Thread Tools

lardlad · June 18th, 05:14 PM

Hey, I'm lardlad. I've played a few games before, all woodsball. I'm looking to buy a marker for myself, to use in woodsball and speedball. I wanted to know: Should I get an A-5 or a 98 Platinum?

The main factors I'm looking for are ease to maintain, upgrade, and also how customizable. Firepower is also a factor.

I know that both have all of these qualities, but I don't know which is best.

So I ask you, members of PaintballForum, which one!?

**tlmiller** · June 18th, 05:21 PM

Internally, they're the same gun, so get whichever, it makes no difference. A Spyder VS-2 would be better than either in firepower and just as easy to maintain and upgrade. Spyder would also be SIGNIFICANTLY better than either in speedball.

lardlad · June 18th, 05:25 PM

I'ma stick with a Tippy for now.

Are they both easy to customize? I've heard that the Cyclone feed on the A-5 breaks frequently, is this true?

**tlmiller** · June 18th, 06:34 PM

Yes, cyclone breaks frequently from everything I've seen. Well, maybe BREAKS is too harsh a word. Fails to work within expected parameters is better. And it's ugly.

lardlad · June 18th, 06:46 PM

So if I get a 98, I should avoid the Cyclone, correct?

**the_real_kaz** · June 18th, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlmiller

Yes, cyclone breaks frequently from everything I've seen. Well, maybe BREAKS is too harsh a word. Fails to work within expected parameters is better. And it's ugly.

I've seen/used a number of cyclones that have always worked. I know of an A-5 thats taken a ton of abuse and it's never had a problem. Most of the time people's cyclones are messed up because they took them apart and then put them back together wrong.

But if I did have to pick the more unreable part of a tippy I would have to say the cyclone.

lardlad · June 18th, 06:59 PM

Sounds to me like the Cyclone is OK. Thanks for the help guys, I may be going for an A-5.

***Dark.angel*** · June 18th, 07:02 PM

If you like getting hit in the hopper the cyclone loader is FTW.

***martix_agent*** · June 18th, 07:03 PM

and not having a hopper that'll work on anything else also. that's the worst part about them

**tlmiller** · June 18th, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_real_kaz

I've seen/used a number of cyclones that have always worked. I know of an A-5 thats taken a ton of abuse and it's never had a problem. Most of the time people's cyclones are messed up because they took them apart and then put them back together wrong.

But if I did have to pick the more unreable part of a tippy I would have to say the cyclone.

That's why I said breaks may be too harsh a word. I've seen too many become blenders, or fail to keep up with 5 bps firing. They're not BROKEN technically, they're just not working the way they're supposed to.

Crawdaddy · June 18th, 09:00 PM

No the cyclone doesn't break it wears out because they had this brainstorm to cheap out and use plastic so you get plastic rubbing on plastic in the cyclone. The cyclone is great for casual play you get a reliable feed system without batteries but the better deal is a 98 with a decent agitating hopper. Even Tippmann must know this which is why they brought out the 98 Platinum instead of discontinuing the 98 line altogether.

lardlad · June 19th, 09:29 AM

Well, I'm not going to play too often, maybe max twice a month, so I think the cyclone is worth no chops and fast feeding.

Crawdaddy · June 19th, 10:43 AM

On a stock A5 the cyclone won't chop but it will blend paint the cyclone is a very rough system so you have to use harder shelled paint. With an Egrip you will need to upgrade the cyclone to keep up and prevent it from wearing out. If you are set on the A5 it is a decent enough marker but I've owned one and I'd never buy one again I sold it the first chance I got for a fraction of what I paid and I was glad to be rid of it.

Uphoria · June 19th, 04:01 PM

If I were you I would just go with the 98c and get vloader or empire hopper...just my thoughts :S

lardlad · June 19th, 09:37 PM

Is this widely accepted to be a good Cyclone replacement/upgrade?

***TheAznInvazn*** · June 19th, 09:42 PM

Nope, their knockoff's of the real deal.

TechT Cyclone Upgrade Kit

**bobide** · June 19th, 09:47 PM

Don't get a tippmann please! It is not the be all end all woodsball gun like tippmann would like you to think. You can take any gun on the market into the woods and you won't have a problem. Yup, rain, puddles, mud, no problem anything from a spyder to a dm8 can take it.

A spyder is just as easy to work on as a tippmann BUT packs a lot more punch as far as firepower which is something you'll appreciate.

At least reconsider, you'll quickly outgrow that 98custom and will regret dumping a few hundred into it to try and make it catch up to the competition.

lardlad · June 20th, 09:46 AM

R u shur? It is almost twice as much as the first one.

Crawdaddy · June 20th, 10:19 AM

The TechT stuff is the best of the best for cyclone upgrades I used their stuff when I had my A5 and it worked very well but even fully upgraded the A5 falls short of perfection. The Tippmann design has changed very little and I don't consider them even worth a purchase anymore they are coasting along on a reputation they stopped deserving long ago and somehow their fanbase didn't get the newsletter. The fact that the cyclone works well only after $100 in upgrades should tell you all you need to know.

lardlad · June 21st, 10:57 AM

Everything falls short of perfection.