high cost of an intelliframe

[Rueben_the_wanderer]

Just as a disclaimer, I've been playing paintball for a few years. I'm aware of the cost of paintball equipment ($50 for an aluminum tube? what a bargain!).

I recently recieved my intelliframe in the mail, and to be honest, I had no idea what it looked like internally. I had just assumed that at $115 was justified since it had received such high acclaim. However, when I finally recieved it, I was a bit surprised. It was just a frame, with a trigger that swiveled, no other moving parts. Granted it is a nice pull, and nicely made, but the price is ridiculous. Even with a dye grips included, $115 seems hardly justified. And if the radio shack parts are so cheap to install, it would be more fitting if the components were already installed.

This is more than a rant. I'm not angry or annoyed. I'm just curious as to what justifies the high cost for it.

[kutter]

You are correct in assuming that it is possible to build a frame that is cheaper, in fact Benchmark does, however having a Benchmark and an Intelliframe both, for me there is no comparison. My Benchmark had a long trigger pull and a lot of side to side movement. My Intelliframe has a crisp pull and break and virtually no side to side movement.

Its simply a question of tolerances, there are a lot of facilities capable of machining a trigger assembly, but not nearly as many with the quality control capable of it up to AGD specifications.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[subbeh]

Because of the internal milling required to 1) lighten the frame and 2) allow mounting of the components, many tools and much time are needed to make those cuts. That's one factor. The other factor is AGD quality, everything is built MUCH less sloppy than say Benchmark.

But yes, it is very expensive.

[Telefragged]

Quote from the AGD Store "This beauty is machined from a solid block of aluminum and takes over 35 tools to produce!"
Sound expensive and time consuming?

True, the Intelliframe isn't cheap, but the only way AGD can cover expensive manufacturing costs, and make a decent buck is to have it that way. You can get cheaper frames, but it shows through in the performance. Intelliframes are the best mechanical frames you can buy for your Mag!

[Rueben_the_wanderer]

Originally posted by Telefragged
Intelliframes are the best mechanical frames you can buy for your Mag!

It's the best of how many frames? Since mags don't have much in the department of aftermarket parts, it would seem that prices don't have to be as competitive. Keep in mind I have nothing against the quality of agd products. It's why I have a mag in the first place. I just think that if there were more companies that made aftermarket parts, the price might be more reasonable.

[kutter]

Yes it would but one of the reasons more companies do not make parts is because of the tight tolerances required for a Mag to operate at its peak. Add that to the fact that demand is not as high as it is say for 'Cocker parts and you have a formula for the cost to be high. Besides I only found the I-Frame to be about $40 more than the Benchmark, at least where I was looking at it and I do not think that is overly excessive.

[cooltot]

Bottomline is...AGD makes the best parts for the mag. They know the mag, they ARE the mag. They can probably charge whatever they'd like for their products, and people would STILL buy it because of who it is. There are alot of big, popular companies out in the world today. Your going to buy stuff from the ones you know and trust. AGD qualified as one!

[Butterfingers]

Go to a machine shop and ask them how much it would cost you to make a copy of the exact same frame. Then go to an annodizer and ask them how much it would cost them to anno the frame. Then buy a pair of stickies for it. I can almost gurantee that its gonna add up to over $115

[rjvemt1]

also consider the cost of a basic mag compared to other high end mech. markers. consider the cost of an intelliframe for a cocker, now add that onto the cost of the cocker in the first place! agd sells a solid foundation, to wich the addition of tricked-out stuff is your own choice. this makes your mag,truly, YOUR mag!

[TransMan]

hey butter i can tell u right now leaving out the anno and the stickies it will cost well over 1000$ to get it copied at your local machine shop if they can even do it my dad is a machineist and when your wanting somthing milled liek that it can cost WELL over 100$ an hour i dont think that the I-frame is overpriced by any means if anything it is under priced

[than205]

How can the trigger pull be shorter when nothing else changes but the frame?
Try to be clear on your responses because I'm old and slow in the head.

[kutter]

Thats a good question, I am not sure how it 'seems' like my trigger pull is less. It may not in fact be so, but it sure feels like it. It's possible that it only feels that way since I think the I-Frame has better feedback through the trigger with the retro valve. Obviously I have not done any testing, so these are all opinions, but I do know that I use to chop balls, fairly frequently by short stroking and now its very seldom that I do that. But I got my superbolt and my I-Frame at the same time so its hard to say how much is one and how much is the other.

Just my .02.

[rjvemt1]

the fulcrum (thats probably spelled wrong) piont is different so the leverage is changed!

[Hexis]

Also, the way the trigger is shaped on the I-Frame gives it a forward stop. So the pull is in fact shorter. Even the DYE frame can't compair. I have used all three. The I-Frame is so much better it's not even right.

[Thrash]

I think that the i frame is the best frame out for the mag. I have a benchy and I like it. There are some problems with it but it works. I also think that the i frame isn't worth 40 bucks more just for better quality and the stickies. To me annodizing is worth less unless you want to make your gun look cool. I think agd is asking way to much for the frame.