Need some hopper advice... Or at least some sharing of experiences.

[Frizzle Fry]

I'm looking for one gloss black high-end hopper to rule them all (my non-powefeed mags; Pneumag, Xmag, and MicroEmag).


So far I've narrowed it down to this short list:

- Pinokio P250/400 (I wouldn't use the "nose" much, though) for $150

- NXe Jrny for $120

- Viewloader Vlocity for $130



Not trying to start a "who's better" fight, just interested in hearing peoples experiences with these hoppers on their mags.

[DevilMan]

Why do you not have the Rotor in there?

I have my VLo's but don't too much care for them. The shells break tooooo easily and well, they are not the best.

The JRNY I can't tell you anything about.

Same goes for the Pino other than I don't care for the way it looks, I have never handled/used one and the only thing I would ever wonder about is being able to have the stock nose and the new soon to be released 50 nose.

The Rotor.... I LOVE! I love that it is 1 button on and off. It's silent. It don't grind. It has good battery life the best I can tell. I have used Z Mans more than once and usually end up with it if we get into some games where one of us is the Terminator. It comes apart easily enough and they seem to have fixed the anti jam mechanism on the newer ones.

YMMV,

DM

[Frizzle Fry]

Why do you not have the Rotor in there?

I've been struggling with the fact that it looks like a nerf football.

Aesthetics don't really mean anything to me as long as somethings functional, but I keep getting the urge to throw it at something...

[DevilMan]

I've been struggling with the fact that it looks like a nerf football.

Aesthetics don't really mean anything to me as long as somethings functional, but I keep getting the urge to throw it at something...

hehehehehee... get it and I'll send ya a cute little teddy bear with all the stuffin pulled out... you can just wrap it around the Rotor and be good to go!

:D

DM

[fishmishin]

Frizzle I have both a VL & a pinokio. I like the VL, but I love my pinokio, it rocks. I haven't had any problems with it keeping up, and the extra capacity comes in handy sometimes. Even without the larger front you still have a larger capacity then the rotor stock. I will tell you that the rotor is better as far as battery life though. I would definitely buy another pinokio before I picked up a rotor though, I just like it better. Which ever you decide to get hit me up and I can get you a better price shipped than what you listed in your first post, later !!

[Elemental]

I know it's not on there, but my vote goes to the Rotor. It's fast (really fast), has a low profile but still holds about 200 rounds, amazing battery life, and its damn near indestructible. Also, its really easy to take apart and is waterproof.

[motorpsycho]

id definatly got to put my vote in the rotor as well.... ive decided its the last loader i will need to buy.... and after i got my rotor updated with the new paddle ive never had a problem with it on my original set of batteries

[Frizzle Fry]

I'll send ya a cute little teddy bear with all the stuffin pulled out... you can just wrap it around the Rotor and be good to go!

The urge to throw can easily be replaced with an urge to kick, apparently :p

Hmmm... All these pro-Rotor comments are slightly confusing. I think I'll need to play a day with the Rotor and one with the Pinokio and go from there. I think the Jrny is off my list seeing as I haven't found any real reviews for it and nobody seems to have one :rolleyes:

[ProblemKinder]

I like my reloader B! they don't make them anymore =[

I got mine for 20 bucks and I love it. but nowadays hoppers cost like a bagillion dollars. I just cant bring myself to spend that much money on something that just holds my balls and has a plastic spinny part in the bottom. seriously.

[Gadget]

I have to recommend the Rotor as well, I got one purely based on the elegance of the design. One push of a nice solid button (which clicks!) to turn on or off, can completely strip without tools in about 15 seconds, incredible battery life and a very low profile.

The ease of cleaning and speed of stripping it down make it worth the money for me. I've found the looks to be a grower as well.

[TwilightG]

I'm assuming that you're looking to buy new rather than used?
If that's the case, you can probably at least rule out the Vlocity. Compared to the newer loaders, the value isn't there.

I noticed that there hasn't been any mention of the Prophecy :confused: I thought that was the biggest competitor to the Rotor right now (performance-wise)

As for which loader is better, I've personally only used a Vlocity Jr., VL EyeForce, and revvy, so I cannot really comment on any of the others. With a select-force chip, it suits my needs. (although I really want to get something with a larger capacity for my X-Mag)

[Nick28]

http://www.diehardpaintball.com/Images/BOF_Tournaments/2009/3man/hth_aug23/hth_17.JPG

Picture quality isn't all that great but you can see that the entire hopper is only in front of my head. Any shot on the hopper would have hit my head anyway.

Pros:
Silent
Fast
Maintenance

Cons:
I had mine stop feeding once during a game on a fresh set of batteries. I had to take the batteries out and put them back in to get it to work correctly. This only happened one day. But it happened when it counted.

I wish it knew to stop spinning when there was no paint in there. I'm not sure if anyone else can hear it. Because it runs silent when playing it sounds like a freight train when empty.

I like the idea of a Pinokio. I would want to play with that big nose on it and go without a pack. Not all the time but it would be fun.

[Stayhuge]

My vote goes to a Good Old Fashioned Revy with X board. But that might not keep up.

As for the JRNY, I am pretty sure that NXE never finished production on these. Something happened and everyone seemed to just hush up about it. I haven't seen anything posted on that in at least a year or so, and I think they redesigned their website to eliminate that from it. What a shame too, it seemed like an awesome hopper. I was ready to pick one up.

