Is a Qloader worth it???

[Stayhuge]

Hey everyone. I was looking into a Qloader system. I like the idea of a loader system that doesn't require batteries. I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with these. New, they look like it will cost about 160-170 with the adapter kit. I have a ULE Custom, if that aids your opinion. Thanks everyone!!!

[afortuna]

I like them, but I'll rarely go through a hopper of paint during a speedball game. So reloading once, maybe twice during a game for a lower profile is worth it to me. If you use a lot of paint, you probably won't like it much, because the pods don't hold that much. I hope this helps.

[Anjin3515]

I just got mine. I am having some minor issues...mainly because I am using it direct feed. Ive played with it at one 8 hr game and I liked it. 100 rounds a pod is fine for me. It does take getting used to....and figuring out the spring winds can be tricky.

My best advice would be to go over to the Q-Loader forum....there is a TON of info there and the Player Reps are very helpful.

Dispite my few problems ( a few chops right at the feed neck, and 2 pods just not wanting to load...a spring wind issue) I really like it. It is NOT as simple and plug and play as a normal hopper....but I think the low profile is worth the extra time you have to put into getting to know the system.

[mostpeople]

you want opinions, well... my opinion is no and here is why:

1. Why take a 200 round pod.. and put 100 rounds in it? You cut your paint capacity by half every time you walk on the field.

2. No matter how good you are with those things, it'll still chop eventually. Sure its fast, but it takes time to load and might chop.

3. If the balls swell up due to humidity, or soften due to temperature, you're screwed.

4. All the problems can be alleviated with a haloB or EmpireB.. they are so simple, water resistant enough for gameplay in rainy florida.. and provide more than enough BPS.

Seems like a lot, imho to trade for being able to sight a gun over the barrel, as opposed to down the left or right side..

[robnix]

you want opinions, well... my opinion is no and here is why:

1. Why take a 200 round pod.. and put 100 rounds in it? You cut your paint capacity by half every time you walk on the field.

2. No matter how good you are with those things, it'll still chop eventually. Sure its fast, but it takes time to load and might chop.

3. If the balls swell up due to humidity, or soften due to temperature, you're screwed.

4. All the problems can be alleviated with a haloB or EmpireB.. they are so simple, water resistant enough for gameplay in rainy florida.. and provide more than enough BPS.

Seems like a lot, imho to trade for being able to sight a gun over the barrel, as opposed to down the left or right side..

I had one and loved it at first. It was great in a recball game, but at the last Scenerio I was at, there were some pretty serious firefights where the 100 rounds per pods was a serious issue. I was swapping pods and doing one mile round trips back to my tent more than I needed to because of the limited carrying capacity of 5 tubes in a harness. I could walk onto the field with 600 rounds, or just over 900.

I had chops as well, especially when the pods weren't loaded correctly. One pod broke paint on the inside, making the whole pod useless.

I've sold mine off and will be going with a Halo and a Vlocity JR.

[Stayhuge]

Thanks for al of the opiniions. I appreciate the honesty. I think they are a little too expensive, for something that I am not SURE that I want. If I found one cheap, I might consider it, just to tinker with, but at the prices I have seen, I doubt I will be purchasing one soon. Thanks everyone.

[Empyreal Rogue]

you want opinions, well... my opinion is no and here is why:

1. Why take a 200 round pod.. and put 100 rounds in it? You cut your paint capacity by half every time you walk on the field.

2. No matter how good you are with those things, it'll still chop eventually. Sure its fast, but it takes time to load and might chop.

3. If the balls swell up due to humidity, or soften due to temperature, you're screwed.

4. All the problems can be alleviated with a haloB or EmpireB.. they are so simple, water resistant enough for gameplay in rainy florida.. and provide more than enough BPS.

Seems like a lot, imho to trade for being able to sight a gun over the barrel, as opposed to down the left or right side..

Have you ever owned one, or used one for at least a day of play?

[wetwrks]

Watch ebay. They come up there often, both as complete sets and as parts. Often cheep.

I have basically 2 sets and love them. I have had very little problems, no more than with any other hopper system. You simply need to learn what the quirks of this particular type of hopper is.

[reflective]

I've only had mine for a little over a month now....... and it has only seen the field once. However I have put a lot of paint through it in the backyard.
I was really excited about it when I ordered it...... and when I got it in my first reaction was "huh......... ok.....".
It's not that I didn't like it, it was just that it kinda just made sense and was what it was.
It took some time to get used too at first (and by "some time" I mean like a day).
But I love it. You get very use to no more hopper on top and with my 500 kit I really see no difference in play. Switching pods in game is easy and quick, it is fast and consistant, not chops (yet - and that is with both a std minimag and my e-framed spyder tl-plus), the pods fit fine in my reds 3 pod leg harness, and it balances out fine.

Here are a couple pics (sorry about the one of my TL - my brother had the camera so I had to use my old webcam).

http://a172.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/30/l_7560eaec703be442dc69a4372a2e3043.jpg

http://a837.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/81/l_20f7b05f1235423586b33537a390ee4c.jpg

[maniacmechanic]

Q L's are what you make of them ; they can be kind of tricky till you GET USED TO YOUR EQUIPMENT , they don't like poor quality paint , they have to be set up ; it's not plug & play like a std. hopper BUT
if you want a lower profile, play a " you don't see me " position " or want a feeder that guarentees 33 bps
personally I have Q's set up on 2 markers at the moment

[Warwitch]

Yes.

