Post by Kodiak on Oct 23, 2005 15:13:31 GMT -5
This review was done by my team XO and friend Katuil. The review is very image intensive so I have only posted the text. The complete review can be seen at home.earthlink.net/~katuil/Qloader.htm This review is on the gen 1 qloader pods, the gen 2 pods have a more user friendly spring motor, prices have also come down somewhat www.qloader.com
The qloader
by Katuil
A good friend asked me to write a review of the qloader system once I received and got it up and working. He asked that I give the entire experience from the time I ordered until I finally laid paint on an unsuspecting target! So, here we are and I am sure that anyone will find that this review tells the tale of a fine product!
I am going to break it up into several sections that will explain each step and what the result was. In the end I’ll give an overall score on a base ten scale. So let’s get to it.
1. Searching for a loading system
Several months ago, my good friend, got me involved with paintball. So I decided to get a marker. After that I realized that I needed a fast reliable loading system. So, I did a little research and found the Warp Feed, Halo and a few others that are all good electronic loaders. They ranged in price from $60 to $200. And all of them used batteries! That was not all that bad since my marker uses a 9.6 battery itself. Then I got an email from my friend to go look at www.qloader.com. Wow, was one of the first things that came to mind after watching the videos. The search was over and I had found what I was wanting. For me, since all I had at the time was gravity feed hopper I had no investment that I would lose out if I bought the qloader.
So, I went to the site and placed the order for the tournament system. Well, I decided to change the shipping and gave them a call. They said no problem. I got an email a day or so latter saying that their shipment was going to be delayed and that if I had any questions to give them a call. So I did and I got a call back from Kirk Alderson. He told me the reason for the delay which was that the quality of the part(s) they were waiting was not what they expected and that they were going to have to have the done again. Ok, quality is at the top of their list, plus I found out that this was their first shipment to the general public! Get it right and get good customer relations was a high priority. So I told him that delay was not a problem for me and that I was willing to wait. I also reminded him about the shipping change that I wanted from ground to second day and he said that he would try to make it work. Ok, another week goes by and I finally get an email stating that my qloader has been shipped and is in transit! The only thing that I can say is that it was shipped ground, but that’s ok. I asked for ground and many e-commerce sites are hard to change once you place the order, so not really their fault since I changed my mind.
2. qloader on the scene
So, I get home and find a box on my back deck. I take it inside and open it up and look over the contents. Before I get into the good stuff, let me tell you a little about what I am so you’ll understand some things about what I am saying. I have a Bachelors of Science in Physics. Not an easy thing to get, so I going to give you all the review based on Physics and how it all works.
The first thing I looked at was the reloading pod, which holds approximately 500 rounds. The plastic is hard but flexible and strap is put on is a unique manner. It uses an elastic cord that connects to a nylon strap. The reloading pod is very strong and you could carry it in the field if you wanted. The outlet that feeds the paint in the q-pods does not have a cap or can not be closed. If you leave the loader, not the q-pod, attached then the paint will not come out. This is the only weakness I can find on the reloading pod. With a little thought one could easily come up with something to overcome this issue. Paint is loaded at the opposite end that the feed neck is at and is very wide. The cover is made of a flexible rubber material. The loading mechanism that attaches to the reloading pod is made of a harder plastic. Not too thick and yet more than thick enough.
The plastics used are as strong if not stronger than that used by Rico 2k loader, which is what my friend has. So durability should not be an issue with the plastics used in the reloading pod and loading mechanism.
