Ions: Do they suck that hard?

[paintballfiend]

Do Ions really suck like most people say they do? I don't really care about Agg value or anything like that. It seems like most people say that theirs did not work out of the box. Does anyone here have experience with them.
Thanks,
PBfiend.

[d4m4don3]

They don't suck hard, just that most of the people who buy them do because they're marketed to beginners. They don't know the 1st thing about maintaining them and tend to break the marker.

[snoopay700]

I shot one once, didn't really like the trigger or anything, wasn't really to my liking. Some people may like them but i don't because in my opinion they aren't all that great, plus i hate smart parts.

[trevorjk]

ions are fine, treat them nicely they treat you nicely. most problems come from people that know squat about guns, as posted above, the gun is marketed towards the beginner crowd.

and after having about 2 dozen brand new ions go out the door, only 1 came back with problems, and that was a faulty board wich smart parts promptly replaced. as for any other defects, non were caused by the Factory. all were user fault

[jenarelJAM]

It's pretty much like any other marker, only cheaper. The marker is cheaper, and so may have other drawbacks, that then tempt you into upgrading your marker. I think the ion is pretty much the best marker you can buy for $200 new(and cheaper used), but unless you have a lot of self control, you're probably going to start by upgrading the barrel, then the feedneck, then the reg, the board, the frame, and pretty soon, your $200 marker cost $500 and is still only worth $200 resale.

Now, about them "sucking," I think it's mostly the 'cool' thing to do in paintball, to bash every marker you don't actually own, in order to make your own sound better. (read 'guide to buying marker from pbn article :P). While the ion may not feel right to you, it also might feel perfect. A HUGE part of buying a marker is finding the one that's right for you.

My big thing is reliability and ease of maintenence. I bought an emag, and later, a viking. Now I've moved to a pump, and completely ditched the complications of electronics. The first thing I look for in a marker is widely acclaimed members of <i>this</i> forum promoting a marker, for the reasons I'm looking for. ie. If tunaman, rrfireblade, pneumagger, lohman, rogue, coolhand, any of the dealers, etc. (I'm sorry, I'm sure I forgot many people) share their opinion on a marker, you can be pretty sure that it's a mature opinion from someone who's had their share of paintball experience.

I forget who it was, but one of the above mentioned, I believe, tried an ion a while ago and liked it, talked about it on these forums for a little bit.

So, are you planning on buying an ion, and want opinions? IMO, the ion will not give you the "respect" on the field many people want when they buy a new marker. The best way to get respect is to buy a marker nobody has heard about(or that everyone looks at and dismisses), and to blow the pants off of everyone who tries you.
Are you looking for an increase in speed? The ion will probably be able to deliver that to you.
Are you looking for something you might want to sell again later? The ion is probably not the best bet for that, as they're extremely common, and resale is cheap. However, if you buy used, you can always sell used :bounce:
Are you looking for something that will never give you hassles, never let you down on the field, and never require maintenence? Sorry, that marker doesn't exist. Even my viking, which <i>almost</i> never gives me troubles(I'm actually amazed how little it gives me), takes a thorough cleaning at the end of the day, without which, I don't think it would function up to its usual standards. Your marker <i>will</i> most likely have problems. Your job as owner of that marker, whatever it is, is to learn how to identify and fix those problems.
Are you looking for a marker that will make you a better player? Buy a pump. Really. I've used mine twice, and already found habits that I'm having to unlearn because I started with an electro, and never learned the basics the right way.
Are you looking for something that will let you go out and have a good time? This is where it comes down to preference. You're going to have the best time playing with the marker that you're happy with, that you really wanted, and that <i>you</i> decided to buy, and to spend money on, even though you can think of hundreds of other things that money can't be spent on now instead. It's about going out having fun, and playing paintball to enjoy it, and have a good time. It's not about "beating" the other team, it's about playing with them, and when you're done, win or lose, going over and shaking their hand, and saying, "Dude, I almost had you! I can't believe you got me!"