Looks like most of the bases have already been covered. Buy one you will love it. And if you dont, I will buy it off you for half price :p

[mostpeople]

Have you ever owned one, or used one for at least a day of play?


Yes.. half the guys on my old team got them thinking they would be awesome. And dont get me wrong, awesome concept - we all got them afterall..

Nobody on my team uses one today, for the reasons mentioned above.

*edit, I didnt personally own one, but I have used my team's q-loaders in the past..

[Empyreal Rogue]

I ask because I own one and have owned one since it's initial release and I feel the complete and polar opposite of every point you mentioned. I'm not trying to turn this into a debate, but I just don't think your points carry a lot of validity because you really didn't give the system a chance.

1) The Q-Loader was designed for the shooter who doesn't need to shoot a lot and requires a low profile, and that is the front man. That is where I typically play. Playing front is about positioning, profile, angles, and taking small burst shots for elimination. Or drawing lots of fire, either way you get the idea. The Q-Loader allows for all of those.

2) You're right, to an extent. I spent countless hours on weekends tuning and testing different pre-wind strengths on different paint. I can guarantee that I will never break a ball in my Q-Loader, in the hose, or in the chamber based on the experience I have.

3) Yes, but that's true for any hopper. The size of the hoses, feednecks, and the mounting socket are no different from the size of a Halo's or Reloader's.

4) Also true. The Halo and Reloader are incredibly simple hoppers. Put in your batteries, put it in the feedneck, load it and go. But can you mount a Reloader upside down and still feed a consistent 33+ BPS?

I use a Q-Loader on my ULE Pneumag, and I (will) use a Reloader on my E-Mag. Both are great feed systems, and I highly recommend them both. But above all else I say that before you decide which one you want, for Buddha's sake test them out. The Q-Loader requires a good bit of understanding and experience, which in the end is totally worth it. But if that's not for you, then buy a Reloader, Halo, Pulse, or Evo3. All are also excellent hoppers. With today's market for loading systems, it's nearly impossible to go with a bad choice.

[mostpeople]

You're obviously a fan, I respect that. But you are wrong on point #1, limiting your ability to lay paint is NEVER a good idea for anybody even for a front man - which is where I play too by the way. And you've agreed with every other point I made, and so have other people in the thread, and the points I made are also from people I play with every weekend.. so im not talking out of my you know what.

[Empyreal Rogue]

You're obviously a fan, I respect that. But you are wrong on point #1, limiting your ability to lay paint is NEVER a good idea for anybody even for a front man - which is where I play too by the way. And you've agreed with every other point I made, and so have other people in the thread, and the points I made are also from people I play with every weekend.. so im not talking out of my you know what.

I agreed with the points, but only to a certain extent. Guess you didn't see that. :\

[Lomarandil]

Heck, I usually play front with 12 rounds at a time... 100 is a luxury!

Lo

[MechMags]

Q's can be awesome and equally so they can be more trouble than they are worth. The above posts pretty much cover a good deal of things. Loading the Q from that silo deal is a royal pain... it only took one weekend of that before i converted my Egg to load the Q'pods (much better, faster, more efficient).

At one point we were running 3-4 Q's on our team during recball and 1hr formats without much trouble. Over the dozens of scenarios i have played, I have only run out of ammo once. But just because your out of ammo doesnt mean your out of the game. One thing is definately tru with the Q's... accuracy thru volume is not your friend.

My primary Q'set is like the mimimage above, only i use the custom mounting socket and a warp body, so I only preload t balls into the feed hose between the Q and the breech.

The other advantage to the Q is that it can be fired from any position including upside down. So the range of motion is much greater than any conventional hopper system out there. But again its a specialized point and isnt a good trade off for most players.

Just like other hopper systems, if you want more firepower carry more pods, but at close to 20 per Q-pod not many want to collect and carry a bunch of them. Especially when they can malfunction and occassionally to the point of needing to be replaced not repaired. Over the years I have collected upwards of 15 pods and have had 3 go totally down. But Ancient Innovations did boast a lifetime warranty. Its just more trouble than I really want to deal with at the moment.

They take getting use too but can be well worth the investment, its really going to depend on your style of play.

[211]

No batteries is a big plus of a Qloader IMO
and they are quieter than a standard hopper, not just when loading the marker, but also when your moving they dont rattle (popcorn popper sound) like a hopper does when your running or crawling
not a big advantage in a spedball game, but can make a huge difference when you are sneaking up on someone in the woods

[Anjin3515]

I had HUGE problems today with the Q-loader. After consulting the Q forum on what may be causing my initial problems I adjusted the springs. Today I go to adjust my velocity and the thing just would NOT feed. I wound up tinkering with the 5 pods for 2 hours and still could not get them to work. I missed 2 hours of an 8 hr game.....I am really thinking that I may get rid of it....I am so frustrated...so disappointed. If I had a regular hopper I would have been playing...not sitting alone tinkering with the thing for hours......I have to sleep on it....I dont want to be rash....but right now I want to light them on fire and yell burn baby burn!!!!! :mad:

[mostpeople]

I had HUGE problems today with the Q-loader. After consulting the Q forum on what may be causing my initial problems I adjusted the springs. Today I go to adjust my velocity and the thing just would NOT feed. I wound up tinkering with the 5 pods for 2 hours and still could not get them to work. I missed 2 hours of an 8 hr game.....I am really thinking that I may get rid of it....I am so frustrated...so disappointed. If I had a regular hopper I would have been playing...not sitting alone tinkering with the thing for hours......I have to sleep on it....I dont want to be rash....but right now I want to light them on fire and yell burn baby burn!!!!! :mad:


therein lies the heart of my reccomendation Stayhuge. If you really want the different low profile option use a warp :)

[RangerX]

First things first. If you do go with the Q. Ditch the stock feed hose immediately if you go with a remote set up.

