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What makes the impact so unreliable, yet so desirable?
- Thread starter madeintheuk
- Start date
So if the impact platform is so complex, what about the Dreamline platform? Less complex? More of the same? Worth half what an impact goes for? I’ve looked at the dreamline tactical and tactical compact before, and other than their lower power, they seem to be just as accurate. Thanks to this post, you’ve all veered me away from an impact (mostly because I’m not a heavy tinkerer, and would much prefer to shoot out of the box than spend hours playing with it). The Dreamline however is appealing due to price, and magazine size (almost twice the size of the competitors), but it’s appealing size in compact format for use as backpacking or truck gun is very appealing. I am however worried about durability. The brocock guns have tested very durable in hunting environments, but what about fx?
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My experience to answer your question based on durability, is this- would I loan my impact or wildcat to someone, friend or family member, for a day? No way. Not even if I’ve gone thru every tid bit thing about the gun with that person. Just two days ago I had a buddy over and we were shooting at paintballs on top of golf tees at 55 yards out, and I went thru all the do’s and dont’s with him before the fun event. I sat next to him while he shot, and I had to still closely monitor his moves. Even with me there, he managed to cock the gun twice, putting two pellets down the barrel. I was able to stop him before he pulled the trigger and get the pellets out. I also had to make sure he completely closed the cocking latch completely forward before pulling the trigger. I don’t know why, but the 34 grain JSB heavys in 25 caliber in both the impact and my wildcat, require extra effort in seating the pellet. I’ve had others tell me it happens in their Impacts, also.
Another experience- the wildcat MK2 30 calibers- the magazine sometimes get hung up where they won’t cycle when the coking latch is pulled back, then forward. Every once in awhile I have to manually rotate the mag with my thumb and “feel” for the probe inserting into the magazines hole, making sure it is aligned. The edge of the pellet probe on the 30 cal is nothing but a thin wire edge, and if one doesn’t pay attention to that “quirk”, the pellet probe could be damaged, and one that doesn’t know any better could do even more damage by just moving forward and keep cycling the cocking latch, pushing with all their might. I’ve since addressed this issue, where if it does happen, it’s once in a blue moon.
Final story- I recently helped a friend buy a wildcat MK2 in 25 cal. His first intro to PCP’s. He loved mine so much, I helped him get one. I went over all the do’s and dont’s, like I always do, and when he went to cock the lever back, and it stopped at the point where the cocking handle is all the way back and 90 degrees to the block, I caught him trying to pull it back even further. I yelled at him to stop, before he snapped the cocking lever off!! What confuses me, is a week before I let him shoot my gun and there were no signs of that as he was shooting at a target.
So, to sum, these FX guns are awesome in design, build, form and function. But, are they a delicate gun? Yes, in my eyes. If it were not for the additional barrel clamps I’ve put on all my wildcats, one could easily bump the barrel off of zero. In the hands of a clueless newbie, one could easily twist the safety lever, jam the magazine, accidentally double feed, or blow out the pellet probe breech o ring. I’m not even going to get into filling the gun with air, in the hands of a newbie unattended, lol!
I could take my hatsan hercules Bully and set it up for someone to shoot, and comfortably walk away knowing a mag won’t jam, the mag won’t misalign, and the safety won’t get twisted out of alignment when pushed forward or pulled back(wildcats have that problem as the safety lever is such a tiny thing). It’s a tank of a gun, and you know it once you hold it. There’s a reason I still own that, along with my Marauder. Those are the “loaner guns”.
with all of that said, I cannot picture an FX being a “truck gun”. I’m not bashing the FX line of guns, as I’ve grown to really appreciate them for what they are, an engineering marvel of a gun with the utmost in accuracy. I am aware of the quirks and am on top of these quirks at all times every time I use them, so for me, it’s not a big deal.
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I agree with Bigragu 100%. Watched my brother-in-law with my Dreamline compact, had 3 heart attacks so I built him a Kral Jumbo. My Compact is a very cool accurate gun but it is not Leshiy tough. I love it, won’t part with it, but I won’t recommend a FX to a newbie anymore than I would recommend a .50 BMG.
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@ Bigragu
The definition of being spoiled is when you have it so so so good, to the extreme that you start complaining when things are just very good or not taylor made for you.
The definition of being spoiled is when you have it so so so good, to the extreme that you start complaining when things are just very good or not taylor made for you.
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I bought an impact mk11, in many ways it exceeded my expectations but others it confirmed my reservations, it was accurate enough, quiet enough and consistent enough, but for a gun of its price I would expect more than enough. I have 6 other pcp, all more accurate, all are more consistent, all are as quiet, all are more reliable, all are still here, the impact isn’t.
I really wanted to like it...I really didn’t.
Bb
I really wanted to like it...I really didn’t.
Bb
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Decided to go back old school and thread in the old style barrel removal knob of the early Impacts vs the grub screw used today. Mine is an MK2. I don’t know why FX went away from the knobs, as it would make caliber changes almost tool less, and removing the barrel for othe maintenance reasons a snap. The grub screw to me looks like possible damage waiting to happen by rounding off the square socket, or dimpling the barrel inside from excessive over tightening.
FXUSA still has these in stock.