Can't comment on the other three cause I haven't used them. Good luck!!! :cheers:

[Pump Scout]

Like the Rotor, the Prophecy isn't on your list for whichever reason(s). Personally, I can't say enough good about mine. It's light, easy on batteries, great capacity, no-tool design, and 100% modular. The ability to run 200, 240, or 280 round setups is really nice. It's more complex than some loaders (I had to ask Simon at an event how to turn off the RF...), but that also means it's capable of some really fantastic things. And it's been built to grow and adapt to the changing paintball world. Oh, and the magnetic lid is wonderful, and huge for those of us who don't always get that pod exactly in the right spot. :)

Of the ones you have listed...
JRNY - Is that in production yet?
Pinokio - Basically a Ricochet under the skin. I've had ups and downs with those. If your bend sensor/reed goes, it's a PITA.
VLocity - Proven hopper that's in widespread use. Of the three, the one I'd probably opt for.

[Nick28]

Invert Too
http://www.ansgear.com/v/vspfiles/photos/INVERTTOOLOADERBLK-2.jpg

My local shop sold them for $50 I think they do about 20bps. Guy I play with has one. Never heard him say a word about. Must be doing its job.

[MeÐiCX]

I'd say Rotor too. I had the same feelings you did about how it looked. After using one for a day, I was hooked!

My old hopper was a TSA Halo. I never thought I'd move to something else...

[MANN]

prophecy.

[BigEvil]

prophecy.

^
It's such a great loader. I cant say enough good things about mine. In addition to what has already been said, the lid is huge, and the bigger catch cups hold about 5 more balls than any of the others.

[kwood]

i am using a empire Prophecy, and i also have two Pinokios
the pinokios are awesome because they simply work and are so easy
the prophecy is great once you figure out what settings work best for your set up
i had a couple issues with it but they were solved once i tweaked it out of the factory defaults
and of course i still have my good ole' revy!!!

my vote goes to the pinokio for simplicity
prophecy if you want something to tweak
and an ole revy if you dont want it to ever run out of batteries
good luck with your purchase

[chafnerjr]

I noticed that there hasn't been any mention of the Prophecy :confused: I thought that was the biggest competitor to the Rotor right now (performance-wise)


I noticed that too. My brother in law has one and I got my hands on it the other day for a little bit. It's WAY nicer than the rotor, halo, or VLjr IMHO. It's nice, low profile and much higher capacity than most of the other loaders (you can change the front cone of this hopper to accomodate 200, 240 or 280 rounds). Very simple with halo like internals. Magnetic clutch, sound activation, rf, manual feed, runs on 4 AA batteries or 2 9v's. Not to mention more adjustments than any of the previously mentioned hoppers.

I know I mentioned this before but it is WAY low profile. It doesn't sit as far aft as a magna but that's really not much of a problem. My vote is for the Prophecy (which I will be purchasing this winter some time and passing my Halo B over to my wife.).

P.S. It pulls apart FASTER than a rotor without tools.
http://www.directpaintball.com/Assets/ProductImages/EmpirePaintballProphecyHopper.jpg

[Epic_Scotsman]

My buddy has a prophecy and I have a rotor

If you want something that just works the rotor is awesome if you want something to tweak with I suggest the prophecy.

[splat15k]

prophecy.


The Empire Prophecy gets my vote as well. I know it's not on the list, but it give it serious consideration; it's fantastic!

[Ando]

I just can't see myself spending $150 on a loader. My upgraded halo I got 2yrs ago is enough for any marker out there.

Unless your wanting to show off what your marker can do. Lets face it, nothing can keep up to a Q-Loader. Even the Rotor, unless it comes out of a marker that fast. I call BS on Dye's clam of 50+ bps. I've seen every loader but a Q miss feed a ball or 2. I've even had my E-mag chuff a few times on a Rotor going 25bsp

And I'm sure some of you guys have seen it too.

You can't shoot that fast in a game so what's the point.

Rotor $150

or

Halo $65 new

It's your money brother. :rolleyes:

If I ever do get another loader, it'll be for my Warpfeed. The Empire Magna has the best setup for a Warp due to the placement of the feedneck.
http://static.zoovy.com/img/zephyrsports/W400-H278-Bffffff/empire/magna_blk.jpg

[Stayhuge]

One advantage over the Halo is the quickness that you can take it apart. Maybe some weight savings and streamline look. I agree with you Ando, if you can't outshoot a Halo and it is less than half the price, what is the point.

Although, I must say that the Prophecy looks sexy!!! :wow:

[some hippie]

Invert HaloToo is good I tjink there 60 now
pinnokios are great 38 cases on the baterries, lightest, your not breaking the bend sensor, and no jams....on sale at ans for 135............good luck

[MANN]

My buddy has a prophecy and I have a rotor

If you want something that just works the rotor is awesome if you want something to tweak with I suggest the prophecy.

I own both. I use the prophecy, and give my wife the rotor. I have never changed the settings on either, and honestly don't know how. Neither have gave me problems.

The only thing I like better about the rotor than the prophecy is the on/off button. I love the rotors easy of turning it on/off and knowing it is on/off.

Both loaders are able to keep up with my mag and viking at 20+ bps.

[Ando]

Weight savings? Really??? Guys, we shoot mags, go to the gym if your that hard up on weight :rofl:

[kcombs9]

^^^^

lol what i tell people at my local field when they hold my 10lb(no paint) emag with warp and halo.

[Shirow]

Can anyone give me the skinny on the Invert Halo? What's the difference between that and the Halo B's?

