lazy mans go to hopper?

[blackdeath1k]

OK. I'm toying with the idea of getting another FF hopper for me for next summer. But I'm lazy when it comes to my hopper. I really want to just hit the switch and it work. Don't want to screw with settings. Sooooo. What is the recamended lazy mans go to FF hopper?

I do know my wife's invert halo 2 in stock settings does not feed fast enough to keep up with heavy fire. Yet I never messed with settings on it. As it ended up on my wife's marker. Not mine. And she is perfectly happy with it as is. So I've been back running my trusty fool proof revy. Did jest trade a prophesy as I decided all the setting stuff was more than I wanted to mess with.

This is all ironic since electrical design is a big part of my day job.

[captian pinky]

rotor. only adjustment is a tension screw but i think most set it to flush and go. its the only forcefeed hopper i will use.

[jame4091]

Honestly, I'm not a huge Dye fan (especially their markers). But as ugly as the hoppers are, a dye rotor is always my go to if I have one that is not sold as soon as I get it. The plastic on the hopper is solid stuff, not like the cheap plastic on almost all empire hoppers. The hopper has one external button and so so simple, press the botton and there you go. You should be able to pick one up for around $80-90. I used to get so tired of fiddling with halos and I can't tell you how many eggy doors I have broken. Buy a rotor you won't be disappointed. Oh, I have used many spires as well, I like em a little better than the dye b/c it is lighter and the shape is more appealing. The design is not as durable as the rotor, but the company has stood behind it's products every time I have had an issue.

[TyeStick]

+1 for the Rotor.

Hit the on button and go. Althogh, I will say that the Rotor is picky on paint. Picky, as in dimpled, or paint that's slightly swollen might give you some issues.

[Cyco-Dude]

rotor is easy...valken vmax is easy.

[capt spank]

Pinokio speed or spire. Pretty much hassle free.

[dodge3500]

Yup rotor all the way,good battery life,very tuff and just hit the button and go.
I have loaned out my eggs, halo's and a couple of the hard plastic revys and usually got them back with something busted but not so for my rotors.the only issue is the cost of buying a new one,usually 150$ to 199$

[GRimm]

Its funny, when the Rotor first came out I said I would never get one and continued to rock my revy on my x-mag. Now that I have one I don't use anything else, there are so many things that make it such a great hopper. Its light, fast, super reliable, uses the oldschool super durable revy style plastic.

[zondo]

Rotor... Keeps up with all the settings on my Xmag and Cyborg. I haven't even wanted to try anything else unless it was a Revvy to slow down my markers.

[going_home]

Sold all the Rotors when I got the Spires.

Hands down the better loader.

[capt spank]

i'm surprised at the number of people who like the rotor. i found that mine jammed fairly often and i'm tugging on the anti jam like a fool. never had an issue with jamming on my speed or spire. and if you're looking for light weight, pinokio speed for sure.

[Skorpion]

I've never had issues with my rotor. I use it straight out of the box and have never adjusted anything. Just throw batteries in, turn it on and go.

[1985phenom]

my .02:
I currently have a Scion (a halo + Z2 baby), I had a rotor (sold), and I used someones Spire (not the 260) this weekend when I couldnt get my Scion to work...i think it was operators error!

I would take a rotor if I had to make a hopper purchase again. Easy to operate, clean, and take apart. Like Skorpion said, I never changed a thing OOTB. The spire would be a close #2. It has a very low profile.

[TwilightG]

It's not even worth contributing to this thread at this point, but Rotor all the way.

I haven't had a break in it yet, but if I did, ridiculously easy to pull apart and clean without any tools. One button operation. No other modes to worry about. It just works.

[skipdogg]

Switched to a rotor this year. I feel like a fool for waiting so long. The rotor has been fantastic.

[Spider-TW]

I had to consider the paint thing on the rotor and ended up with a speed. I shoot event paint as much as rec ball paint and never know what will show up. I've always used my mags to digest party-mix paint and plain ugly paint. Some people manage to shoot tournament grade all of the time without a thought. It didn't occur to me until a friend borrowed a pod of paint that jammed up his cyborg.

It's not usually a problem for us locally, but some people think rotors have problems with small paint. If you get a lot of small paint, ask around at your field how the rotors are doing.

