High Quality for lower prices

[iambored]

I've noticed that most high-end marker companies are making tournament ready guns for low prices. Do y'all think that the prices will get lower in the future?
Example:
ION
Promaster

[geekwarrior]

the other companies almost have to to compete

[Toll]

Tournament grade is subjective, but by and large I don't think it's going to be dropping too much more, if not purely for the fact that they can't make money off it.



Ion's themselves are decent. There's nothing really special about them, but now that people know that they will sell like hot cakes, there will be alot of "clones" in the same area due to the market showing it's self. Look at how many low level mech spyder clones there are.

[punkncat]

I have a completly new opinion of the Ion. I will agree with the above poster that "tourney grade" is subjective. Getting an Ion out of the box and going to play a tourney with it would be a brave thing to do.

Now if you take a bit of money and put into the Ion to a point generally not much more than half what one of the "flagship" high end markers run, you have a truly tourney grade marker. The aftermarket has really done a lot for them in performance and cosmetic upgrades. You can build an Ion that will perform(legal) as well as any marker out there.....and make it look good too.

There are others that are worth consideration...but at the moment the Ion is king of the low price bang for your buck market. I can't see how it could get less expensive.

[Toll]

Lets say they released "Ion 2" with:


1) Better stock reg
2) Durable internals
3) Cocker threads
4) Bolt out back
5) A clamping feedneck. STOCK! EVERY GUN FROM NOW ON.
6) Trigger that wasn't ****
7) LCD


I would like it much more. Standardized threads (cocker feed/barrel) mean you can get the parts for them easy, a clamping feed is self explanitory and bolt out back because god damn I hate taking these things apart.

To me it just seems that putting that much $ into a marker to get it up to par when you can go get a vintage matrix with a ton of ups for less than half....just doesn't add up.

You can get a used one with all that stuff for about 300 pp/shipped.



Edit : It just hit me....What about a warped ion?... A warp body for an ion....*ponder*

[REDRT]

They're not high quality though. Adequate quality at best. Back in the day a Spyder SE was a tournament grade marker according to Kingman. Back in the day you'd get slaughtered by mags and cockers using one to. I still feel you get what you pay for when it comes to markers.

[ShotOnSight]

Very true, but theres been an overall price drop in markers recently (gradually) and the resale value on certain markers like cockers is horrible. Company's are finally realizing that the money to be made is the mid-range and recball area. So offerig "tournament" grade markers at a lower price is just a marketing ploy and alot of times these "tourney" markers suffer from mediocrity at best. I dont forsee prices in the mid-low range dropping any further but I do forsee the price in highend markers droping a little bit more. Time will tell.

[Toll]

Classic example is an E1 framed cocker vs an Ion. I'd take the cocker any day of the week and the prices are probably about the same. Ion's killed resale because they filled that void between the spyders and the matrixes (the 200-400 range) and suddenly people figured out that they might be useful

Now, if you were playing a 15bps capped tourney an Ion with the appropriate ups is a perfectly viable marker. I'll keep my mag/viking mind you, but it's perfectly acceptable...So is an electronic spyder if you're only doing 15bps.


What would be really neat is if they managed to make an Ion with a rechargeable battery inside connected to a hopper (revvy clone) and used them as field rental markers to replace 98cs...

[BuyMyMag]

I have never shot a Promaster, so I can't comment on that, but unfortunately, I was an Ion owner for a while. I bought my Ion when they were relatively new, mind you, and I had nothing but problems. One after the other, after the other, and Smart Parts didn't do anything to help me. They blatantly told me that they couldn't fix the marker because I had an upgrade (a new trigger). The thing is, though, that the trigger had absolutely no effect on it, as the marker leaked the first time I aired it up, and that was brand new in the box. After multiple other things going wrong (Regulator went out, and turns out that it came cross threaded from the factory, and Smart Parts refused to warranty it), I ended up buying a new frame for it, and selling it. The Ion shot relatively well, but I wouldn't say it's "High Quality". After buying my Timmy, I'll never go back. Absolutely no problems what so ever. I don't mind paying a pretty penny for a good reliable marker.

[CKY_Alliance]

Very true, but theres been an overall price drop in markers recently (gradually) and the resale value on certain markers like cockers is horrible. Company's are finally realizing that the money to be made is the mid-range and recball area. So offerig "tournament" grade markers at a lower price is just a marketing ploy and alot of times these "tourney" markers suffer from mediocrity at best. I dont forsee prices in the mid-low range dropping any further but I do forsee the price in highend markers droping a little bit more. Time will tell.


You live in sc i see, where do you play?


And as far as this thread goes..and being a consumer period...you get what you pay for,on occasion you can find a good deal, but the above can be applied 95% of the time.

[ShotOnSight]

You live in sc i see, where do you play?


