buying your first (or next) marker
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You've seen the question time and again. What marker should I buy? Should I get a Tippmann or a Spyder? Should I get a Timmy or a Cocker? These are not easy questions to answer for a number of reasons. Anything any of you can add to this please feel free.
Well, believe it or not you are already on the right track. With the Internet, information about various markers is right at your fingertips. However, before you go diving into that, let's take a look at you.
If you are the first time player, you will have different marker needs than someone who has been playing for a while. First, being the new player you may not know all the different types of paintball that you can play. It is HIGHLY recommended that before you go out and purchase a marker that you try the sport at your local field and rent a gun for a few times. This gives you three things: One, will you like the sport enough to justify spending a few hundred dollars on the equipment? Two, what kind of paintball is played at your local field? Three, what did you like or dislike about the marker you rented/tried?
If you answer no to the first one...well...what can I say? Either you had a bad experience or you just don't like the sport. However, the next two questions are a little more difficult to answer.
Obviously this is a big factor in your purchase. For instance, if all you have near your home are speedball fields, then a M4 MILSIM style marker probably isn't going to be for you. On the other hand, if you have a lot of Woodsball type fields near you, then the Nemesis might not be the marker for you.
How do you know this? Simple. Look around at what other's are using and ask them why they chose their markers. Ignore any comments that go along the lines of "It looked cool" (exception to this are MilSim markers that resemble real world guns like the M4, MP5, etc...with MilSim Scenario games looks are actually a big part of it but more on this later), "my buddy had one", or other undefinable reasons. Things to listen for are items like reliability, ease of use, maintenance, cost, performance, where they got it, and general owner satisfaction. Why these are important we'll discuss later.
Also important is to find out (ask if you need to) what they DON'T like about their marker and about what markers they may want to get in the future. Now, take that last part with some caution as many players will tell you what their dream set up is and not what they really will be buying next.
Yes, you in the back with your hand up? What about the Internet you say? Well, right now isn't the time to go there yet...don't get ahead of the class.
Now that you've found out what type of paintball is played by your home and what others find as being important factors in their decisions we move on to what you liked about the markers you have tried.
First, when you try a marker try to record its name so you can remember it later. If possible, try to find out things like what kind of air source did it use, HPA or CO2, was it a stock barrel or aftermarket barrel, and what kind of paint you used. The reason I mention these things is because they all play a role in how the marker performs and having as much information about what you have tried is important. Generally, rental markers will be stock and ran off CO2 but there are always exceptions so don't just assume that the marker you use is stock whether you borrowed it from a friend or are renting it. Also, remember that the first marker you try is going to be the "best one ever" until you try others so try to put some variety in their if you can.
Next, how did the marker feel? Was it comfortable? Was it too heavy? Did you think it was too long? Did it have issues or was difficult for you to use? Was it unbalanced? These are the things you want to ask yourself. You will probably find that there were a couple things you would have changed about the marker and other things that you really liked. Start making a list of these likes and dislikes so that you have a better idea of what options you want on your new marker.
Or are independently wealthy, you are going to have a budget for your new marker. There is nothing you can't have on a paintball marker, but all it takes is money. Also, don't forget you're going to need things like an air tank, hopper, mask, pods, squeegie...well...a lot of other stuff suffice to say if this is your first marker. (Obviously people that have already been playing a while already have this stuff) Regardless, you will only have a set amount to spend and this is going to limit your decisions. Figure out how much you can afford before setting off to look for your marker and be sure to factor into your budget all the gear you will need to go play if you are a first time buyer.
Now that you have an idea of what features you want your marker to have and what your budget is, it is time to hit the Internet.
Hold on now, it's not time to start posting...it's time to start reading. Your goal here is to start finding markers that have some of the features you want and then find out how much they cost so you can see if they fit into your budget. You may have found one or two particular features you MUST have. Start by using Yahoo or Google to search for those key features. You'll find that the more you read and the more your research, the more you'll know what it is you're looking for.
Take notes or bookmark pages that are relevant to your search so you can find them later. Nothing worse than remembering you read a valuable post somewhere and not remember where.
Soon, you are going to start to get an idea of what markers will fit your budget. You may have 2 or you may have 20 but either way, you now have a starting point for your shopping.
Paintball markers are kind of like clothing...everyone has what they like. One thing to take into consideration when getting your first marker is that YOU have to like it. Once you buy it, if you want to sell it figure that you'll get about half what you paid for it. So buying something that you like is important. This is where looks come in to play. You may like the way one marker looks over another and there is nothing wrong with that. Don't be afraid to decide between two different markers just because one looks cooler than the other...just so long as both markers are in your budget and have the features you want. Nothing is worse than getting a cool looking marker and then being disapointed on the field because it does not perform the way you like.
