--- Ard <ard@interaccess.com> wrote:
Dear MPN,
I'm a relatively new player, but am very excited about paintball and am looking to buy a marker.  I read that you know about both Tippman's and Spyders so I was wondering if you could herlp me?  First I am considering buying either the Spyder TL, the Tippman M98, or the new Tippman Pro-Carbine.  I am looking for a reliable, very accurate marker.  So if you could give me your opinions of these markers, the pros and cons of each, and anything else you deem pertinent, I would be very grateful.

Thank you for your time in helping out an avid new paintballer.

Garrett
ard@interaccess.com
 

Hey Garrett,
        Well you are looking for your first marker and have narrowed it down to either a Tippmann or a Spyder. Time to look at the pros and cons of each.

The Tippmanns

        If you are looking at a Tippmann I suggest the 68 Carbine. This marker is in my opinion, the most versatile of the Tippmann line. First off, Tippmanns are always the best out of the box. They are better tuned and are hard to screw up. Tippmanns will take anything you can throw at them and keep going.
        Yet the major con is that they are not very upgradeable.  There are not many companies who produce aftermarket products for the Tippmann line. The 68 Carbine though will give you the best upgrading options of the Tippmann bunch. Such things that would improve the marker's performance (such as a barrel and bolt) are relatively easy to find.  One of the other cons is that the feed on the 68 Carbine can come loose and detach from the gun allowing the hopper to fall off and you loose all of your paint.
        The Tippmann Pro/Carbine is a 68 Carbine body and gripframe with the front end and feed of the Tippmann Prolite. The Prolite feed is a one-piece assembly that attaches to to front grip so if you don't like the grip you can't get rid of it without a new feed.  If you need more info on the Tippmann line, check out the Tippmann Owners Group.  They will give you all the upgrade info you need.

The Spyder

        The Spyder will allow you to upgrade and customize until you are blue in the face.  Out of the box the marker performs quite well in distance accuracy and rate of fire.  If you are interested in a long-term marker this is a great gun to start with.  The cons are that the stock barrels can sometimes place a curve on the paintball, so usually that is one of the first upgraded pieces. Other than that, the aftermarket parts are amazing.
        I have built a Spyder without using a single stock piece before.  Spyders also tend to require slightly more maintenance than a Tippmann so make sure you have some Allen keys and lube oil.  All in all, for a weekend marker that you will use to just go out and have fun from time to time go with the Tippmann.  Yet if you want a marker that will be with you for a while and allow you to tweak and customize the Spyder is the way to go.  The Spyder TL is a nice marker but in my experience it is better to buy the original stock Spyder and add what you think is necessary.  This will improve the marker in the way you play.  Keep the game alive.  If you have anymore questions drop me a line tsasso@thempn.com. Or, if you want some Spyder customizing done check me at Absolute Paintball

Tony Sasso
MPN Columnist