Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)I've owned many PM's/DM's, they all use pretty much the same bolt system.
That being said, you can upgrade the PM8 with an eigenring and it will be even more efficient. The one thing that I've...
I've owned many PM's/DM's, they all use pretty much the same bolt system.
That being said, you can upgrade the PM8 with an eigenring and it will be even more efficient. The one thing that I've always felt that the Matrix line lacked.
My PM8 has everything upgraded and it shoots better than any Matrix at my field.
I feel like if you pick out all the things that you don't like about the marker (ribbon eyes, feedneck, trigger, ASA, board, stock barrel) then it becomes a whole other beast and shoots like the best of them out there.
A fully upgraded PM8 is one of the best markers that Dye/Proto could have ever come out with.
This review has been rated:
Currently 5/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)First Thoughts:
I first saw this marker at WC, fell in love, and bought one 3 months later. Out of the box, it was extremely light even to an Ego and balanced well. The little grooved in the front...
I first saw this marker at WC, fell in love, and bought one 3 months later. Out of the box, it was extremely light even to an Ego and balanced well. The little grooved in the front makes it feel great in your hands in combo with the now stock UL Frame. It has self cleaning eyes as well.
First thing to do: Throw Away that Dye Slick lube and relube your bolt with something else besides that .. try Hater Sauce or Marmalade for cooler temps. This will fix half the problems new users experience.
Performance:
Accuracy- stock barrel shoots very well .. I always overbore everything and wear a Tall T .. So I would get another .692 back and those will be the only two backs you will ever need. Also, get a Tall T NOW!
Shooting- IMO Dye markers are the smoothest shooting markers out. With little vibration and barrel rise, maintaining a steady rope is so easy a
Cave Man can do it. Quietest markers out.
Trigger- UL frame is THE BEST FRAME.. unless your hands are oversized, it feels so natural in your hand. The trigger can be adjusted to your liking, and I like the shape, but some prefer a Critical trigger shape.
Efficiency- it isn't horrible but not as good as Ego's, Vices, Marqs, Droids. About 1300 shots out of a 68/45 with 4000psi fill. Which is still 8 pods and hopper.
Breaking Paint- Ok so it isn't as gentle as paint as Angels, Marqs, or anything with that soft rubber front. Shooting fragile paint I broke one ball per case .. so PM's likes that high end thicker shelled paint (DXS silver, Severe Tempest, XO Vein) GOOD THING IT has self cleaning eyes. Yes, they work really well. Shoots clean in like one shot even if you break Chronic 420 in it.
Hyper 3- the smaller profile and rubber grips are great for wrapping your fingers around. It stays +/- 3 fps, which is better than the +/- 5 fps most high ends avg. Which makes the Ropes, accuracy, and shooting smooth.
ASA- A big thing is the nubs on the ASA which make it turning off and on easier than the one's included on the DM series. Not as easy as a CP, BL Xpress Mount. Still E-Z
Feeneck- Rather have the DM7 clamping feedneck, but it still works with Vlocity, Halo, Pulse, JRNY, Torque all fit. Even if you decide to Shake n' Bake (remember those days?).
Detents- spring ball detents, which are better than the nubs in Old Timmies and Egos. Last forever (2 seasons at least)
Board- Has the major modes NPPL, PSP, Millenium and can be capped at 13 BPS, 12 BPS, or 15 BPS. Easy to program.
Reliability and Maintenance:
Ok, I hope you got rid of that Awful Dye Slick lube. If you did that, probably won't have many problems until you have to relube your LPR. Taking that apart is a bit difficult the first time, but the reduced size makes it worth it.
The bolt should be relubed every 3 cases, and the LPR ever 20,000 shots.
The Bumper Oring tends to shred sometimes. The easiest fix is a Urethane oring, but not necessary.
Messing with that ribbon eye is the most nerve racking thing in paintball. Justavillan posted he replaced his with wired eyes . I actually did it without having to dremel anything by running wires to the very back of the solenoid and down with the solenoid wires.
