Virtue Spire IR2 vs Dye LT-R Paintball Hopper Comparison
What's going on ladies and gentlemen? It's Tony from Lone Wolf Paintball. Today, I have a very good battle for you. The Dye LT-R hopper versus the brand new Virtue Spire IR2 hopper.
[Mark] Oh no, who's gonna win?
I don't know, it's gonna be a battle. So, who do you want me to start with Mark?
[Mark] By telling them to go to the online store. They can pick up either one of these hoppers.
Price Comparison
Shameless plug, Lone Wolf Paintball. So, in the red corner over here, we've got the $99.95 price point, so 100 bucks. And then we'll call it the gray corner over here. We've got $129.95. So we're looking at about a $30 difference.
[Mark] How about I just throw out questions and you give me the answer for both of them.
Speed Feed Compatibility
Go for it, sure.
[Mark] Speed feeds, can you do speed feeds on both?
Speed feeds, yes I can. So, Virtue Spire IR2 speed feed, we're gonna flip the lid open. We're gonna press the button here, and boom, that slap a speed feed on that bad boy right there just like that. Dye LT-R Hopper. We're gonna pull the tab up. We're gonna press the button. We're gonna go inside with my Phillips-head screwdriver, and undo one, two, three, four, five screws. Pull the top off, take the lid off. Then you can put a speed feed on this, so...
[Mark] That's a little more work.
Yeah, that is a little bit more work but you asked for it.
[Mark] Well, you got it open, just leave it open. Are they a one piece, two piece show?
Maintenance | Spire IR2 vs Dye LT-R
Both of these, actually, it's a good question. We pull the lid on out of there. Let's pull the tab up and side it up. So both of these are two piece, very durable shells. So, I like that. If you guys broke paint, it's easy to clean and easy to get in there.
[Mark] Can I remove the spinner for cleaning?
Yes, actually on both, this one's got two clips here. You're gonna press the clips and pull it out to actually get it to clean. So if you wanna pull the drive cone out whatever you want to call this you can pull it out to clean it. And with the Dye LT-R Hopper, what we're gonna do, we're gonna pull that up, press it from the front and then you have access to, you know, moving these levers and you can pull this entire stuff right on out of there to clean if you need to do so.
Battery Compatibility
[Mark] Okay, batteries?
Batteries, we are both looking at on the LT-R. One, two and three AA's And on the Spire IR, I believe the same thing. One, two, three double As.
[Mark] Okay, I have a Virtue N-Charge, rechargeable battery pack. Can it work on both of these?
Yes it can, I guarantee you it works on this and I'm pretty sure that you put one in yours, didn't you?
[Mark] I did.
Your LT-R, yeah, it works on both.
[Mark] I see you pulled the full tray out of the IR2.
Yeah.
[Mark] Does the full tray come out of the LT-R?
It does not, not without screwdrivers and such like that. I mean, all the internal drive components can like I showed you all this stuff can come out. But as for the entire platform pulling out no, you've gotta get back in here with Phillips head screwdriver so...
Paintball Capacity and Weight | LT-R vs IR2
[Mark] What ball capacity, do you know?
Ball capacity on this one is 200 plus I believe on the LT-R it's around 185 or so.
[Mark] Okay, I don't remember the exact way to put it on the screen of the LT-R, but I'm pretty sure the IR2 is lighter now.
IR2 is 14 ounces. The LT-R, I believe was just over a pound, I wanna say. Pound and two ounces when we did that
[Mark] Sounds right.
We do have a video on the LT-R. So check that video out as well.
[Mark] Other than speed feed, oh ramps.
Hopper Ramp Differences
Yep. I like that. I was gonna just bring that up next. So, ramps, the Dye LT-R does come with a ramp already installed in the back. So as you get low on paint, it is forcing the paint down into the front feeding chamber and then out into the gun. Unfortunately, the IR currently at this point is spring ramp compatible from the front cause obviously this feeds from the back, the LT-R feeds from the front, but it doesn't have one yet. You guys can buy one separately, it clips in up front here.
[Mark] What's the ramp cost roughly?
I think roughly around 12 bucks or so.
[Mark] Okay.
Yep. You know, don't quote me on that.
Anti-Jam Features | Spire IR2 vs Dye LT-R
[Mark] Anti jam features
Anti jam features. They say the Spire IR2s are just like the Spire IVs and other models. They don't have any anti jam features whatsoever because they say they never jam. Which I mean, they're excellent hoppers, no doubt about that. If your LT-R did happen to jam, can you see that Mark?
[Mark] I do.
It does have the shark fin on the bottom. When you pull that, now you can see. Flips the drive cone in, reverses it. ♪ Flip it and reverse it ♪ Something like that and then it, you know, unjams, if you caught a bad paintball and, you know, an odd shaped one, it'll unjam for you. So it's got the shark fin on the bottom. So ball capacity, batteries, trays, speed feeds all that good stuff. Both of them, Two P shells.
