For years, I and many others called loaders hoppers. They come in a few styles, Gravity Feed, Cyclone Feed (for Tippmann’s and BT’s), PAL for some Planet Eclipse Paintball guns, and electronic.

Gravity Feed Loader

If you have a basic/mechanical Tippmann, Spyder or some other entry level paintball gun, a gravity feed loader is all you need. But, if you are using a gravity feed leader, keep it square. If you start turning it sideways, it will not feed smoothly or effectively.

G-102 $4.95 50 Round Loader

The VL 200 holds 200 Rounds (actually 185 or so because you need room for balls to move around, Don’t fill to capacity.

The G-102 Holds 50 Round (Actually 40-45 or so because you need room for balls to move around, Don’t fill to capacity.

Advantages:

• Inexpensive

Disadvantages

• Max speed is 5 to 6 balls per second.
• Can jam and require slight shaking to agitate the balls.

PAL

The PAL Loader is designed for the ETHA 2, and ETHA EMEK 100 by Planit Eclipse, Its a system that utilizes the backflow of air to agitat and feed these particular Paintball Guns.

Advantages:

• Integrates with the ETHA 2 and ETHA EMEK 100
• No Batteries required
• Inexpensive
• 200 Round capacity.  Holds 200 Rounds (actually 185 or so because you need room for balls to move around, Don’t fill to capacity.

Cyclone Feed System

Tippmann 98 Custom Cyclone Feed System $79.95

Fits 98 Custom Series, US Army Series (Except Carver One) and TPN Paintball Guns (Excepty Tango One)

Advantage:

• No Batteries
• Air-Assisted Feeding
• Synchronized Ball Feed reduces breakage and jamming.
• Feeds up to 15 Balls Per second

Disadvantage:

• Only works on a limited number of Tippmann Paintball Guns.
• Bulky
• Cyclone Feed Ratchet wears out quickly, but is cheap to replace ($5.95)

This was the best loader in paintball from 2000 to early 2008. It still rocks. At one point Halos were going for $165.00, when they were king.

Advantages:

• 20 BPS+
• Reasonably priced for an electronic loader
• Gentle on Brittle Paint
• Tooless Batery Compartment (Requires 4 AA Batteries)
• 200 Round capacity.  Holds 200 Rounds (actually 185 or so because you need room for balls to move around, Don’t fill to capacity.
• Jam Release spinner

Disadvantage:

• It takes a long time to take apart and clean. Its held together by screws.
• Battery Life.

This is the Loader that revolutionized the sport. I have been playing since 1992. Until the Dye Rotor arrived (The LT-R is the second generation of the Rotor) most loaders did not survive more than a year or two. You might miss two three games if you had to clean a loader

LT-R $99.95

Continues the greatness of the Rotor. This is the only Loader the majority of the players will ever need

Advantages:

• Great Battery LIFE
• Feeds Faster then you will ever need
• Easy tooless break down
• Value – An excellent price for what you get.
• (I always suggest people pay an extra $20.00 and skip the HALO TOO. because the advantages create an amazing value)
• 200 Round capacity.  Holds 200 Rounds (actually 185 or so because you need room for balls to move around, Don’t fill to capacity.
• Spring Loaded Floor Tray
• Jam Release trigger

Disadvantage:

• Comes in basic Black  with three color highlights: Red, Green, and Blue
• 200 Round capacity.  Holds 200 Rounds (actually 185 or so because you need room for balls to move around, Don’t fill to capacity.

Virtue Spire IR2

The Virtue IR and now the IR2 have now become the Rotors equal or near equal, allowing people two quality choices. Why would someone choose an Spire IR2 over a Rotor LT-R? Balance and shape. When you set up your Paintball Gun, you want to create a system with great personal balance. For me, I favor the Rotor, for you, you might go in another direction. The great thing now is if you do go in another direction you can still end up with a first class loader.

Virtue Spire IR2 $129.95

Advantages:

• Smaller – but continues to have a 200 Round capacity.  Holds 200 Rounds (actually 185 or so because you need room for balls to move around, Don’t fill to capacity.
• Lighter
• Good Battery LIFE
• Easy tool-less break down
• Never James – A claim made by Virtue
• Easy Quick feed / Hard cap compatibility.

Disadvantage:

• 200 Round capacity.  Holds 200 Rounds (actually 185 or so because you need room for balls to move around, Don’t fill to capacity.
• Does not come with spring ramp (add Spire IR Spring Ramp $11.95

Dye R-2

The R-2 uses the same technology that helped base Rotor revolutize the sport. What it adds to the rotor system, is an ability to expand to 260 balls. Which is great if you are a back player offering support to your teammates as they work up the field.

R-2 $179.95

Advantages:

• Adjustable Ball Capacity (260 Balls when extended 200 balls when retracted.
• Great Battery LIFE
• Feeds Faster then you will ever need
• 52 BPS – This thing rocks.
• Low Power indicator
• Easy tool-less break down
• Reload Alert system (Overrated)
• Spring Loaded Floor Tray
• Jam Release trigger

Disadvantage:

• Price
• Disassembly. This is a tool-less loader, but of the tool-less loaders, this one is the most difficult.

Virtue Spire IV

The Virtue IR and now 

Spire IV $249.95 

Spire IV  280 $249.95

Advantages:

• Offers two options for the same price – 200 Round or 280 round capacity.
• Ramp
• Lighter
• Good Battery LIFE
• Easy toolless break down
• Never Jams – A claim made by Virtue
• Easy Quick feed / Hard cap compatibility.

CTRL by BNKR KINGS

The newest quality loader

Advantages:

• Perfectly Balanced
• Angle Indicator
• Never James
• 200 Round Capacity
• Easy Disassemble

Disadvantage:

• No Ramp

Loader Accessories

When you need to reload your loader, speed feeds can make all the difference.

Exalt Universal Speed Feedgate $18.95

Engineered to fit: HALO / HALLO TOO, Magna, A5 Loaders, Fasta, Reloaders B / B2, BT Loaders, Pinokio, and Overdrive.

HK Universal Speed Feed $17.95

Speed Feed Details:

• Adjustable tightening screw in back 
• Soft fins allow paintballs to not break while loading the loader and strong enough to not allow the paintballs to fall out
• Added interior rubber grip so the speed feed will not slide off of the loader
• Fits on top of Halo/ Invert 2 Loader, Pinokio Hopper,  Speed, Tippmann A5 / X7 Loaders

Exalt Rotor Fastfeed $24.95

HK Army Speed Feed $14.95

Dye R-2 Quick Feed $34.95

Virtue Spire 3 Crown Speed Feed $44.95

BNKR KINGS CTRL Speed Feed $44.95

Ramps

This helps remove the popcorn effect when your loader gets empty

BNKR KINGS CTRL Spring Ramp $12.95

Virtue Spire Spring Ramp $11.95

Batteries

9 Volt $2.99

AA $1.00

Virtue N -Charge Battery Pack $49.95

Dye Rotor and LTR Lid w/spring $9.94