The stock hose is JUNK, buy a piece or 2 of the warp feed super hose. I could almost tie the super hose in a knot and balls will still travel through it. Cant say the same for the cheap plastic hose that comes with the Q.

I recently purchased the direct feed adapter for my warp left e-tac. I cant be sure whether it was the q-loader or my marker but the scenario game I played the other weekend I may as well have been using a blender. It was so gummed up by the end of the day I couldnt shoot straight. I think it may have been an improperly tuned lvl10, though it will require further testing.

Over all though my experience with the Q has been favorable. In that scenario game a buddy of mine with a invert mini using a halo b w/ a rip drive, got a break in his hopper got some paint on the eye and then it was pretty well useless. ended up using my egg2 (that I use to reload my Qpods) the egg worked flawlessly for him. Not all systems are perfect

Oh yeah get rip of the stupid silo reloader, buy a used agitated hopper and rig it up to reload the q-pods. So much nicer to do it this way. I can have my 12 pods loaded and ready to go in about 5 min. compared to the probably 20min using the silo

[MoeMag]

I had a q loader to mess with a while ago... it was cool, but in my opinion it’s not worth the trouble. I thought loading it was WAY too involved.

[GoatBoy]

You're obviously a fan, I respect that. But you are wrong on point #1, limiting your ability to lay paint is NEVER a good idea for anybody even for a front man - which is where I play too by the way. And you've agreed with every other point I made, and so have other people in the thread, and the points I made are also from people I play with every weekend.. so im not talking out of my you know what.

So when you play front, do you carry 10+ full pods of paint on your body?

[robnix]

So when you play front, do you carry 10+ full pods of paint on your body?

It's not necessarily the amount of paint you can carry, it's also the downtime caused by your inability to be on the field, or the time wasted because you simply can't shoot.

From my last and final experience with Q pods, I'll give you the two ways Q Loaders kill you with downtime:

1) I spent an inordinate amount of time off the field due to the walk back and forth, and the time it takes to load the Qpods. Standard pods are faster to refill, and keep you on the field longer through their greater carrying capacity alone.

2) The 100 rounds per pod is effectively only 90 or so. You lose some to the feed tube and the pods never push the last round or two out. 90 rounds means you're reloading twice as often as you would with a standard hopper. Since you can't shoot while reloading, more downtime.

[Siress]

I don't care what your resumé is, mine is better. :p And I say that limiting paint in the hopper of a front man doesn't matter. In fact, use a stick feed. Instead of a q-loader, buy a phantom. :) Nothing feels quite as good as bunkering people with firm beliefs that faster guns, more paint, and wiping are what the sport is about. Or beating multiple agglets by yourself with nothing but a pump gun and 10rd stick feed. Be sure to mention that they shot more paint at you in that game than you'll shoot all day/week/month.... Gotta love picking on the little twerps. :cheers:

[mostpeople]

I usually go full hopper and 3 or 4 full pods. And someone with a q-pod would have to carry 6-8 q-pods to equal that.

My argument was more based on the ability to lay paint for longer periods of time, 220 rounds vs 100.

[mostpeople]

I don't care what your resumé is, mine is better. :p And I say that limiting paint in the hopper of a front man doesn't matter. In fact, use a stick feed. Instead of a q-loader, buy a phantom. :) Nothing feels quite as good as bunkering people with firm beliefs that faster guns, more paint, and wiping are what the sport is about. Or beating multiple agglets by yourself with nothing but a pump gun and 10rd stick feed. Be sure to mention that they shot more paint at you in that game than you'll shoot all day/week/month.... Gotta love picking on the little twerps. :cheers:


lol enter the stock class argument

[mostpeople]

It's not necessarily the amount of paint you can carry, it's also the downtime caused by your inability to be on the field, or the time wasted because you simply can't shoot.

From my last and final experience with Q pods, I'll give you the two ways Q Loaders kill you with downtime:

1) I spent an inordinate amount of time off the field due to the walk back and forth, and the time it takes to load the Qpods. Standard pods are faster to refill, and keep you on the field longer through their greater carrying capacity alone.

2) The 100 rounds per pod is effectively only 90 or so. You lose some to the feed tube and the pods never push the last round or two out. 90 rounds means you're reloading twice as often as you would with a standard hopper. Since you can't shoot while reloading, more downtime.


however its easy to keep shootin with a standard hopper :rofl:

[Siress]

:p Hope I got some laughs out of my SC post. My expeirence with the Q-loader gave me the following impression: (Gen2, 7pods, 2 gun mounts, Ion kit)

-The pods are weakly constructed for the amount of force involved
-The mounting options leave a LOT to be desired, both due to the q-loader and lack of underfeed options on markers.
-The system for switching pods needs improvement to prevent chopping paint.
-Hose should be smooth inside and out, not corrugated.
-The pods are too long... I would LOVE and 40-50rd pod setup.(mounted over the tank, hose going straight over the top of the marker....smooooooth)

Other than that, very pricey system.... Fun to use, though!