Dye's CS: At events, I feel like they don't care, but they fix markers fast and good to go. Calling and sending markers in is the same way. They aren't service with a smile, but fast/quality/free parts so bear with them.
Overall:
Pros- Most Complete gun for $750 MSRP. Good board, barrel, and ASA, and shoots amazing.
Cons- I hate ribbon eyes! Dye Slick Lube is the only bad thing Dye makes.
SUBJECTIVE:
Recommend PM8 over other highend guns I have owned or used including-
DM8- the whole no eye covers complicates it.
More complete than Vice (not as reliable, barrel sucks, no on/off)
Cheaper than a Marq with less problems
Smaller than DM7
lighter than NXT with better frame
Tied - Not as reliable/efficient as an 07 Ego but quieter/smoother
PLEASE RATE MY REVIEW - I wrote it on a napkin and had a 12 yr old type it .
This review has been rated:
Currently 4.9/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)The PM8 is a magnificent piece of work and hands down one of the best of the premium markers to date.
Shooting the PM8
The PM8 (as you know) is a spool valve and it's super quiet. In fact, you may...
The PM8 is a magnificent piece of work and hands down one of the best of the premium markers to date.
Shooting the PM8
The PM8 (as you know) is a spool valve and it's super quiet. In fact, you may have read that it shots so smooth and gentle that when you first begin shooting it seems like the velocity is low until you follow the shot that is screaming across the field. The PM8 is very accurate and has great distance on semi and PSP ramping. It rippssss....
General Maintenance
General Maintenance and cleaning of the PM8 is simple. With the HPR and LPR, set it and forget it! The next time you chrono will be the same as when you originally set it (that has been my experience). Besides cleaning off any residue on the marker. Removing the bolt, clean, lube the o-rings and you are set.
Changing Modes and Settings
Eventhough the owner must open the grip to change the modes and settings, the actually process of changing modes and settings is simple and easy (with the help of the trusty dusty manual, of course), if you are not interested in purchasing other boards... e.i Yakuza.
Stock Grips
The stock grips with the hour glass shape and feel is bare none one of the on the market... hands down. It definitely ergonomically pleasing. Yeah Baby Yeah...
Dye Customer Service
Dye customer service from the receptionist to the techs is like going to a five star hotel. No lie! Those folks should receive an award, even if I have to make one myself. The staff is friendly and the techs love to help out even when on some days it's just one of them working. Dye has truly bailed me out a lot and has gone well beyond the call of duty to keep me satisfied. I mean almost to the point that I feel ungreatful. In many ways, I feel like a free loading relative of Dye. :-)
Overall
The PM8 is a great primary marker that stands toe-to-toe with anything on the market today and is well respected by other ballers from beginners to veterans. The only two areas that have been mentioned in previous reviews that are a downer are the ribbon eyes and the dye lube. However, as far as the marker is concerned, you will not be disappointed.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.5/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)I have owned the M6 since it came out and after having it for 2 years I bought the M8 thinking I'd have better performance but was sadly mistaken. More fallows.
Pros -
UL Frame Stock - with the...
I have owned the M6 since it came out and after having it for 2 years I bought the M8 thinking I'd have better performance but was sadly mistaken. More fallows.
Pros -
UL Frame Stock - with the addition of the UL frame stock on these markers makes it a force to be retconned with since they can now use the UL boards, saves you money, allows you to switch to wired eyes easier.
LPR - with the new LPR it makes it a little harder to adjust on the field but it's a better design and makes the marker feel better with the cut in it.
Hyper 3 - with the new Hyper 3(Hyper 4 for the reg threaded markers) doesn't jump so much with a little twist of the reg like the Hyper 2s did, allowing you to fine tune your marker that much more. I love the feel of it. I took the top rubber part off and replaced it with some tape to keep the rubber clean for later on.
