Stock 2k3 cocker w/ boomstick and a 98 custom w/ teardrop
Strengths:
faster than non-motorized hopper
Weaknesses:
not the strongest shells in the world, feed neck is too small diameter
Review:
I got the reloader as per the great reviews and recomendations from the forums and reviews on this site. I was happy with it, it kept up well with my 98 and works well with my new cocker. One thing, the feed neck was too small to fit well in either gun, so I used electrical tape to "shim" it, and that worked.
I have only used it on 3 weekends of play, and the feed neck is broken. It seems more durable than my friends' revvies, but it still broke.
I emailed Empire, and they told me to get an RA number and send it to them to be fixed. I am in the process of doing that now, and hopefully that will turn out well.
The sound activation is nice, as it spins on every shot, but the servo is kind of loud. I didn't notice much with the 98, but with the cocker it seems the hopper is just as loud as the gun itself. It doesn't have any probs "hearing" the cocker, so people who say it doesn't pick up quiet guns are wrong on that point.
In one game this past weekend, it decided to break a ball in the hopper, which sucked, and lead to no balls being fed to the gun and taking me out of a game to get the hopper working and clean again.
Conclusion:
Overall, a good hopper, but if it could hold a few more balls and was more durable, it would be better.
VL200's are almost unbreakable in my experience, why can't we have a motorized hopper made of the same material???
Gets an 10 for working well, but a 1 for breaking. Averages to an 8 cause I expect empire to fix it.
Rating:
8 out of 10
Last edited on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2003 at 3:05 pm PST
Spyder Electra DX - (Reloader - Smoke) - Tear Drop - Dye Ultralight - 88Ci/4500 PE
Strengths:
Similiar to Revvy but much better
Weaknesses:
I am one of the unfortunate ones to have a weak lid.
Review:
That post about balls chopping all the time at full auto was incorrect. Yes, it does shoot constant 13 BPS without breaks. (I've tried 3 hopper full without stopping) I only get misfires when there only a few balls left because the paddles no longer reach the paintballs. (about 10 or less)
If your gun has problems at the very beginning, you need to use fresh new batteries. Don’t use cheap generic radio shack brand. If it's still having problems, return it! It's defective, just like the people who give neg posts. Either that or your gun setup cannot handle 13 BPS. If it's breaking in the barrel. Its your guns fault. If it chops it in the drop chamber then it might be the hopper. Change it to 10 or 8 BPS until it works well for you. I don't know any field that Allow FULL AUTO anyways. I just use Full auto to test the speed of the gun and for fun. Someone said the propeller broke the paintball. Impossible! It's hard to even break the Evil and other premium paintballs with just your finger. You must be using the Dich Sporting Goods $19.99 special for 2000 rec paintballs. If you are an unfortunate one - As for the lid being loose - Go to Sport Authority or K-mart buy a $4 viewloader - swapped lids and return viewloader - cheaper than returning it to the online store you bought it from. Dang for $35 just buy another one for backup.
When I play woods stealth/sniper mode I just turn the reloader off. (Quiet)
Speedball - no time to keep quiet. Just shoot to your hearts content!
Conclusion:
Why is this better than Revvy they are almost identical?
Harder shell than revvy. Read revvy review. (direct close hit will crack or break the shell, but they redesigned the black ones to have a harder shell)
Sound activated. optical runs after it find a gap but thats sometimes too late.
Sound activation is variable. When you first turn it on it will be sensitive. Closing the lid make activate it. It will automatically modify its sensitivity once you start shooting.
Speed - revvy is not designed for 13 BPS reloader is! See BPS test at the other website (not allowed to display weblink)
Have you even seen the propeller on a revvy? ewww didn't even think it could even work with those dinky things.
I did not give a 10 just because it works well. You may be just a lucky person who got one in perfect condition. I read all the posts and my experience to draw a conclusion. It seems not everyone got a perfect item as with ANY product.
Yes HALO B and RELOADER B is better. Go pay $100 more :) Unless you can pull the trigger manually more than 15BPS get one! I'm sure all the Tourneys allow full auto at 18 BPS. =p But original halo is crap and it weight twice of other loaders. takes like 6 batteries
Rating:
8 out of 10
Last edited on Tuesday, December 16th, 2003 at 12:20 pm PST
Lacking Construction, Weight, Some Loading Problems
Review:
Over-all Design - The sound activation is nice if you forget to turn off the loader. It goes to sleep after 30 minutes, I think it was. Looks are blan.. but none of us care about looks now do we?!?
