A-5 vs. ion
Printed From: Tippmann Paintball
Category: Paintball Equipment
Forum Name: Which Gun is Best
Forum Description: Need Advice? Ask the pros.
URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=173185
Printed Date: 15 July 2025 at 1:05am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: A-5 vs. ion
Posted By: CobraA-5
Subject: A-5 vs. ion
Date Posted: 31 January 2008 at 6:10pm
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a5 Vs ion.....i kno it all comes down to wat you play woodsball or speedball but which gun is an all around better gun.including upgrades and mods plus price ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: Mack
Date Posted: 31 January 2008 at 7:03pm
Not really. I know people who have upped Tippmanns to the point where they are more than competitive on the speedball field and I've seen Ions used quite effectively in woodsball. It just comes down to personal preference. ------------- 
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CobraA-5 wrote:Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 31 January 2008 at 7:14pm
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Personally I prefer the A5. Well built and w/ egrip it shoots plenty fast. Not to mention with a quick up in the cyclone parts and change up the ROF on the board then boom 25 bps. Plus it looks better IMHO. ------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your... http://www.deltasquad.info/"> 
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 31 January 2008 at 9:03pm
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Not to mention the fact that A-5's hold their resale value a lot better than Ions given the fact that the market is flooded with the little plastic suckers.
I hate smart parts, but I will admit that the ion is a decent marker for the price. But you get what you pay for. It isn't going to be a super-gun right out of the box and it isn't going to hold up in the long run given the propensity of plastic parts breaking down in the long run. I give the original ions about another 2 years before excessive bolt wear and other wear and tear starts to make them un-salvageable. You have far more options when it comes to what direction you want to go in with the A-5. However, if you plan on playing only speedball, the profile of the A-5 and the cyclone is going to make it a little tougher to tuck in to your bunker as well. Just depends on what road you want to go down. ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: Stormy Knight
Date Posted: 31 January 2008 at 10:48pm
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I've played speedball with my A-5 and my Ion. I like the ROF I have with the A-5 and I can hang to the rear and guard the flag, but I had trouble being mid or front man with it. With my Ion, I had an easier time advancing on the sides because it was lighter and easier to handle while on all fours. As far as woodsball goes, I like my A-5. ------------- A-5 Armson DOT Sight Armson Raised Sightrail DOP Bullet Drop DOP RVA DOP X-Core DOP Vertical Adapter E-Grip(APE) Flatline Barrel HPA JCS Duel Trigger Lightening Bolt QEPH Vortex Mod |
Posted By: jerseypaint
Date Posted: 01 February 2008 at 7:58am
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The Ion is better than the A-5. Smaller, faster, more efficient and more ups. Plus, you can find upped ones for the same price as or less than A-5s. ------------- 
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Posted By: StormyKnight
Date Posted: 03 February 2008 at 2:35pm
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You forgot to finish your post with: "...at the expense of durability and dependability." Having both markers I marvel at the cheapness of the Ion. It's no wonder you can find them for sale so cheap with upgrades. It would be my guess that owners think they can make them into shockers with the right upgrades only to come up short. Then they get rid of them to get a real marker. This is a starter marker at best. The A-5 is everything a marker should be from a newb to an experienced player. It is dependable, durable, easy to take care of. Best of all, its a Tippmann. Tippmann has unmatched customer service in the industry. Smart Parts is hit and miss. Now, talking about upgrades for both markers. Just how many more upgrades does the Ion have than the A-5? ------------- 
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Posted By: CobraA-5
Date Posted: 03 February 2008 at 9:13pm
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how would i upgrade my cyclone feed? I agree the tippmann A-5 is a better gun my freind wants to get the ion from his freind for $120 including a halo b hopper and nito tank! his freind is acualy goin to sell it 2 him -------------
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Posted By: Snake6
Date Posted: 03 February 2008 at 9:43pm
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Thats an awesome deal. For that price, Ion beats the A-5 any day of the week.
