Arg, Ion or A-5?

the best bang for the $. I was all set on the Ion and was already looking for some good deals, but decided to go to the local paintball place to ask this guy Titus, that is supposed to know a lot about pb, about a good marker choice just as a precaution. I told him I was almost set on the Ion and he informed me that they are more trouble than they are worth and that a Tippman would be my best choice. So now I'm back to the start.


I'm trying to decide on a reliable gun that will last me at least 2 years , will be easy to use for a begginer, but is also able to keep up with others in speed ball and woods ball. Thanks for the help, and sorry for making another poll.

spudcrazy wrote: Definitely, the Ion is the best bang for the buck, especially since they dropped their prices. I'm guessing this guy, Titus, gets some commission or something and wants to sell you the more expensive marker. He sounds like somewhat of a moron, though. I have both markers and both are great choices, but since SP dropped the price of the Ion, no doubt, that's the better choice. As far as trouble with the Ion, that's just pooh-pooh. It's just as easy to maintain as any Tippmann, it just takes a little care due to the electronics. As a matter of fact, there's no springs to fly off and loose. Get the Ion, you won't be dissappointed. Just be advised, I would NOT use it with CO2, although they say you can. Go with air (high pressure, not low pressure), otherwise you'll be replacing o-rings alot more. My experience with repairing all types of markers for friends and doing lots of research, is that most of the people that work at the local PB stores, either don't have a clue, but talk a big storm, or they're more interested in making money than looking out for the uninformed customer.

Agreed, the ION is a great gun. I have had mine for 2 years and have yet to have a problem with it. You just have to take care of it, just like any other marker. However, I suggest that you get an A-5. The only reason I say this is because they are a great gun for a beginner.They are more user friendly and you can run CO2 with them. They can be upgraded to suit you needs and yet they are simple to use, gas up and go.

Yeah, if you have the extra cash for a faster hopper and HPA, then the Ion is a great choice. If not, you may want to look into an A5 w/ Egrip.

tppys will out last any ion if u are gonna play for a solid day they will blow the ef up like my friends did last weekend he fried the bored and all the other stuff expet the bolt and action so go a5 it can run off comp air n2 and co2 oh and the stock eyes were gone to 

DarkSideEchoes wrote: I would say A-5 because once you trick it out, it's better than any ion out there.

Sorry dude, but that's just plain wrong, unless you're comparing a tricked out A-5 to a STOCK Ion. 

Having said that, some of the other posts are correct, too.  A Tippmann is probably the best marker out of the box, because it runs so well on CO2, it can withstand nasty, rainy weather, and it comes with a hopper.  With an Ion, you really need to run it off HPA, but you can get a cheapo $4 hopper until you have enough to upgrade.  The great thing about the Ion is the eye's.  Even if you have a slow hopper, you will NOT chop balls, due to the eye's.  However, if you're a beginner, it's not likely you can walk the trigger faster than 10 bps anyway, so you have time to upgrade.

I love my Tippmann, but the only time I've used the Tippmann since getting my Ion, was when I played in really foul weather.  The Tippy has no electronics to short out and if you keep it well oiled, then not even dropping it in water will affect the firing.  The paint might blow up, though.....

I'm not really worried about the price because I've set my budget on $600 for the pb gear and gun. spudcrazy, he was not telling me to get an A-5 to make more money because he told me to get a tippy and he was leaning towards the 98. I just did not put it in the poll because it looks way too much like the crappy renter I used my 1st time playing that had crappy accuracy and was extremely slow. I know I can fix that but if I have to money, I want to get the better gun now than spend more later. If you look in APG adds for an Ion and an A-5, the Ion has all these features while all that the A-5 has is the cyclone feed. I'm almost set on the ion thanks to all of your replies, now I'm just worried about the durability and they way the marker will functions for the next 2+ years.

Edit:
Also, he even tried to steer me away from an electro because they would cost more, so I know he was honestly trying to help me and not just make a sale.


Edited by wolfy>_> - 30 April 2006 at 7:25pm

RavenGuard wrote: Well, an a-5 will be more reliable and easier to take care of. You won't need to spend money on a good electronic hopper like you would with the ion, which saves you money in that respect as well as the price of batteries, either the disposable or rechargeable route. You also won't need to worry about HPA, as the a-5 will run almost as well off co2 as it does air.  The a-5 also gives you the option to run a response trigger, which is a mechanical alternative to a higher rate of fire, which would be impossible to get from an ion.

I don't know about easier to take care of, because the Ion is EXTREMELY easy to take apart and take care of...I've stripped and relubed mine within ONE insertion time at scenario games, that's just 15 minutes.  However, everything else RavenGuard said is true.  I'd probably recommend the 98 Pro over the A-5 though.  No difference in performance between the A-5 and Custom Pro, just looks and some details with field stripping.

(I still say get the Ion, though)

Well marker selection really is personal preference, but I will do my best to break down the differences between the two so you can make a better choice.

The Ion will perform better then the A5, much lighter and more comfortable to most, not as loud, eyes so you will never chop, and way less kick (zero kick if you upgrade the bolt) and trust me kick matters a lot when you are shooting at a decent rate of fire. Also stock the Ion is able to put out 17 bps while the a5 will need upgrades to do that. But with the Ion you will have to buy a fast hopper and a HPA tank.

The a5 already comes with a fast hopper and can run off co2 so the final setup will be cheaper, and it will be much easier for a new player to keep running.

I know I'm going to get owned by the angels at the field, bu I need a 1st gun that I can get good with so that it won't matter that the other guys have an angel and me a crappy one. But first I need to get some skill with a decent gun. The problem now is that the votes are pretty even, the only thing is that the ion seems to have gotten better written revies while the A-5 is just winning by the number of votes.

For a beginner?

A-5 gets my vote. It is simple to take care of, it is simple to use, and it something breaks or gets damaged, having it fixed is a snap.

Look. Ions are nice enough I suppose, but if you're just getting into the game, you're gonna want something simple enough to operate as well as effective.

The A-5 runs nicely off of CO2, which is cheaper to get into as opposed to compressed air or nitro. $25 for a tank or $200 for a tank?

A Stock A-5 is a fantastic little marker. Its ROF is quick enough to appease many of the trigger happy kids out there, but the fact that its not electronic appeals to those of us that abide by the KISS Rule.

(Keep It Simple Soldier)

The more complicated something is, the easier it is to break down, because theres more things that go wrong with it.

I've had my A-5 for about 3 years now, and I bought it second hand, and have never had a problem with it. I still use it regularly and Its never failed me.

Its a more economic decision too. Its rock solid and will last as long as you do, and theres a ton of reasonably priced upgrades available for it, that can cater to either the performance or cosmetic minded players out there.

A-5.