[captian pinky]

i voted for rotor above.

i will say that i liked the shell of the spire and how easy it was to change lids, but there were a few things i did not like. first that it didnt have an anti jam lever. even though the spire does it automatically if your hopper dies thats it your done. on the rotor you can keep pulling that thing and get 5 or 6 shots each time. the next issue i didnt like was that the cone would break the paddles off and you would have to contact virtue. this usually happens because of trying to force the paint continuously, so you needed to send your board to the them to get flashed.

now they may have fixed those issues im not sure, virtue really is a great company and there customer service is pretty solid too. but i still ended up with a rotor.

[blackdeath1k]

Going home. Why do you say the spire is hands down the better loader? And are you talking about the original or the newer version?

Spider. There is no local field. Any local play is byop so if I must buy the paint it will be valkin. And if its paint I have its either valkin or paint from a scenario that is leftover.

The local guys that have good stuff all have rotors and swear by them. My skimming the net rotor appears as the general favorite. With the random dead set spire person. Then everything else just appears sparatic. My understanding on jams with any of them is generally because of cramming to much paint in the hopper? Is this true? I'm. Of a major high rate of fire person. 90% of the time I'm happy with my revy. But that other 5-10% when I'm giving suppression or defending a flag right before time is up I have at times goofed up and chopped a ball due to out shooting the revy. So in the end I'm debating on going back to FF but I want something with basically no need at all for any settings.

[BLachance75]

The only thing that has jammed my Rotor are reballs. I've had paint as small as .675 that shot perfectly fine out of the Rotor. I've never tried a Spire because the Rotor has worked so well I don't see the point of getting something different.

[Nobody]

I love my Spire. Coming from a Halo, its not without its own faults. This might be biased, but at least i will admit it.

Advantages:
1) battery life is exquisite. I don't think i have had to change my batteries since i got it right before Tunaball 8 which is going over 2 years. Granted i use the hopper but once a month.
2) 3 seconds and you can have the lid & motor tray out and able to clean it.
3) one button on/off
4) it weighs nothing. I don't have figures but you can find them for comparison.
5) its very quiet.
6) low profile and i love the looks
7) they say its a true 200 round hopper. Don't know, never tested that.
8) it just works, period

Disadvantages:
1) If held on its side, it will pulse, even with a full hopper
2) the back piece that holds the LED and on/off will break. I have gone through 2 of them.
3) you can outshoot the hopper. I did so with my Emag in hybrid mode. If not for the L10, it would have been a blender
4) its a love/hate on the looks. I do think the Spire 260 looks fat.
5) the boards on the first runs had problems. Virtue did replace them no questions asked.

So if you can or know someone that has either and you could borrow both the Spire and Rotor and test them for yourself. You are the only one that can decide.

[going_home]

I had constant issues with the Rotors not feeding, and they are loud.

And huge.

Comparing the 260 to the high capacity rotor, the rotor is a blimp, bigger than some guns.

Amazingly the 260 isn't noticeably bigger than the standard Spire.

And quiet.

My experience is the rotor is a lot better on batteries, but I still think the Spire is superior.

[blackdeath1k]

Holding more than 1 pod of paint and I would be happy. I prefer the look of the spire. The rotor just always had the rep. But believe me I know a rep can be bought. Guess in the end whatever I get will probably be like new but used for around 100 bux. And even if a rt could outshoot it. I'm sure I wouldn't ever have that issue.

[vintage]

I lugged my rt classic with a halo all over CPX for 2 days of LL7 and my only complaint with them is they are heavy. the only problem I had with it was every time I looked at it I was out of paint.

I have 4 halo's, a recently acquired Z2 which is ligher than a halo and a Valken vmax 2. the vmax is the lightest motorized hopper I've ever held, it has had no problem keeping up with the warp drive on the rt classic(in the back yard only so far) I just don't know about its durability at this point.

[Cyco-Dude]

the vmax is the lightest motorized hopper I've ever held, it has had no problem keeping up with the warp drive on the rt classic(in the back yard only so far) I just don't know about its durability at this point.

the vmax is pretty loud; the vmax 2 should be better. they changed the gear pitch or something so it doesn't whine as much (as well as using a different motor and impeller). apparently the shells are quite durable; the head tech at valken has said they've had no returns due to cracked shells.

[StygShore]

My Spire has been absolutely awesome, never had an issue, and only changed batteries in it once since last season. The New Pinokio speed is kinda ugly, but also works very well. Z2 I had an issue with the nose cone coming off

I have not tried the new VMaxx - the first one was enough to turn me off.

Price wise, I think the Pinokio Speed would be your best option.