I guess three years as about the limit for a reloaderB?

[punkncat]

Its been through three years of hard use and has worked flawlessly until about a month ago. At first I thought I was having some issue with my markers chopping. I went about changing batteries and cleaning eyes, checking dwell, to no avail.
So then I figured it was a bad batch of paint. I took the hopper apart, cleaned it out, and replaced the batteries. I use lithiums, and they last so long that it just gets to a point where you cannot imagine them still being good. Meter check says they were fine, I replaced them anyway....this was after well past six months of use.
When I took it apart I found that a small bit of plastic from the dome under the "carosel" had busted and became wedged right at the top of the raceway and was slicing balls. I figured that was it, and put it back together.
Next game out, it is chopping horribly again. Right at the top of the raceway and making one hell of a mess out of the inside of the hopper, into the marker. I take it up to the shop to get a good look at it, and it was missing the little spring that helps keep the balls in que. I replace that.
Last weekend it chops horribly again. I had to stop myself from throwing it deep into the woods. I clean it out and it was suggested that I turn it to speed one. Well speed one will no longer even keep up with 13.3 ramping, and it chops again.
I got looking and find that one of the balls on the little "doomajiggy" at the top of the raceway had come off.
I went and bought this little thing that Empire makes that looks like a little rubber triangle. It goes in place of the spring and ball thingy. I have not had a chance to fully test it, but hope it works well. Tourney is this weekend.....

Guess if it doesn't three years was a good hundred dollars spent on a hopper.

[Dawg047]

Yes, sounds like you have some issue with a couple of little things like the spring and anti-jam beads. It is good that you replaced the beads with the little rubber triangle. It is part of a new design that Empire makes called the freeway. Yeah, I would just replace your parts with a new Empire freeway and it should last you for a few more. I have had mine for 4 years now, it has always worked well. I just upgraded to the freeweay and magna cluth system and it is beautiful.

[BigEvil]

ok, so replace the part, life goes on.

[behemoth]

What gun "chops" anymore?

[BigEvil]

Yes, sounds like you have some issue with a couple of little things like the spring and anti-jam beads. It is good that you replaced the beads with the little rubber triangle. It is part of a new design that Empire makes called the freeway. Yeah, I would just replace your parts with a new Empire freeway and it should last you for a few more. I have had mine for 4 years now, it has always worked well. I just upgraded to the freeweay and magna cluth system and it is beautiful.


Is there really any benefit to the clutch system? I picked up the "$10 Triangle" just because I needed the spring anyhow, and even that I see very little difference with.

[Dawg047]

BigEvil-The clutch does not seem really whiny like the stock drive cone and spring system. With my stock system, I get a real "rah..rahrah...rah..rahrah...rah" sound. It is inconsistent between the rah rah which I tried to type out. With the cluth, it seems alot smoother. Also, the little triangle piece is a much better design than the stock beads. You see, the stock beads are slid over the little plastic piece which wears out when there is a full hopper of paint and the weight of the paint causes the beads to bend down farther and actually block the feedneck alowing paintballs to not feed or jam causing all sorts of problems. I just upgraded to the clutch because I got one for free through my vendor. I am still testing it but the little triangle piece should be a first replacment over the beads on any halo right away. Also, beads can chip and get sharp edges causing problems in there own.

[Bolter]

I have the empire freeway. I find it to be very effective. If you watch a normal halo feeding, and then watch one feeding with the freeway, the balls that dont get fed, feed round again very smoothly. Before they would just join in the mass of paint all sitting on top.

Plus it doesnt jam! Which wasnt an issue for me before, but I can see how it would not allow a jam to even happen. Really cool little gadget :)

[drg]

Hmm I've had halo-type loaders lose the anti-jam beads and it still feeds fine even with a couple missing. Why is the gun chopping anyway? No eyes? I can't imagine any gun that has 13.3 bps ramping without eyes.

[punkncat]

Hmm I've had halo-type loaders lose the anti-jam beads and it still feeds fine even with a couple missing. Why is the gun chopping anyway? No eyes? I can't imagine any gun that has 13.3 bps ramping without eyes.


Hai!!!! :) :D ;)

Try reading the OP again.

[punkncat]

What gun "chops" anymore?


You too....

[behemoth]

Oh.

Dude, the motor is shot. How many CASES UPON CASES have you put thru the damn thing in THREE YEARS?!

Just buy a new motor, or, hell... Sell it on the nation as "broken" for 30 bucks. Then pick up a used b2 or something of the sort for 45 (i got my last 3 b2's for at or around $45, two of which looked BRAND NEW.)

[the123]

Guess if it doesn't three years was a good hundred dollars spent on a hopper.

Only $100?? LOL I was a first adopter of the Halo. The A days, gear driven, loud. Over $100. Then the belt drive upgrade. Then the rip drive update. Then v35 update. Then a sound activation upgrade. Drive cone upgrade. Shell Upgrade. Lid upgrade. Not to mention past shells breaking, feednecks, battery doors, eyes breaking, lids, ect. Only spending $100 on a loader for 3 years is pretty good.

[manike]

Motors do go bad over time. If it's having trouble feeding or you are getting more jams even though you are using new batteries, this can be a sign of a motor on it's way out.

The new motors we have are better units with higher torque.

Here are some videos showing why the new anti-jam is better than the old system.

First the old system...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ8Tj8qPRRs

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TZ8Tj8qPRRs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TZ8Tj8qPRRs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

And next the new system...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuELFiW3Dp4

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WuELFiW3Dp4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WuELFiW3Dp4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[questionful]

cool vids. :)