Okay guys, this is my review for the Invert Mini. Being one of the first, if not the only, current Mini owner on PbF, I figured I would offer a review for anyone who may be considering the Mini, but is too turned off by it's newness to buy one. I literally JUST got this marker in, and this is a work in progress, so please bear with me.
First things first. Opening up the cardboard box, I find a nice, but small, aluminum gun case. With two flicks of the clasps, the gun is revealed. My first thought: "Holy crap. This gun is smaller than my tank." And it really is. Pictures don't do this marker justice. In my hands it feels half as big (And accordingly, half as heavy) as the Ion I sold two days ago.
On a side note, KEE did a wonderful job packing this sucker in. Not only is it in its own specially fitted aluminum case, it has a FULL maintenance kit, complete with spare detents and springs, 2 of every o-ring in the gun, some very large, sturdy allen wrenches (Or maybe they just LOOK big because of the gun... I can't tell.
), some form of Dow 33, and 1 of every screw on the gun. Did I mention they include a necklace (Kind of like dog tags)? It's cool but I won't be wearing it. It's also got a goofy looking rubber barrel plug. I don't know why they bothered with this. Most places require barrel condoms...
Anyway, my next step was to turn on the gun with the eyes off, to get a feel for the trigger. This is done by turning the gun on with the trigger depressed. Simple enough. The trigger is light and crisp, and it's satisfyingly responsive, although it lacks any kind of feedback like you would find on a gun with a microswitch. In truth the trigger feels like an Angel's trigger. Not a bad thing in my opinion.
It almost feels weird to screw on the tank, because there's no macroline. But I quickly got used to it. With the first shot of the gun, I realize this thing is pretty loud. But it sounds different than any other marker I've heard before.
I'm breaking the gun in according to a guide found on PbN:
How to break in your spring:
Set your dwell to 28.
Set your rof to 20bps.
Set your mode to nxl.
Set your presure to 1 tic below 200.
Turn your velosity adjuster in all the way.
Turn you eyes off.
Let it rip a entire tank or 3 out (depending on size, pressure, and your feel for how it needs to be broken in)
Right now I'm doing just that... The board software seems finicky but is easy to deal with once you figure out the gist of it. The 4x4 manual doesn't offer a great explanation of how to program the board...
Updates as far as shooting with paint go will follow soon. Right now I'm just establishing this thread, and I'll update it later.
So far, I give it a
. More to come.
Update: 8:30.
After 2 full tanks through the gun and a revert to stock settings (Which requires just the push of 2 buttons simultaneously), it was time to put some paint through the gun. I stuck my halo on it, which, without a cut or sanded neck, fit VERY nicely into the Mini's locking feedneck, with a slight adjustment of course. I gassed up the gun, turned on the halo which had 10-month old RPS Premium paint in it. No joke. Took it out in the back yard and let it rip. It was clear that my halo was holding back the gun's potential, meaning 2 things: First, the eyes work very nicely. No chops at all. Second, I need a new halo board. =/
Despite the deplorable state of the paint which I fed the gun, I saw very good consistency and up to about 30 yards very little curve. I was able to hit a tennis ball in my yard from 15 yards away for shot after shot. Let's just say at this point I'm more than satisfied with the performance of this marker. It may turn out to be one of the best things I've ever spent $365 on in my life.
In my gun I saw none of the problems we have all heard of: blowback, chops, inconsistency, kick... None of it.
My overview of the gun:
Well, to say this gun is small and light is truly an understatement. It's called the Mini for a very good reason. The front grip which houses the battery and board feels very natural in your hands. The trigger is 3-point adjustable and the feel reminds me of an Angel trigger. Locking feedneck is nice, barrel seems decent, and the anno looks to be of decent quality. The grips are VERY comfy for stock grips, and the bottom-mounted regulator feels just like a typical ASA. It's easy to adjust too.
Pros:
-Obviously, it's tiny and weighs under 2 pounds. Enough said.
-Well balanced, even with a tank and hopper on it.
-Maintenance is idiot-proof (No eye harness to break, most of everything is directly mounted to the board...)
-After a short break-in, there is no kick, no blowback, etc.
-Stock board has 4 modes: Semi, PSP, NXL Auto, Millenium.
-Feels great to hold as far as grips and position goes.
-Lots of stuff I could mention but don't feel like repeating.
-PRICE! You won't find a gun that performs on this level for a similar price. Not one made of metal, anyway.
Neutral:
-Lack of aftermarket parts. I'd like to see an on/off regulator for this gun, but the only thing that the gun is begging for is a new barrel, and that is an easy replacement (Cocker threaded).
Cons:
-Trigger feels a bit sloppy out of the box. Not a real problem until you have to adjust it, and after you adjust it you're supposed to use blue loctite on the trigger screws.
-The stock reg gauge is 100% worthless. The gun runs 200 out of the box, which just happens to be the lowest number on the gauge. The gauge goes to 600. Go figure.
-The gun's patent numbers are laser engraved into the bottom of the foregrip. Not too thrilled about that... =/
-Board firmware is awkward. It's really strange to program something with so many different variable settings using only 1 LED and 2 buttons, no matter how many colors the LED has. I'll be happy when someone comes out with a LCD aftermarket board. Wouldn't be hard to do either. There's plenty of room in that foregrip.
Conclusion: If your budget is $400 or under, don't even consider anything else. This blows away all competition. The pros are too numerous to list, and the cons are mainly the result of me being a nit-picky bastard.
I really hope this review puts to rest some unanswered questions, and if anyone has anything further to ask, please post it up here or PM me about it.
-Greg, a.k.a. Pizza
April 19, 9:10
I uploaded a vid of me firing it on semi. It's like 12 seconds. In case anyone is interested:
Pizza's Mini - Google Video
Enjoy.
Shedding light on the Invert Mini.
Shedding light on the Invert Mini.