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i have had 5 FX guns... 2 impacts... 2 bobcats, and 1 wildcat..... al of them came to me with problems .... leaks, C3 bumper destroyed, scratches in valve housing, regulator creeping, very bad gauges (especially on my impact mk2 which was supposed to be one of the improvements, front gauge was leaking and at the same time it exploded on my face.... and the reg gauge was 25bar off)......I tried several times with the brand because of what you see in the advertising but as you can see I was not very lucky, I do not recommend them because of my own experience, as a lover of this hobby, I think they should improve their quality control
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Am I mistaken or/and loony here?
Have we all not just shared over the past 72 posts and 1342 views the incredible customization's and many interests,good and bad, of this FX Impact platform? These and many other reasons is what makes a Legend. The FX Impact is but one of the few. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay, with support and innovation.
And if I may, I would mention the Benjamin Marauder as one of the few... JM2C
Be safe and shoot straight and have fun
Patrick
Have we all not just shared over the past 72 posts and 1342 views the incredible customization's and many interests,good and bad, of this FX Impact platform? These and many other reasons is what makes a Legend. The FX Impact is but one of the few. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay, with support and innovation.
And if I may, I would mention the Benjamin Marauder as one of the few... JM2C
Be safe and shoot straight and have fun
Patrick
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I like simple guns. Simplicity and accuracy is what I want in an airgun. Yet, I almost wiped out my credit card on the new Matt Dubber Impact too! Lol! I dont know why....?
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I have two Impacts. Gen1 arrived w no power and shooting terribly
Sent it back on my dime ( 100 bucks worth of dimes) it returned and It still shot like crap. Sent it to Ernest Rowe and the valve seat had broken and was replaced. Over time I learned to tune. Just rebuilt for a bad valve quad ring. Shoots JSB MKII quite good now.
Bought a Gen2 and it shot Terribly. Sent it to FX and they kept it for about 4 months. It came back and shot decent for two weeks. Now it’s crap again. I’ve been trying for a month to tune it but to no avail.
So now I have 2 grand and change sitting in a case in the closet. I don’t want to shoot it any more. I’m not happy when I shoot it. Actually I don’t ever shoot it, I take it out an tune it.
My simple cricket comes out and I shoot it and smile.
I sent Ken Hicks an email. Hope to hear back. Hate to put yet more $$$ into iit but heck I don’t know what to do at this point.
I watch videos of airgun stars drop pellet after pellet into the same hole at 100 yards with their Impact and I laugh.
Sent it back on my dime ( 100 bucks worth of dimes) it returned and It still shot like crap. Sent it to Ernest Rowe and the valve seat had broken and was replaced. Over time I learned to tune. Just rebuilt for a bad valve quad ring. Shoots JSB MKII quite good now.
Bought a Gen2 and it shot Terribly. Sent it to FX and they kept it for about 4 months. It came back and shot decent for two weeks. Now it’s crap again. I’ve been trying for a month to tune it but to no avail.
So now I have 2 grand and change sitting in a case in the closet. I don’t want to shoot it any more. I’m not happy when I shoot it. Actually I don’t ever shoot it, I take it out an tune it.
My simple cricket comes out and I shoot it and smile.
I sent Ken Hicks an email. Hope to hear back. Hate to put yet more $$$ into iit but heck I don’t know what to do at this point.
I watch videos of airgun stars drop pellet after pellet into the same hole at 100 yards with their Impact and I laugh.
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The airgun stars or whatever they are will never disclose the hard times or what it takes to maintain that level of performance. Would you if you got free stuff? My approach with my new Impact is going to be, keep the tune conservative. If I need more power than a 26-34gr projectile going 900-950fps, I will reach for one of my real guns.
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The general consensus appears to be that the impact is more hype than reliable tool. Modularity, adjustability, and strategic advertising making it stand out from the rest. The “superior” accuracy can be had with a multitude of guns, nothing special there.
I believe the majority of complaints about the impact, on this forum, are coming from experienced airgunners who put hundreds of tins through their guns, putting the gun through its paces, exposing its weak points. The same experienced airgunners rarely have as many issues with other reputable guns.
This is my favorite part about this forum: it’s a helpful tool to determine the long term reliability of a particular model/brand
I believe the majority of complaints about the impact, on this forum, are coming from experienced airgunners who put hundreds of tins through their guns, putting the gun through its paces, exposing its weak points. The same experienced airgunners rarely have as many issues with other reputable guns.
This is my favorite part about this forum: it’s a helpful tool to determine the long term reliability of a particular model/brand
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*Here's an actual general consensus and the answer is a resounding YES happy with their impact. I think just as many people as experienced are inexperienced and get it as their first PCP get in over their head and stuff up their own gun. Then piss all over the brand, LOTS of those guys around too. Its not for everyone and I get it.
https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/how-many-impact-owners-here/
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The amount of people buying impacts does not directly correlate to reliability. I don’t doubt that it’s a “cool” gun or that it can shoot lights out accurate when the stars align.
The impact is a lot like a Harley Davidson; many sales, many fan boys, cooler than the fonz, but reliability is not what they sold.
Hats off to FX though. Top notch marketing
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The amount of people buying impacts does not directly correlate to reliability. I don’t doubt that it’s a “cool” gun or that it can shoot lights out accurate when the stars align.
The impact is a lot like a Harley Davidson; many sales, many fan boys, cooler than the fonz, but reliability is not what they sold.
Hats off to FX though. Top notch marketing
Well if you read the first post it asks "are you happy with it yes or no". The overwhelming majority like 95% are happy but feel free to keep up your bias. I think youre confusing the word marketing with results.
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