[GoatBoy]

If "limiting your ability to lay paint is NEVER a good idea", then why aren't you carrying 10 pods? Not only that, but why not go for a 300 round hopper? It's NEVER a good idea unless you feel like not following your own logic?

Any time someone makes a blanket rule like that, it's an obvious stretch. The point is to compromise and find the best fit given all the constraints. If it doesn't work for your style of play, fine, but don't use flawed reasoning.

As far as reloading FUD, do a study. (Yes, I know, the thought of studying probably scares a lot of you.) Next time you go out, have someone film you reloading while under pressure in-game. Do it multiple times (say, 10 or so), and review exactly how long your gun is tipped down and not ready to shoot while reloading. Talking about it and imagining how good a player you are isn't good enough. Post the videos on google and come back and we'll see the truth of how well you can reload a standard hopper under realistic circumstances.

This is not to say that reloading with the Q is that great; I'm just saying that reloading with a standard system in reality isn't that smooth. The operative word is reality, not in your minds.

As far as walking back and forth between games, again, that's kind of a compromise. Same argument applies as before -- if you don't like walking back and forth and filling up, then why don't you strap 2 cases of paint on your back along with a scuba tank -- you'd never have to go back and fill up! Typically, when I play a game, I only care about what's best for that game right then and there, not what's best for the game 4-5 games away. That means I don't carry paint and air for a game that I'm not currently playing. It's called concentrating on the here-and-now. Again, it's one of the compromise issues -- if you don't mind sacrificing some of the quality of a single game in exchange for a longer series of games, then that's fine. "60 percent of the time it works every time"? Besides, it doesn't always matter how much you carry -- if everyone else has to go back and fill up after a few games, you're going to go back too.

Speaking of... most paintball players waste too much time in the staging area anyways, shooting the breeze or monkeying with something they shouldn't be monkeying with in the first place or whatever. Reloading the Q pods is not the long pole in the tent, especially if you use an agitating hopper to feed the reloading process.

[mostpeople]

If "limiting your ability to lay paint is NEVER a good idea", then why aren't you carrying 10 pods? Not only that, but why not go for a 300 round hopper? It's NEVER a good idea unless you feel like not following your own logic?

Any time someone makes a blanket rule like that, it's an obvious stretch. The point is to compromise and find the best fit given all the constraints. If it doesn't work for your style of play, fine, but don't use flawed reasoning.

As far as reloading FUD, do a study. (Yes, I know, the thought of studying probably scares a lot of you.) Next time you go out, have someone film you reloading while under pressure in-game. Do it multiple times (say, 10 or so), and review exactly how long your gun is tipped down and not ready to shoot while reloading. Talking about it and imagining how good a player you are isn't good enough. Post the videos on google and come back and we'll see the truth of how well you can reload a standard hopper under realistic circumstances.

This is not to say that reloading with the Q is that great; I'm just saying that reloading with a standard system in reality isn't that smooth. The operative word is reality, not in your minds.

As far as walking back and forth between games, again, that's kind of a compromise. Same argument applies as before -- if you don't like walking back and forth and filling up, then why don't you strap 2 cases of paint on your back along with a scuba tank -- you'd never have to go back and fill up! Typically, when I play a game, I only care about what's best for that game right then and there, not what's best for the game 4-5 games away. That means I don't carry paint and air for a game that I'm not currently playing. It's called concentrating on the here-and-now. Again, it's one of the compromise issues -- if you don't mind sacrificing some of the quality of a single game in exchange for a longer series of games, then that's fine. "60 percent of the time it works every time"? Besides, it doesn't always matter how much you carry -- if everyone else has to go back and fill up after a few games, you're going to go back too.

Speaking of... most paintball players waste too much time in the staging area anyways, shooting the breeze or monkeying with something they shouldn't be monkeying with in the first place or whatever. Reloading the Q pods is not the long pole in the tent, especially if you use an agitating hopper to feed the reloading process.


First of all, you are taking my "blanket rule" and making it rediculous - great argument you've just made; who is going to carry two cases onto the field?

Second, I find myself reloading as I shoot more and more often now.. can you do that with your Q? With the speedfeed it makes it even easier (I dont use one personally). IF there is downtime, its not nearly as long as the Q loader.

Third dont be an A-hole. Debate, or dont debate.. but being purposefully condescending to your audience will not win you points; in fact it dimishes your argument.

[Empyreal Rogue]

Third dont be an A-hole. Debate, or dont debate.. but being purposefully condescending to your audience will not win you points; in fact it dimishes your argument.

It only diminishes the argument in your eyes because it takes your points and your logic and puts flaws in them. OHNOES~

GoatBoy's logic and statements make perfect sense. Okay, so you say that limiting the amount of paint you carry onto the field is a bad idea. But who set the limit for "how much paint is too little paint?" An average Speedball match lasts no more than a couple minutes, 6-7 at most. So you're saying that I'm going to run out of 400 rounds (As a front player) in that amount of time? It's never happened to me. I even play scenario games (As in the big 26 hour games) and have never run out of paint while playing. It's all about knowing when to shoot.

And what's stopping you from changing your play style to fit with the Q-Loader, anyway?

