warning to any one who recently bought jt masks

[magmonkey]

I have had jt masks ever since they came out with the wipper system, but after about 4 years of play with my flex 7 I decided to replace it.
I bought a flex 7 ice and I compared it to the old one and since brass eagle took over they have cheapend up the system ALOT...

#1 the ear pieces still had mold flashing on them

#2 they cheapend up the foam to the point that is almmost uncomfortable to wear

and #3 THE MOST IMPORTANT
I played with it for the second time today
both times were indoor and chronoed at 250fps. the first game I played I was not hit in the mask and today I was hit in the mask one time from 3/4 of the field away
and my lenses shattered!
luckily it was enough to to stop the shell but I still got paint through the lenses so the fisrt thing i did was got off the field and had the kid who shot me chrono his marker..... 243 247 244
here is where the problem starts I look at my friends mask that he bought at the same time ..... cracked in the same place as mine so look at a mask that belongs to one of the western massacre guys ..... same thing
if you bought a jt mask latly check your lenses

I am going to call jt tommorow and see what can be done,
to me a new lense wont cut it because I no longer trust them.
and please don't tell me that brass eagle hasn't cheapend the crap out of them because they have and they are on the way to ruining one of the best names in paintball.

[martlet1]

My first flex ize mask developed a huge crack in the lens after my first game.

Did it shatter??? It's plastic right? You have a pic? I'd like to see what your talking about. I have the 260 lens in mine (thermal).

My mask is 2 years old, and the foam on that one sucked too. The foam actually fell out of the mask, and I replaced it with some hobby lobby black model foam. JT, as far as I know, still operates independently of Brass Eagle, even though they were bought out. The original three colors of the masks seem to hold up a bit better. I dont know if when they started making the red, blue, ect, that maybe the quality went down a bit.

[Fred]

:::Gets up on Safety Issue Soapbox:::

I really hope you've replaced your cracked lens Martlet1...
Playing with a damaged lens is taking your vision into your own hands...

:::Steps down:::

My Spectra is 3 years old now, i bought it used with a brand new rose lens. It's in great shape, no big scratches, no chips, cracks, anything. I've probably been gogged a dozen times. I do use the tear off things though, which make cleanup a lot easier.

If this new lens problem is a recurring one... My next mask will not be from JT...

[Croix71]

Whoa, either your right about JT quality going down or the kid who shot you adjusted his reg back down before he was rechronoed.

[Webmaster]

Im sorry - but I am HIGHLY HIGHLY sceptical about this story. I want to see pics up in a day or Im thinking of removing this thread.

I know many people dont have a love for BE - but JT is still run by the same people. Thier lens are some of the strongest in the industry - a very solid lexan that can withstand a shot gun blast. And they meet ASTM standards.

Its possible some how you got a defective lens - or did you use any cleaner like windex that could weaken the integrity of the lens?

This wouldnt be the first time someone has made false claims of lens failure. If it indeed did fail - document it with photos and then call JT immediately so that they can examine the cause for the failure. If there is in fact a bad batch out there - it is important you document and contact JT so that it can be dealt with.

Sorry for the gruffness on my part - but Ive seen this sort of thing happen reatedly in my years.

[virus]

well webby... in magmonkeys defense...

he is generaly not biased on this stuff... but i'll see if he can meet up with me somewhere (he lives a couple of streets away from me) so i can see it too.... and let ya know.... unless he gets some pics up frist... even then i still wanna look at it

of course now i eed to go chk my nvader out.... my old spectra should be ok... but i'll be chkin that out too......

[martlet1]

Hey, don't get me wrong, I love my flex mask, I just replaced the lens, and its been great ever since. I like Brass Eagle stuff, other than the guns. My mask cracked at the nose piece up to the top of the mask. Right where the gogs flex pressure point is. I have seen several masks crack on this line, because when people pack thier gear, someone will put some weight on the side of the mask and it developes a crack in the lens. That may be what happened with mine. It was shipped and may have had a small crack under the base, and when it got hit it cracked all the way up. I just put the second lens in that came with the mask and It worked great. I sent the JT lens back to Jt and they sent me a new lens (amber) but not a thermal replacement. No biggie with me.

