Tippmann’s new 98 Custom Platinum Series is now easier to upgrade, modify and maintain.
New Features Include:
* Split Receiver Design, which provides easier access to internal components for simplified installation of grip upgrades and modifications
* Secure Front Sight Spring and Trigger Pins, which makes the marker easier to service and reassemble
* Easy-to-Remove Power Tube Design with self-sealing/locking gas line secures the valve in place and eliminates two bolts from previous design making maintaining the marker quicker and easier
* Full Depth Pockets for ASA, which eliminates the need to loosen the ASA bolts when disassembling the marker
* New Barrel Porting and a Matte Finish, which improves marker air efficiency and reduces reflective glare
* Picatinny Rails, which makes adding a carry handle, scopes and other accessories a snap
* Redesigned, Vertical Front Grip, which offers improved stability and added texture for a more secure feel
* Redesigned Sling Mount End Cap, which allows players to easily attach a variety of different sling styles
There is also a new Quick Thread Flatline Barrel, which attaches as easily as any other barrel to save players significant time and effort. The new Platinum Series maintains the core features of the original 98 Custom including, ACT (Anti Chop Technology), all aluminum die cast receiver, quick-release feeder elbow and a 200-round hopper. It’s fully compatible for CO2, compressed air, or nitrogen.
The Tippmann tippmann 98 custom platinum ACT is newer, so it should be commonly available, both new and used. Check out the Places to Buy links below for places to purchase it new.
98 Platinum ACT
J & J ceramic barrel
Rocket Cock 2
ACT stock
20oz C02
Soon: HPA with remote line
JT Proflex
Spec Ops Dagger 7 vest
Recommended Upgrades:
68/4500 fibers or 72+ 3000psi and higher steel/aluminum HIGH pressure air tank
Flatline Barrel, Apex, J & J ceramic 14-16inch
rocket cock II
Strengths:
Inexpensive
Upgradable
Great Woodsball gun
Reliable
Tippmann has a good warranty (2years)
Weaknesses:
Eats a considerable amount of gas
Less upgradable then A5/X7
Exposed cocking hammer
Review:
Ok i got this marker when it first came out in march 08, This is the first marker if have OWNED, if your field rents these and you do not plan to upgrade it then stick to renting it. But if you're like me who wants to save a couple of bucks from the rental fees, is a beginner and wants to go down an upgrade path then this marker is for you. I must stress that no matter how much stupid plastic you put on the exterior it won't shoot any better (lasers, stocks, etc.) The most important first upgrade for your marker is HPA and new barrel. I don't recommend you upgrade the internals unless you really feel the need for a 2% increase in performance, put that money into a fund for HPA,Paint, Etc.
I mainly play woodsball, so i cannot comment on how well this marker will work for speedball etc. but it defiantly would not be ideal imho.
For reliability this gun is actually pretty good, i had one minor mishap when i bought it, i put a rocket cock II on it so i didnt have to clean it , but i had not actually emptied a tank on it yet. When the gun sounded like it was going into full auto and would not recock it self i thought it was that i messed the gun up with the rocket cock II (this was before these were confirmed to work on the gun and before i realized that's what they are suppose to do when they are out lol), so i degassed it opened her up , tried again same thing. Then i got a really bad leak. I could not figure out what the hell happened, so i sent it into tippmann and it turns out the Marco line was not on tight enough (waste of 15 bucks to ship it on my part ). USE A WRENCH TO GET IT NICE AND TIGHT. Also the velocity screw can strip really easy with the plastic power tube, so watch out for that --- i wouldn't recommend a steel power tube although if you can get one for like 15 bucks why not i guess.
Performance wise this has not chopped once yet, i love the ACT. I have not read anything bad about this feature so i assume its good across the board. Stock accuracy is crap out of the box with the 8 inch barrel, i found a 14-16 inch barrel is best. I did not get a flatline barrel but i have heard that they are the best (work the best with HPa and GOOD paint) . I am a budget baller so i can't afford $80 cdn paint for the flatline so i just went with a $45 cdn J & J ceramic barrel. There is also the apex barrel never tried one though but it might be the best of both worlds.
Conclusion:
Can't afford an A5 or X7 , a beginner (hell even a moderate player). Then get this gun because its great, i love it.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 8:12 pm PST
a longer barrel, an electronic hopper, and an electronic trigger to start.
Strengths:
This is a great beginner gun but not for experienced players.