/end

[hmudd13]

Ions are fine, I love the one I have. I own over 100 markers and the Ion has not ever given me any problems. Like someone said above, treat it good and it'll treat you good.

[snoopay700]

While the ion may not feel right to you, it also might feel perfect. A HUGE part of buying a marker is finding the one that's right for you.
Exactly, i didn't like how it felt and everything, which is one reason i don't like them. Then there's the whole thing about smart parts just being dicks that i don't like, but i didn't know about that at the time of trying out the gun, that now just adds to me not caring for them.

[Pacifist_Farmer]

I feel like we've had this discussion a couple times.

[turbo chicken]

Ion's rule all ... :D

but seriously they are decent guns ... i've never seen any factory issues with them personally... my dad owns one and plays with it more than his rt pro ... he likes the ramping ... which he calls full auto ...

I personally don't like the way the gun feels in my hands ...it's just too light ... i much prefer my mech minimag, BLM spyder, or PGP over any thing i pick up now days ...

[fire1811]

I just recently sold my Ion and never had a problem with it. For the price IMO you can't beat it.
I put a new trigger and barrel on it.
The main thing with a ION is if your going to dump a lot of money into it upgrade wise, just buy a better gun.

[JimmyBeam]

nope, they can be just as effective as any other mid level marker

this was mine

http://www.itaegis.com/gallery/data/media/18/grips1_jb.JPG

[paintballfiend]

I just want an electro to fling some paint around on the speedball court. I plan to keep it stock. Also, I want to get an electro I can fool around with and learn more about how electros work. I want something cheaper so if I mess it up I won't feel so bad. I figure I should know something about electros before I go out and spend a lot more on a higher-end electro.

[StygShore]

Ion or Promaster?

Hows the ION compare to the Promaster?

I have a promaster now, and have held and fired a ION, but no long term use or anything. And I have not gotten to put the promaster through the ringer yet either. Pricewise, ICD is dumping Lasoya Promasters for 220.00 everywhere.


Styg

[Cheeze]

I've always used a Ion back in the day before I got sucked into the world of AGD. They are a nice marker to use if you don't mind the power of a 9v. I like any marker, lightweight ions to supersize beastly VM-68s. To this day I still have a Ion in my gear bag as a backup, treat it as any other gun I have and keeping it maintained.

[68magOwner]

ions are great markers, just get a lot of flack, because, a lot of new players/morons own them.

[Lohman446]

Noone gave me any flak when I owned an Ion....

[wjr]

I owned an ion for a little while. I returned it because I didn't like the way it felt. It didn't seem to have the right balance in my hands.

That, and as much as I hate to say it, I didn't want to go to the feild and immediately get lumped into the noob category.

It was mainly the feel though.

But, if you're looking for a cheap electro, you ought to look into a bushmaster. They're pretty nice in my opinion.

[JimmyBeam]

Noone gave me any flak when I owned an Ion....

lol, you sure didn't like to hear about them when they first came out.

[don miguel]

yes.
http://www.pbreview.com/pics/46061149763272.jpg > http://www.directpaintball.com/images/reviews/ion_yellow_large.gif

[Ken Majors]

I echo the sentiments of the above.

If you keep it pretty much stock it is worth what you pay for it.

If you plan to upgrade the bejeebers out of it. Just spend the extra money up front and buy something more high end.

The only upgrade on my ion is a clamping feedneck, and I bought a freak back so I can use the same barrels with my mags and my ion.

The stock barrel isn't horrible. Not many guns have great stock barrels.

A lot of people gripe about the trigger, I personally think it isn't bad. Adjusted properly it is tolerable. It is plastic, and some people just don't like the feel of a plastic trigger. I play in gloves anyway...so it isn't really an issue.

Ion - $200
Feedneck- $35
Freak Back -$40
Air...I use the same 68/4500 screw in that I use for all my guns.

$270 isn't bad for a nice little electo that works everytime.