[Pump Scout]

Halo Too has a new shell (flat black, new tougher material), sound activation, no Rip Drive from what I can see, and it's not true force feed. Basically a "dumbed down" Reloader B in a new skin.

EDIT - That's not meant to be a slight on the hopper at all. It doesn't have the massive number of features, adjustments, and upgrades available on the Halo/ReloaderB, but it's still plenty of hopper for probably 90% of players.

[ProblemKinder]

http://www.diehardpaintball.com/Images/BOF_Tournaments/2009/3man/hth_aug23/hth_17.JPG

Picture quality isn't all that great but you can see that the entire hopper is only in front of my head. Any shot on the hopper would have hit my head anyway.



assuming they are directly in front of you, of course.

[Xceolite]

Love my Pinokio. 230 cap is great. Lock pods are a perfect match when using it. Being a paint whore, i can carry 870 balls with four pods and a full piok. Never had problems with it keeping up. It is not force feed, so it is very gental on paint (comes in handy in cold weather).
Not a fan of the nose.
The price is a little high but i would buy another at full whack and not feel bad about it ;)

[Shirow]

I haven't kept up on hopper technology the last few years (still using a Revy) but I'm surprised to hear a lot of these hoppers aren't force feed.. I figured everything would be by now. Is there some reason people are turning back away from it? Very surprised to hear, for example, that a $150 Pinokio is not force feed.. why is this?

[Xceolite]

I got a revi also and there ain't nothing wrong with them ;)
The pinokio uses a switch in the feedneck to help dictate when to feed. if that helps.
In the last two weeks i have seen a force feed hopper breaking paint inside the hopper. Was a rotor. Crap paint and cold temps. the paint issue is unavoidablte at feild paint only places that have not stored it right and you are forced to use it.

As you are as North as i am...I just prefer something easier on paint in the fall and spring. You know those odd stituations that happen than.

Not sure why everything is not forcefeed but it seem like it is not nessacary to acheive the same speeds.

The pinokio will keep up with my RT mag shooting 18bps. haven't tryed anything faster

[Shirow]

I got a revi also and there ain't nothing wrong with them ;)
The pinokio uses a switch in the feedneck to help dictate when to feed. if that helps.
In the last two weeks i have seen a force feed hopper breaking paint inside the hopper. Was a rotor. Crap paint and cold temps. the paint issue is unavoidablte at feild paint only places that have not stored it right and you are forced to use it.

As you are as North as i am...I just prefer something easier on paint in the fall and spring. You know those odd stituations that happen than.

Not sure why everything is not forcefeed but it seem like it is not nessacary to acheive the same speeds.

The pinokio will keep up with my RT mag shooting 18bps. haven't tryed anything faster

Thanks for the info - was curious if being soft on paint was the only reason.

[fishmishin]

I saw a couple of people this past weekend breaking paint in their rotors, and it was only 50 degrees here. It wasn't the best paint either though.

edit: The rotors do have a tension adjustment on them though also, but I would still rather have my pinokio.

[Ebbed]

im rockin' a smoke pinokio witha p-board. I never use the nose, but dam this hopper is by a LONG SHOT my fav.

[Xceolite]

Along witht the tension being ajustable on a rotor, you can also buy an upgrade kit (Seed kit) so it is softer on paint. I think it is an other $90. A team mate has it and he hasn't broken paint in these cold conditions.
But i guess it is an ussue of how much you really want to spend :rolleyes:

[Xceolite]

Oh Ya. Even if you are not a fan of the rotor, this video is still amushing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdqKg0PIXfY

[Shirow]

So what do you guys think the best <$100 hopper is for a mag? Pinokio/Rotor etc is a little out of what I'm willing to spend on a loader. I'm starting to have issues with my Revy keeping up now I've gone to vertical feed.

[Stayhuge]

Empire Prophecy 99.99 New : Prophecy (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270368878425&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)

I just ordered one the other day to keep upi with my soon to be Cheatered Mag. Still use the Revy's as a backup and for my Blazer. :cheers:

[Shirow]

Empire Prophecy 99.99 New : Prophecy (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270368878425&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)

I just ordered one the other day to keep upi with my soon to be Cheatered Mag. Still use the Revy's as a backup and for my Blazer. :cheers:

I was looking at a Magna, they are a little cheaper - is the prophecy a lot better?

[Stayhuge]

From what everyone has been saying, the Prophecy has made improvements over the Halo. I am not too familiar with the Magna. Personally, It's sits back a little too far for me, and for a little bit more ($10) I would rather it be more centered on my marker. Also, the Prophecy can be disassembled in a matter of seconds. The guy online completely assembled it from scratch in 52 seconds without rushing. THat was a big selling point for me. Check out some of the videos on Youtube. I was impressed, and found it for under $100.

[drg]

I haven't kept up on hopper technology the last few years (still using a Revy) but I'm surprised to hear a lot of these hoppers aren't force feed.. I figured everything would be by now. Is there some reason people are turning back away from it? Very surprised to hear, for example, that a $150 Pinokio is not force feed.. why is this?

BPS caps and the economy. With the 10-13 bps caps, you don't need force feed or even a very fast loader. Superhigh ROF messing around kind of became passe once it was widely known that you could not play in games that way, and the economy made even backyard ROF blasting undesirable.

[Shirow]

BPS caps and the economy. With the 10-13 bps caps, you don't need force feed or even a very fast loader. Superhigh ROF messing around kind of became passe once it was widely known that you could not play in games that way, and the economy made even backyard ROF blasting undesirable.