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Posted By: Reb Cpl
Date Posted: 04 February 2008 at 2:55pm
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Wow. I just paid 450 for an ion with new board, feed neck, steel tank, Velocity hopper and freak barrel. The price your friend is asking, snap it up. |
Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 04 February 2008 at 3:36pm
Yea I would always say A5 but at that price it would be hard to pass. If he didnt like it he could always resell it on ebay and get almost everything back if he kept the tank. If that falls through though def the A5. As for the ups on the cyclone... TechT full upgrade is 90 I think and it replaces the ratchet, the rod in the tube, and the tube itself for faster firing. They claim up to 22-25 bps I think it is which is fast... If you need to shoot that much though you may want to think about aiming better. ------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your... http://www.deltasquad.info/">
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Posted By: a5Tpp789
Date Posted: 07 February 2008 at 8:28am
so you are saying that ions are a newbs marker and a5s are for experienced players? although ions arent the best marker out there if you are not completely new player ions would be much better than an a5. A5s are tougher and need to be cleaned less but ions are much faster come with eyes and are more of a hybrid marker than a5s are -------------  if you put 500 dollars into an A5 it is still an A5
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Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 07 February 2008 at 9:43pm
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Actually he said they were great for both players and if I recall an ION only gets 17bps out of the box. Thats the asme as the cyclone can max at out of the box. So you up the board on the ION to get it to go faster. You up the cyclone on the A5 and it goes faster. All in all they have speed that is about even. The difference is that a Tippmann is built like a tank and can take a pounding. The ION not so much. Go with the A5 to have a gun that will last you along time. ------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your... http://www.deltasquad.info/">
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Posted By: jerseypaint
Date Posted: 07 February 2008 at 9:53pm
Okay. First its "Ion" not "ION". Second the A-5 cyclone can only go 15 stock, and first the A-5 needs either an E-Grip or Response Trigger to achieve 15 bps, while the Ion just needs an electric hopper. And Tippmanns might be tanks, but Ions can keep up in durability. Just take care of it, and it will take care of you. -------------
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Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 07 February 2008 at 10:36pm
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sorry for putting extra caps o technical guru. And according to Tippmann the A5 feeds at 17 bps, and yes you need the egrip or Rt but so what? Like you said to get the most out of the Ion you still need to get the electronic hopper. To get a good one its close to the same cost. In the end to upgrade it it costs about the same but the Tippmann lasts longer, resells for more, and is a better gun. ------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your... http://www.deltasquad.info/">
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Posted By: StormyKnight
Date Posted: 08 February 2008 at 3:43pm
I'd go over every inch of that set up and make sure everything works. $120 for that entire setup seems too good to be true. If everything is in good condition, I'd even jump on that just for the hopper. How big is the HPA tank? -------------
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Posted By: CobraA-5
Date Posted: 08 February 2008 at 3:54pm
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im not sure but i talked to my freind thats buying it and he said the deal is still on but i think its to good to be true also. you never kno i thinks a good freind of his that just got a ego. -------------
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Posted By: StormyKnight
Date Posted: 08 February 2008 at 4:37pm
Which is clearly your opinion and you're entitled to it. But there is no denying that the Ion was not built to last. As I have said before, I own one. Unfortunately I don't use it like I do my A-5, so I can't put it to the test of time. But let's face it. The Ion out of the box will not shoot reliably as a Tippmann on C02 (I've tried. Had to take the marker apart and let the solenoid defrost and dry out). It will not shoot that much faster than an A-5. In semi-auto mode the Ion fires at 10bps. You have to set the board to rebound to kick it up to 17bps. And in order to do that, you'll need an aftermarket electronic hopper to feed it. -------------
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Posted By: Snake6
Date Posted: 08 February 2008 at 6:00pm
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Um, the Ion is not meant to use CO2...
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Posted By: Stormy Knight
Date Posted: 08 February 2008 at 6:18pm
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I completely and whole-heartedly agree, but that's not what the Ion manual says... ------------- A-5 Armson DOT Sight Armson Raised Sightrail DOP Bullet Drop DOP RVA DOP X-Core DOP Vertical Adapter E-Grip(APE) Flatline Barrel HPA JCS Duel Trigger Lightening Bolt QEPH Vortex Mod |
Posted By: Connmann
Date Posted: 09 February 2008 at 12:15pm
Ya someone at SP was smoking something when they put that in their manual or it was just another way how to market it to noobs (they say NXT's can run off the stuff too  I want to see that happen). As for durability I'd give the ion 2 years of rough play and then it needs to be rebuilt or just buy a nicer gun for 300-400 where an A-5 will be around for at least a decade if you treat it nice.------------- table of what really makes your marker work *Gnomes= autocockers *Fairies= Angels *Pixies= Timmys *leprachauns= tippys *goblins= spyders *elves= mags *lawyers= smartparts Ya I'm that smart |
