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Thread: high cost of an intelliframe

  1. #1
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    high cost of an intelliframe

    Just as a disclaimer, I've been playing paintball for a few years. I'm aware of the cost of paintball equipment ($50 for an aluminum tube? what a bargain!).

    I recently recieved my intelliframe in the mail, and to be honest, I had no idea what it looked like internally. I had just assumed that at $115 was justified since it had received such high acclaim. However, when I finally recieved it, I was a bit surprised. It was just a frame, with a trigger that swiveled, no other moving parts. Granted it is a nice pull, and nicely made, but the price is ridiculous. Even with a dye grips included, $115 seems hardly justified. And if the radio shack parts are so cheap to install, it would be more fitting if the components were already installed.

    This is more than a rant. I'm not angry or annoyed. I'm just curious as to what justifies the high cost for it.

  2. #2
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    You are correct in assuming that it is possible to build a frame that is cheaper, in fact Benchmark does, however having a Benchmark and an Intelliframe both, for me there is no comparison. My Benchmark had a long trigger pull and a lot of side to side movement. My Intelliframe has a crisp pull and break and virtually no side to side movement.

    Its simply a question of tolerances, there are a lot of facilities capable of machining a trigger assembly, but not nearly as many with the quality control capable of it up to AGD specifications.

    Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
    That which does not kill us, cripples us for life.

  3. #3
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    Because of the internal milling required to 1) lighten the frame and 2) allow mounting of the components, many tools and much time are needed to make those cuts. That's one factor. The other factor is AGD quality, everything is built MUCH less sloppy than say Benchmark.

    But yes, it is very expensive.
    Subbeh

    "My wife might find my stashed Marker Money before then, and then boom-new patio furniture or some other garbage."
    -1stDeadEye

  4. #4
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    Quote from the AGD Store "This beauty is machined from a solid block of aluminum and takes over 35 tools to produce!"
    Sound expensive and time consuming?

    True, the Intelliframe isn't cheap, but the only way AGD can cover expensive manufacturing costs, and make a decent buck is to have it that way. You can get cheaper frames, but it shows through in the performance. Intelliframes are the best mechanical frames you can buy for your Mag!

  5. #5
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    Originally posted by Telefragged
    Intelliframes are the best mechanical frames you can buy for your Mag!
    It's the best of how many frames? Since mags don't have much in the department of aftermarket parts, it would seem that prices don't have to be as competitive. Keep in mind I have nothing against the quality of agd products. It's why I have a mag in the first place. I just think that if there were more companies that made aftermarket parts, the price might be more reasonable.

  6. #6
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    Yes it would but one of the reasons more companies do not make parts is because of the tight tolerances required for a Mag to operate at its peak. Add that to the fact that demand is not as high as it is say for 'Cocker parts and you have a formula for the cost to be high. Besides I only found the I-Frame to be about $40 more than the Benchmark, at least where I was looking at it and I do not think that is overly excessive.

  7. #7
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    Bottomline is...AGD makes the best parts for the mag. They know the mag, they ARE the mag. They can probably charge whatever they'd like for their products, and people would STILL buy it because of who it is. There are alot of big, popular companies out in the world today. Your going to buy stuff from the ones you know and trust. AGD qualified as one!

  8. #8
    Go to a machine shop and ask them how much it would cost you to make a copy of the exact same frame. Then go to an annodizer and ask them how much it would cost them to anno the frame. Then buy a pair of stickies for it. I can almost gurantee that its gonna add up to over $115
    Did you hear about the new european weapons contracts? France is going to make the wooden sticks Spain making the little white flags

  9. #9
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    also consider the cost of a basic mag compared to other high end mech. markers. consider the cost of an intelliframe for a cocker, now add that onto the cost of the cocker in the first place! agd sells a solid foundation, to wich the addition of tricked-out stuff is your own choice. this makes your mag,truly, YOUR mag!

  10. #10
    hey butter i can tell u right now leaving out the anno and the stickies it will cost well over 1000$ to get it copied at your local machine shop if they can even do it my dad is a machineist and when your wanting somthing milled liek that it can cost WELL over 100$ an hour i dont think that the I-frame is overpriced by any means if anything it is under priced

  11. #11
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    How can the trigger pull be shorter when nothing else changes but the frame?
    Try to be clear on your responses because I'm old and slow in the head.
    Thanotos

    http://www.factcheck.org

  12. #12
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    Thats a good question, I am not sure how it 'seems' like my trigger pull is less. It may not in fact be so, but it sure feels like it. It's possible that it only feels that way since I think the I-Frame has better feedback through the trigger with the retro valve. Obviously I have not done any testing, so these are all opinions, but I do know that I use to chop balls, fairly frequently by short stroking and now its very seldom that I do that. But I got my superbolt and my I-Frame at the same time so its hard to say how much is one and how much is the other.

    Just my .02.

  13. #13
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    the fulcrum (thats probably spelled wrong) piont is different so the leverage is changed!

  14. #14
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    Also, the way the trigger is shaped on the I-Frame gives it a forward stop. So the pull is in fact shorter. Even the DYE frame can't compair. I have used all three. The I-Frame is so much better it's not even right.

  15. #15
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    I think that the i frame is the best frame out for the mag. I have a benchy and I like it. There are some problems with it but it works. I also think that the i frame isn't worth 40 bucks more just for better quality and the stickies. To me annodizing is worth less unless you want to make your gun look cool. I think agd is asking way to much for the frame.

