[rethalis]

Hey all, I'm getting back into the sport after a 10 year hiatus.

I have an old school side cocking spyder from 1999. Can't remember if it's a 1, deluxe,compact or what.

I put a 32 degrees expansion chamber, full freak kit and a ESP trigger frame from 01. And a spring kit with soft valve and medium main. Here is why im confused.

The last couple of times ive gone out ive heard alot of hate for spyders how they breakdown, unreliable and chop paint.( see a lot of same hate on the internet) Out of 30 something cases I've run through it I have only had to replace 1 oring and only chopped balls once from broken detent.

I take ultra good care of it, lots of lube and love

So is this misinformation or do I have a freakishly good spyder where breaking down and unreliability is the norm?

[grendal50]

Sounds like misinformation. I have about 8 Spyders and I use them for loaners because they work.

[Necrogen98]

I believe that Spyders are beginning to meet the same fate as cockers and mags: misunderstood by most and revered by those who do understand them.

First an anecdote: I shoot a lot of Autocockers. Whenever I would play with one of my Cockers around 06-07 I was always amazed at how many walk-ons recognized them. Must have been some combination of the magic of watching a back block and the fact that they were so prevalent just a few years before. Pros all shot them In the earlier years so even with minimal exposure to paintball it was easy to pick up that term. I was equally amazed at how many first-time ballers showed up with a Trilogy from Dicks or an old Prostock from Craigslist.

You all know what's it's like to try to maintain something that you don't understand. Cockers have a very steep learning curve such that they have earned this reputation as a kind of marker that can only be repaired by a shrinking race of enchanted elves who understand them. I think that this is less because they are hard to work on (they really aren't that bad) and more because they always showed up to the field broken by a first-timer who tried to oil it.

Nowadays I often get asked if my cockers are homemade, no ****, but you also think about the many people who shoot Spyders as their first or second marker. They know nothing about paintball markers or how to maintain them. Probably about 70% of Spyders that I fix at the field belong to first-time players who bought it from Dicks and immediately took it completely apart and either lost something or, more commonly, put the valve in backwards. This same crowd is likely to neglect maintenance of the marker so to people on the outside it just looks like Spyders need lots of maintenance, break easily and shoot poorly when they do work.

Back to our cocker story, what really killed the cocker as a market-leader is the fact that better options came around. When you get right down to it even the electronic cockers are sear-tripping stacked-tube markers. Solenoid-driven rams and spools just feel better especially when the top-of-the-line autocockers at this time were going for $2,000 in some cases. Spyders are seeing a lot of that now. Back when I started playing everybody started with either a Tippmann or a Spyder/Spyder clone. Now there are many many more options and a huge portion of ballers go directly into electropneumatic guns right from the start. Even the "advanced" sear-trippers such as the Proto SLG feel miles ahead of a blowback and can be had for just a few dollars more. Most of the hate comes from these people because not only do they see kids bringing techs their busted Spyders all day long but they also know that there are better options for shot quality and that they made the better choice in picking their marker.

[oldironmudder]

When I was running Spyders, I only had problems when I tweaked them to far. Same thing with my Intimidators. Consistency & efficiency was above par & always worked. The best I ever got on my Spyder TL+ was something like 2200 shots from a 20oz.

As far as people talking **** about a Spyder or any marker really, simply ask them if 300fps from your gun is any different from 300fps out of their gun? When they are stumped & looking for a reply, tell them to shut the **** up & get on the field & play.

Im done with Spyders (and EM1s) for good unless I can get a friend to unass the one below.

[theblindchicken]

Only problems i've ever come across with a few of my spyders were forgetting to put everything back in the correct order and chopping bad paint (only because my fps was wayyyy too high).

Only downside to a spyder? Some models are a little hefty, but you'll get a work out while working the field.

[rethalis]

Originally Posted by Necrogen98

I believe that Spyders are beginning to meet the same fate as cockers and mags: misunderstood by most and revered by those who do understand them.

First an anecdote: I shoot a lot of Autocockers. Whenever I would play with one of my Cockers around 06-07 I was always amazed at how many walk-ons recognized them. Must have been some combination of the magic of watching a back block and the fact that they were so prevalent just a few years before. Pros all shot them In the earlier years so even with minimal exposure to paintball it was easy to pick up that term. I was equally amazed at how many first-time ballers showed up with a Trilogy from Dicks or an old Prostock from Craigslist.

You all know what's it's like to try to maintain something that you don't understand. Cockers have a very steep learning curve such that they have earned this reputation as a kind of marker that can only be repaired by a shrinking race of enchanted elves who understand them. I think that this is less because they are hard to work on (they really aren't that bad) and more because they always showed up to the field broken by a first-timer who tried to oil it.

Nowadays I often get asked if my cockers are homemade, no ****, but you also think about the many people who shoot Spyders as their first or second marker. They know nothing about paintball markers or how to maintain them. Probably about 70% of Spyders that I fix at the field belong to first-time players who bought it from Dicks and immediately took it completely apart and either lost something or, more commonly, put the valve in backwards. This same crowd is likely to neglect maintenance of the marker so to people on the outside it just looks like Spyders need lots of maintenance, break easily and shoot poorly when they do work.

Back to our cocker story, what really killed the cocker as a market-leader is the fact that better options came around. When you get right down to it even the electronic cockers are sear-tripping stacked-tube markers. Solenoid-driven rams and spools just feel better especially when the top-of-the-line autocockers at this time were going for $2,000 in some cases. Spyders are seeing a lot of that now. Back when I started playing everybody started with either a Tippmann or a Spyder/Spyder clone. Now there are many many more options and a huge portion of ballers go directly into electropneumatic guns right from the start. Even the "advanced" sear-trippers such as the Proto SLG feel miles ahead of a blowback and can be had for just a few dollars more. Most of the hate comes from these people because not only do they see kids bringing techs their busted Spyders all day long but they also know that there are better options for shot quality and that they made the better choice in picking their marker.

This made all the sense in the world, thank you.

[Bigjoe11]

The only thing is, a stock spyder's 300 fps is much different from a cocker's 300 fps. A completely stock spyder's 300 fps looks more like: 298 274 285 278 294 etc. Cockers are just usually more consistent and accurate, unless you know enough about spyders to make them very consisten; like my spump, which shoots +/-2 fps.

[Necrogen98]

Originally Posted by Bigjoe11

The only thing is, a stock spyder's 300 fps is much different from a cocker's 300 fps. A completely stock spyder's 300 fps looks more like: 298 274 285 278 294 etc. Cockers are just usually more consistent and accurate, unless you know enough about spyders to make them very consisten; like my spump, which shoots +/-2 fps.

Well obviously Cockers and Spyders differ in quite a few ways but my comparison was to highlight how both of these guns dominated their market segment for years and both were eventually superseded by more advanced guns for relatively the same cost. If there is another major breakthrough in paintball marker technology we will likely see it happen with the poppits and spools that we know today; first they will become prominent in the high-end market and then when the technology becomes cheap enough they will innervate the low-end and entry-level tournament marker market.

Remember, entry-level tournament used to be cockers. Then it was E-spyders, then Ions, and now SLGs/Minis or even Eteks and Ethas now that the technology is cheap enough.