Spyder imagine 05.. starting maker?

[blakestock]

hey guys, well I have decided to give paintball a shot (no pun intended..). I've never played but have been reading up a lot on some stuff, etc, etc. A few friends from work have been playing for a bit but they're kinda new to the sport as well. So, i've come to ask some advice. I'm looking for a marker that is a good for a beginner. I'm just kinda trying to keep the cost down to make sure i want to invest in doing this. So i've found a pretty decently priced Spyder imagine for about $125. My question is, is this worth getting? are there better for about that price? what other accessories should i look into?

thanks in advanced!

[mokalman]

They're cheaper if you can find them refurbed. Much cheaper.

[drunkenMonkey]

Spyder imagines are outstanding beginner guns. They don't cost a whole lot new, but if you can buy used or refurbished you can find a much better deal. I also recommend that you play at least twice before you decide to buy the gun.

[trophyman582]

One of the best starter markers out there. Don't let others talk you out if this either.

[Ebonclaw]

The Imagine is an ideal beginner gun, and probably more firepower than what your buddies have. It's easy to maintain and troubleshoot, and it's a lot of firepower for the price.
PLEASE buy an electronic loader if you're going to buy an electronic gun. PLEASE. Oh, and don't forget a small bottle of gold cup oil for maintenence.
Refurbs can be a god deal....so long as you can return them if you get a dud. Most of the time they are a steal, but every now and then a refurb just plain won't work right. Ensure that you can return it if there's any trouble.

[nick_reith]

I just got an imagine and I have been pbing for 3yrs. Its a great marker. I highly recommend it.

[macdev_cyborg]

The Imagine is a pretty good gun for beginners. And you can upgrade it to however you want in the future. I dont recommend buying it used though, buying used Spyder Electros is not wise, and you are just bound to run into trouble with it.

[blakestock]

awesome, thanks for the advice. i've got another question now, what does having different barrel lengths do?.. whats good about shorter ones and whats good about longer ones?

[TRITON-2]

for your first question, an imagine was my second gun...but only by a couple days, i had a triton which i didnt really like, so i went out and got the spyder...and ive had no problems with it. great newcommer gun.

2nd question, you arent going to want a barrel too long, because its just going to slow the paint you shoot down, plus they look really weird...this one kid came to the local paintball field i play at and said that hes been playing for 3 years and has come to be known as a sniper, and its all because his 21" barrel is the most accurate thing ever. needless to say we owned him and never saw him back. too short of a barrel wont give you any real accuracy. anything from 12 to 16 is an ideal length...on my imagine i have a smart parts progressive 16" and it works like a charm. whatever barrel you choose make sure it has porting holes, those help quiet the gun down, because from my own experience and other peoples reviews, imagines are bloody loud.

hope this helps

[Ebonclaw]

Any barrel over 16" is pretty much worthless. In fact, a 16" barrel is no more or less accurate than a 12" barrel. 12" is about the longest you need for good accuracy, but some people buy 14" as a matter of personal preference, they say it helps sight better, or 16" as they are pretty long and ideal for pushing into an airball bunker. That's about the only purpose 16" barrels serve. I usually reccomend a 12" barrel for front players, a 14 or 16" for back players. Personally, I wouldn't ever use a 16" barrel...too awkward in tight situations, hard to snapshoot with. Anything longer than 16" is just ridiculous.