Light Small Fast Quiet Simple Easy to Clean Price Balance Screwless Strong Colors Tight Design
Weaknesses:
- Lid
- Capacity (160 rds)
Review:
I bought the Torque based on a suggestion from a teammate.
Initially, I was intimidated upon taking it apart, thinking I may break it. However, the plastic is very, very strong and has a bit of flex to it like the old Revvys do. Therefore, it is less likely to crack than a Halo or VLocity, imho. After taking it apart, the first thing I noticed was its utter simplicity. All of the parts come apart easily but are highly unlikely to come apart during a game unless stepped on or dropped from real height. I think any marker would fail under those conditions.
I loaded 2 9v batteries into the Torque even though my teammate suggest only one. The hopper is so light that I felt the extra 9v was not a problem. When putting the Torque back together, you must take care to allign the shells carefully as not to crimp any wires. That is pretty easy as well. After putting the Torque back together I proceeded to do a drop test with it and it literally blew me away. I loaded a Dye Lock Lid pod into it and it filled the hopper perfectly to capacity. The speed at which it loaded the pod back up stunned me. Had to be faster than any of my previous hoppers. I just have never seen anything that fast before. Also, it was dead quiet. Nothing like a noisy Halo.
I had it out on the field the following day in 40* temperatures with brittle paint. I am happy to report not a single break. Even if there was, it would be very easy to clean up. I had it loaded on my 06 Cyborg which is capable of shooting a true 34bps. Not once did this hopper skip a beat. Perfect force feeding all day. Now, I didnt shoot the marker at 34 bps but not once did the marker outshoot the hopper. The 9v's handled a case just fine even in the cold where they are likely to not perform as well. The same batteries are still in the hopper and it seems to be going well.
The only issues I had with the hopper were the lid and the capacity. The lid is possibly the smallest I have worked with... just about a 1/4" bigger than the Dye pod opening. Now that wasnt the biggest deal ever, but it took a second to get used to loading it in a firefight without spilling any precious paint. It literally took a second to aim the pod at the hoppers mouth and fit it right. Like I said not a big deal, but something they are sure to fix in version 2. Also, I had to make sure to shoot all the paint in my hopper before I reloaded. A Dye pod will fit the capacity of the hopper PERFECTLY. A ball more and you are risking a jam. Once again, not the biggest deal but something they may fix in version 2. Also, I dont think any speed loaders are available yet for any of you tourney ho's.
I have the cool camo colored shell, which is great for the woods where I play. There are a ton of other options for colors but you can even paint this hopper shell with ease if you choose to. The hopper is light, light, light with a great center of balance. the 2 9v configuration sits in the middle of the hopper. The design is sleek and tight as well. No screws means it is really user friendly in building and tearing it down which can take just a minute to do, even less. The buttons are nothing like cheap Halo buttons... no need to upgrade these at all. It is easy on paint yet feeds like a beast. And the batteries last pretty well.
Conclusion:
All in all, I highly recommend this hopper. It really is everything a Halo ever wanted to be when it grew up! I can't give it a ten yet because the lid and capacity need SLIGHT improvements but I would certainly say that I can give it a 9 out of 10 and I can also say it is my new favorite hopper. Also, for 99.00 (I have even seen it at 89.00 on ebay) I think this is the hopper for the money... ANYONE WANT TO BUY 2 HALOS FOR 100 DOLLARS?! lol, I cant stand those Halos any more. Way to go Hard Corps!
