where do you shop?

[wargle_gargle]

where do you guys usually go to shop for paintball stuff when you want to buy new?

I ask because I am in the market for a new HPA tank and I think my local field is jacking up the price.

example: 48/4500 ninja tank for $170...does that seem a little steep to anyone else?

has anyone ever bought from http://www.zephyrpaintball.com before?

[suaze]

http://www.ansgear.com/Ninja_Paintball_Tanks_s/1398.htm

[captian pinky]

i try to avoid buying new all together but most of the time i will just pick it up from whoever has the cheapest price online. i heard some bad things about ans gear. i dont know if they are true or not so i can not say. but actionvillage, compulsive paintball, have both been good to me in the past.

[suaze]

I've been fortunate with ANSgear so far but I've heard about some bad things as well.

PM TOTShadowCompany. I think he's a Ninja dealer.

[wargle_gargle]

my concern buying used on a tank though is that I will get it and it will either not be able to be hydrod, or will be close to going out of hydro and wont be able to be hydrod again.

how many times can you usually get a tank hydro tested before it fails?

[emcl29]

With Minimum Advertised Price agreements out there, it seems like there is very little wiggle room for sellers these days, at least on the field / local shop level. I bought my tank and a few other things from ANS and did not have any issues. Find a price that you like for your tank online and see if your local guy will match. If he won't, tell him to go poo in his hat and buy online.

[emcl29]

With out starting a big thing, what have folks heard about ANS?

[OPBN]

Support your brick and mortar store as much as possible. While great deals can be had through online stores, the value of having a store/shop that you can walk into and have your marker serviced or actually talk to someone can be worth the extra $$$. Nothing drives me crazier than hearing people talk about going into a paintball shop to actually hold something then going home and ordering it online because they saved a couple of bucks.

[suaze]

Most complaints I've read are regarding screwed up shipments then complaints about their customer service. Like OPBN said, you'll get better service in the local shop. I suspect ANSgear is a warehouse and most order pickers aren't knowledgeable in paintball.

[splat15k]

I've ordered from ansgear and zephyr multiple times; never an issue with either.

[BiNumber3]

Ive bought a good number of tanks used and have never had issues, though I usually ask for pics and make sure their feedback is good.
I like to buy from shops as well, but more often than not they don't carry what I need anymore (mag related stuff usually) and I prefer old guerilla air regs over a lot of the new stuff as far as tanks go.

[wargle_gargle]

well I figured I could get one of ninja's SHP regs on a decent sized tank and be alright....maybe I will just wait for the next round of AGD stamped regs to come around....see if he can throw it on a bottle for a little extra...

[OPBN]

If they are a Ninja dealer, they should be able to get one for you.

[SkinnyHare]

The tank price is a bit more than I'd like to pay, but $170 isn't unreasonable in my opinion. The convenience of getting it right away, no shipping charges, and having a guy physically there that will back up your purchase if you have any issues is always worth it.

I shop online only when there is something I'm wanting that my local shop can't get.




As far as the ANS Gear issue... I had heard the horror stories about ANS Gear and their eBay shop, Barb's and never intended on buying from them. I used to go with 888paintball when they still existed, and paintballgear.com/actionvillage.

The thing about ActionVillalge is that they are ANS Gear now. They were bought out within the last year or so. I didn't realize it until I ordered something from AV back in december and the return address and packing slip were all ANS info.

My order was missing items that had been marked as being in the package. I called the AV support number... sure enough, it was ANS now. However, they were good about straightening things out. The missing parts were sent to me 2nd day air, no charge.

I placed my second order with them earlier this week, everything arrived without any drama.

[dboggs79]

Support your brick and mortar store as much as possible. While great deals can be had through online stores, the value of having a store/shop that you can walk into and have your marker serviced or actually talk to someone can be worth the extra $$$. Nothing drives me crazier than hearing people talk about going into a paintball shop to actually hold something then going home and ordering it online because they saved a couple of bucks.

