New to all this and looking for a good package deal

[Gravilo]

Hi all hope you can help as I'm looking for a paintball starter package for around £200 but don't know we're to start or what brands to go for . Need advice please thanks

 

[ShimmerShot]

Hey buddy,

In all likelyness spending £200.00 on the entire kit will mean you will get poor quality everything. If I was to reccomend something, it would be to save money to buy (in the following order);
1) Goggles (2nd hand £35.00)
2) Knee Pads (2nd hand £12.00)
3) Electric Hopper (2nd hand reloader b £25.00)
4) Air Bottle (2nd hand £95.00)
5) Playing pants (which will have proper padding) (2nd hand £25.00)
6) Paintball gun (2nd hand £200.00)

Paintball is currently on the off-season, the weather cold and wet with not many people playing until mid Feburary 2013 anyway - save some money (you may even get more during Christmas) and buy the above next year off these forums as nigh on all the sellers have a good rep (if not, as others to 'vouch' for them).

Make sure you also have a place to play, which allows for Air refils, CO2 is very old fashioned and rather out of date. Please don't skimp on buying kit, I did it when I first started and bought the cheapest of everything available and I have to rebuy everything after the first 2 months of playing. If you have other friends who are playing, ask them if they would recomend any kit, or if you could try their goggles out.

Just my 2p.

 

[automag]

Hello and welcome to p8ntballer.

Some questions....

1. Is your £200 set in stone or could you save up a bit more?

2. Do you have any items now?

3. What are you looking at doing playing in the woods or sup air. (Football sized field with movable inflatable bunkers). With out knowing what type of paintball you are looking at it is a little bit hard to give advice on markers.

4. Where abouts are you in the UK? There may be a shop near by or a site you could try markers out.

The basic you are looking at is a mask which 2nd hand £35-50 depending on type and condition. This is your 1st item to buy. You have to find one that fits and feels ok as yu will be wearing it most of the day.

If you are looking at playing in the woods you could pick up some cheap camo gear from markets, army shops, ebay etc.

Here is the lips site with some basic paintbal start up packages. There are other shops around that you could go to and hve a look a what they have got.

http://lips-paintball.com/acatalog/BT_DELTA_PACKS.html

You also have the for sales thread on here with loads of send hand items up for grabs. Have a look if you miss something another will always come up for sale.

Regards

Ant

 

[Liam92]

As above a bit of an indication on what you want to play would be a big help.
IF you really wanted to then yes you could get full kit for £200 but you will be very hard pressed to find anything that you will be able to take with you as you move to new areas of paintball.
Advice just now would be to invest in a good mask if you are going to be getting out playing just now but if you aren't planning on playing until later on or next year then i'd put it off and save up a bit more and go for a much better set up!

believe me there is nothing worse than being chuffed to bits with your new toy only to find out down the line you actually aren't as happy with it and would like to change. going for better quality from the start not only saves you money in the long run but will give you kit that you can go play with anywhere from recball in the woods to the biggest tournaments in europe.

 

[Gravilo]

Hi thanks for the info I'll mostly be in the woods playing I don't mind if I just buy the gun as at my local place I can hire the gear until I get my own. The only problem is there is no we're local that sell paintball gear so will have to shop on line. My girlfriend is getting me the gun for Christmas and I'll buy a good mask. Just don't really know what I'm looking for.

 

[Liam92]

well to be honest i'd say the vast majority of paintball gear is sold online or is at least arranged online to then buy it in person at later dates. As far as masks go, the vforce profiler, jt proflex, proto proaxis are all fantastic masks that are pretty cheap from new. if you keep an eye on the forums you could even snatch a top end mask like i4 or grillz for round about the same money.

As far as guns go, if you are certain to just be playing recball then a mechanical gun like the GoG eNMey is the top end in this market, closely followed by guns like the Tippmann FT-12, then the BT-4/Tippmann 98 in that order (personally).