I guess I just thought that unless it was force feed, it would have the same problems that, for example, my Revy does - I get blowback into the feed tube and it makes me misfire and/or the hopper doesn't gravity feed fast enough for quick bursts.

[drg]

I guess I just thought that unless it was force feed, it would have the same problems that, for example, my Revy does - I get blowback into the feed tube and it makes me misfire and/or the hopper doesn't gravity feed fast enough for quick bursts.

Sorting cup technology solved this issue, in fact many of the fastest loaders were not true force fed, like the Pulse.

[Shirow]

Sorting cup technology solved this issue, in fact many of the fastest loaders were not true force fed, like the Pulse.

Interesting, guess a lot has changed since last time I was playing :)

[CatoRockwell]

eventually I want a Rotor, low profile and the new snakeskin camo is sexxy.

But if cost is an issue, I bought an invert halo too at dday because the combination of JT's crappy paint and humidity did not work well with my qloader (which although it is a fast loader has a ton of disadvantages).

This invert too has been great, I mainly want the rotor for the easy take apart and sexiness, but the invert too has worked amazing considering the price.

[DevilMan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4RpklaSSTQ&feature=related

Pretty thorough run through of the 3 loaders side by side...

DM

[Shirow]

Even after that Youtube video I'm really torn. The rip drive on the Prophecy is tempting.. I like the battery life and nose on the Pinokio and everyone I've spoken to says the Rotor is really solid and works great.

PBgear.com has Pinokio's for 114.95 which is what has been pushing me in that direction but if the Rotor is a lot better, $35 isn't much in the long run.

Argh!

[Stayhuge]

Even after that Youtube video I'm really torn. The rip drive on the Prophecy is tempting.. I like the battery life and nose on the Pinokio and everyone I've spoken to says the Rotor is really solid and works great.

PBgear.com has Pinokio's for 114.95 which is what has been pushing me in that direction but if the Rotor is a lot better, $35 isn't much in the long run.

Argh!


I got a Prophecy for 99 shipped brand new off ebay. Link (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270368878425&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT)
However, I don't klnow if he is selling for that price anymore. I got it. Seems pretty good so far. Easy to take apart.

[Shirow]

I got a Prophecy for 99 shipped brand new off ebay. Link (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270368878425&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT)
However, I don't klnow if he is selling for that price anymore. I got it. Seems pretty good so far. Easy to take apart.

Yeah, I saw that. Looks like the auction ended. Prophecy is probably bottom of my list right now but I would definitely consider one for $100. I'm half thinking about just getting a Magna or a Halo Too even but I don't know for sure.

[jade_monkey07]

For those people suggesting a Pinokio, the fasta is the exact same thing but cheaper :) i have had 3 in the past few years. got my first one at dday 07. sold one and rebuilt one broken one that fell out of a 20 ft sniper tower lol both the ones i have still rock. simple design and the "squishy paddle" mod makes it even better on paint then it already was.

[Shirow]

I'm actually really thinking about an Halo Too right now.. $70 and it seems to fill my needs. Just be curious to know if anyone has used one long term.

[wimag]

I am a huge fan of the Velocity. light, fast, serves me well. I have a Reloader, Halo and revvy still but after picking up a velocity i was sold on it.

[CatoRockwell]

it's relatively new, but I've had mine since June of this year, have not had any issues. It works great considering the price, you aren't going to be dropping 30bps, as if anyone ever does in a real game, but it will keep up with you. I too am planning on upgrading to the Rotor, but for now it has served my purposes well and it will be my loaner in the future.

The only downside is disembly which is obviously not as easy as the new top of the line hoppers.

[alooney11]

If you are looking for the best real world performance get the pinokio.

Battery life.
Capacity.
Light weight.
Never jams.
Easy operation.

You cant beat it, and you might use the nose more than you think. Its kinda nice playing a scenario and not using a pod pack!

[Shirow]

If you are looking for the best real world performance get the pinokio.

Battery life.
Capacity.
Light weight.
Never jams.
Easy operation.

You cant beat it, and you might use the nose more than you think. Its kinda nice playing a scenario and not using a pod pack!

This is my other thought, ActionVillage has them for $115 so only $45 more than the Halo Too..

[Stayhuge]

It really depends on what your price range is. $30 here, $20 there. Consider how much you spend on your marker, packs, masks, it really doesn't pay to skimp $50 on a hopper, which is the supplier of your paint. That is the beginning of your game right there. Then your marker, then your barrel. Everything else really doesn't affect performance.

Just an example, I have a few revies as backups and also for my Blazer. Last time I played, the batteries that I have, I didn't charge long enough, I guess. My revy went dead in the first game. No problems with the marker, but that really but a damper on the first two games of the day, cause the shake and bake limited me to 3 shots at a time, then nothing. After that, I will never make the mistake of having partially charged batteries before the day. I know that this story is about the batteries, and not the loader, but if you think about it, you really want to make sure that you are using a loader that is not going to crap out. Also, knowing tha tyou can disassemble it without tools is a hugh pluis. To me, that is worth an extra $40-50. Like I said, I lucked out, and got the Prophecy for a good price. The pinokio was my next choice, because of the price. But I have had halos before, and the disassembly alone, is reason enough for me not to get them again. I could have picked one up for $50 or so, but would say that I would easily spend double, for the tool less hopper.

