Reddit reviews JT Revolution Paintball Loader Electronic Fed Hopper/ Holdsup to 180 Paintballs/ Black

your most important piece of equipment is the mask. everyone loves talking about guns because they are more interesting but i think they can all agree that a fogged up day of playing is horrible.

go to a local pro shop for paintball (not a generic sporting goods chain) and see if they have any masks for you to test fit. i usually recommend these things to look out for:

1, comfortable. it's pointless if it's not. you'll find that masks starting from mid end will use better quality foam that doesn't itch you like walmart masks do.

2, thermal lens. these dramatically lower the chances of fogging. they are double paned, with a ring of usually black foam around the perimeter to attach the 2 panes together. the inner layer smudges easily so take care not to let anything touch it. i say again, these are double paned, the single pane ones with "anti fog coatings" are generally useless.

3, well-stocked replacement lenses at wherever you buy so you can easily find replacements when it comes time to swap out your old lens either from age or from being hit, so if you find a local store close to you, you should probably look at what brand lenses they stock.

a mid end mask is usually fine. they run about $50. proto has that "switch" mask and empire/jt has a whole line of masks that use the "spectra" lens frame. empire has an e-flex as well. but really, just choose one that's comfortable. forget how it looks.

you'd have about $200 left for gun, hopper and tank. using that little money to buy all 3 will probably end up with crap gear. i'd suggest buying 2 and renting the 3rd.

i suggest buying a hopper, it'll be a transferable piece of equipment onto an future gun you may buy. i suggest finding one that has electronics to "agitate" the paintballs, that also has some kind of sensor, either infrared or sound. it's usually infrared but iirc empire makes a few that are activated by sound (i think initially to avoid patent issues).

there are also battery-free versions but you run the risk of the balls getting stuck and you having to shake your setup during a game to get the paint to load again. this is only a minor convenience but there's no reason to put up with it especially when you're still a beginner. only buy these if you're extremely strapped for cash.

among the electronically powered ones, there are also constantly agitating ones that just spin constantly. they lack sensors of any kind that tells them the paint is properly fed and they can stop in the mean time. this results in a very annoying whirrrrrrrrrrrrrr sound that constantly come out of the hopper. they're for suckers, i'd rather have one of those battery-free ones. avoid these.

at the higher end there are force feeding hoppers but you don't really need those yet. they run way expensive anyway.

this would be one of the electronic hoppers i can recommend: http://www.amazon.com/JT-Revolution-Classic-Loader-Black/dp/B00BAWPLV0/ref=sr_1_27?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1395531163&sr=1-27 it has infrared sensors (eyes) that tell the paddle to stop when the paint is properly loaded into the feedneck, and only start stirring for a few seconds after you shoot.

i don't know what kind of gun you want, but for under $200 you get to choose a more expensive electronic gun or the cheaper mechs. people are going to recommend the gog enmey, but i think you should also take a good look at azodin kaos or spyder xtra. they're both mechs and don't perform as well, but are usually friendlier toward new players who want to learn how to maintain their own equipment. if you want to spend more for a fancier electro that's fine too but i think a new player should test the waters with a mech of some kind just to get used to maintenance without the risk of breaking something expensive, even if they are more prone to chop paint.

i'd just rent a tank. most fields here give you all day air if you rent a tank and vice versa anyway. with what cash you have left, the tanks are usually heavier than they have to be.