[mag_lover05]

don miguel, QFT and

ions do not suck that bad. they dont suck at all honestly. with the proper ups they are up there with the best. with qev's and new bolts, they are efficient, and have LITTLE to no kick. they are very fast with the stock boards, and you can get lazer eyes for them. add a new trigger and a new reg, they are awsome. only thing wrong with them is that you will waste paint.

[don miguel]

don miguel, QFT and STFU.

ions do not suck that bad. they dont suck at all honestly. with the proper ups they are up there with the best. with qev's and new bolts, they are efficient, and have LITTLE to no kick. they are very fast with the stock boards, and you can get lazer eyes for them. add a new trigger and a new reg, they are awsome. only thing wrong with them is that you will waste paint.
then all of the upgrades you spent money for on the ion will eventually add up to as much as you could have payed for a shocker. The ion is obviously an entry level cheap shocker, with the same electro-pnuematicness (I just made that word up), but with cheaper parts.

[mag_lover05]

either way its better than a spyder genious and upped ion goes for 250-300 max. so thats not the price of a 500+ dollor shocker.

[craltal]

I've always used a Ion back in the day before I got sucked into the world of AGD.

wow, having somebody talk about using an Ion as "back in the day" really makes me feel old.

I remember the days when a "shocker" meant shoeboxes and there were no electronic spyders, or don miguels. I miss the old days...

[Lohman446]

lol, you sure didn't like to hear about them when they first came out.

I ordered one the day before there release was announced :)

[paintballfiend]

Yeah, I don't plan to upgrade it. I have learned my lesson with my Spyder. :tard: I stock Ion doesn't sound too bad.

[FARMER00]

ions could suck a golf ball through a garden hose

lol just kidding i have one its a decent back up or gun for the girlfriend but im trying to trade it for a mag somwhere

[impure]

ya they kinda suck. i used my friends and he is an expierienced player and i am as well they are not that great. i dont like the trigger and you really have to know your way around firing and firing with a freaken computer as well. they are ok but seem too brittle, like i could squeeze the body too hard and it would crack. i like heavy guns because they seem to me more durable. buy a mag, upgrade it and you will have a much more beautiful gun but also a more reliable one as well.

[Toll]

If you were serious about getting a relatively low cost speedball marker and staying in speedball:

-Get the used ion
-Get a low cost barrel (25$ maybe) big bore so you can shoot everything
-Buy a real feedneck. Ghetto mods are nice but don't always hold up. 15$ used.
-Maybe a new trigger, your choice.


For the money they really do perform. As stated alot of people's "ion's suck" status comes from inept users rather than the marker it's self. If it had a cocker threaded breech I'd really be quite pleased with them. The problem is that if you buy one, you are stuck with it. No one is going to buy it off of you. If you really feel like you want to keep it around, look into a cocker threaded breech simply because most higher up markers take cocker threads.

Look at what you get stock for 130 ish used
-Eyes
-15bps (realistically)
-Easily mod-able feedneck
-Single tube
-Light weight
-No dicking with anno, you can drop on body kits for colour changes
-You don't have to worry about scratching the alumn.

[punkncat]

Without reading through the post, I will guess that I am not saying anything that hasn't already been said several times.....


The Ion is:

Inexpensive in both cost and design. There were many quality issue corners cut to be able to get something that for the price is STILL hands above the competition, even a few things pricier.
There is no other marker for the price that offers what it does, and fairly reliably at that.

I have seen $1600 markers come broken out of the box as well.

[Coralis]

Its a smart parts product, I dont care if it comes with its own ref to make sure that what you hit calls its self out on the first shot or its tech to fix the gun should it break or a chaueffer to take you to the field to play im not buying one.