Next I looked the q-pods over, which are the heart of the qloader system. They are the hardest to explain. The plastics are similar to the reloading pod but are flexible at one end and hard at the other. Confused? Don’t be, because where the paint is loaded and then comes out the outer shell of the q-pod has to be flexible so that the end cap or piece can be removed and replaced without causing damage. Very well engineered actually and will give a long life. The q-pod then has an inner component that turns. This causes the paint to be ejected or forced out of the q-pod. This is made of clear plastic and is not too flexible. Inside this you’ll find several pieces. But when you take the end piece off you have the spring and a mutli-purposed gear. The gear keeps the q-pod from unwinding and is used to wind and load the paint. The spring is a high quality tempered alloy with an insert that keeps it from bunching up. Once you remove these pieces then you can take out the clear plastic pieces where the paint is loaded into. There are four pieces to the clear plastic component. There’s a plastic ball, a tube, a cork screw and a specially shaped end piece that feeds the paint out and into the tube. The plastic ball keeps the spring from completely unwinding once you have emptied it of paint. The end piece provides the sequencing and feeding out of the q-pod. And the cork screw is how the system heart works. It looks like a screw and as it turns, the paint will move. This system uses potential energy as a power source! Physics in action! I love it! No batteries! That’s pretty much it for the q-pod itself. The system is a potential energy system and can have more or less energy depending on how you pre-wind the spring. The more you wind it the more energy you will get and if you wind it too much you’ll get paint soup in your marker and in your qloader! Start low on the pre-winds and work your way up or you’ll hate this system.
Next I looked at the actual component that mounts to the marker. This is very unique idea that was used. It works like a hose clamp. Slip a piece of metal around a part of your marker and tighten it. That’s the idea and if you have a spot on your marker, it’ll work great. If you have a Custom 98, you’ll have a harder time mounting the qloader, but Kirk said that they were working on other mounting systems. So you’re not going to be hung out to dry. This piece also is how the q-pods are locked in so you’ll have ammo to shoot.
The plastic tubes are flexible, easy to cut and use. Be sure to get the length just right.
3. Mounting
Mounting for me was easy. I have a Spyder E99 Avant and used the expansion chamber as the mounting location. The qloader system runs parallel with my barrel. There are no limits to mounting; any way you want will work.
4. First firing
The first time I fired my marker with qloader I had some paint breakage! How disappointing you must be thinking. Not really, I expected it too happen. This system takes time and effort along with patience. I had the feed tube too short and I found out that you should pre-load the feed tube. So I went back and made the feed tube longer, except I pre-loaded to see if I had the length right. I ended up cutting a little off and then re-tested and then I had a length that looked good. Test fired again and was amazed. Went through 100+ rounds no breaks, chops or miss feeds! My friend was on the phone with me when I did this test firing and he was at a loose for words at what he was hearing! I had loaded two q-pods and then quickly reloaded and continued. Still no breaks, chops or miss feeds.
5. Clean up
Soap and water will do it all.
6. Putting it all together
If you are going to consider the qloader there are a few things you must look at. If you fail to do this then you’ll be disappointed with it.
* Must have patience
* Must be technically minded to a small degree. Need to know how to turn a screw and wind a spring. Not to hard
* Must have patience
* Did I mention patience
I think you get the picture on what you’ll to look at. Also keep in mind that you’ll need to get familiar with the qloader and that your first few games are not going to be what you expect. Life never is, so get over it and move on.
I also included many pictures so you can see what I am describing. Think that there were 15.9 Meg of high resolution pictures.
7. Game Play
This is what everyone wants to know! Well, first let me say that the expectation that I had was right on the money! I expected something to happen that I would not like. I went through three games and all was fine, but at the end of the third game I got a little trigger happy and completely emptied a q-pod and about half the feed tube. Well when you do this you might just break a ball and I did. Was not too bad because it happened inside the feed tube and that’s all I had to clean! So if you watch what your doing then you can avoid this, even if you leave a few rounds in a q-pod. The other thing that happened that bothered me was I had a ball bust inside one of my q-pods! Not sure how it happened but I did take a pretty hard fall and that could have caused it. Was not even engaged in my marker at the time so this one is no fault of the qloader, it’s kind of a mystery to me.