Upgrades - It's always good to have upgrades if you do not like all the stock parts. I know that a lot of people are a fan of "I spent 800 on a marker I shouldn't have to add anything" But I do not like the stock on/offs so I put a CP on/off on mine. I also really do not like the stock boards that is some what sad. So I put a virtue in mine and love it. It is mainly personal preference more then anything.
Warranty - Tons of help, easy to contact and get a hold of, responding to e-mails generally with in 24-48 hours during the work week.
Cons -
Eyes - I know there is little room in the frames but it'd be nice to have wired eyes, I milled my frame out to make room for them. The Eye Ribbons brake very easy and it takes months to get something from Dye most of the time. It took me over 2 months to get a single set of ribbon eyes, so was I going to have a blind marker for 2 months? I switched to wired eyes and never had a problem again.
Bolt Problems - Some of the PM8's seem to have a problem with the marker not working at all or on and off. I had this problem, I'd clean and lube the marker, use it 1 game and it would go down, the bolt would move only 3/4 of the way at the most or just stop moving, force shot nothing would fix it. I'd clean and lube it again between games and it'd work for 1 maybe 2 games again, I'd up the LRP it'd work for 1/2 a game. I got a new bolt form Dye so hopefully that fixed the problem. I also changed the bolt o-rings almost every time I cleaned it. Slick Honey, Dye Slick Luge, Sleek nothing seemed to help it.
Warranty - Dye is very good with their warranty support and helping you out but the only con side of this is that they take a long time to get parts out to you by time you get the parts you most likely already bought the part.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.4/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)Pros: The PM8 is the smallest matrix gun made in all aspects. No longer are matrixes "bricks." the new Hyper 3 reg looks so good on the new PM8. It defiantly make the gun look slimmer. The now...
Pros: The PM8 is the smallest matrix gun made in all aspects. No longer are matrixes "bricks." the new Hyper 3 reg looks so good on the new PM8. It defiantly make the gun look slimmer. The now verticle lpr helps air flow, because it has 1 less right angle to go through. the new eye pipe is a good advantage, but I see where it could cause problems.
Cons: People say Matrixes act up in the cold. i have always serviced my personal matrixes and they never had trouble. However, this PM8 of mine HATES cold weather. It has bolt stick all day, and until it gets warm, it isn't worth crap.
Overview: The new PM8 is defiantly the gun to buy for 2008. The PM8 is $200 cheaper than its earlier year proceeder's the PM6 and the PM7. The new Proto UL Frame is the best upgrade on the gun in my opinion. Over All, I give give the gun a solid 4.5/5
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.3/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)Last year I shot almost all the 07 highends. Ego 07, DM7, Nxt stock and pl, Protege. Theres more but none worth mentioning. Among them, my favorite were the matrixes. They have that distinct...
Last year I shot almost all the 07 highends. Ego 07, DM7, Nxt stock and pl, Protege. Theres more but none worth mentioning. Among them, my favorite were the matrixes. They have that distinct feel. They may not have efficiency on their side, but they have the least kick and are the most quiet of all highends.
The PM8 has everything that the PM7 was missing. It came with a 14in proto two piece and all the little dye goodies. Its also very light, weighing in at 2 lbs even with everything except the barrel... I forgot it when I got to the scale. The lprs been moved and concealed in the frame, which means no more paint getting caught in it. It also comes stock with self cleaning eyes and an ultralite frame. They've also lowered he bolt pressure to around 160 psi. Its like a lighter DM7.
On the field, its awesome. Its quiet and shoots ball on top of ball. The ul frame its really comfy. And the notch in front (which was the one thing that made me hesitant about buying this gun) was really well placed. It made the front of the marker easy to hold and snap around corners.
This has been my favorite gun by far. It does everything I want. Theres other markers that come close, but none do everything right like the PM8. I buying a new marker, I was looking into Marqs, Nxts, and DM8s. Marqs were heavy and too complicated, shockers were too heavy, and no lpr makes a big difference. And the DM8, nearly a twin of the PM8 has no eye covers. If I wanted no eyecovers, I'd buy an Ion.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.1/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)As many already know, the M8 has taken the PM series to the next level bringing the gap to the DM markers closer than ever. And for the price, how can you possibly go wrong? With all the features...
