This review is for the Black model which I've heard is stronger than the Smoke one. It's made from a polycarbonate plastic similar to the Evolution II and Halo. It's very light and feels a lot more brittle than it is. No cracks yet...
The Good:
Deflects balls from head on (sort of) About half the shots will deflect into your mask or into the front of the cyclone feeder(DOH!!!). The other half deflect away(WOOHOO!). Compare that to the stock hopper where 10% deflect away and the rest break right on the dart board in front.
While the hopper won't do a great job deflecting paint from the sides or back, I don't plan to get shot from the sides (I've allowed myself to get flanked?!?!?) or from behind (How'd that *!#@#$% get behind me?!?!?)
Cheap: It's about $15-20 after shipping on most sites.
Hold more balls. About 20-30 more
For me, it loads quicker. The design promotes the balls rolling forward and away from the opening instead of piling up there when refilling from a pod.
The lid is plenty strong and has never opened on me unintentionally. It's clear too, so I can see my paint situation at a glance.
The Not so Bad:
Okay it's a little louder than the stock hopper. For you tourney guys this wont matter since you'll never hear the paint rattling over your teammates yells and markers firing. For you woodsballers it won't matter much either. If you're sneaking around slowly, your paint shouldn't jostle around so much that it gives you away. If you're sprinting, the enemy will see you running and hear your footsteps/paint in pods/guys shooting anyways. Snipers should remain perfectly still anyways so this shouldn't effect them unless stalking someone within 50 feet. Honestly, when's the last time you were in a firefight and thought "Wow, that guys hopper is loud."
The Neutral:
What about the size? Check the comparison pic I posted at the top of this page.
Conclusion:
10. It does everything it's supposed to. Holds more balls, deflects, (sometimes) and is cheap.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Thursday, December 15th, 2005 at 3:18 pm PST