Weaknesses:
Not very accurate, but i may just need a longer barrel
Review:
This gun is very good for beginners but is very inaccurate. Because I have the stock for everything, the trigger, the hopper, the barrel, and if you get the everything included package at academy the 9oz co2 tank all need to be upgraded as soon as possible. But the bottom line is this gun is very good for the price and better than the usual rentals provided at parks.
Conclusion:
Great for beginners, but when I turn 16 and get a job i'm getting a dye.
Second Gun
Tippmann A-5
Palmers regulator
Lapco Bigshot 12" Barrel
New Designz Bolt & Powertube
Lapco cyclone feed rachet upgrade
Soft paddles for cyclone feed
Recommended Upgrades:
New Barrel
Expansion chamber
Strengths:
Lightweight
Accurate
Cheap
Durable
Easier to work on
Weaknesses:
Barrel
Not as many upgrades for platinum
Plastic feed neck
Review:
This marker is just as easy to work on as the A-5 at a cheaper cost. It is also lighter, and
just as accurate. This model is easier to work on than the former 98 models in the past
with the ability to add upgrades without adding after market rails. The only problem with
this marker is the fact that not all upgrades from the older 98 models fit on it, and new
replacement upgrades are not on the market yet. Give it 6 months and there will be.
Conclusion:
I would recomend this marker to anyone, beginners to seasoned pro's
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 11:35 am PST
Its up to you theres alot of things to customize this marker. I would say the barrel before anything
Strengths:
Anti chop works its durable ,accurate lots of upgrades.
Weaknesses:
Few if any.
Review:
This gun is very good and i absouloutely love it the anti chop works like a charm its accurate and theres lots of upgrades. Its a great starter marker or even good one for experienced players.On top of that its not to expensive. I would say if your beggining and you like rec ball woods ball this is the marker for you.
Conclusion:
Get this marker its great. If your a speedballer who wants to try or play rec / woods ball get this marker you can almost build your own marker with all the upgrades. so 10/10
Spyder Victor- The gun I played with when you played only against guys with rentals
Spyder Mr1- A very good gun, but one of the pins in my trigger mechanism fell out, so i decided to buy this one, because i didnt have enough money to buy an A-5
Marker Setup:
Tippmann 98 Custom Platinum Act
14'' JJ ceramic barrel
BT raised sight rail
Spec. Ops. Red dot sight
(Planning on buying the G-36 folding stock, Cyclone feeding system, Smarts parts AA and G-36 shroud)
Recommended Upgrades:
Longer barrel
Stock
Cyclone feeding system
Strengths:
Very well built
Very Reliable
Easy to clean
Low maintenance (compared to the Spyders)
Weaknesses:
Front Handle that isn't removable
Difficulty to find shrouds for it
Review:
I have been playing paintball seriously for 2 years now. My uncle gave me a Spyder Victor for my birthday 2 years ago. I liked it at first, but after 3 months I decided to upgrade because it kept giving me problems. I then went out a Spyder Mr1. That was a very good gun. Never had any problems with it until one of the pins in my trigger mechanism fell out. I could'nt find spares for it here. (I live in South Africa). That was when I decided to get th 98 CUSTOM!!!!!
This gun has served me soooooo well. I have played more with this gun than with both my other ones put together. Lately I have been playing a lot of Mil Sim games at my local field. Although the guys there all have very fancily upgraded X7's and A5's, they still have a lot of respect for the 98.
This gun has never chopped a ball!!!! NEVER!!!! I have been through 8 boxes of paint with it and still no chops. The only criticisms I have with it are that the front handle isn't removeable and that the stock barrel sucks.
The first upgrades I got for it were the JJ 14 inch and Spec. Ops. red dot sight. These upgrades greatly increased my accuracy. Once I had these upgrades, I started to take out a lot more guys.
The gun is very accurate and I have got several head shot from about 100 feet away. This barrel goes very well with this gun.
I have found the gun very easy to take apart, although you must be very careful that the bolt spring doesn't fly out. It can be very difficult to find.
Conclusion:
Many people say that the 98custom is a beginner gun. I disagree. It is great to begin with, but you can upgrade it into a seriously hardcor paintball gun. This gun is built so solidly and I am going to keep it for may years to come.
Lack of Upgrades (Compared to A5/X7)
Cleaning Dirt and Paint can be a Pain
Review:
I bought this gun in April of 2008. It has lived up to the Tippmann reputation of being a tough marker, which means it has not failed on me. This would be the 1st gun I would suggest for a new player. I also like the picatinny rail running the whole length of the marker. The bad thing is that you don't have as many upgrade options as the A5/X7. They make more stuff for those guns than the 98c. Cleaning the dirt and paint can also be a huge pain.