What's funny is you've also ignored all the completely legit points both of us have made. GoatBoy's study and the fact that I said that I agreed with your original post's points, but only to a certain extent and then showed you easily how you're wrong and how to counter your points.

[nathanjones008]

quoteHey everyone. I was looking into a Qloader system. I like the idea of a loader system that doesn't require batteries. I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with these. New, they look like it will cost about 160-170 with the adapter kit. I have a ULE Custom, if that aids your opinion. Thanks everyone!!! quote

Well this is the way i see it, hardly anyone uses( with an exception of a few) the q- loader. If they PROs dont use it then you have a decision to make. :shooting: :

[mostpeople]

It only diminishes the argument in your eyes because it takes your points and your logic and puts flaws in them. OHNOES~

GoatBoy's logic and statements make perfect sense. Okay, so you say that limiting the amount of paint you carry onto the field is a bad idea. But who set the limit for "how much paint is too little paint?" An average Speedball match lasts no more than a couple minutes, 6-7 at most. So you're saying that I'm going to run out of 400 rounds (As a front player) in that amount of time? It's never happened to me. I even play scenario games (As in the big 26 hour games) and have never run out of paint while playing. It's all about knowing when to shoot.

And what's stopping you from changing your play style to fit with the Q-Loader, anyway?

What's funny is you've also ignored all the completely legit points both of us have made. GoatBoy's study and the fact that I said that I agreed with your original post's points, but only to a certain extent and then showed you easily how you're wrong and how to counter your points.

If you dont see the condescending tone in his argument as well as yours.. which is blatant then what can I say? Your mind is already made up, which is why your arguments are twists on logic to fit your ideas.

Whatever guys, I honestly dont care what you think as MY mind is already made up from personal experience - please continue to run your Q-loaders.. if you love them so much. And if YOU can play with them great, good. But stayhuge wanted opinions, and he got them, which were apparantly different than your guys' opinions which were favorable. And for the record, every point ive made has been made by other posters in the thread are they wrong too?

Also, there is nothing stopping you from changing your style of play to fit the q-loader. Go for it..

[Anjin3515]

Amount of paint you carry I think is a personal choice....like much in paintball....it depends on what you find comfortable,what you find works best with your style of play....

If you like to lay down a ton of paint then you are going to want to carry more.
If you are a person who is selective when they fire you are going to carry less.
If your a pump player then you have even less paint in most cases.

For some a 100 round pod is enough, others not so.It really comes down to your play style.

I think the reloading of a Q and a regular hopper is close. Changing the Q pod is fast, and I have also seen people keep firing why they pour a pod into their regular hopper.Its about neck in neck


No need to argue....I think it really winds up a matter of personal choice. It all depends on how you want to play the game.

[robnix]

If "limiting your ability to lay paint is NEVER a good idea", then why aren't you carrying 10 pods? Not only that, but why not go for a 300 round hopper? It's NEVER a good idea unless you feel like not following your own logic?

Nice strawman there. You're exaggerating your point for effect and putting words in our mouths.



Any time someone makes a blanket rule like that, it's an obvious stretch. The point is to compromise and find the best fit given all the constraints. If it doesn't work for your style of play, fine, but don't use flawed reasoning.

I'm going to use this against you. ;)



As far as reloading FUD, do a study. (Yes, I know, the thought of studying probably scares a lot of you.) Next time you go out, have someone film you reloading while under pressure in-game. Do it multiple times (say, 10 or so), and review exactly how long your gun is tipped down and not ready to shoot while reloading. Talking about it and imagining how good a player you are isn't good enough. Post the videos on google and come back and we'll see the truth of how well you can reload a standard hopper under realistic circumstances.

The point is to compromise and find the best fit given all the constraints. If it doesn't work for your style of play, fine, but don't use flawed reasoning. There's no need to do a "study". My personal experiences using both a standard hopper and a Q loader on the same marker showed me that I can reload much faster and less often using a standard hopper.



This is not to say that reloading with the Q is that great; I'm just saying that reloading with a standard system in reality isn't that smooth. The operative word is reality, not in your minds.

Thank you for helping me make my point about reloading, and the operative word is compromise. As in "The point is to compromise and find the best fit given all the constraints. If it doesn't work for your style of play, fine, but don't use flawed reasoning."


As far as walking back and forth between games, again, that's kind of a compromise. Same argument applies as before -- if you don't like walking back and forth and filling up, then why don't you strap 2 cases of paint on your back along with a scuba tank -- you'd never have to go back and fill up!
Again with the strawman. :rolleyes:


Typically, when I play a game, I only care about what's best for that game right then and there, not what's best for the game 4-5 games away. That means I don't carry paint and air for a game that I'm not currently playing. It's called concentrating on the here-and-now. Again, it's one of the compromise issues -- if you don't mind sacrificing some of the quality of a single game in exchange for a longer series of games, then that's fine. "60 percent of the time it works every time"? Besides, it doesn't always matter how much you carry -- if everyone else has to go back and fill up after a few games, you're going to go back too.
Like you like to say, "The point is to compromise and find the best fit given all the constraints. If it doesn't work for your style of play, fine, but don't use flawed reasoning." During a normal day of recball I rarely carry more than a hopper and a pod. The fields are smaller, the games are very short, and there's time in between to get ready for the next round. In a Big Game though, at least the ones I go to, there's no break in play, the field are much bigger, and the walk is much longer. Anytime you spend off the field because you need new pods is wasted time.


