a Mercedes for that scum move alone.

[the_matrix_guy]

I think the only option between the 50-100 bracket is the Empire Halo Too as mentioned earlier. The Halo B was always $80, BTW. Never $50. So in the age of $200+ loaders, I think it's pretty great that they can offer it for the same price. I think it's due to Empire losing market share to all of the newcomers like Virtue, Bunkerkings, etc. Before, around 2010 it was the Z2 versus the Rotor. That being said, it's interesting that Empire brought it back given that they're basically cannibalizing Z2 sales.I don't see why anyone would buy a Halo Too for $80 when you can find the Z2's for $99 in most places as well as DYE's entry level offering: the Rotor LTR.

But back in the early 2000's, the only $50 loader was the Revvy (without X-board.) The Halo B was always $80. The best advice you can give someone in the market for a hopper between 50-100 is to buy a second hand Rotor or Rotor 2 for around $75. I've been able to score used Z2's for $50 in the past as well, but not too many people sell those that low given how high loader prices are now. I mean, for $50, you might as well keep it IMO. I have a couple as loaners.

[Law]

Wait a week, everything is full price right now so that they can be discounted next week after thanksgiving. The several $99 loaders will suddenly be in that range again and are all great.

[Ecapnation]

Because the price point to sell "mid range hoppers" is damn close to manufacturing costs....

Gi sportz discontinued the revolution again because it was the gap between cost to make and whole sale costs was so narrow they were losing money selling them

[Chuck E Ducky]

I always recommend the Rotor LTR it’s basically the same hopper dye has been producing for years.

(Emek, LTR Rotor, tank that fits them. Any Mask with dual pane lens.) this is my go to recommendation. It’s been pretty successful setup getting people into the sport. I have about 6 people at my local field I have converted from first time players to regulars with this setup. Most recently a boy and his dad. Who’s 9 year old kid shot me in the face last weekend and he earned it. He was super stoked. It was pretty cool we have been working on his snap shot and he’s picking it up really quick.

Most opt for using the Pals hopper before jumping into the electro powered hoppers. It’s $15 and almost feeds as good as a revvy without the cost or the need for batteries. Then go straight powered hopper when they want more. I think today it would be hard to build a sub $50 powered hopper. Especially with inflation and across the pond production cost going up with new better trade deals come higher cost products.

[Brokeass_baller]

Honestly, I think it's a manufacturing marvel that we're able to get the performance we can at the prices we're paying. The $100 Rotor LTR is basically the same as the original Rotor that I paid $200 for new. That's a 50% price reduction with absolutely no loss of performance.

Same with the Spire IR. It's just as good as the more expensive Spires for a third of the cost. You aren't losing any performance with it. Just a couple unnecessary bells and whistles.

Whereas before, you had the big, bulky Halo and it's revisions, the Egg, VLocity, which weren't much cheaper than we're paying now for loaders, but they were so made with that plastic that would become brittle, and they'd crack at the feed neck and stuff. We're really getting a better deal now. I don't think there's much to complain about.

[Brokeass_baller]

Paintball in general is just amazing right now. The kind of high performance equipment that's available to us at the prices they're selling for is just insane. eNMEy's are $150, and Emek's are sub $250. Both of those markers shoot better than any out-of-the-box Automag or Autococker from back in the day, and FAR better than the blowbacks that were in a similar price range as these markers are now. And they're easier to learn and tech yourself. Modern low and mid range electros are the same way. Heck, an Etha light years better than most of the old high end electros.

Loaders now are all high performance, with options under $100. Like, there really aren't any bad loaders on the market at all, and they're all faster and more easily torn-down than the old Revvies, and cheaper than even the Halo when it first came out.

Premium features years ago are standard in masks now. Every single mask worth looking at has at least a thermal lense, and most have wide angle lenses with quick strip features. They ALL have good foam now.

And then the game itself is catering to pretty much every style of play better than I think it ever has. The speedball scene is well supported, the mechanical and classic rules game is well supported, milsim is well supported, etc.

Paintball is just amazing right now. I'm really enjoying everything that's going on.

[moving_target]

To add to everything else mentioned, loaders are actually surviving longer so the secondary market is filling up that price bracket, I've bought and sold a bunch of rotors and spires right around $50. Which kind of blows my mind when I think about it

[Dusty Bottoms]

The HALO TOO was most definitely $50 when it came out, and for a few years after. That was the only reason I bought one in '10. I'd sure never pay more than that for one now, when there are alot of better options.