Also, while we're talking about performance, understand that there are some markers out there that do not perform very well but are very inexpensive. I'm not going to name names, but if you do your research, you'll see which markers I'm talking about. Your best bet is to stay away from these no matter how good of a price they have. Trust me, nothing is more frustrating than going to play paintball and spending the majority of the day trying to make your marker work.
Not yet, actually. There are a couple things you want to do before you buy. First time buyers need to consider a couple things before they get their first marker.
- Buy New. As a new paintball player, you don't know what too look for in a used marker. I know it is tempting to hit E-bay to get that great deal, but unless you know what questions to ask buying used is best done when you have some marker owner experience under your belt.
- Maintenance. Your new marker is going to require maintenance so if you look at a screwdriver and cringe, you're going to need some help. This means it may be better to get the marker at your local shop. Sticking to markers they carry will ensure that someone can help you maintain your marker and service it if you have problems. If you happen to have friends that are into paintball, getting a marker that they are familiar with might be something to consider too.
- Your local shop. It is important to take this into consideration especially as a new player. Even if you get your marker from mail order, chances are that you will be going to your local shop for air, paint, and probably option parts for that marker. Many shops won't touch a marker that wasn't bought there so that's something else to consider as well. And while we're talking about upgrades, unless you don't mind waiting for parts in the mail, buying a marker that your local shop supports with option parts is something to consider as well.
- Mail order. Generally speaking I love mail order. Waiting for parts to arrive makes every week feel like Christmas. No lie. :) For me, I went with a marker I could only get through mail order because it was what I wanted (after much research) and for me it wasn't an inconvenience. Also, I have a couple local shops that somewhat support this line (but very little) and found the on-line forums for the manufacturers (like Tippmann) very supportive and helpful. This made getting this marker as my first marker a very enjoyable, and painless, experience. But if you go this route you better be mechanically inclined and don't mind doing a lot of research so that you know EXACTLY what you are getting into.
This is something for those of you who are still pretty new to the sport. If you've never heard the term K.I.S.S., it stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. (No, not calling you stupid, it is just what it stands for.) What this means to the less experienced paintball player is you are better off getting a K.I.S.S. simple marker rather than something that requires a lot of knowledge to get it working right (Autocockers are one type that come to mind).
Here's why. Like I mentioned before, markers need maintenance. Eventually, you are going to have to work on it. After all, once you go out and play with it for the first time you are going to have to come home to take the marker apart and clean it. Some markers require very little maintenance and if you aren't so mechanically inclined these might be a better choice for you.
Realize that some things that makes some markers "better" than others are their complexity and their tolerances (how well the parts fit each other...tighter tolerances=more precision). Both of these traits mean that these markers will fail more frequently IF they are not properly maintained. Tippmanns are perhaps the most trouble free markers on the planet when users fail to properly maintain them. They are very forgiving in this respect. Even so, it is good to get in the habit of maintaining your marker no matter how forgiving it may be. Other markers such as Spyders require a better maintenance routine. With proper maintenance, any marker will be reliable.
In another part of the entire "complexity" issue are the aforementioned Autocockers. Now, this is by no means picking on Autocockes but they make a very good example. Because of the way they work, Autocockers have to be "timed" to operate at their peak efficiency. From the factory they are set to work properly for the user but not at their absolute best. Experts in paintball have probably written master's dissertations on the proper techniques to time a 'cocker. Even experienced paintball players can be left frustrated on the sidelines by this experience. If you are not the mechanically adept type, an overly complicated marker may not be for you.
Okay, now you have a number of markers chosen and have a good idea of what kind of place you want to buy it from. Hopefully you will only have a couple markers to choose from by this point (or, better yet, just one). Now how do you decide. Well, that's actually more up to you than anyone else. Maybe you can find one a little cheaper than the other, perhaps one is a color you like better or maybe your friend had one like this one so you want to get one like his...or one that isn't like his. This is the point in the process that you will decide which marker to make YOURS and yours alone.
Maybe you have a very tough decision and can't decide. Perhaps you'll want to post on the forum and ask them what they think you should get. Believe it or not, this is a BAD idea. It is actually just going to make matters worse. The best thing you can do in this situation is to go out and SEARCH for comparisons between these two markers and read what is already there. Also, pbreview is a decent source for this kind of information too where you can read reviews by people who actually own the product. Again though, remember to make up your own mind AFTER you read EVERYTHING you can find.
Buying your first marker is a big step. Buying your next marker doesn't get any easier. I hope this guide at least gives you some tools so that you make a well informed purchase and that whatever you get is exactly what you wanted.
Good luck, and remember, it is all about having fun.
- Robotech
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