Amen! Support your local fields and stores as much as possible guys. I would gladly pay a little more to a local operation. The people running that business can be a great assistance to you at some point. Unless they're closed due to lack of business!

[promethion]

my concern buying used on a tank though is that I will get it and it will either not be able to be hydrod, or will be close to going out of hydro and wont be able to be hydrod again.

how many times can you usually get a tank hydro tested before it fails?

I was hydroing tanks that had fire damage from 8 years ago... Still good then again they were steal tanks for diving.

[need4reebs]

my concern buying used on a tank though is that I will get it and it will either not be able to be hydrod, or will be close to going out of hydro and wont be able to be hydrod again.

how many times can you usually get a tank hydro tested before it fails?

Make sure you get pics of the hydro date...then you will know if the tank is in hydro and how many years are left on the tank...Carbon fibur have a 15 year life span and depending on the tank it will need to be hydro'd either every three years or every five years

[cougar20th]

For New stuff. 98% of the time comes from Paintball Wizard in Tewksbury Ma. They are local & have always treated me well. Their webpage is www.paintballwizard.com

The other 2% is stuff they just cant get for whatever reason. Ussually automag parts.

[bbotts77]

As far as air systems go, I buy them directly from Ninja. That's mainly because they are local to me and I can just pick my stuff up right at the factory.

[M98Punk]

I support the local store to an extent... there are some things they sell where they are out of their minds, but I do make it a habit to buy the little things pods and lenses from them.... and I almost always buy paint from them... it's worth it to be able to open up a box and check the bags before I buy it..... Of course most of the paint lately seems to have dark graphics covered bags

[M98Punk]

and tanks....... the tanks we use are designed to be 200 feet below sea level or taken into a burning building... 99% of the time a tank will pass inspection. The only problem I have found was a hyrdo company not having the right boot/adapter for a 4500 tank as small as what we use and there is always idiots on the peanut gallery that are selling tanks that have 10 years of life in them for quarters on the dollar

[oldironmudder]

Support locals & buy from them. My local field is a Ninja dealer & I went through him even though I could have gotten it cheaper online.

[going_home]

Used is the least expensive, and in this economy, the most preferred way personally.

Once in a while you can strike gold on Craigslist if you dont mind trolling it regularly.

If I do buy new, I get it from the local pro shop.

[djinnform]

ANS is great because they have the best selection, including exclusive to ANS colors, like the new Freak backs in White! Since you have to pay tax and shipping, their prices are full price, no discounts either. Their walk-in store has a lot of small and hard to find parts, old and new. Their sales dudes are very nice and confident in their answers to questions, although not always correct.

They also have all the mag pressure Ninja tanks.

[Frizzle Fry]

ANS is great because they have the best selection, including exclusive to ANS colors, like the new Freak backs in White! Since you have to pay tax and shipping, their prices are full price, no discounts either. Their walk-in store has a lot of small and hard to find parts, old and new. Their sales dudes are very nice and confident in their answers to questions, although not always correct.

They also have all the mag pressure Ninja tanks.

They also sell poorly milled and anodized CP knock-offs and fake GA tank regs that could kill a man!

Seriously, these guys are sketchy, and the team there probably isn't the same one who used to run such a good business back when Bonebrake and AGD were doing business with them... I've seen some iffy anodizing come from them with "custom colors" and I've had to deal with PayPal and the "manufacturers" of some parts ANS carries who were very upset that they weren't genuine but were but were being sold under their name. I've also had to return blemished pieces over and over again until finally demanding a refund.

Avoid ANS at all costs. And be wary of I&I.... They both sell knockoffs and factory 2nds as new.

If you're gonna shop online, Compulsive is good, as are the people who run all the "Tippmann Parts" and "Smart Parts Parts" styled sites (all one company). I personally stick with Boston Paintball and forums/craigslist unless I have to go elsewhere..