Another thing is that I now prefer sound activated, rather than eyes. I don;t know much about the Halo too. Is that eyes? One thing that I found was I had broken paint in the chamber a few times, and it splattered up and messed up the eyes. Just some more food for thought

/End Rant :cheers:

[Shirow]

It really depends on what your price range is. $30 here, $20 there. Consider how much you spend on your marker, packs, masks, it really doesn't pay to skimp $50 on a hopper, which is the supplier of your paint. That is the beginning of your game right there. Then your marker, then your barrel. Everything else really doesn't affect performance.

Just an example, I have a few revies as backups and also for my Blazer. Last time I played, the batteries that I have, I didn't charge long enough, I guess. My revy went dead in the first game. No problems with the marker, but that really but a damper on the first two games of the day, cause the shake and bake limited me to 3 shots at a time, then nothing. After that, I will never make the mistake of having partially charged batteries before the day. I know that this story is about the batteries, and not the loader, but if you think about it, you really want to make sure that you are using a loader that is not going to crap out. Also, knowing tha tyou can disassemble it without tools is a hugh pluis. To me, that is worth an extra $40-50. Like I said, I lucked out, and got the Prophecy for a good price. The pinokio was my next choice, because of the price. But I have had halos before, and the disassembly alone, is reason enough for me not to get them again. I could have picked one up for $50 or so, but would say that I would easily spend double, for the tool less hopper.

Another thing is that I now prefer sound activated, rather than eyes. I don;t know much about the Halo too. Is that eyes? One thing that I found was I had broken paint in the chamber a few times, and it splattered up and messed up the eyes. Just some more food for thought

/End Rant :cheers:

Yeah, I hear you for sure - it's just easy to $40 here, $40 there and next thing you know, you're rocking a Rotor :)

I think my real issue is I've never used anything other than a warp feed or a revy so all this jammed balls/broken paint in the hopper etc is foreign to me. Is it something that happens a lot with newer hoppers?

[CatoRockwell]

Halo Too is sound activated. I've played at least twice a month for the last 6 months with my Halo Too and have had only 1 hopper break, and that's because a teammate didn't have his safety on or condom and when the reinsertion happened he shot me from 3 feet away in the hopper.

As for the new hoppers, I personally am leaning towards the rotor, lower profile, more durable material, dye has great customer service, and I use marbalizers so I don't really have the fragile paint issue others have.

But the Halo Too is suiting my needs for now just fine. But like the Halo B it is a pain to take apart.

[Shirow]

Halo Too is sound activated. I've played at least twice a month for the last 6 months with my Halo Too and have had only 1 hopper break, and that's because a teammate didn't have his safety on or condom and when the reinsertion happened he shot me from 3 feet away in the hopper.

As for the new hoppers, I personally am leaning towards the rotor, lower profile, more durable material, dye has great customer service, and I use marbalizers so I don't really have the fragile paint issue others have.

But the Halo Too is suiting my needs for now just fine. But like the Halo B it is a pain to take apart.

Sigh. You guys are making this very difficult ;) I appreciate the input though. I use marbs mostly also.

I'm torn again now.. thinking about the Pinokio again. I just don't think I can justify dropping $150 and I do like the idea of the 400 round nose.. but... still very undecided :(

I need someone to buy my warp first so I can afford it anyway :)

[Stayhuge]

I only had a hopper catastraphy once. I was using brittle paint in winter in my Halo. I was running and tripped, didn't fall, but shook the gun so hard, I shattered paint in it. That was a nightmare. and ruined my day. After that, I sold the halo, and bought three revies. Figured if it ever happened in one of those, I could just throw it in the bag and pull out another. Now I have the prophecy and 2 revies as backups. The prophecy is adjustable with magnets. I think you can adjust the force. As far as the halo, it was spring forced and to adjust you would pre wind the srping, I think. I tried it once, but was unsuccessful. I don't know if that was fixed with the Halo Too. I think the newer ones, like the rotor, prophecy, and pinokio fixed the problems with jamming. I know the prophecy claims it is anti jam, but still has the rip drive, so I guess they don't believe it 100%.

Don't mean to talk so much about the prophecy, it's just the only one that I have used besides a halo and revy. Oh, I had an egg once (The lid was by far the worst Idea EVER)

[Shirow]

Right now I'm basically just checking Ebay every day for deals.

[Pump Scout]

I'm frankly astounded that people are willing to pay $115 for a hopper that is, under the funky shell, a Ricochet Apache. I know and understand the Pinokio has it's followers, but that's the core of the Pinokio. Wasn't too impressed with the Apache I have. Darn shame, too, since my other Ricochet hopper is just fine.

For an extra ten bucks, there's a whole world of better options.

[Shirow]

I'm frankly astounded that people are willing to pay $115 for a hopper that is, under the funky shell, a Ricochet Apache. I know and understand the Pinokio has it's followers, but that's the core of the Pinokio. Wasn't too impressed with the Apache I have. Darn shame, too, since my other Ricochet hopper is just fine.

For an extra ten bucks, there's a whole world of better options.

Well, that's a big reason why I haven't bought one.. it doesn't appear to be anything terribly special..

I guess my thought process right now is.. is being able to break down the hopper quickly a very important thing? As I said earlier, I don't know, I've never had a hopper break, ever, using my Revy/warp feed so it's hard to judge.

I found a Prophecy on Ebay for $110 buyout.. keeping an eye on that..