  16. #16
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    ok, say you wanted to get a dye frame installed.

    dye 2x frame- 52.50 for black, 66.50 for chrome (g3pb.com)
    dye sticky grips- 22.50 (g3pb.com)
    dye 2x trigger- 14.50
    safety- a few bucks (can't find one online)

    this amounts to 89.50

    now how much would it cost to have someone mill out the inside of the frame and make a bracket for a switch to fit on? you also have the fact that it is backed by AGD and is made to their specs. i think it somewhat balances out. oh, and g3pb has awesome prices on the dye frames, i've seen them as high as 70 dollars in stores.

  17. #17
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    The DYE frame is nowhere near as nice as the I-Frame either. I just switched from a DYE to the I-Frame. Used the DYE for a while, I love the feel of the I-Frame, it's far far far far better.

  18. #18
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    I think benchmark is a more reasonable comparison to the I frame. With dye, you're paying for the name. Besides, the benchy frame is better than the dye frame.

  19. #19
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    And you base that statment on what? I have used all three. The Benchmark is crap compaired to the DYE and I-Frame. The I-Frame is better than the DYE, but I would take either over a Benchmark any day.

  20. #20
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    I'm going to put my foot in here..


    Guys the prototype was pretty much hand built.. the rest are just either stamped or computer milled. And anodizing it black is cheap, shop in town will anodize car parts for 30$ black only.


    So yeah i think it is over priced, but i am Canadian and our money is worth not much of anything.. i'm never going to get one , not a nescesaty
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  21. #21
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    The cost is not in the initial manufacturing, its in R&D and the requirements to manufacture it. Not just any milling machine can produce it. The tolerances required to have the frame as high quality as it is are not capable on all machines.

    For example a Ford Escort and an IRL car are both automobiles, but they are hardly the same. I realize this is an extreme example but you get the point I am trying to make.

    If you want the highest quality, best performing parts, you have to pay for it, this is true of all things not just paintball.

    Remember, Light, Strong, Cheap. Pick two.

    You can substitute whatever adjectives in there you deem appropriate.

    Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

  22. #22
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    i have a dye frame that has no trigger wobble in it, all u need to do is shim the trigger in the middle and than you have a nice crisp no wobble trgger pull. I have out shot an i frame with my frame while the i frame was wired. Its all being used to your gun on that one, and AGD can charge that much for there product because they know people will pay that much for a frame that AGD made.
    AO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle :Raphael

    my feedback thread

  23. #23
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    Well if you are compairing the DYE Frame to the Intelli you pretty much have the same cost.

    IFrame: $115

    DYE Frame: $70
    Stickies: $20
    Double Trigger: $20
    Other: $15
    Total: $125

    Other is saftey assembly, trigger pin, grip screws.

    Oh, look at that, the DYE frame is more, and not the same quality as the Intelli Frame. Even if you scvanger the other parts from an old grip frame, you still are only saving $5.

  24. #24
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    Hey don't get mad at me, but it is amazing how biased some of you are towards AGD. Some of you guys just seem to have a subconscious need to defend everything from AGD. I love AGD just as much as any of you....but there is no way that frame should cost more than 90 bucks. Especially with how machines are computer controlled these days. It isnt like iframes are handmade or anything. That price is ridiculous. Even though I would still buy one because it is the best, that doesnt justify such a price. Just my .02
    -Brandon
    Was waitin for an X
    Getting an ANGEL SPEED instead!

  25. #25
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    Gotta love the simple laws of supply vs demand.

    Are they selling well at $115? Yes.

    Does that justify the pirce? Yes.

    Do you have to like it? Nope.



    Badger94z28, what are you getting worked up about? You have made a single comment on this thread.

  26. #26
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    and you can find one used on ebay for 80 bucks or so anyway. I got mine off an RT pro that I bought. Put a stock frame on it, and sold it for more than I bought the RTpro for. I like mine, since it was more or less free...

  27. #27
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    intelliframe===worth every penny
    "The Few Who Do Are The Envy Of The Many Who Only Stand And Watch"

    Alway Remember *343*

    Si vis pacem, para bellum

  28. #28
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    Originally posted by Badger94z28
    Hey don't get mad at me, but it is amazing how biased some of you are towards AGD. Some of you guys just seem to have a subconscious need to defend everything from AGD. I love AGD just as much as any of you....but there is no way that frame should cost more than 90 bucks. Especially with how machines are computer controlled these days. It isnt like iframes are handmade or anything. That price is ridiculous. Even though I would still buy one because it is the best, that doesnt justify such a price. Just my .02
    I agree!!!!
    My dad is a PGL at Halliburton machine shop (the biggest oil feild people in the worrld) and he said that he could copy out a whole Xmag body and grip for about $200. (not mill on a slugo). That price is to high for the machines out today that can make them in 30/45 min. Also my .02....
    Will that stop me getting one NO!!!

  29. #29
    ben_JD Guest
    Originally posted by branman444


    I agree!!!!
    My dad ... said that he could copy out a whole Xmag body and grip for about $200.
    Consider me your first customer. I could use a backup body within spec. Just let me know when it is done and tested and I'll send you the money.

  30. #30
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    nice try.... they wont even hear of you making anything thats not on the menu to be maid. I guess when a machine is making 200,000 to 500,000 parts you really dont want to stop it or something like that. anyway it is possible and believe me if he could get at a machine foe about and hour or so id have one and woulld be happy to sell you one. SORRY.......

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