The first game that I played was woods so I got to use my marker on full auto! MP5 came to mind as I ripped off twenty or so rounds at my first target! WOW! The other team scrambled for better cover but before they made it I nailed one of the opposing team members at about 75 yards! One of my team asked for suppression fire and I was happy to do so! About this point I needed to reload and in less than thirty seconds was laying out a barrage of paint at the enemy! On a scale of one to ten, I rate this part as fifteen! Nothing compares to how fast you can reload and if you need to, you can still fire! But beware you could break a ball if you have your pre-winds high. I an mine that day at ten and think that I may go to twelve or thirteen to see if that works better.
The second game, everyone knew to stay away so I went semi-auto and my team mates and did a v wedge. It was the three of us against four others. So our v wedge worked like charm. They focused on me at the back while my two team mates hammered them in a cross fire! Speed is the greatest asset of the qloader system and if you provide suppression fire it’s the way to go hands down! My friends son was so tuned in to me and my qloader that it got him a few times and I never fired a shot at him! Was great to see how others would engage knowing that I could reload in a fraction of the time that it would take them! The latter games after everyone was use to what I could do seemed to be more accurate to what I would expect. They were caution but in eight or nine games I was hit only twice and only one was a good solid hit! The qloader makes a big difference in profile and how you can shoot! I made a shot with my marker turned almost upside down! It was the only way to make it through all the brush and trees! I could go on and on but I thin you are getting the picture!
8. Ratings
Ok, this is what most of you care about and want to know. I rated the qloader on several things. Those are listed below along with what I gave as a rating. No, it’s not perfect, but nothing is!
Order Experience-9.75
Custom Service-10
Materials-10
Quality/Workmanship-10
Concept-10+
Functionality-10
Fit & Finish-10
Cost-9.5
Clean Up-10
Loading (Pre-loading the q-pods)-9.5
Loading (Game play)-10+
Reliability-?
Game Play-10+ (15)
Total Rating-9.896
Ok, so I am giving it a 9.89 or a 9.9. There’s not really anything out there to compare the qloader to! It is truly one of kind and is for those who demand the finest that money can buy!
Remember, if you want to complain about the cost of a q-pod, at $25 from these guys, you’re an idiot! The q-pod is the heart of the system! It is the loader! To replace one for $25 is not really all that much considering what it does and how it does it!
This is a great product and deserves to be in a class of its own! Well done to the people at Ancient Innovations Corporation! I can’t wait for the marker that Kirk spoke of to come out!
The qloader
by Katuil
A good friend asked me to write a review of the qloader system once I received and got it up and working. He asked that I give the entire experience from the time I ordered until I finally laid paint on an unsuspecting target! So, here we are and I am sure that anyone will find that this review tells the tale of a fine product!
I am going to break it up into several sections that will explain each step and what the result was. In the end I’ll give an overall score on a base ten scale. So let’s get to it.
1. Searching for a loading system
Several months ago, my good friend, got me involved with paintball. So I decided to get a marker. After that I realized that I needed a fast reliable loading system. So, I did a little research and found the Warp Feed, Halo and a few others that are all good electronic loaders. They ranged in price from $60 to $200. And all of them used batteries! That was not all that bad since my marker uses a 9.6 battery itself. Then I got an email from my friend to go look at www.qloader.com. Wow, was one of the first things that came to mind after watching the videos. The search was over and I had found what I was wanting. For me, since all I had at the time was gravity feed hopper I had no investment that I would lose out if I bought the qloader.
So, I went to the site and placed the order for the tournament system. Well, I decided to change the shipping and gave them a call. They said no problem. I got an email a day or so latter saying that their shipment was going to be delayed and that if I had any questions to give them a call. So I did and I got a call back from Kirk Alderson. He told me the reason for the delay which was that the quality of the part(s) they were waiting was not what they expected and that they were going to have to have the done again. Ok, quality is at the top of their list, plus I found out that this was their first shipment to the general public! Get it right and get good customer relations was a high priority. So I told him that delay was not a problem for me and that I was willing to wait. I also reminded him about the shipping change that I wanted from ground to second day and he said that he would try to make it work. Ok, another week goes by and I finally get an email stating that my qloader has been shipped and is in transit! The only thing that I can say is that it was shipped ground, but that’s ok. I asked for ground and many e-commerce sites are hard to change once you place the order, so not really their fault since I changed my mind.