I want to see pics of a shattered lens. The 260 lens is in a lot of systems other than the JT frame. The manual with the lens says to replace it after every few goggle shots.

[Manuel_FZR]

I have also a flex 7 ice (about 1,5 years old)... but I got several hits on the lens with something chroned like 280fps ... no scratches or anything ...
I think, it´s a verry good mask.

[Gecko]

Webby
i saw the entire thing. I wouldn't describe the lens as shattered but it did crack significantly. This is one of the newest flex 7 ices with the newer visor and different goggle foam. Magmonkey is one of the most honest and stand up people i know, he doesn't screw around with this type of stuff.
Gecko

[Gup44]

Post up some pics magmonkey...:confused:

[DarkRipper]

I've never seen a lens smash, but I replace my lens after every close up goggle hit or after 6 months of use. What's 25 bucks when you're talking about your eyes?

I keep 4 spare lenses in case of this.

DR

[DJSOLID]

I have no problem with BE. My first marker was a Raptor, and it was an excellent entry level marker. It had some problems, yes, but it also taught me how to care for a marker, to take one apart without fear, and to understand how a blowback systems works. It's inner workings are almost ridiculously simple. I never regretted owning it. I also have used JT masks for quite a few years with no disappointments, and I don't believe that BE went into their factories and told them to make products that are of less quality than previous. It just never happened. If BE is such junk like everyone says - why do they have such great market share? Easy. There will always be an entry level product to every sport. They are filling that gap. Remember, these markers most always lead to higher end markers. They are like gateway drugs. :)

[BTAutoMag]

that is a serious health and saftey issue and BE needs to get its **** together or they are going to get their *** sued. this is where the violence in paintball comes from. a player gets p*ssed at BE and starts shooting people.

[pip_999]

Originally posted by DJSOLID
Remember, these markers most always lead to higher end markers. They are like gateway drugs. :)

amen brother,
but if this is true but why havent they bought out a company like WGP, WDP, AKA or sumtin, cause after all they are "higher level" markers

[BTAutoMag]

theyre like ciggeretts... they aim their market on younger people

[pip_999]

yeah thats kinda funny

ever notice how the warning label is REALLY SMALL

[BTAutoMag]

yup

[Predater]

there is a guy at my field that got gogged about a month ago with a brand new ize. the linse cracked from the top of the nose piece allmoast to the top of the mask. i would have posted it but i thaught it was a freak accident. :(sadly i was wrong:( . next sunday if he has the linse with him ill get a pick of it. but he may have through it out by now.

[Jonno06]

I have a really old JT Flex-7..one of the originals(clear/black) from like 97'.The lcear is almost yellow its so old.Its my step brothers old one and I have no idea when he changed the lens last.I am getting new mask now just in case.The ear pieces on the old Flex's broke alot.

My mask doesnt have any ear protection on it,and while reffing Sat. night,i got shot in my ear.Figures.

[MantisMag]

whoa. i just played with sprayingmango yesterday and he showed me a cracked proteus lens. he said it happened last time he played with spacemanspiff. he got double tapped in the goggles from an average distance. there's a crack extending upward from the bottom of his lens. i'll let him know about this thread and get him to post.

[RoadDawg]

Mine and my brothers Nvadar have cracks on them. They are both at almost 2 years old and just need a new lense anyway. 2 years of action including lots of gog shots before they cracked I figure it is pretty safe. I love JT masks. I got a new Proteus when they first came out on the market and have had no problems since the recall. JT makes darn good masks and I'm happy with how they dealt the safety issue on the Proteus.

[magmonkey]

I have contacted jt and they are willing to help but it stil shoudn't have happened

you will have pics tonight

I have a honest complaint
and if you were to ask me my opinion of jt masks 2 days ago I would have told you that I wouldn't wear any thing else

[Mango]

The lense on my proteus's cracked after the second time useing them. It was the first lense hit, and was a double tap from about 50 feet away. I am disappointed with it but the lense did what it was supposed to do I guess.