I do like the idea of the Rotor and I think honestly if money was no object, it's what I would get but $150 for a hopper does seem a little extreme. I've sank a lot more into my mag on worthless upgrades I guess though (replacing rail with something prettier etc..)

[Stayhuge]

Here --> Empire Prophecy (http://automags.org/forums/showthread.php?t=246652)

The guy has a used once prophecy for sale. He has it listed at the end of the first post, but pictured in the first pic.

I must say that I was impressed with the internals of this, and the breakdown.

Also, they sell the 280 shells for this, and it is stock 240 round. I think I forgot to mention that before. Personally, I have the 240 shell on there now, and can hardly tell the difference in size from my former halo. My buddy has a Halo V35, I will have to compare when I get a chance.

Also, there is a thread on PBNation that compares the sizes of the Vlocity, Rotor, and prophecy. Here you go: Review thread (http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=2997876) Keep in mind that this is FOR the prophecy, so it might be a little biased :rolleyes:

Another thing that i Forgot to mention is the size of the opening for loading. It is HUGE!! I really like that and the magnetic lid. You also don't need a spring, because there is a magnet installed at the top of the lid to keep it open.

[Stayhuge]

I do like the idea of the Rotor and I think honestly if money was no object, it's what I would get but $150 for a hopper does seem a little extreme. I've sank a lot more into my mag on worthless upgrades I guess though (replacing rail with something prettier etc..)

This is exactly what I thought, and why I was able to justify buying a new hopper for $100 (Becuase I was SAVING $50, hahaha :rofl: ) At least that is what I told my wife. She shops all the time, and brags about how much she saved, which justified why she bought what she did. So, I used the same mentality :cheers:

[Shirow]

Good call on the Behemoth sale, thanks!

[Pump Scout]

To further throw a wrench into the works, I just got an e-mail from Empire. The Prophecy has been repriced. New MAP/MSRP is $99.95. Kind of changes the whole hopper shopping game, doesn't it?

[Stayhuge]

To further throw a wrench into the works, I just got an e-mail from Empire. The Prophecy has been repriced. New MAP/MSRP is $99.95. Kind of changes the whole hopper shopping game, doesn't it?

just got the same email!!! :wow:

[Frizzle Fry]

just got the same email!!! :wow:

Ditto... Just when I had set aside cash for an Invert Too the price went up from $60 to $70.

Now with the Prophecy coming down to $100, well, I'm not sure what to do :confused:

[Ando]

They coming out with something new maybe? Dye is going to follow suit I'm sure for the holidays :)

[zondo]

It's gonna kill a lot of the BST hopper threads on PBN...

[Ando]

ROFL!!!

Yes it is, think about E-Bay :rofl:

Magna's will be coming down 2.

[CatoRockwell]

:) good thing I waited to get the rotor maybe they'll lower the price to be competitive or release something new

[BiNumber3]

Hmm, I've been using a Spyder Fasta since it came out and I was able to get a used one of pbnation:P

Ive been considering getting a 9v version though, cuz frankly, I don't really "need" the power.
Haven't tried any fancy schmancy new loaders, cuz really, do we need it?
Fasta is nice n simple, design came from the Apache right? and isn't the pinokio the same thing but with a new and improved shell?

I prefer the tab activation because a ball really can't not activate it (and unlike revvies and similar, if you run out of paint, it wont start running till you turn it off), and find it hard to imagine how one would damage the sensor under normal use.

Havent broken paint in it yet either, and i've used year n a half cheapo paint in it:D

but maybe it's just my mindset, I have something that does what it needs to do without doing it in excess, kind of like my mags:)

[cockerpunk]

To further throw a wrench into the works, I just got an e-mail from Empire. The Prophecy has been repriced. New MAP/MSRP is $99.95. Kind of changes the whole hopper shopping game, doesn't it?

at this price, you can't even make an argument for the rotor against the proph.

for 100 bucks, the proph is without a doubt the best hopper made currently, period.

[d4m4don3]

The price drops probably because of stagnant sales of the prophecy. Most of the local shops don't carry much stock of the velocity since the rotor came out. The prophecy has pretty much been sitting on store shelves around here. The rotor's been flying off the shelves the past year.
But for 100 bucks thats pretty hard to argue. Maybe this is the magic price point?

[zondo]

at this price, you can't even make an argument for the rotor against the proph.

for 100 bucks, the proph is without a doubt the best hopper made currently, period.

If I hadn't already picked up a Rotor, I would probably have gone this route. Ah well... still only spent $100 on mine :rolleyes:

[Shirow]

If I hadn't already picked up a Rotor, I would probably have gone this route. Ah well... still only spent $100 on mine :rolleyes:

I'll definitely be getting a Prophecy now, it's not even a contest at $100 in my eyes.

[Shirow]

So, I'm about to pull the trigger on this - is there any reason anyone sees that I should get a Pinokio over the Prophecy?

Prophecy looks better all around to me but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Since they can both be had for right around $100, I think the Rotor is out of the question now, unless someone knows a place selling Rotors for $100.

[cockerpunk]

The price drops probably because of stagnant sales of the prophecy. Most of the local shops don't carry much stock of the velocity since the rotor came out. The prophecy has pretty much been sitting on store shelves around here. The rotor's been flying off the shelves the past year.
But for 100 bucks thats pretty hard to argue. Maybe this is the magic price point?

and i can't figure out why.

frankly, the rotor is a joke. its slow and heavy and low capacity compared to proph, and its harder on paint.