Color Options
[Mark] Colorways, what kind of colorways?
Color ways, right now the Spire IR2 comes in four different colorways a black, a gray, an earth fish and like a...
[Mark] Olive?
Olive type and the LT-R black, red, blue, green, No, lime is green. So, about roughly four colorways each right now.
[Mark] Okay, so earth tones at the IR2 and more bright colors.
Correct, yeah, cause they have this, they have the red, they have a lime, they have a blue and an all black. So yeah, I actually think they're about tied for a piece for colors.
Aftermarket Update Options
[Mark] Do either of them have any aftermarket upgrades available at the moment? Trim pieces, add-ons to anything from, like, HK.
So right now for the IR2, since it's so brand new, not currently other than obviously putting on a speed feed for it or trading the top trade or your buddy who's got a different color. The LT-R actually does have a bottom release here, which is metal. And then it takes control of the back power button which is a skull with two eyes and it will light up when it turns on. So it's got a little, you know, not the end of the world but it is an upgraded feature for the LT-R hopper.
[Mark] Okay, so could we talk capacity?
We did, I said this one's 200 plus, this one I believe the LT-R is rated around 185 or so. Let's talk, I wanna go...
Force Feed Available?
[Mark] Do they operate differently like as one a force feed?
Yeah, this one's more, the LT-R is definitely more of a force fed hopper. So, from my knowledge, there are no eyes in this. It just kind of, hey, if the balls are in there, it's gonna stop. If not, the sink keeps cranking them out. So there's that. And on the actual Spire IR2 it does have the three infrared eye technology here. Two eyes monitoring the ball stack at all times, one eye monitoring the gap between so you never have a big skip when you're shooting your gun. So this one's actually operated by eyes and this one more is a force driven hopper with the LT-R.
[Mark] Is there any benefit to one over the other?
I mean, if you're shooting a gun that doesn't have eyes I would probably shoot the LT-R cause this thing constantly, like it's got a really, really tight ball stack on there. So it just constantly is forcing it pretty much down your throat per se. That sounds so weird. And this one's got high technology. All right, Mark.
[Mark] I wouldn't say your best ball and throat jokes and they kind of flow.
Yeah, that will happen. Walked right into that one Mark got me, gotcha. Do you wanna do what you did before one advantage and disadvantage of both or you don't care?
[Mark] I mean, I think we had a lot of them if they can't figure out what the advantage or disadvantage was based on the comparison. But if you wanna do a quick recap.
Favorite Features | LT-R vs IR2
I would just say one favorite thing about each. Yeah, we can do that, I'll put them back together here. While I'm putting them back together, one favorite thing of each, I would say for the IR2, is going to be how easily you can change the speed feed on this with a press of a button. And as you can imagine how hectic and hard it is to actually, I'm gonna say hard, just time consuming taking out all the screws then you've got a wedge and get the lid off. And it's just a process. So I would say, speed feed, changeability wise, the IR2 takes that all day long. And a lot of you guys out there playing tournament ball or rocking a speed feed. So, there's that, alright.
[Mark] Well you gotta say something nice about the LT-R now.
Oh, the LT-R, you know, I love the fact that Virtue says their hopper never jams but it's paintball and you know what? It is gonna happen from time to time. I like the fact that the LT-Rs kept true to its roots and kept the anti jam feature on the hopper. On the profile front, more slim and sleek, comes down to a point. I mean, obviously you're more rounded here on the LT-R. And then on to the side little side, little nose to nose, okay? All right, well yeah, I think I said it was gonna be a short comparison or something, but I don't know, we're near to end it. Dye LT-R versus the Spire IR2 put in the comments below which hopper you're rocking, which one you would rather have if you're not rocking any of them right now. And I think I'm getting out of here.
YouTube Question
[Mark] You are, but we have a question from the YouTube.
I knew I wasn't gonna escape.
[Mark] Majestic Man Three, cause one and two are taken, apparently wants to know, "What gun should I get under $500. "I was gonna get the Empire Mini GS but I'm worried that my hands are too big."
Under $500 still, they have, right now, limited, is the X Pro. I think there's right around under five and then even the X 2.0. So, X 2.0, he said his hands were gonna be too...
[Mark] Yeah, big myths.
Yeah, if you've got big myths, just go with the X 2.0. I think those are like 469 bucks.
[Mark] Those new X Pros were nice.
ETHA 2 as well, ETHA 2 is a bigger gun and that's under $500 as well.
[Mark] There you go, if you've got a question, leave it in the comments below. Otherwise let us know also what other hoppers you'd like to see compared to in a future video.
That's it, take it easy.