Hi everyone! This last summer I started to really get into paintball and have decided to purchase a gun. I’ve been looking on websites (ebay included) and there are alot of guns to choose from. A particular one that interests me is the spyder imagine. Its fairly cheap but seems to have all the features of the higher end gun. Is this a good pick? Any other suggestions for guns? BTW my price range is approx $150 - $300 canadian.
In that range, yeah a Spyder is probably not a bad choice. However, if you get at all serious, it will piss you off to no end when you compare it to higher end guns. I’d go for an Autcocker myself, but gun selection is a highly personal choice…a gun that one person loves you might hate, and vice versa. The more you want to play, the more you’ll be willing to spend on your gun, both in terms of base price and upgrades.
My guns (with approximate dates):
Spyder ('98)
Autococker ('99)
Automag RT ('00)
Dark Angel ('01-present)
I love the Angel, but it’s more than a little outside your price bracket, you can probably get a used 'Cocker for CAN$300…I know new ones are about US$380.
All that said, buy a good goggle system, no matter what. First off, getting blinded would suck quite a lot. Second off, being able to see helps immensly. For the last 4 years, I’ve used JT Spectra Flex 7. It’s a great mask: comfortable, great visibility, cool looking, what more could you want?
My husband has had a Spyder for years and loves it. Low maintenance, decent range. Unlike some of those high end gun users, he spends more time playing and less time working on the gun.
I use the Tippmann Model 98 Custom, with the flatline barrel. The barrel is a pain in the ass to deal with, and I’m about fed up with it. I want a simple gun without a lot of hassles. I should probably just put back on the stock barrel and sell the flatline. It’s a good, steady gun, and if it weren’t for the flatline constantly having problems, everything would be perfect.
Let me add to my first post:
Are you going to progress into playing tournaments? Or is the occaisional afternoon in the woods with some friends going to be it?
If the former, you will want a higher-end gun (eventually)
If the latter, you can play for years and years with a Spyder and not want anything more.
Since my first post didn’t really answer any of your questions (sorry, I should learn not to post when I’m so tired), I’d say a Spyder is a good starting point. Or, as DeadlyAccurate said, a Tippmann. Both are rock solid pieces of equipment, and can be resold if you decide to stop playing or upgrade your kit.
I think a Tippmann (new) is way outside the $300 CAN price range. A spyder is pretty good because of it’s flexability. It’s like a Honda Civic of the paint marker world - lots of aftermarket upgrades.
I second a good face mask. I use a JT spectra with a thermal lens. Very good visablity and comfortable (very important if you’re playing longer outdoor games).
Also, invest in some good gloves. Saves you from the occasional pinky finger hit.
If you wanna be really hard core get a pump. Very cheap 
I saw mine for $132 USD, with the stock barrel. That’s still under $200 CAD.
One thing to check on is what sort of air is best for your area’s temperature range. Around here, we don’t get very cold winter weather, so CO[sub]2[/sub] works fine year round.
Actually, I’ll sell you my spyder C2000 for $75 with 14 oz tank and a viewloader 200- the catch is the stock is cracked, but a new one is about $20 if I remember rightly.
The gun’s only been used twice, too.