Speaking of... most paintball players waste too much time in the staging area anyways, shooting the breeze or monkeying with something they shouldn't be monkeying with in the first place or whatever.
I'm guessing by this statement, your friends are mostly goats...Ok, that was cheap, but I thought it was funny. Lighten up, shooting the breeze is one of the many things that makes this game fun.


Reloading the Q pods is not the long pole in the tent, especially if you use an agitating hopper to feed the reloading process.
I used my Halo to reload my pods. Force feed hoppers make it an even quicker process. It's still doesn't eliminate downtime because you're walking back to your gear twice as often to get more paint.

Like mostpeople said, these are my opinions after a season of using a Q Loader. Sorry you don't like my opinion. I'm glad the Q Loader works for you, because as you like to say..."The point is to compromise and find the best fit given all the constraints. If it doesn't work for your style of play, fine, but don't use flawed reasoning."

[mostpeople]

exactly rob! why carry 100 rounds in my 3 or 4 pods when I can carry 200 or 140?

why reload in 10 seconds when I can reload and fire at the same time if needbe?

*waits for inevitable nuclear scaled response*

:ninja:

[Siress]

Sad to see such misinformation and illogical arguments on AO... PBN bleed over or take over? ugh.

“Listen a hundred times; ponder a thousand times; speak once.”


*unsubscribe

[ThePixelGuru]

I like mine. I can reload pretty damn fast, and the lower profile and increased agility are worth the lessened paint capacity to me. It's a trade-off, but then again, most things are. You just have to decide if it's a trade-off you want to make.

[Empyreal Rogue]

exactly rob! why carry 100 rounds in my 3 or 4 pods when I can carry 200 or 140?

why reload in 10 seconds when I can reload and fire at the same time if needbe?

Because it DOESN'T take 10 seconds to reload and because there are things you can do with a Q-Loader that cannot be done with a Halo, Reloader, Pulse, or Egg.

[robnix]

Because it DOESN'T take 10 seconds to reload and because there are things you can do with a Q-Loader that cannot be done with a Halo, Reloader, Pulse, or Egg.

I think you should do a study on that, then get back to us with your results.

[nathanjones008]

it take me at most 3-5 sec to reload with my eggy! Not bad?

[Spider-TW]

Hey everyone. I was looking into a Qloader system. I like the idea of a loader system that doesn't require batteries. I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with these. New, they look like it will cost about 160-170 with the adapter kit. I have a ULE Custom, if that aids your opinion. Thanks everyone!!!
:rofl:

The Constraint: "Never carry more paint than you have air to shoot."

You could downsize your bottle for the same number of pods to Q-pods.

Fewer walk-outs is better for scenarios. For speedball, if you are worried about profile, then you must be behind a bunker. If you are behind a bunker, you have to lay paint to be useful, otherwise you get moved on (open class, Siress :p ).

I knew a guy that carried over 2000 rounds on to the field on eight man capture the flag games with CO2. It was odd. Definitely a 'backman' since he didn't go anywhere fast.

Stayhuge, if you don't have a particular rig in mind, what kind of ball do you prefer to play? I've never played with a Q, but most of the ones I have seen are milsim/sniper markers. These are the guys that throw out dented balls in the first place and use a sight. Low volume, but good burst rate.

[Empyreal Rogue]

I think you should do a study on that, then get back to us with your results.

If I had a digital camera in my possession, I would video tape and post all my reloads with the Q-Loader to prove that it doesn't take 10 seconds to reload.

By breaking it down motion by motion it's easy to even estimate that it'll be far less than 10 seconds.

1) Untwist and remove pod
2) Drop pod
3) Remove pod from pack
4) Twist pod to engage

No pod lids to open, no marker movement, no hopper lids to open, no extra arm lifting to unload a pod into a hopper.

[Anjin3515]

you could take a look at the movies here and time it...

Q-Loader movies on Q site (http://www.qloader.com/movies.html)

[mostpeople]

I wont install spyware aja quicktime on my machine, but I timed the first move 'swap one' and got around 9 seconds

And this is what they advertise! for most it will be longer, and if you drop the pod it would be shorter. But still lower capacity!

[maniacmechanic]

it all goes back to what you like or don't like . I have Mags set up with Q & halos , I rarly break paint in either , loading ;I try to load up during a lull in the battle if possible . As to the amount of paint to carry ; I allways get shot out before I use all my paint anyway , some of you make it sound like you play all day & never have to go out
If I remember the 1st post he was just looking for a little advice not a debate

[GoatBoy]

I wont install spyware aja quicktime on my machine, but I timed the first move 'swap one' and got around 9 seconds

And this is what they advertise! for most it will be longer, and if you drop the pod it would be shorter. But still lower capacity!

This was what I meant by "study".

