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.
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.
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