Construction - The contruction is not horrible but, for the price, I would expect a bit better. My loader had poorly molded plastic aroun where the cap seals causing a delay when closing it. The battery door was tighter then a nuns.. but I suppose that will wear in. It seems to hold up to direct loader shots.
Weight - The use of 2 9v batteries is nice but dramatically adds to the weight. Its a bit heavy but certainly not as bad as a Halo.
Loading - The speed is more then ample for mechanical markers and some lower end elecros. I found that when you got down to the last 20 or 30 balls that you have to shake the marker around to re-settle the balls down to the feed neck or it will mis-fire. This is common with most agitated designs.
Conclusion:
I felt that for the price, I wanted more but all paintball gear is overpriced. I'll give the loader a 7 because there are certainly better ones but it isnt terrible.
2k3 Impulse
12" Progressive
Tapewerm
ND Blade Trigger
Vert Max-Flo
68/4500 System X Carbon Fiber Wrapped Nitro Tank
Strengths:
feeds pretty fast (dunoo how fast)
Weaknesses:
not very reliable in my opinion
Review:
this is a nice hopper but not very reliable as i said
the plastic isnt very strong and my friends impellers dont work correctly
the feed neck on mine broke right off for no apparent reason at all
but this is a decent hopper for the price
i wouldnt really reccomend this hopper
get a 12v instead
Conclusion:
i wouldnt really reccomend this hopper
get a 12v instead
The accuracy of this review is disputed. Please see discussion on the comments page.
Period of Product Use:
Less than a month
2 of 28 people found this review helpful.
Paintball Experience:
1 year
Similar Products Used:
halo b evo 2 AK AK2 and empire b
Marker Setup:
evil impy
evil bolt
evil res
evil grip
evil barrel
evil paint
EVIL ME
Strengths:
Holds 200
Feeds 10-12
Tuff shell
Weaknesses:
Shells are about 25-30 bucks to replace
The cost
And the looks
Review:
ok heres what i got to say! first off the people who said sound act. is better you now lost the right to talk. first off i have a gun shooting about 20-23 bps. um revy cant keep up. my gun is always on the mark. the kid below me is an IDIOT and we all know he has never been to a turny. cause the extra ball fire isn't just to get them out its also to suppress them from making a move. and one or 2 shots isn't enough for them to say in a bunker too long.
Back to the sound act first off sound for the loader takes about 1/2-1 second to respond
that 1 second can mean the game for u. cause that could be 22 dry shots for me. also force feeds such as halo and egg are way better cause there ready to feed as soon as u shoot one ball. also the fact that the revy is about 50 bucks is an OUTRAGE this thing should be sold at 35-40. ALSO the kid below JUST FYI the ak and ak2 and there new one all have the des were the ball has a better chance to bounce or it hits and causes a line not big enough for a quarter size. i think u should do ur self a favor and stop paint balling and giving other people bad ideas on what to get.
so u may ask me what should u get then
i would say
ak
egg
halo
i know these are more money but if u had to choose one that gave u the best for ur money id say the EGG its only 30 more bucks PLUS it well load even if u get a eblade cocker u get the z chip for it loads about 25-27 i believe. also people like the egg over the halo sometimes because of weight. per-sonly i don't mind it and the halo sits lower but thats me.
I say spend some good money on a hopper and a n2 tank if u can so u don't have to replace them later the gun sure replace and get a better one but a 68-3000 should be good for most players unless there back. and a hopper that well feed good even when u do speed ball.
Conclusion:
this hopper is ok but isn't half as good as an egg so id say NO to this hopper
Black Dragun Electric, chrome barrel or 21" barrel, Empire electric loader
Strengths:
Great feed, no gaps, easily activated
Weaknesses:
Maybe a little heavy, but it IS an electric hopper
Review:
It's fast, easy to use, and the sound activation works with the clap of a hand. I love the no-snap magnetic feature, and was thoroughly impressed with the performance on the field. I rarely, if ever shoot more than 15 bps, so this thing is perfect for my purposes. It's a great price for the quality, and keeps up well to the expensive stuff.