[LFD92]

I owned one for just over 2 years (bought one the day they were released). I personally never had a problem with it that couldn't be fixed. I never changed out the board, but I changed out just about everything else. That is one of the things I loved about it. I'm always tinkering around with my markers and it was constantly changing. Here are some pics:

1st aftermarket body was a Cougar River Carbon Fiber BLUE w/ matching Grip Panels:
http://x402.putfile.com/4/11312563574-thumb.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=2441733)

Then, I went to a more conventional Deadlywind FOEHN in GunMetal Grey w/ an FBM SITH v1 frame:
http://f5.putfile.com/6/15221141552-thumb.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=2742158)

Finally, I ended with a 1/1 Warped Sportz Dark LECA Series Olive w/ Olive Dust Tattoo:
http://img1.putfile.com/thumb/10/30311500816.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3859420)

You can customize it to your liking, much like a Mag. No one really gives you as much crap as others may lead you to believe. It's not the marker that tags someone out, it's the player.

Smart Parts, as evil as they may be, actually cornered the market with a low cost higher end marker. Sure, it's a "beginner" marker, but it has the potential to keep up with and surpass those higher priced. I loved mine, and I'm sorry I ever got rid of it.

[RRfireblade]

Do Ions really suck like most people say they do? I don't really care about Agg value or anything like that. It seems like most people say that theirs did not work out of the box. Does anyone here have experience with them.
Thanks,
PBfiend.

Little late to the party but I'll say this:

They of course do not suck.

And of course , most of them are NOT broken out of the box.

SP has sold and continue to sell like a bajillion of them a year , and hundreds of fields at least are using them as rentals.

None of the would be true if the 'sucked'. :)

For a couple hundered w/ some minor twaeks , they can and will hang with anything else out there. If taken care of , even tho they do have some inexpensive parts an materials in them , they can and will last a number of years of regular use. Imagine how much use a Rental gets and how gentle rentors are on them.

[p8ntbal4me]

I give ION owners ALOT of flack because I had to school some idiot-underaged-did-not-know-what-his-parents-bought-him-for-his-14th-birthday ION god at my local field.

He seemed to think that an UP'ed ION was faster, better, and cheaper, than a stock Shocker I had just purchased.

So we set my price of my Shocker to $600 bucks and called it stock.

Then, after going over all the prices thrown around for the body, bolt, feedneck, trigger frame, barrel, etc. He didnt like the fact that his $900 ION was still slower, more expensive, and had a very bad grouping of shots in rapid fire than my "stock" Shocker.

People do not think before they open their mouths (me included!). This is very true the more younger the player and the more expensive the gear they have strapped to their body.

A $1800 EGO is NOT going to improve your game unless YOU improve your game. A Shocker, semi-auto in my hands is no faster than an EGO, semi-auto in my hands. My fingers move just as fast.

I think the ION was good for what it was marketed as, an "entry level electronic marker".
Making it to be more than that is just a waste of time. And by that I dont mean upgrading it, I mean by words. Its an ION, it has its own classification in the paintball community. Tippmann Carbine 68s were and probley always will be labled as a "rental gun". But they were like the AK-47 for the paintball community back when electros were not as big. They worked all the time, they ran great in the rain, and I have personally seen one get run over by a van, washed off, hopper changed, and re-chronoed at the field legal limit. They were the flagship of the beginner guns back then.

Do I think IONs suck? No,... I do think MOST ION owners suck. Average age at my field that owns an ION is 15,.... and thats a guess. But they all act like they are 8 so Im guessing Im about right! :)

I do know 2 guys who bought IONS for a backup gun and they are just awesome players. But its not the gun that made them good or bad players. The ION carries a label of "n00b" in my eyes just as much as Automag carries a label of "dinosaur" or "dead" outside this forum.

Just my humble opinion!

[mag_lover05]

p8ntbal4me, the tippmann procarbine/68's watever, still are the Ak47 of the paintball world... they always work, no matter what you do to them.

[p8ntbal4me]

p8ntbal4me, the tippmann procarbine/68's watever, still are the Ak47 of the paintball world... they always work, no matter what you do to them.

Yeah,. I was just using it as an example because I compared Tippmann to AGD in another thread 2 months ago.

I still have my Tippmann Pro-Lite,.... it still works just like it always has.