2. qloader on the scene
So, I get home and find a box on my back deck. I take it inside and open it up and look over the contents. Before I get into the good stuff, let me tell you a little about what I am so you’ll understand some things about what I am saying. I have a Bachelors of Science in Physics. Not an easy thing to get, so I going to give you all the review based on Physics and how it all works.
The first thing I looked at was the reloading pod, which holds approximately 500 rounds. The plastic is hard but flexible and strap is put on is a unique manner. It uses an elastic cord that connects to a nylon strap. The reloading pod is very strong and you could carry it in the field if you wanted. The outlet that feeds the paint in the q-pods does not have a cap or can not be closed. If you leave the loader, not the q-pod, attached then the paint will not come out. This is the only weakness I can find on the reloading pod. With a little thought one could easily come up with something to overcome this issue. Paint is loaded at the opposite end that the feed neck is at and is very wide. The cover is made of a flexible rubber material. The loading mechanism that attaches to the reloading pod is made of a harder plastic. Not too thick and yet more than thick enough.
The plastics used are as strong if not stronger than that used by Rico 2k loader, which is what my friend has. So durability should not be an issue with the plastics used in the reloading pod and loading mechanism.
Next I looked the q-pods over, which are the heart of the qloader system. They are the hardest to explain. The plastics are similar to the reloading pod but are flexible at one end and hard at the other. Confused? Don’t be, because where the paint is loaded and then comes out the outer shell of the q-pod has to be flexible so that the end cap or piece can be removed and replaced without causing damage. Very well engineered actually and will give a long life. The q-pod then has an inner component that turns. This causes the paint to be ejected or forced out of the q-pod. This is made of clear plastic and is not too flexible. Inside this you’ll find several pieces. But when you take the end piece off you have the spring and a mutli-purposed gear. The gear keeps the q-pod from unwinding and is used to wind and load the paint. The spring is a high quality tempered alloy with an insert that keeps it from bunching up. Once you remove these pieces then you can take out the clear plastic pieces where the paint is loaded into. There are four pieces to the clear plastic component. There’s a plastic ball, a tube, a cork screw and a specially shaped end piece that feeds the paint out and into the tube. The plastic ball keeps the spring from completely unwinding once you have emptied it of paint. The end piece provides the sequencing and feeding out of the q-pod. And the cork screw is how the system heart works. It looks like a screw and as it turns, the paint will move. This system uses potential energy as a power source! Physics in action! I love it! No batteries! That’s pretty much it for the q-pod itself. The system is a potential energy system and can have more or less energy depending on how you pre-wind the spring. The more you wind it the more energy you will get and if you wind it too much you’ll get paint soup in your marker and in your qloader! Start low on the pre-winds and work your way up or you’ll hate this system.
Next I looked at the actual component that mounts to the marker. This is very unique idea that was used. It works like a hose clamp. Slip a piece of metal around a part of your marker and tighten it. That’s the idea and if you have a spot on your marker, it’ll work great. If you have a Custom 98, you’ll have a harder time mounting the qloader, but Kirk said that they were working on other mounting systems. So you’re not going to be hung out to dry. This piece also is how the q-pods are locked in so you’ll have ammo to shoot.
The plastic tubes are flexible, easy to cut and use. Be sure to get the length just right.
3. Mounting
Mounting for me was easy. I have a Spyder E99 Avant and used the expansion chamber as the mounting location. The qloader system runs parallel with my barrel. There are no limits to mounting; any way you want will work.
4. First firing
The first time I fired my marker with qloader I had some paint breakage! How disappointing you must be thinking. Not really, I expected it too happen. This system takes time and effort along with patience. I had the feed tube too short and I found out that you should pre-load the feed tube. So I went back and made the feed tube longer, except I pre-loaded to see if I had the length right. I ended up cutting a little off and then re-tested and then I had a length that looked good. Test fired again and was amazed. Went through 100+ rounds no breaks, chops or miss feeds! My friend was on the phone with me when I did this test firing and he was at a loose for words at what he was hearing! I had loaded two q-pods and then quickly reloaded and continued. Still no breaks, chops or miss feeds.