Conclusion:
I tried it as soon as I pulled it out of the box and immediately fell in love with it. This thing works extremely well exactly when I need it to. Like I said, fast, dependable, easy and sturdy. I seriously recommend it. Great buy!!!
Gameface Vexor Eye
14in CP Classic One Piece
Empire Reloader
20 oz CO2
Strengths:
Solid Construction
Durable
Reliable
Fast Enough
Sound Activated
Cheap
Weaknesses:
Lid
Review:
I got this item on Ebay for about $25 used, and I have been thoroughly impressed with its performance thus far. It has kept up with my vexor eye very well. I only set the rate of fire at about 13-14 bps, and the empire reloader has kept up surprisingly. Compared to the $30 quantum, the reloader blows it out of the water. The sound activated feature is really nice on this quality of hopper. Empire has proven itself by making affordable loaders at all price ranges. My reloader has been reliable and durable in the time that I have spent using it. It hasn't seemed to be much of a battery hog, and its low battery light is a nice feature.
The only drawback I have experienced is the lid. The lid during gameplay may pop open. This means wasted paint, and wasted paint means wasted money.
Conclusion:
Overall, this item has impressed me, but not overwhelmed me. It is an excellent choice for a beginner or someone seeking an upgrade from a gravity fed hopper or crappy quantum. By no means is this hopper tournament grade but still a very nice piece. Kudos to Empire. 9.2 rounds to 9.
Spyder Pilot ACS
Empire Reloader
20oz co2 tank
Lapco Feedneck
Strengths:
Keeps up with my gun
Low battery light
Sound activated
Uses very little power
Price
Weaknesses:
Clear shell will stain after some time
Alittle loud
Uses 2 9v batteries
Review:
This hopper is good for lower end electric guns and some of the higher up ones. It has a low battery light which helps and it's sound activated. But one of the best things is that the price is amazing for the quality of hopper your getting. The only issues about this hopper is it's kinda loud and if you get the clear shell then the paint will start to stain it.
Conclusion:
This is amazing hopper, after 2 years of hard use, it still works as it was new, except of the fact it's stained.
32 degree Icon E
Empire Reloader
Evil Driver Barrel
DOP X core exp chamber
DOP drop forward
spyder ACS bolt
kingman rocking trigger frame
dye sticky grips
Strengths:
Price
Good speed
Reliable
Durable
Weaknesses:
The hard plastic blades sometimes break paint when using lower quality paint
Review:
overall this is a great hopper. its just not what i need anymore. before i upgraded my trigger, it could keep up with my gun no matter what. it feeded at a consistant 13 bps.
the battery life on this is pretty good, i can go through about 5 cases of paint before having to change the batteries. the simple design makes it easy to take apart and clean.
sometimes if theres lower quality paint in the hopper or if the paint gets paint from other broken balls on them the plastic blades break the balls because therye not very flexible.
under the blade theres a gap between the blade and the shell, broken paint has dripped down into where the motor sits a few times. once that happens its a lot more trouble to clean so get any broken paint out immediatly. although that was a problem.. that rarely ever happens and before i bought this, i read reviews on the VL revvy nd i got the impression that the Revvy broke balls all the time. the reloader doesnt really have that problem.
the plastic is also quite durable. i have dropped mine a few times nd still no cracks. the plastic is kinda flexible but not soft. its just right.
ive also gotten the circuit boards wet by accident nd the loader wouldnt turn off. BUT i air dried it and the next day it was working perfect.
i would also suggest looking at the Halo TSA frontman or backman loader. that feeds at around 15 bps for the same price.
Conclusion:
If all you need is 13 bps this is a wonderfull hopper. great value, easy to clean, and reliable.
Red Ion
ST feedneck
Empire reloader
Pmi 45 5000 nitro tank
Strengths:
Pretty good price
looks good
very dependable
Weaknesses:
Mine is starting to crack
Review:
This is a great hopper if your not looking to shoot over around 10 bps. It doesnt quite keep up with my Ion but is faster than most of the imitators. The reason I love it most is because it is sound activated so you dont waste batteries. The biggest downside is that the shell on mine is starting to crack and I hevent had it for a year yet. But thats not that big of a problem since you can buy shells off of empirepaintball.com And as for the battery door, its not that bad.
Conclusion:
This is another great product from Empire thats around 40-50 bucks. If your starting to outshoot your gravity fed hopper go for it and get it !