Ill take solid and reliable over shiny and new anyday of the week!

[Ninjeff]

Amen!

[__Phoenix__]

I still wonder why the hell any of you care what other people shoot?
Let them make their own choice, it isn't any of your business.
Grow the hell up already.

[p8ntbal4me]

I still wonder why the hell any of you care what other people shoot?
Let them make their own choice, it isn't any of your business.
Grow the hell up already.


I think you missed some of the point to the post.

My point was that its not the ION that sucks, its the person that uses it COMMONLY that I have issues with.

And I dont think its because of the ION either, more its due to the reasons that the ION is an entry level marker and entry level markers mean entry level players that do not know what we know yet.

I definately DO NOT agree with you on your point of that we should not care what other markers other players shoot. You SHOULD care. Thats how you decided what type of guns you like and what ones you dont.

I never would have been put on to mags from my cockers had a player not let me shoot my first mini-mag with an autoresponse frame on it. I thought it was awesome. I asked quesitons, saw alot of the older more seasoned players were shooting them,... so I bought a AGD product for my next purchase.

IMHO you should be aware of what other players shoot. Why do you think the ION became so popular? Because of its price? Because of its speed? If you were to walk up to a ION shooting player right now and ask them, "hey, what do you like about that ION?" They most likely will say, "Awe man! Its wicked fast, cheap (in-expensive), and easy to use. You can get a TON of upgrades for it,.... etc." If you asked me about my Twistedreflex cocker I would say, "Because I wanted a gun that no one else has, I paid $2,300 dollars for it, its fast, and looks awesome."

Depending on the type of player you are, you might go with the ION or my gun. The ION may turn you on because its fast and cheap. If your on a budget, that will be the gun for you! The cocker I have might be something to think about in the future, or, if you collect guns you might want to buy it from me.

What Im saying is that its important to keep up with the times on the markers other players use just as much as it is to keep your home computer updated as the market changes. Your home computer is only new for a few months,... then the parts and technology become outdated and you have to either spend little amounts at a time or wait a few years, then upgrade.

Just my HO. :cheers:

[__Phoenix__]

And despite your huge response,
it STILL doesn't matter what someone else shoots.

[p8ntbal4me]

And despite your huge response,
it STILL doesn't matter what someone else shoots.


Your pretty bitter man,.. this is the second post today Ive seen from you where it looks at if you posted after someone slipped something in your Cheerios.


Glad to see you think with a flat head instead of a level one.

[__Phoenix__]

Your pretty bitter man,.. this is the second post today Ive seen from you where it looks at if you posted after someone slipped something in your Cheerios.


Glad to see you think with a flat head instead of a level one.
Resorting to insults?
Typical AOer fashion.
What about what i said doesn't make sense, or makes me sound bitter?
Who cares what someone else shoots.

[Killer V]

Man, just buy a Nerve. :headbang:

[mag_lover05]

no...just buy a classic mag, best $239 you will ever spend in your life. :shooting:

[Chaos_Theory!]

A classic mag for $239? You must have gotten raped. lol

[Maghog]

I shot an Ion once, on a practice range, and I was impressed with the whole thing.
I was offered to use it on the field and I accepted. On the field, the gun simply did not shoot, at all, and refused to do so for the rest of the day. The owner said that never happened to him before.
I laughed and picked up my Sterling and went out to have some fun.
Ion's are probably fine guns, if they shoot the way it did when I tried it. But the real issue is, do you really want to support a greedy, stop at nothing, throw all morals out the window company like Smart Parts? That's what you're doing when you buy their product.
Dan@Triggernomics

[RRfireblade]

Holy Cow ! ! Dan the man ! ! :wow:

Sup man , what's goin' on ?

[mag_lover05]

A classic mag for $239? You must have gotten raped. lol
QFT
thats the NIB price.

[Desega]

then all of the upgrades you spent money for on the ion will eventually add up to as much as you could have payed for a shocker. The ion is obviously an entry level cheap shocker, with the same electro-pnuematicness (I just made that word up), but with cheaper parts.