[Shirow]

Either way I figure I may as well wait until black Friday, see if there are any even better deals.. I'm not desperate for it since snow is coming anyway.

[Frizzle Fry]

So, I'm about to pull the trigger on this - is there any reason anyone sees that I should get a Pinokio over the Prophecy?

Prophecy looks better all around to me but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Since they can both be had for right around $100.

Where can I get a Pinokio for around $100? The main reason I ruled it out was the $150+ price tag.





and i can't figure out why.

frankly, the rotor is a joke. its slow and heavy and low capacity compared to proph, and its harder on paint.

Nuhuh! The technology of the Rotor could feed at 52 bps. :rolleyes: :p :D :cool: :tard:

Of course that's provided that you (at least) quintupled its capacity and were using a marker that could cycle properly at that speed... And even then that would rely on your marker being fired consistently at a high enough speed non-stop for long enough so the hopper could build up to that speed... :tard: :rolleyes:

Also, it looks like part of a muppet.

[Shirow]

PBgear.com has Pinokio's for $114.95, I've seen them go on Ebay for $100-120ish.

[Frizzle Fry]

PBgear.com has Pinokio's for $114.95, I've seen them go on Ebay for $100-120ish.

Damn... From a list of 4 hoppers down to 1 that wasn't on the list, then up to 2, and now it's a list of 3 and 2 were on the original list :tard:


I guess it's Pinokio $115, Prophecy $100, or Invert Too $70...

[cockerpunk]

Nuhuh! The technology of the Rotor could feed at 52 bps. :rolleyes: :p :D :cool: :tard:

Of course that's provided that you (at least) quintupled its capacity and were using a marker that could cycle properly at that speed... And even then that would rely on your marker being fired consistently at a high enough speed non-stop for long enough so the hopper could build up to that speed... :tard: :rolleyes:

Also, it looks like part of a muppet.

ive never seen the rotor do faster the 14-15 on gun.

for 150 bucks, thats just not acceptable.

ill give you that you never really need that kind of performance, but in the price range it is located in, it doesn't matter. it should give you a bj for 150 bucks.

[MANN]

frankly, the rotor is a joke. its slow and heavy and low capacity compared to proph, and its harder on paint.

I disagree completely. I own both, and last weekend my prophecy was a blender. I removed 3 magnets, and it still blended paint. My wifes rotor worked great the whole day. Both of us were using the same paint out of the same box.

[Frizzle Fry]

ive never seen the rotor do faster the 14-15 on gun.

for 150 bucks, thats just not acceptable.

ill give you that you never really need that kind of performance, but in the price range it is located in, it doesn't matter. it should give you a bj for 150 bucks.

I agree completely.

I was being sarcastic; when they first came out there were "52 BPS OMGZ" plastered all over the place and nobody seemed to realize that (a) it was a drop rate that no marker could feasibly keep up with and (b) it would take something like 1000 rounds to even "warm up" to feeding at that speed.

For $150 you should get half and half :cheers:

[SSP REAPER]

I agree completely.

I was being sarcastic; when they first came out there were "52 BPS OMGZ" plastered all over the place and nobody seemed to realize that (a) it was a drop rate that no marker could feasibly keep up with and (b) it would take something like 1000 rounds to even "warm up" to feeding at that speed.

For $150 you should get half and half :cheers:
Andrew,
Whatever you decide on, let me know. I will help you out :headbang:

[Shirow]

Damn... From a list of 4 hoppers down to 1 that wasn't on the list, then up to 2, and now it's a list of 3 and 2 were on the original list :tard:


I guess it's Pinokio $115, Prophecy $100, or Invert Too $70...

I'm in the same boat, although I think I've scratched the Halo Too off my list at this point. Honestly, I'm not in a rush and I think I'll just wait until I see either a Prophecy or a Pinokio at a really good price. I still kinda like the nose on the Pinokio but I just don't know if I'd be willing to use it after feeling the weight. Seems like the Prophecy is the better call overall.

[Frizzle Fry]

Andrew,
Whatever you decide on, let me know. I will help you out :headbang:

I'm starting to lean towards the Pinokio again :rolleyes:

I probably won't be buying for a couple weeks now but I'll definately shoot you a PM, thanks!

[Shirow]

I'm starting to lean towards the Pinokio again :rolleyes:

I probably won't be buying for a couple weeks now but I'll definately shoot you a PM, thanks!

Really, why? I think we're both having exactly the same problem here but I'm tending towards the Prophecy right now. Just curious as to your viewpoints.

[Frizzle Fry]

Really, why? I think we're both having exactly the same problem here but I'm tending towards the Prophecy right now. Just curious as to your viewpoints.

I often use a warp on my Xmag and it's got a 16" barrel... I've played with and enjoyed the Pinokio, and I have this image of me on a field with a 400rd Pinokio and very few pods of paint. I'm not a big electro player, and when I do play with my Xmag or Microemag I use a lot of paint.

[Shirow]

I often use a warp on my Xmag and it's got a 16" barrel... I've played with and enjoyed the Pinokio, and I have this image of me on a field with a 400rd Pinokio and very few pods of paint. I'm not a big electro player, and when I do play with my Xmag or Microemag I use a lot of paint.

Yeah, the 400rd thing is what tempts me too. I don't have an electro but not carrying pods would be nice sometimes. Whether I want to haul 400rds on top of my gun is another question.