If you had even analyzed that clip, you would realize that half the time of that swap was consumed by putting the pod back into his pack. If you don't put the pod back into your pack, then the reload time is more like 4-5 seconds, as illustrated by both this movie as well as the second movie that you refused to watch, citing "spyware" as your reason despite the fact that you can get non-apple quicktime alternatives to watch .mov files. This of course is going to spark the debate of "well I wouldn't want to leave my expensive pods out" (and then there's the question about how the q-pods are considered in official rules), but I have no problem treating a q-pod the same way I treat my regular pods.

maniacmechanic basically already made the point I was going to make regarding the "scenario walking" arguments. Unless scenario format has changed, I believe if you get shot, you're taking a walk. If you complete your mission, I think you're going to be taking a walk. If you fail your mission, I think you're going to be taking a walk. If shooting the breeze in the staging area is part of the fun, then I'm sure you don't even mind taking a walk back in the first place. It's not a "strawman" argument -- you guys are simply pretending that paint carrying capacity is pretty much always the excuse for what ails you. I'm saying that for every excuse you come up with, there are probably like 3 or 4 other reasons out there that will cause the same thing, and they're just as likely, unless you're just that good, and that driven to spend the maximum time on the field no matter what.

Past a certain paint carrying minimum threshold, which will vary from person to person, your equipment is not the long pole in the tent. You are. If you absolutely need more paint, then the qloader isn't for you. All these side arguments are as illogical as they are unnecessary. You don't have to justify needing more paint with reasons like, "well I don't like walking." If you need more paint, then you need more paint. That's it.




As a word of practical advice for anyone out there who's still thinking about it: perhaps the thing to do is to simply judge the amount of paint you truly use (oh here we go with the whole "studying" thing again). Estimate how many q-pods you'd likely be comfortable carrying with you, and simply carry only that much paint when you walk out. Check how much you are carrying when you walk back to the staging area. That should pretty much make your decision for you.

[Anjin3515]

Again I all comes back to what you prefer...
no matter what is fast to re-load,
no matter how much paint you should/could take on the field
no matter how many trips off the field

its what you personally will feel comfortable with.

I myself, and I speak only for me, think 500 rounds is more then enough to carry (that 5 Q-pods).

If...more like when it seems...I ditch my Q...its going to be because I am frustrated at getting it to work. It has nothing to do with re-load times or paint capacity.

The Q-Loader is just one of those strange products that seem to be "meant" for some people and not for others.



To the original poster I would offer you these questions to consider....

What is your playing style and how much paint do you think is enough to carry for you to be comfortable?
Do you mind tinkering around to get something to work?
Do you mind having to be a little more careful with your pods ($20 a pop for Q)?
Do you mind having to learn the "art" of loading a Q-pod?

My best advice based only on my experience...and certainly not the experience of all Q owners is this....The Q-Loader is not plug and play. You HAVE to tinker with it to get it to work just right. Loading each pod CAN be fast....but its an "art" you have to learn. The Q just is not meant foe everyone. It can be a great hopper...but it is quirky, has built in limitations, and there is a learning curve to it.

Now you must think and decide if those things are worth it to you.

[Skoad]

Loading them is not bad at all. Especially if you already have some sort of agitated/motorized hopper. On mine I just took an old ULE body feedneck and attatched it to a loading crank cap. Slip on a hopper w/balls and crank away.


The pain is when somethings goes wrong with the pods. Cleaning sucks, disassembly/reassembly is also a pain. And I have a few pods that i never really could fix again. (though I didn't try very hard)

[mostpeople]

This was what I meant by "study".

If you had even analyzed that clip, you would realize that half the time of that swap was consumed by putting the pod back into his pack. If you don't put the pod back into your pack, then the reload time is more like 4-5 seconds, as illustrated by both this movie as well as the second movie that you refused to watch, citing "spyware" as your reason despite the fact that you can get non-apple quicktime alternatives to watch .mov files. This of course is going to spark the debate of "well I wouldn't want to leave my expensive pods out" (and then there's the question about how the q-pods are considered in official rules), but I have no problem treating a q-pod the same way I treat my regular pods.

maniacmechanic basically already made the point I was going to make regarding the "scenario walking" arguments. Unless scenario format has changed, I believe if you get shot, you're taking a walk. If you complete your mission, I think you're going to be taking a walk. If you fail your mission, I think you're going to be taking a walk. If shooting the breeze in the staging area is part of the fun, then I'm sure you don't even mind taking a walk back in the first place. It's not a "strawman" argument -- you guys are simply pretending that paint carrying capacity is pretty much always the excuse for what ails you. I'm saying that for every excuse you come up with, there are probably like 3 or 4 other reasons out there that will cause the same thing, and they're just as likely, unless you're just that good, and that driven to spend the maximum time on the field no matter what.

Past a certain paint carrying minimum threshold, which will vary from person to person, your equipment is not the long pole in the tent. You are. If you absolutely need more paint, then the qloader isn't for you. All these side arguments are as illogical as they are unnecessary. You don't have to justify needing more paint with reasons like, "well I don't like walking." If you need more paint, then you need more paint. That's it.

As a word of practical advice for anyone out there who's still thinking about it: perhaps the thing to do is to simply judge the amount of paint you truly use (oh here we go with the whole "studying" thing again). Estimate how many q-pods you'd likely be comfortable carrying with you, and simply carry only that much paint when you walk out. Check how much you are carrying when you walk back to the staging area. That should pretty much make your decision for you.

whatever

I hope the Origional Poster understands that he probably doesnt want a Q-loader. The fact of the matter is, if you dont KNOW that you want a q-loader - you probably in fact dont want a q-loader.

[turbo chicken]

speaking of qloader ... i just saw a very intersting underfeeding body in development specifically for the qloader :D

[Skoad]

I made a 'bottom feeder' mag a while back for fun. Figured they would get around someday to putting something like it in production, its only logical for a Qloader.