And as far as this thread goes..and being a consumer period...you get what you pay for,on occasion you can find a good deal, but the above can be applied 95% of the time.

I play all over the place. My home field is Strikezone of Beaufort but I also play at paintball charleston and New generation in easley (when im up there)

where do you go ?

[CKY_Alliance]

I play all over the place. My home field is Strikezone of Beaufort but I also play at paintball charleston and New generation in easley (when im up there)

where do you go ?


PC, ballbusters, ive been to newgen..dun care for the clay/rocks its not easy on the body..we travel mostly because pc just doesnt really like speedballers all that much its like a hassle to play there...and home feild was physco for awhile then we gave up on him and went back today for the first time playing there in forever (ye we played in the horrible,constent rain) and we are now banned..unless we buy a 70 dollar table...long story

so ye we mostly travel..ballbusters in columbia has great prices on sundays for teams..5 dollar air and field fee and 30 dollar cases...

there is supposed to be a new field opening in west ahsley..i think WA...not sure the details i know its going to be OC's home field..not sure if itll be private or public but there going to have turf so they can practice for nppl..so it will be nice .

Hows strike zone? and i assume you play speedball since you play at newgen some...on any team or play any tourney ball?

[SR_matt]

Dont know their margins, but with their recent ~$100 price drop, I dont see it dropping much further. With the Ion at $179 retail, makes me wonder how if its possible to go much further and make a reasonable profit.

Never know though, anything is possible.
well if they do huge runs they might be able to get the prices to drop alot

but think about it guys the guns can not go faster (or at least theres no point to any more, we passed that point and multiplied it by at least 2... remember that its next to imposiable to run through 15 bps none the less anything more). so the only better things guns can do now are 1-efficenty 2-weight 3-price 4-recoil 5-strength 6-future upgrades

ions, while they might be able to be taken to very nice guns, are just like a base line honda. yes it can be a top end racing car but you have to replace half the car to do it.

-matt

[mag_lover05]

ions, while they might be able to be taken to very nice guns, are just like a base line honda. yes it can be a top end racing car but you have to replace half the car to do it.

-matt


not really. its not THAT expensive to do it. if you dont care about looks, all you NEED in the ion is a:

firebolt
cp trigger
feedneck
QEV


and it will shoot as smooth if not smoother than anything. so for around another 100 bux, you can have a nice shooting gun for under 300 bux.

[SR_matt]

well the only ion that i actualy liekd was my friends ion that he replaced everything but the rail/trigger frame piece and board (put about 500 ish into it) ...then again im not a fan of spooler ingeneral

but i mean 100 bucks more is over 50% of the guns original value its kind of liek buying a honda for 12k and putting 6k into it for just prefromance your going to have a good car but u spend 18k.

-matt

[Dark-Adrenaline]

I have a completly new opinion of the Ion. I will agree with the above poster that "tourney grade" is subjective. Getting an Ion out of the box and going to play a tourney with it would be a brave thing to do.

Now if you take a bit of money and put into the Ion to a point generally not much more than half what one of the "flagship" high end markers run, you have a truly tourney grade marker. The aftermarket has really done a lot for them in performance and cosmetic upgrades. You can build an Ion that will perform(legal) as well as any marker out there.....and make it look good too.

There are others that are worth consideration...but at the moment the Ion is king of the low price bang for your buck market. I can't see how it could get less expensive.

By far the best post ive seen in this thread and couldnt be more truthfull.




Lets say they released "Ion 2" with:


1) Better stock reg
2) Durable internals
3) Cocker threads
4) Bolt out back
5) A clamping feedneck. STOCK! EVERY GUN FROM NOW ON.
6) Trigger that wasn't ****
7) LCD


I would like it much more. Standardized threads (cocker feed/barrel) mean you can get the parts for them easy, a clamping feed is self explanitory and bolt out back because god damn I hate taking these things apart.

To me it just seems that putting that much $ into a marker to get it up to par when you can go get a vintage matrix with a ton of ups for less than half....just doesn't add up.

You can get a used one with all that stuff for about 300 pp/shipped.



Edit : It just hit me....What about a warped ion?... A warp body for an ion....*ponder*

Why have a new ion that comes with all that stuff when you can get most of it aftermarket anyway? SP would just jack the price up if they added all that stuff and youd prob replace most of it anyway. LCD screens arent necessary by any means, they just raise cost for stupid little features. Warp breechs, shells, and bodies have all been discussed before but theres a serious lack of interest. You have to realize that a majority of paintballers either dont like wwarps or have no idea what they are.

[Toll]

Thats just my personal "I would maybe buy one" list.

I could care less about half the stuff, just things that I would personally like to see....Cept the cocker thing, I firmly believe that should be standard.

[duby]

Edit : It just hit me....What about a warped ion?... A warp body for an ion....*ponder*

i will have one done early next year when i get my custom made body (not shell) so i have an extra breech laying around.