Second hand prices (looking for first marker) - mini and axe

[matj]

That makes sense. Being able to get a tank which is better suited to the user, lighter and is more comfortable to use would be worth the extra money some day in the future.

For the time being I will be using steel but i intend to put some foam on the bottom to make it a little more comfortable. To get me off and running im sure it will be fine..ill keep my eye on the carbon versions for the future.

For the regulator...If i buy a HPA tank with a regulator already fitted does this mean I cannot adjust the pressure? I was thinking about this one:
http://www.store.justpaintball.co.uk/air-co2/air/3000psi-0-8l-air-system.html
If anyone can recommend anything better for a similar price I will happily listen to any advice.

I ask because I am sure the mini has a specific pressure that it is better suited to. I need to print out the manual and have a read and find out what it is though as i cant remember. I'm sure i read about it in a few reviews.

 

[Gaz #68]

Both my steel and carbon tank currently have fixed high output regulators (850 PSI I think). My lad uses the carbon on his mini for last two years with no problem at all so I dont think you should have a problem but Bolter far has more Mini experience than me and can probably confirm this one way or another.

 

[matj]

I have checked the manual. It says that 350-450 psi is preferred and will work better, but a 850psi tank will perform well as well.

I guess the question is...what are the chances of me finding a tank already at 350-450 for under £40?
From where I have looked so far...i believe the answer is not likely

Thanks for the input p8ball, its nice to know that if need be i can just get the 850 and not worry too much

 

[Gaz #68]

Personally I have never seen a steel bottle with a 350-450 PSI reg (doesn't mean they are not out there though). If you have to change the reg over that's going to add another £50 ish to the price of the steel bottle at which point your heading into second hand carbon bottles where you may be lucky and find one with a 350-450 reg. I genuinely think for the money you want to spend the £40 steel bottle is the way to go.

 

[matj]

After reading around a lot, including the manual, although 350-450 is preferred it seems to be just for the ease of removing the tank after use and because the 450psi holds pressure better for longer. The mini's regulator brings it down to 200psi anyway regardless of what tank is fitted (according to the manual)

On a 3000psi tank i should get 400-600 shots per fill...i will likely only use 100-200 per game so it shouldn't really be an issue though.

You are right in saying steel bottles at 450psi are a nightmare to come by...they are. The best I found was 300 psi which is under the minimum 350 that the manual specifies. I have no idea if it would be any good due to the lower pressure but i might as well buy a 850psi output tank instead that I know will work and could be used for other markers in the future (from what i've read 850psi is most common for the majority of markers)

Thank you for your advice...especially the money saving part! No way do I want to be chucking another £50 at the tank.

Is there any reason why i should consider the £50 steel tanks such as guerrilla etc over ordinary Pi tested ones offered by shops like fat bobs, Just paintball etc which are not branded?
I personally cant see any difference worth the extra £20...but someone more experienced may say otherwise hence why i ask.

Thank you for all your help

 

[Gaz #68]

I honestly do not know the answer to that but I can guess at it being extra for the brand name and the actual regulators may be of differing construction and possibly lengths (I know the guerilla regs on carbon tanks are a bit shorter than other brands). I have a Pure Energy branded steel tank as do three of my friends and not really encountered any issues with any of them. My mate had a plain green unbranded one and had a minor issue with it but the shop sorted it. I doubt very much a shop would sell an unsuitable tank so you should be able to buy with confidence. Only issue encountered (which is true of all tanks) is to keep an eye on the regulator as you are unscrewing it to make sure it is not unscrewing from the tank. This is not an issue on markers with on/offs such as the Empire Axe but the Mini as stock doesn't have one. My lad bought the Empire on/off for his mini along with a shockwave board (keeps settings after the battery is removed) and its practically now an Axe but in a smaller form factor. He did try the Axe but actually preferred the compactness of the Mini.

 

[matj]

Thank you for the input.

As a typical new purchaser I hadn't considered that if I'm buying from a reputable shop I shouldn't need to be concerned over brand etc and a steel bottle of any variety should be fine. I'll buy from fat bobs as they seem to have good feedback on customer service? (from the reviews i have read anyway)

I had read about the ASA on/off, at £70 i quickly dismissed them as anything ill be buying soon though. I'm sure my mind may change at some point but for the moment ill make do without. It's something ill likely consider more as the more i play....i don't currently entirely understand the benefit of them but i'm sure this will become apparent over time.

The shockwave board though...that may be something ill get eventually. I have noticed that everything is reset when the battery is removed which will likely be very annoying for me.

Just waiting on a message back from fat bobs...doesn't specify what output the tank is. Everything else is on its way to me...should have a full set up for myself within the next few weeks...Just the mrs self to sort out really

 

[Gaz #68]

If your playing with stock settings the battery removal is not really an issue as it resets to default so if your just woodsballing most likely it wont bother you. The shockwave board cost me £25 from my local shop. I have only purchased from Fat Bob's once but had no problems with the transaction at all and delivery was prompt. The on off degasses the marker allowing you to easily unscrew the bottle. Without one you have to unscrew the bottle with the marker pressurised which can make it more difficult to unscrew (just keep an eye that the reg is not unscrewing). Its more of a hassle than a major issue and at £70 for the on off I can see why people just pay the extra and get the axe which has one but if you do buy a mini there are cheaper alternatives such as those shown here http://www.punisherspb.com/mini-air-source-adapters_2790.aspx but they do push your air tank back a couple of inches.

 

[matj]

For the majority of the time it will be woodsball but i want to get into sup air and the competitive side of it in the near future also.

I have noticed all of the stock settings have quite a high ROF. With Sup air the limit is 10.5 isnt it? (correct me on that one if im wrong ) so I will want it in the future for that. The redline looks useful also...but at £200 i think not!

I have done some research into fitting and taking off the tanks as I'm a health and safety nut with things like that. Doesn't help being a law student either...
One tip I found was dry firing whilst unscrewing to save the o rings on the tank so I will look into this.

One question about tanks...is there anything wrong with keeping them pressurised (full) for long periods of time? e.g. a few months.

And lube...whats the best stuff for me to be buying? obviously i dont want to spend a fortune on it, but i want some decent stuff that will do its job well. Do you have any reccomendations at all?

Thank you for all your help, I really do appreciate it. I'm sure i will run out of questions eventually...

 

[Gaz #68]

Leave some air in the tank all the time prevents insides "going off". Doesn't necessarily have to be completely full. Dry firing is an option but can sometimes unsettle those around you if you do it in the safe zone . Shockwave board is a direct replacement and remembers your settings and allows you to configure for tournaments for £25, lot easier than the stock board. My lad is still using the lube that came with his Mini and it works fine.