[fishmishin]

The only problem I have had with my pinokio is that I didn't pull my batteries out, and something in my gear bag hit the button and my batteries died. It's easy enough to pull the batteries out though since you don't have to remove a screw to open the battery compartment. Other than that I have played with it in semi cold weather were rotors were eating paint, and I had no problems with it at all, and it kept up with my E-mag fine in hybrid mode.

[Shirow]

The only problem I have had with my pinokio is that I didn't pull my batteries out, and something in my gear bag hit the button and my batteries died. It's easy enough to pull the batteries out though since you don't have to remove a screw to open the battery compartment. Other than that I have played with it in semi cold weather were rotors were eating paint, and I had no problems with it at all, and it kept up with my E-mag fine in hybrid mode.

How long have you had it? Are you happy with it otherwise?

[fishmishin]

I have had it for about 4 months, and I love it. I haven't had any other problems with it at all. It always keeps up, I haven't had any problems with jams, and the shell seems to be holding up fine so far, and I'm not easy on my gear by any means. I was using a VLocity Jr before, and I like the Pinokio a lot better. Plus the extra capacity is great, 250 w/o the nose, and 400 with the nose. The extra weight doesn't really bother me at all, I like be at a big game and not having to dump a pod when everyone else is. The price is a little easier than the rotor, not by much though. I am kinda thinking of doing a pre-order for some Pinokio's here soon so if anybody is let me know. That would help me gauge interest.

[UberWigget]

I've owned both the Prophecy and the Rotor and I will say that I like them both about equally. When I traded my Prophecy for a rotor my only complaint was the weight difference. The rotor was significantly heavier.

But in the long run i believe the rotor is better because of its insane durability. I just have yet to use another hopper that is built as beastly as it is.

I will just keep it as simple as this. If you're stuck between a Rotor and Prophecy I believe it comes down to a few things. Do you want a very light hopper that takes some effort to take apart and clean, or do you want a pretty heavy hopper that is incredibly easy to completely breakdown and user friendly in general.

As for pinokios and vlocitys, I would only think about getting one if you found a great deal used. Imo pinkoios are ugly and gears are loud every time it feeds. And the vlocitys shells are just too weak and are loud as well.

[Shirow]

I have had it for about 4 months, and I love it. I haven't had any other problems with it at all. It always keeps up, I haven't had any problems with jams, and the shell seems to be holding up fine so far, and I'm not easy on my gear by any means. I was using a VLocity Jr before, and I like the Pinokio a lot better. Plus the extra capacity is great, 250 w/o the nose, and 400 with the nose. The extra weight doesn't really bother me at all, I like be at a big game and not having to dump a pod when everyone else is. The price is a little easier than the rotor, not by much though. I am kinda thinking of doing a pre-order for some Pinokio's here soon so if anybody is let me know. That would help me gauge interest.

Well, let me know what price you could do, if you can beat the 114.95 at pbgear.com I'd be interested.

[Shirow]

I've owned both the Prophecy and the Rotor and I will say that I like them both about equally. When I traded my Prophecy for a rotor my only complaint was the weight difference. The rotor was significantly heavier.

But in the long run i believe the rotor is better because of its insane durability. I just have yet to use another hopper that is built as beastly as it is.

I will just keep it as simple as this. If you're stuck between a Rotor and Prophecy I believe it comes down to a few things. Do you want a very light hopper that takes some effort to take apart and clean, or do you want a pretty heavy hopper that is incredibly easy to completely breakdown and user friendly in general.

As for pinokios and vlocitys, I would only think about getting one if you found a great deal used. Imo pinkoios are ugly and gears are loud every time it feeds. And the vlocitys shells are just too weak and are loud as well.

It's really Prophecy vs Pinokio for me, they're both somewhat available around $100 right now. $150 is too much for me.

[Shirow]

Don't know if this will apply to Prophecy or not, I'm keeping an eye out but starting on Nov 26th, discountpaintball.com has 10% off empire/invert/BT gear with a coupon.

http://www.discountpaintball.com/Save-10-on-BT-Empire-and-Invert-Paintball-Products_df_37.html

If this applies to the Prophecy, it will take it down to $90... fingers crossed!

[d4m4don3]

and i can't figure out why.

frankly, the rotor is a joke. its slow and heavy and low capacity compared to proph, and its harder on paint.

It's easier to demonstrate how to clean in the stores. You can break the rotor down much faster than the prophecy. Customers are impressed. Its the wow factor for those who don't spend time on the internet to do a little research.

The prophecy is simple, but not as simple as the rotor.

[Shirow]

Looks like the code works for $10 off, it's '10percentoff'

Prophecy for $89.95....

I'm tempted but still not sure...

[Shirow]

Well, I did it so I hope you guys talking up the Prophecy were right ;)

[fishmishin]

Oh you could have got it from me for the same price !!! Oh well

[fishmishin]

Ah you could have got it from me for the same price !!! Oh well

[Shirow]

Ah you could have got it from me for the same price !!! Oh well

Sorry, my home field has a shop as well though, picked it up from them. If you can get me a lapco barrel real cheap though, I'd be interested in that ;)

[Pump Scout]

Well, I did it so I hope you guys talking up the Prophecy were right ;)

Battery suggestion - get yourself some of the AA lithiums. They're spendy, but the light weight and battery life are WELL worth it.

[Shirow]

Battery suggestion - get yourself some of the AA lithiums. They're spendy, but the light weight and battery life are WELL worth it.

Thanks for the tip!

[Shirow]

Anyone tried using 'The Bone' in a Prophecy with the 9v adapter? (I assume you need it..)