Conclusion:
It is a good beginner gun, but the lack of upgrades doesn't make it as good.
The accuracy of this review is disputed. Please see discussion on the comments page.
Period of Product Use:
Less than a month
9 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Paintball Experience:
3 months
Marker Setup:
Tippmann 98 Custom Pro ACT Platinum Series
E-Trigger w/ WAS Board
Tippmann 14 inch barrell
Tech T Fang Trigger
Viewloader eVLution III hopper
20 oz Pure Enery CO2 tank
Recommended Upgrades:
E-Trigger or E-Grip
Tech T Fang Trigger
Viewloader eVLution III hopper
Strengths:
Reliable.
Very Customizeable.
Best Model 98 Gun.
Weaknesses:
More expensive than other guns with similar/better features
Review:
The Tippmann 98 Custom Pro ACT Platinum Series is the best model 98 gun out there (except for of course, the 98 Custom Pro w/ E-Trigger already installed). It's very reliable and I know people who have used this gun for years with great results. I definitly reccommend buying it and definitly get all of the upgrades I mentioned. They will turn your $140 98 into the equivalent of a $700 gun.
Top on the list of upgrades is a new barrel, the redesigned barrel is really no better than the previous version's
Personally I recommend the Cyclone Feed Adapter for and 98 model Tippmann
Strengths:
Power Tube is ready for response trigger and cyclone upgrades, rail system
Weaknesses:
Stock barrel, power tube comes loose a little too easy (IMHO)
Review:
Purchased the new 98 Custom Platinum as a primary marker for my girlfriend, and as a secondary for myself.
The Good:
Ready to upgrade with air powered accessories
Rail System for mil-sim upgrades.
ACT system
Sling loop built into the end cap
Front sight spring is securely in place and no longer flies out
The ASA no longer needs loosening before disassembling the receiver
The Bad:
Stock barrel
The Ugly:
Nothing really, pretty good.
Conclusion:
A great start-up to moderate experience marker. It also should revitalize the market for 98 custom upgrades and mods for those who just wont shell out the cash for a new A-5 or X7...like myself HA!
If only Tippmann would include a decent stock barrel, but then I guess they wouldn't be able to sell their 98 Custom PRO editions...
Tippmann 98 Custom
Viewloader VL200 gravity fed hopper - clear
12oz Co2 tank
Recommended Upgrades:
A New Barrel, Smart Parts Progressive 16"
Strengths:
It has never chopped.
Not too heavy.
Weaknesses:
Stock Barrel
Maybe Velocity
Review:
I like the gun alot. It is very fun to shoot. It is not very heavy. You would definetely want a new barrel other than the stock. It's black, millitaristic look. Cool. Rentable everywhere. Rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent no further comments .
Tippmann 98, 98c, and numerous other Tippmann products.
Marker Setup:
Predominantly stock, J&J ceramic barrel
Recommended Upgrades:
Barrel upgrade, the rest is up to you.
Strengths:
Enhanced features for use, maintenance, and upgrading
Weaknesses:
Few if any.
Review:
The modifications of the 98c platinum edition came from suggestions from players themselves, which speaks volumes for Tippmann.
I was lucky enough to be one of the players that Tippmann had consulted in the creation of this marker. Their goal was to take the existing 98 custom, which is the workhorse of their product line, and enhance it. Those of us that were contacted provided them with numerous possible options for the upgraded 98, and were pleased to see just a few months later, that our suggestions had been taken seriously enough that most of them had been incorporated into the design of the new marker.
One of the greatest advancements in this marker is the fact that the front sight spring no longer flies out when you take apart the marker. That alone is enough to rate this product pretty high.
It is as light, and as durable ad the existing 98c, but the modifications to it managed to eliminate most of the small irritating quirks of the old 98 line.
No more valve screws, which players tend to over tighten and strip, and the addition of the rails will serve many a milsim or scenario player quite well.
The split receiver half was taken directly from modifications that players make to enable quick cleaning or upgrading to their marker. It is a great feature that saves all kinds of time and effort when cleaning or maintaining.
Conclusion:
This marker is an excellent starter marker for its simplicity, and for the upgrades that Tippmann has made to the original design, while adhering to the old look of the classic 98.
I would recommend this marker to anyone getting into the game.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 7:46 am PST