5. Clean up
Soap and water will do it all.
6. Putting it all together
If you are going to consider the qloader there are a few things you must look at. If you fail to do this then you’ll be disappointed with it.
* Must have patience
* Must be technically minded to a small degree. Need to know how to turn a screw and wind a spring. Not to hard
* Must have patience
* Did I mention patience
I think you get the picture on what you’ll to look at. Also keep in mind that you’ll need to get familiar with the qloader and that your first few games are not going to be what you expect. Life never is, so get over it and move on.
I also included many pictures so you can see what I am describing. Think that there were 15.9 Meg of high resolution pictures.
7. Game Play
This is what everyone wants to know! Well, first let me say that the expectation that I had was right on the money! I expected something to happen that I would not like. I went through three games and all was fine, but at the end of the third game I got a little trigger happy and completely emptied a q-pod and about half the feed tube. Well when you do this you might just break a ball and I did. Was not too bad because it happened inside the feed tube and that’s all I had to clean! So if you watch what your doing then you can avoid this, even if you leave a few rounds in a q-pod. The other thing that happened that bothered me was I had a ball bust inside one of my q-pods! Not sure how it happened but I did take a pretty hard fall and that could have caused it. Was not even engaged in my marker at the time so this one is no fault of the qloader, it’s kind of a mystery to me.
The first game that I played was woods so I got to use my marker on full auto! MP5 came to mind as I ripped off twenty or so rounds at my first target! WOW! The other team scrambled for better cover but before they made it I nailed one of the opposing team members at about 75 yards! One of my team asked for suppression fire and I was happy to do so! About this point I needed to reload and in less than thirty seconds was laying out a barrage of paint at the enemy! On a scale of one to ten, I rate this part as fifteen! Nothing compares to how fast you can reload and if you need to, you can still fire! But beware you could break a ball if you have your pre-winds high. I an mine that day at ten and think that I may go to twelve or thirteen to see if that works better.
The second game, everyone knew to stay away so I went semi-auto and my team mates and did a v wedge. It was the three of us against four others. So our v wedge worked like charm. They focused on me at the back while my two team mates hammered them in a cross fire! Speed is the greatest asset of the qloader system and if you provide suppression fire it’s the way to go hands down! My friends son was so tuned in to me and my qloader that it got him a few times and I never fired a shot at him! Was great to see how others would engage knowing that I could reload in a fraction of the time that it would take them! The latter games after everyone was use to what I could do seemed to be more accurate to what I would expect. They were caution but in eight or nine games I was hit only twice and only one was a good solid hit! The qloader makes a big difference in profile and how you can shoot! I made a shot with my marker turned almost upside down! It was the only way to make it through all the brush and trees! I could go on and on but I thin you are getting the picture!
8. Ratings
Ok, this is what most of you care about and want to know. I rated the qloader on several things. Those are listed below along with what I gave as a rating. No, it’s not perfect, but nothing is!
Order Experience-9.75
Custom Service-10
Materials-10
Quality/Workmanship-10
Concept-10+
Functionality-10
Fit & Finish-10
Cost-9.5
Clean Up-10
Loading (Pre-loading the q-pods)-9.5
Loading (Game play)-10+
Reliability-?
Game Play-10+ (15)
Total Rating-9.896
Ok, so I am giving it a 9.89 or a 9.9. There’s not really anything out there to compare the qloader to! It is truly one of kind and is for those who demand the finest that money can buy!
Remember, if you want to complain about the cost of a q-pod, at $25 from these guys, you’re an idiot! The q-pod is the heart of the system! It is the loader! To replace one for $25 is not really all that much considering what it does and how it does it!
This is a great product and deserves to be in a class of its own! Well done to the people at Ancient Innovations Corporation! I can’t wait for the marker that Kirk spoke of to come out!