The ion is meant to be an entry level e-gun, not a shocker. There is no comparision. I have played with one and would definatly recomend one for a beginning tourney player. QFT

[SCpoloRicker]

All I'm saying is that Mustang drivers are, by far, the nost obnoxious guys at the track. They spend 10k buying a used 5.0 and throwing cheap mods at it; and all of a sudden they think they're running 12's and claiming to have dropped Z06s.

Wait, what? ;)

[nuclear zombie]

Ions are a great gun for the money. If you want something competitive for all around play, including speedball, for under $300 it's what I would buy. In all reality there's only a few of what I would call 'must have" upgrades for it. First a new trigger the plastic one is horrid, and secondly a clamping feed neck. I wouldn't bother with a new barrel, the stock one will shoot straight like any other barrel with good paint. The body and grips are mostly cosmetic and not worth the money changing. Of course this is based upon getting a good cheap marker for under $300, if you prefer the route of upgrading, spend time researching and asking questions. Personally for me half the fun of having a marker is upgrading/modding it, weather it needs it or not.

Keep it lubed, take care of it, RTFM, and it will last you for years.

[pennywise]

All I'm saying is that Mustang drivers are, by far, the nost obnoxious guys at the track. They spend 10k buying a used 5.0 and throwing cheap mods at it; and all of a sudden they think they're running 12's and claiming to have dropped Z06s.

Wait, what? ;)
QFT :headbang:

[Desega]

Ions are a great gun for the money. If you want something competitive for all around play, including speedball, for under $300 it's what I would buy. In all reality there's only a few of what I would call 'must have" upgrades for it. First a new trigger the plastic one is horrid, and secondly a clamping feed neck. I wouldn't bother with a new barrel, the stock one will shoot straight like any other barrel with good paint. The body and grips are mostly cosmetic and not worth the money changing. Of course this is based upon getting a good cheap marker for under $300, if you prefer the route of upgrading, spend time researching and asking questions. Personally for me half the fun of having a marker is upgrading/modding it, weather it needs it or not.

Keep it lubed, take care of it, RTFM, and it will last you for years.
gasp! Someone who understands mantainence! I'm not worthy! :hail: :hail:

[WillyB]

I use an ion as my main with a cocker as my backup. I would have to say that I thoroughly enjoy my ion. Granted, it is modified a bit (blackheart board, CP trigger, clamping feedneck, qev,pepperstick), but i've found it to be an exceptional gun for the money. The one thing that I really don't like about them, as has been stated above many times, is the design. Its a pain to take the entire thing apart to get to the bolt to lube it. On my cocker its one pull-pin and everything falls out that needs to be lubed, which is very nice. This can be remedied with a new body that has BOB. Overall, if you're like me and have an insatiable need to upgrade your guns an Ion is pretty good. It is a "noob" gun, but its also able to hang, with a few modifications, with the very best that other companies have to offer. I would also have to agree that the common Ion owner is what makes Ions have a bad stigma.

[madcrisis]

why the hell does everyone hate smart parts? i personally like their guns. i am a proud owner of an ion. one reason i bought it was because i am always interested in learning new things and the ion is like a cheap marker that u can learn many things from but if u SCREW up ur not out on that much money.

[bentothejam1n]

Do I think IONs suck? No,... I do think MOST ION owners suck. Average age at my field that owns an ION is 15,.... and thats a guess.
qft

[impure]

let me put it this way. (this was told to me by an expierienced paintball store owner) he will not carry ions simply because he doesnt have to buy them new because so many people trade them in. he has three ions now and while i was getting my tank filled someone called him and was trying to trade thier dynasty ion. the kids daddy bought the gun for him because the kid wanted it and now he is trying to sell it because the problems with it. the dude said that ya its a beginners marker trying to be an advanced marker. he said think of buying an intimidator for 50 bucks is there going to be a problem with it? of course.