Posted By: falcon70
Date Posted: 10 February 2008 at 7:09pm
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ok hey guys i have an A-5 and i love it but it lets you down if you get low on air the cyclone feeder stops working or if you run out of air because its really bad on air
so ive been debating on selling my A-5 and buying an ion becuase i heard they are really good guns so any thoughts? ------------- MAHAN-70- |
Posted By: Stormy Knight
Date Posted: 10 February 2008 at 7:35pm
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Just like any marker that is low on air, it will do poorly. I take it you didn't bother to read the entire thread before posting, did you? ------------- A-5 Armson DOT Sight Armson Raised Sightrail DOP Bullet Drop DOP RVA DOP X-Core DOP Vertical Adapter E-Grip(APE) Flatline Barrel HPA JCS Duel Trigger Lightening Bolt QEPH Vortex Mod |
Posted By: falcon70
Date Posted: 10 February 2008 at 7:43pm
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no i didnt really feel like it i just wanted to know what i would be better off doing selling my A-5 and getting a ion
or is there something i can do to get better air usage? ------------- MAHAN-70- |
Posted By: jerseypaint
Date Posted: 10 February 2008 at 9:21pm
I'd rather buy a $100 hopper I can use on future markers than an E-Grip thats limited to the A-5/X-7. -------------
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Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 10 February 2008 at 11:26pm
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to each his own i guess... i would never buy an SP ------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your... http://www.deltasquad.info/">
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Posted By: falcon70
Date Posted: 11 February 2008 at 3:39pm
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hey anybody got any news on the us army guns made by tippmann are they any good???? ------------- MAHAN-70- |
Posted By: Snake6
Date Posted: 11 February 2008 at 4:01pm
Stop trying to hijack the thread. -------------
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Posted By: falcon70
Date Posted: 11 February 2008 at 4:37pm
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what are you talking about? ------------- MAHAN-70- |
Posted By: Stormy Knight
Date Posted: 11 February 2008 at 5:13pm
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Hijacking a thread means you're introducing a new topic that has nothing to do with the name of the this thread: A-5 vs. Ion. If you want to know about those new markers, start your own thread and title the way you want. Otherwise please stick to the subject of this thread. ------------- A-5 Armson DOT Sight Armson Raised Sightrail DOP Bullet Drop DOP RVA DOP X-Core DOP Vertical Adapter E-Grip(APE) Flatline Barrel HPA JCS Duel Trigger Lightening Bolt QEPH Vortex Mod |
Posted By: falcon70
Date Posted: 11 February 2008 at 6:03pm
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oh i gotcha my bad ------------- MAHAN-70- |
Posted By: A5Bombardier
Date Posted: 26 February 2008 at 10:30pm
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I completely agree, I had an Ion when I began playing and got tired of the 9-volt battery dying on me and causing the marker to act funny when I needed it to perform. I sold the Ion, Halo B hopper, 68/4500 LP HPA tank, and bought an A5. I love the A5. As for the difference in ROF, I have a J&J Ceramic barrel that is deadly accurate. I don't need a blazing ROF. ------------- John 14:6 |
Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 26 February 2008 at 10:46pm
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Also I didnt see it earlier but the A5 is not as bad as many people think it is on gas. it is actually about dead middle of markers from estings i have seen. ------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your... http://www.deltasquad.info/">
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Posted By: LoneWolf019
Date Posted: 28 February 2008 at 8:32am
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I dont know too much about IONs but I would have to say the A-5. A-5 could be used either way speedball or woodsball. If you use the A-5 for speedball you have to keep it simple with no extras. Just the Barrel, Egrip and weather you use C02 get an expansion chamber or a regulator. Stocks wont be needed in speed ball. For barrels I would suggest using a flatline barrel since its smaller then most you can shoot good distances in woodsball. Once again I dont know much about IONs ------------- Tippmann 98 Custom (RIP) -Flatline Barrel -Opsgear MP5 Fixed Stock -1x45 Red Dot Scope |
Posted By: Commander_Cool
Date Posted: 28 February 2008 at 1:33pm
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Why on God's green earth would you want to use a flatline on an A-5 if you plan on using it for speedball?!? They are costly, and innacurate. The trade off is supposed to be distance,... something you don't need on a speedball field. You are better off getting a barrel kit, or at least a 2 piece barrel that you can change the back on. This allows you to change the barrel to match the paint, leading to an increasen in accuracy... something that is beneficial regardless of your playing style. As for A-5 or Ion... The A-5 is more durable, but the Ion performs better for less. However do to extremely poor resale values on either marker (expecially the Ion) I would only purchase them used. However I would rather use an autococker, automag, promaster, freestyle, intimidator, angel, etc. All of which are better markers than either of the 2 being compared, and if bought used (or in some cases new) cost the same or less than those the post is in reference to. ------------- 2005 Freestyle Naughty Dawg Freestyle Angel LCD SP-8 Tippmann 98 Custom |