The 8 Best Electronic Paintball Loaders
Special Honors
V-Mech Mechanical Force If you aren't confident that an electronic model would be reliable enough in tournament play, but you don't want to limit yourself to the lackluster speed of a gravity-fed device, you can reach for this model. It works in much the same mechanical manner as an electronic loader, but it's force is generated by a mainspring that you wind before a match. A full winding will load up to 100 balls from the hopper's 180-ball capacity. vmechsports.com
Editor's Notes
May 12, 2020:
The biggest change in the market of late has been the upgrade to the HK Army TFX 2.0, which now sports a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a speed feed system that reaches rates of 22 balls per second. The biggest downside is the fact that the battery isn't swappable, so you'll want to charge it up before a tournament and keep a USB cable and a power pack nearby to make sure you can top it off between matches, otherwise you could have your feeder die on you at a very inopportune moment.
Things like tool-free assembly and quick-install hopper extensions helped keep the Dye Rotor R2 and the Virtue Spire III 280 toward the top of our list, while the Virtue model also boasts a fine shock mount that prevents high impacts from either damaging the unit or endangering the smoothness of its feed in the middle of play.
We also saw fit to add a model to our special honors section that toes the line between an electronic model and a gravity-fed device, making good use of many technologies born in the electronic sector, but without the reliance on batteries.
Playing Some Serious Paintball
Of utmost importance is the masks on approach to the game; players should always be wearing masks that protect their eyes when anywhere near active use of paintball markers.
The game today referred to simply as paintball was first played near the small town of Hennicker, New Hampshire, population approximately 5,000. Since the first games were played in 1981, paintball has grown into a worldwide sensation, with amateur and professional competitors alike taking to the field or the speedball course in countries as varied as Australia, Iran, and Thailand. (In fact, Thai paintball teams have won multiple international competitions; the sport is fiercely competitive in many countries.)
And while the popularity of paintball arguably hit its apex in years past, supplanted in some places by other sports like airsoft, it remains an activity enjoyed by millions of enthusiasts the world over.
Enjoying paintball starts with proper safety measures. Of utmost importance is the masks on approach to the game; players should always be wearing masks that protect their eyes when anywhere near active use of paintball markers. A flying paintball can't cause lasting damage to most parts of the human body, but the eyes are a huge exception to this rule. Most players opt for masks that cover their entire faces, though these are not required for game play in all areas.
Additional safety gear, including elbow and knee pads, gloves, and even helmets, is optional but savvy, as is footwear that supports the ankles. Depending on the venue in which a game of paintball is played, the rest of the players outfit can vary. Camouflage may be appropriate for outdoor games, commonly referred to as "woodsball," while indoor games or those played on a speedball course may warrant athletic style clothing that maximizes a player's ease of movement.
Ultimately, the most important piece of gear is the paintball marker. The marker, which is the chosen term over paintball gun, comes in many different shapes and sizes, many resembling military assault rifles while others look more like futuristic devices, but all have the same purpose: to propel paint-filled spheres at high velocity toward opposing team members. Choosing the right marker can take hours of research. Choosing a great electric paintball loader to deliver your ammunition into said marker is an easier decision.
The Electric Paintball Loader
Anyone who thinks an electronic paintball loader is a superfluity has simply not played that much paintball. A good electrically assisted paintball loader can make all the difference between you capturing the flag, getting the kill, or ending up splattered with paint and sporting your share of welts.
An electronic paintball loader can also minimize the chance for two of the most annoying things a paintballer has to deal with: jams and cut balls.
As paintball hoppers use gravity as their primary feeding mechanism, and as a game of paintball sees the average player leaping, diving, and even rolling about the forest or the arena, it's easy for the balls to bounce up and away from the tube that should be loading them into your marker. An electronic feeder gives your paintballs that little bit of assistance they need to get down into the barrel and then blasted out toward your adversaries.
Electronic paintball loaders can help keep you armed, as it were, even when your marker is held at an angle, which is helpful for when you need to ease around a barricade or tree trunk. By helping you take your mind off the position in which you hold your marker, these units help you focus on marksmanship.
An electronic paintball loader can also minimize the chance for two of the most annoying things a paintballer has to deal with: jams and cut balls. If your hopper gets a jam at the wrong moment, you're nothing but a defenseless target for the opposition. And when an inferior paintball hopper allows your marker to cut a ball in half, it means a barrel and bolt mechanism gummed up with paint and bits of shell. At best that often means impaired accuracy until you clean your marker, but it usually means no more playing at all prior to disassembly and thorough cleaning of the unit.
Proper Paintball Gear Maintenance
Playing paintball is messy work, there are no two ways about it. Unless you manage to make it through the day without ever getting hit once, chances are good that your clothing, mask, and paintball gun are all going to have their share of paint on them. While of course the paint used in paintballs is designed to be fully washable and will come out of clothing with ease, it can still wreak havoc on your gear if your equipment is not promptly and properly cleaned.
Don't forget to check the o-rings on the CO2 or nitrogen canister and those at the base of the marker's barrel.
It's important to disassemble and clean your marker after each game (or round of target practice) even if you don't think you cut through any paintballs or took any hits to the equipment. It's easy for dirt, dust, and debris to get into the barrel and bolt of your marker gun, and the longer any materials linger inside its components, the harder they will be to remove later.
Also, make sure to carefully inspect all of your marker's o-rings and replace any that seem torn or even worn. O-rings, also called toric joints, are very inexpensive but are absolutely crucial for proper function of your gear. Don't forget to check the o-rings on the CO2 or nitrogen canister and those at the base of the marker's barrel.
Lastly, inspect and, if needed, clean out your paintball hopper. This is of special importance with an electric loader, which can only do its job properly if it is clean and in good working order.