[Spider-TW]

speaking of qloader ... i just saw a very intersting underfeeding body in development specifically for the qloader :D
That would be neat. I thought about it on a mag for second, until I realized the feed port is normally right over the trigger. A body conversion and pneu conversion together would put you in a position that you would be building something totally different anyway. That's not an add-on, more like LK-13's and [Dox] custom rifles.

Got a pic or a link?

[Warwitch]

speaking of qloader ... i just saw a very intersting underfeeding body in development specifically for the qloader :D


Yes, links to said body.... :)

[Anjin3515]

from what I understand its going to be a body by Q with Tippmann internals....Ill try and link to it later...its in a protected thread so Id have to download the pic....

[Fantom]

I made a 'bottom feeder' mag a while back for fun. Figured they would get around someday to putting something like it in production, its only logical for a Qloader.


We want pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[turbo chicken]

Pic of the body is in their forum ... :D

[Warwitch]

Pic of the body is in their forum ... :D


Eewwwww. Damn that thing is ugly :wow:

[Skoad]

We want pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The only pics I had were hosted on my university webspace, when I graduated I backed up all my files and they wiped out the site. However it seems that I have lost them in a reformat somewhere along the line. It was at least 3 years ago when I did it, I doubt anyone on here has saved pics from it. It was also pretty roughly done, didn't ever get around to finishing but it did work!

[Skoad]

That would be neat. I thought about it on a mag for second, until I realized the feed port is normally right over the trigger. A body conversion and pneu conversion together would put you in a position that you would be building something totally different anyway. That's not an add-on, more like LK-13's and [Dox] custom rifles.


Yes, when I made mine I had to shift the gripframe back about an inch. It caused a few sear tripping problems that could easily be remedied today with pneumatics (I would imagine). It worked but the trigger->sear was very tempermental, part of the reason I lost interest after building the first one.

[Spider-TW]

Yes, when I made mine I had to shift the gripframe back about an inch. It caused a few sear tripping problems that could easily be remedied today with pneumatics (I would imagine). It worked but the trigger->sear was very tempermental, part of the reason I lost interest after building the first one.
I was thinking about a thompson SMG model with a Q-loader style drum magazine and bottom feed. Pneumatics let you move the valve anywhere you need and the thompson trigger is pretty far back. Clock springs are easy, so the main problem with the drum mag would be the housing and follower. I haven't looked at buying a real thompson drum and re-working it yet. I bet there's a D-Day guy out there somewhere with one.

What I really want is an MG34 with a double drum feed. :rolleyes:

[Avale187]

First of all, you are taking my "blanket rule" and making it rediculous - great argument you've just made; who is going to carry two cases onto the field?


Who you say?! THIS GUY!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyNUEYhsv7Q

[mostpeople]

Who you say?! THIS GUY!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyNUEYhsv7Q



errr




no comment

[J.James]

Anjin3515 I think said it best


I would offer you these questions to consider....

What is your playing style and how much paint do you think is enough to carry for you to be comfortable?
Do you mind tinkering around to get something to work?
Do you mind having to be a little more careful with your pods ($20 a pop for Q)?
Do you mind having to learn the "art" of loading a Q-pod?

My best advice based only on my experience...and certainly not the experience of all Q owners is this....The Q-Loader is not plug and play. You HAVE to tinker with it to get it to work just right. Loading each pod CAN be fast....but its an "art" you have to learn. The Q just is not meant foe everyone. It can be a great hopper...but it is quirky, has built in limitations, and there is a learning curve to it.

Now you must think and decide if those things are worth it to you.

If you are not necessarily mechanically inclined , or interested in figuring out the internal workings of something and how it works . Then the Q is not likely the choice you want to make . I still have a beta version of the Q . And if you think the new ones are finicky :wow: they've got nothing on the originals . I wouldn't trade my Q's for anything and have been working on my own custom conversions built around them . So for anyone that has a Q and is complaining about it or wants to "burn it" . I suggest this ,take a deep breath give it another chance , and if it still bothers you . ... Hit me up w/ a PM and I might take it off you hands for a reasonable price . No loaded sarcasm here , it's just not for some people .

[Toll]

Do not buy one IF:

-You are doing so for the looks
-Have a short fuse
-Do not have a secondary hopper (revvy/etc)
-Like to put things together before reading the documentation

[J.James]

LOL ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ . Soooo true , so true .

[Warwitch]

[QUOTE=J.James] If you are not necessarily mechanically inclined , or interested in figuring out the internal workings of something and how it works . QUOTE]


Which brings me back to the point that a Q system is by far an easier system to maintain than any Halo/Reloader/Vlocity/Pulse. Fewer moving parts and no electronics. Its just not based on a design people are already familiar with. And there is a learning curve to any new equipment.



Dont buy ANY piece of paintball equipment if you arent prepared to learn its ins and outs!

Just like a woman, if you dont understand it, it will give you problems :cheers:

[Toll]

And if all else fails, give it a couple of whacks and maybe that'll jump start the process.

[pillage]

The q-loader has it's plusses and minuses. Just like what as already been mentioned, the biggest minus it is not plug and play by any means. It comes with directions for a reason, most people get one, and try to skip over some steps when they start to use it. I myself was in this category, I went back, read and follwed the directions, and most of the problems went away. On the plus side of they it will feed in any position, including upside down. It is a personal preference thing. :D