 

[MorphMann]

OK £200......

1. Find out when your local walk on day is first. Send a email to the people running it, saying you are wanting to buy your own kit and want to come down. Not to play but to talk to the 'Ballers. They will be ok with this and it wont cost you anything, as at the end of the day the site wants to be affable to get your repeat custom when you do have your own kit.

When you get there talk to all the lads and lasses and ask if you can try on there masks. Then you will find the right one for you. Not by the look but by the feel.

Check the forum's for sale thread REGULARY. Items on here are generaly sold ruddy quickly. But if you miss it once DO NOT let it worry you. Chances are another one will come up within a few days.

Doing this get's the main part of your equipment sorted. For nothing more than your fuel cost, and internet usage. Plus as to the price, it will be alot cheaper than buying new...............

2. You already have the most important piece of kit.

You have seen all of the markers that were at the first walk-on and will be getting an idea of what you like. So fire off another email and goto the next walk on (for nothing) to talk to the 'Ballers again. There will be some that remember you. At the end of the day we are a decent lot, and if you ask we will let you try our markers. So now you have tried some markers and know what you want.

3. Back to the forum For Sale section and find the marker YOU want.

4. Most importantly. Let us all know how you get on. We will always help if we can.

 

[Bolter]

Welcome to paintball, and p8ntballer! As you can see, some very very good advice is always on hand.

On that note, great posts you lot!

 

[automag]

Welcome to paintball, and p8ntballer! As you can see, some very very good advice is always on hand.

On that note, great posts you lot!

Thank you B.

 

[Tom]

I'll use Shimmers post as a guide as it gives a good start

1) Goggles (2nd hand £35.00)
The most important element. Try on goggles, either in a shop or at walkons etc
Your goggles must be comfortable for you, and need to fit your head. e.g. Dye I4s are excellent goggles but big heads like me will have a very exposed chin
2) Knee Pads (2nd hand £12.00)
Not so important to get you started, but they will take care of your knees
You could even get 'gardening' knee pads
This depends on where you play and how you play. Kneal down on gravel and get a sore knee, dive and get bad knees.
If you are going to do these activities havea thing about the type of knee pads. Military style strap on ones will move, and are just for knealing. To crawl you ought to look at the ones that slip onto your leg under your trousers and will stay in place. Alternately go for padded trousers, or trousers that can take inserts. A cheap alternate is a soft mouse mat inserted into a knee pad pocket, or sewn into the inside of your trousers.
If you are likely to crawl then elbow pads should be considered. A little while back I had an extreme case of 'students/plumbers/paintballers elbow'.
Check out 'Olecranon Bursitis' on google images, you will then always wear elbow pads!

3) Electric Hopper (2nd hand reloader b £25.00)
No further comments, you need a hopper, the basic is gravity, next up is gravity with a shelf to reduce jams, electric is next up, force fed is better. You could pay £80 for a second hand force fed rotor, or under £30 as above for a good second hand hopper
4) Air Bottle (2nd hand £95.00)
A 3000psi aluminium/steel cylinder will do most users, and new costs about £30
A 4500psi fibre wrapped cylinder gives you more capacity when fills are available, but costs £150
Both can be used for 5 years before retesting, (around £25 excluding any postage), the fibre wrap can be tested twice with a maximum 15 year life.
A 3000psi can be retested forever, but at £30 is disposable, a 4500psi is an investment.
With a £200 limit go for a £30 cylinder for starters, you can upgrade later and keep the 3000 as spare or pass it on
5) Playing pants (which will have proper padding) (2nd hand £25.00)
Not essential. I assume you have casual trousers, padded trousers are not essential but you may like to get them later. You can wear anything in the woods.
6) Paintball gun (2nd hand £200.00)
You are aiming to play in the woods, but there is no such thing as a woodsball marker.
The entire range of paintball markers is available to you - you need to see, feel and try out markers to know what suits you