Second hand prices (looking for first marker) - mini and axe

[matj]

Hi all,

I'm looking at getting into the sport after thoroughly enjoying walk ons with some very abused 98's!
Also had a lovely opportunity to sample the mini so im looking at taking that route.

I was wondering what an average second hand price for a G3 mini and a stock axe would be?

Before bothering to consider buying anything i think it would be sensible to assess the costs of everything (mask first!) before making any purchases. No point buying a car with no wheels...no point a marker with no hopper or HPA. So im just looking got get some ball park figures and would greatly appreciate the help.

Thank you for any help you can offer me and any advice is always more than welcome also.

(P.S. due to hand size i may be tempted by the axe if reasonably priced second hand. I can manage a mini but the extra space would be a bonus...hence asking for prices for that also. Thank you for your help!)

Mat

 

[Donk]

Check out the for sale section on here, you can grab a bargain quite often with empire gear as it seems to be traded out a lot cheaply.
Mini's range £120-£160 recently & axes £260-£450 dependant in extras (redline is advisable)

 

[matj]

I have been keeping an eye open and have spotted a few minis. Particularly the g3 im interested in as i have been told they are more reliable than G1 and 2 (obviously due to development over the years).

The axe i haven't spotted often and only seen the one. I find it quite shocking that the axe is slightly over £100 more retail than the mini currently but second hand is quite a difference. Is it worth the extra for the axe? and what difference does the redline board make?

I have to be honest in saying im as much as a newbie as you will ever find so i do apologise if any silly questions are asked on my behalf.

thank you for your help

 

[Donk]

The difference in the mini gens is a different poppit (the later has a different seal & a 0.7 mm hole in it) the switch on the board is water proof & the software on the board is different.

The axe has an on/off ASA which makes getting your bottle off much easier, the bolt is tool less removable & the air chamber is bigger allowing a lower force of air to be used to accelerate the paintball (softer on paint supposedly)

The redline has an OLCD board which is a display that shows you in writing what you are adjusting rather that the flashing light system in the standard axe or mini (the redline works with both)
It allows you to have more control over the marker like you would get from a £700+ marker.

I'm not sure how new you are so I will try & explain that.

You can switch fire mode (semi, ramp, full auto, psp) on pretty much every tourney marker.
The top end markers allow you to fine tune trigger activation points, how many trigger pulls are needed to start the marker ramping, how many pulls a second to maintain it, rof cap (rate of fire) with eyes turned off as well as on can be set to different values, the trigger "bounce" reading can be adjusted to keep it legal or compensate for slow arthritic fingers...
BIP which is the Delay time between a ball breaking the eye lazer & the gun firing can be adjusted much easier & this is how you stop a marker chopping paint when you get a bad batch of it is too cold.

In short without a redline you can adjust the basics on an axe/mini but to fine tune it like a top end marker it is a must have upgrade but well worth the money.

 

[matj]

Thank you for all the information.

I have to admit that I have been very tempted to wait a little while longer and get the axe to begin with due to it being slightly larger but reviews comparing the two seem to favour the axe also.

The redline sounds highly useful...especially considering I like to 'tinker' with and fine tune almost everything I own. I've checked prices new and will look into buying a second hand mini/axe that already has one when the time comes to save some money in the long run.

The tool less removal and ASA are also very convincing...as a first marker I definitely think spending the extra pennies is worth it for ease of use.

Thank you for all your help, definitely food for thought.

 

[Fizzgig78]

I love the Axe and would recommend it I have bought 2 on here £240 got me a stock one. Upgrades add to the price things like the Empire Nano feedneck, boss paintball bolts, the redline (awesome add on), virtue laser eyes.

£80-100 will get you a carbon fiber tank, hoppers vary depending but for rotor/z2/spire £80+

Mask varies.

 

[matj]

Thank you for the info fizzgig, nice to hear about the gear from some owners.

I think I may be waiting out for an axe by the look of things! Just need to get my hands around one before committing myself to putting together the dough for it. I always love to try before buying...always a good thing most the time

For the mask I will be going brand new. No second hand etc on that. Although second hand would likely be fine I can't buy a second set of eyes. I would prefer the peace of mind that I'm wearing something that will be up for the task and is in tip top condition. I also need a pair I can wear with glasses also (although I currently play without, in really big games I will need them for detail in the distance) so ill need to buy from a local so I can try them all on.

For my first Tank I was going to get a 3000 psi steel tank to begin with. I know they weigh more but I don't mind that. Is there are any other reason to avoid steel tanks other than weight?

For my first hopper I was considering something like the halo too as I believe they can be picked up near the £30 mark? Obviously in the future ill upgrade the hopper and likely the tank but to begin with all I want is a competitive set up that can get me going. I won't be spraying paint any time soon...ill save the Rambo battle tactics for the future

Thank you all for your help, I really do appreciate t

 

[Donk]

where abouts in the uk are you matj

 

[matj]

Currently Wolverhampton but will be moving in 2-3 months time. Just finishing my law degree at the moment.

Thereafter in the Northamptonshire/Mk area.

I have warped sports down the road which will be handy when I'm looking at getting my mask sorted. Only annoying thing is travel at the moment, will be nice when I have the spare time to get my driving license sorted. Already have work lined up so money won't be too much of a problem though...first time I've said that in years!

 

[Donk]

I have a steel tank that someone gave me a while back, if its in test you can have it for the postage cost, if not its pretty much rubbish. I'll look tomorrow when I'm there