As many already know, the M8 has taken the PM series to the next level bringing the gap to the DM markers closer than ever. And for the price, how can you possibly go wrong? With all the features listed on many websites, such as the self-cleaning eyes and Hyper3 regulator, what most can't find out through reading is how the gun feels in their own hands. It's not the lightest gun out there but for its size it sure feels tiny and light compared to its predecessors. This gun isn't the smallest either. But the combination of the much slimmer HPR and UL frame makes the gun very maneuverable in tight situations. And just like any other Matrix guns, it kicks little to none when tuned properly. The sound is also very deceiving as well. When shooting, it sounds like there's not enough pressure in the gun to fire paintballs far enough --as if the tank was low on air. That's how quiet it is! The best way to describe the way it shoots is it "spits" as opposed to "smacking" the paintball.
As for the looks, it's very sexy. It's slim, compact, and low. One reason why it looks so sexy is because the LPR is tucked under the body where the frame meets the HPR. That's nice and all but adjusting the HPR can sometimes be hard to reach. The stock feedneck is also a bit picky. It can barely hold on to certain hoppers with small feednecks (i.e., VLo Jr.) even with the knob screwed in tightly. The stock feedneck also has the knob on the left side unlike the PM7 which is awkward for many who are right handed. The bottom line is, the feedneck needs to stay in the box and you have to spend ~$30 more for a proper Q-lock clamping feedneck. I highly recommend the Shocktech over the DM ones. Another turn off for me is the barrel (or at least the barrel tip). It's very heavy for the gun. Without the tank, you'll notice it becomes front heavy. When compared to my 16" UL tip, the stock 14" really feels like it just doesn't belong. It's a minor thing and I can understand why Dye didn't include a 2-piece UL barrel... otherwise, everyone would just buy an M8 over a DM8.
Overall, the gun is excellent. For the price range it's at, it can easily be crowned pound for pound the best marker there is. In the end, it's still in the buyers' preference but for Matrix lovers, this is the one.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.1/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)I traded a Fully upped Etek2 with Star Frame for a PM8 w/Critical Trigger and Tadao OLED Board. By far the most reliable spool vale marker I used with Proper Simple Maintenance and Lube.
Now...
I traded a Fully upped Etek2 with Star Frame for a PM8 w/Critical Trigger and Tadao OLED Board. By far the most reliable spool vale marker I used with Proper Simple Maintenance and Lube.
Now shooting Ego's (Etek2, 7/8's) for over a year, I find the PM8 just as reliable as far as operation and paint breakage as any high end marker (DM's/Ego's) out there. They're super smooth, quiet, extremely accurate and light.
I currently own a FS8 Freestyle, DM8, DM9 and two PM7's along with the PM8. The PM8 is by far my favorite.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)i havent owned alot of markers, but i have seen and used alot and i will tell you so far the pm8 is my favorite hands down. i dont like the grasshopper colors much but the m8 makes it work. the gun...
i havent owned alot of markers, but i have seen and used alot and i will tell you so far the pm8 is my favorite hands down. i dont like the grasshopper colors much but the m8 makes it work. the gun is reliable and cheaper than a dm for sure. i have had no real problems with it and i love it
This review has been rated:
Currently 3/5 stars.
Proto Paintball Proto Matrix 8 (PM8)I have had no troubles with this PM8 after i got it. IT shoots straight and is very quiet. The UL frame and the Hyper 3 reg. almost makes it compete with the dm8. I have only gone threw 3 O-rings on...
I have had no troubles with this PM8 after i got it. IT shoots straight and is very quiet. The UL frame and the Hyper 3 reg. almost makes it compete with the dm8. I have only gone threw 3 O-rings on the bolt and it is the same one, about every 5-6 cases. Just keep the bolt lubed up and it will shoot like a dream!!
