Hello all. I figured this was the best place to post this preliminary review for the new Dye Rotor loader. I say "preliminary review" because this loader has not been field tested yet. I'm waiting for my new Crossfire tank (review forthcoming for that, too) before I can load up paint into this mug and pepper some trees out back.
Features (that you've read about before):
Nylon construction - most loaders are made of polycarbonate, which is strong, but as you know it's not
that strong. I play fairly aggressive and my Empire Reloader B has had three shells in its lifetime (3 seasons) and the third shell is currently broken, so I would need to buy a fourth shell! The Rotor's shell is made of FLEXIBLE Nylon, which is a key feature because the flexing is what gives Nylon its strength. Think of roller coasters - if the wooden or steel beams didn't flex and "shake", the coaster would shatter. The flexibility is what enables them to absorb force. Applying that science lesson to the Rotor should be rather simple.
Weight - I didn't say "lightweight" on purpose. Weight is a general category that contains a lot of argument points between 'ballers. I'll try to put the Rotor in perspective with regards to its weight.
"Empty weight" means that the three batteries are installed, but no paintballs are loaded into the loader. One thing I give the loader companies credit for these days is that they're not posting weight numbers with the batteries uninstalled.
You can't use ANY electronic loader without batteries, so give us the weight with the batteries already installed. The Rotor weights a scant 1.3 pounds empty, or 20.8 oz. Full of paintballs - 205 to be exact - the Rotor weighs 2.6 pounds (41.6 oz.), so figure about a pound of paintballs if fully loaded.
The feature of weight that I find oft missed in discussion is the profile. Cars are usually measured in a ratio called the power-to-weight ratio and with respect to handling, a feature called the Center of Gravity is on the table. If a car puts out, say, 200 horsepower (BHP) and weighs a beastly 3,500 pounds, it won't be as efficient or as quick as a car that weighs 500 pounds less. Sounds pretty simple...as a matter of fact it is.
In the same way, if a car is lower to the ground, its center of gravity is lower and more "centered", meaning it will handle much better (generally speaking - simple physics dictate this). A car that sits way up high, like a Jeep, can't take a corner like a Corvette. Simple, right?
Now, take your hopper. If you load up a 2.6 pound loader on your marker and it sits tightly against the upper marker body, when you lean out from behind a bunker to shoot, the lateral force acting on the marker won't "tilt" the marker out any wider than it has to. If you have 2.6 pounds set two inches above the upper marker body, it WILL shift a be far less balanced than one sitting 0.5 inches off the top. The Rotor has a very short feed tube that connects to the marker's feed neck. This gives it a very low stance and, consequently, a lower profile. The design of the Rotor has also given the shell a very small shape, but it holds over 200 paintballs! My Empire holds 170 paintballs and sits much higher, plus it requires 6 AA batteries, not 3 like the Rotor. 2.6 pounds is a very lightweight loader, fully loaded, with such a small profile and strong Nylon shell.
Speed and Engineering - I combined these two areas because speed is directly tied to engineering. I'm sure you've all seen tear-down videos of the Rotor on YouTube by now. If not, go there and check it out. The great thing is that it really DOES tear down as easily as the Dye guys illustrate! I've done it myself and I can have it torn down and back together in about 30 seconds. There are no screws, just levers that hold things in place (quite tightly, mind you). The engineering that went into this loader has really impressed me, mainly for the 'baller-friendly features.
The lip of the lid is extended so you aren't fumbling with it on the field as you try to furiously reload. There are windows near the rear portion of the loader that enable you to see the level of paintballs inside. There's a manual jam lever that allows you to quickly remove jams, if it jams at all. This is a stark departure from the "wheel" design of the Halo and Empire loaders' jam releases.
And then the speed. Wow. 50+ balls per second and there are no programmable changes you need to make. By default, if there's nothing to stop the balls, they will flow at 50+ per second, period. Fill it, hold a pod up, and turn the Rotor on with the load tube aimed into the pod - wham, it's filled up in literally 3 seconds or less. It's sick fast and while no rules or guns will allow you to shoot that fast, it's nice that the speed is there when and if you ever need it.
The rising floor is an impressive breakthrough. Right inside the lid, you can press down a spring-loaded nylon piece that's connected to the floor underneath. As the paintballs run out, the floor rises, keeping the floor angled toward the rotor.
This is probably the single-most important feature that allows the Rotor to have a low profile while still enabling the balls to succumb to gravity to keep them feeding. The Halo and Empire were designed as they were to keep the balls angled toward the spinning force feeder. This gave it a high profile and reduced capacity. The Rotor's spring loaded floor solves the problem and keeps the function in tact. Brilliant.
The engineering of the rotor device itself - which hints at why it's been named "Rotor" - is amazing. With a couple of trays and a simple rotation gear system, the design will stun you. Not sure if you've seen videos of how it works, but it's truly a breakthrough. The upper ball tray spins counterclockwise and "sifts" the balls into the slots. Beneath that is the red rotor arm and it spins clockwise, the opposite of the upper tray. THAT is the key to how it works. I can't explain it any better than that without getting into uncharted territory, but watch the videos on it. Here is one of the best ones on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzzrQKjwHcUPrice - $149.99. I spent that much on my Empire three seasons ago, so I figure that's going price for the latest and greatest. Not much else to say there. For the money, there are far more breakthroughs with the Rotor than any other loader on the market right now.
Field testing will have to come at a later date, after I've ripped several fills through it and worked with it live on the field. After all, this prelim review may contain only slightly more perspective than you've read elsewhere, so the only real test is to hit the field with it.
Until then, take care and Happy Holidays!