[spliff]

I have two JT masks, and I nor my team mates [all of whom use JT masks] have ever had problems with the lenses. However, i will stand behind the statement that the foam has really gone down in quality. So much so, that the new masks are uncomfortable.

This is the inside of the goggle from my JT Spectra which i purchased about 2 years ago. The foam is soft, thick, and goes all the way around the goggle.
http://members.aol.com/iazyspliff/spectrafoam.jpg

This is the inside of my flex-7 ize, which i purchased a few months ago. Even after repeated uses, the foam is very hard, and it doesnt even rap around the whole goggle.
http://members.aol.com/iazyspliff/flexfoam.jpg

The foam's quality has gone down, but luckily the parts are interchangable between the JT masks, so i use my Spectra goggle inside of my Flex-7, just for the comfy foam.

[AdrenalineMag]

i am so incredibly sick of people bashing b.e. just because they are a beginner based company. there is absolutely nothing wrong with this grassroutes canadian company that does soooo much for our sport every year. not only is brass eagle the leading paintball company in the world but they bring more people into this sport annualy than all other companies combined. I keep hearing "viewloader sucks ever since b.e. took over" and "jt has gone down the tubes since they got bought by b.e.". well fact is, both companies still operate independently and viewloader has only gotten better since b.e., take away all of your x-boards and polycarb revvy's and youll be back in the viewloader alone days again. also, jt lenses are still as good as always, top of the line, and have NOT gotten bad just because brass eagle bought them out. one more thing, i hear all these crappy players at my field that shoot nice guns ripping on the newbies with their spyders and avengers. did you guys know that kingman is owned by wgp? (i believe thats true)(im not much of a spyder fan but cockers are great). so take your head out of your donkey and realize that there is nothing wrong with brass eagle. hey webby (i think youre tom, correct?) can you back me up here they follow youre word

[BTAutoMag]

~COUGH~talon~COUGH~ sorry i got a bit of a cold. youre right BE does make quality paintball things ~COUGH~blade-saber-tigershark-samurai-stingray-avenger-rapter~COUGH~

sorry im really sick

~COUGH~rainmaker~YACK~

wow my ~YACK~ looks like the ~YACK that comes out of the end of a Talon ~COUGH~

[pumpamatic]

I saw a kid playing this weekend who had a vertical crack right above his nose piece on his Flex-7. And lay off BE, my friend hardly ever has trouble with his Stingray, and hey, how else can you start playing paintball for under 100 bux? I happen to like Talons, only like 30 bux to play a nice stock class game. I might even take part in a Talon tournament this summer at Apocalypse Paintball.


Adrenaline- Close but no cigar, WGP bought out Bruizer(Nu-Line) sometime last year. Never had any experience with them, but my friend's Bruizer Wiseguy goes down a lot, but it's pre-WGP.

[FordPrefect]

BT is alawys sick, man just take some Tylenol.

[BTAutoMag]

i know i know i was just having a Talon sucky spree and i got carried away. but i have a friend with one of those too. she fell (yes SHE did) and busted her mask on the side of the gun. the mask cracked, the gun broke.

[KamikazePenguin]

plastic doesn't shatter chief

[pbR2k2]

A talon was my first gun. It's tru that BE doesn't make the best guns in the world, and their stuff does break alot, but they are really good starting level guns that introduce alot of people to paintball. Although it also turns alot of people away when they buy a gun, play once or twice, and have the pump brake off and have to tie it back on with twistie ties.... (that happened to me :) ) But still, I wouldn't have ever really gotten into paintball if it wasn't for BE, neiter would any of my friends, or cousins etc... Anyways, BE buying VL and JT didn't make their quality go down (although since BE bought VL, the inside of the hoppers smell like fish heads mixed with other grotesque items), but JT and VL are still at least almost the same quality as they were before BE got em. BE happens to be my favorite company... uhhh... not really but... whatever i'm typing to much now and im tired so im going to sleep :o :o
Talk to ya lataz
- † î /\/\