2008 Dye DM8 Review

The DM8. All of the hype. All of the anticipation. It’s now on your store shelves for purchase. But how does it perform you ask? How does it compare to other companies 2008 lineup? How does it shoot? What kind of efficiency?

My reply to these questions is summed up by saying that you’ve all seen and shot this marker since the DM6. What Dye has done (and is well known for) is create an elaborate marketing campaign to promote their product. Viral videos, celebrity photo shoots, event campaigns, etc. When you sift through all the smoke and mirrors however, you find that the product you are buying offers no advantage over years past.

Dye’s official press release:

New for 2008, the DM8 has a host of features, updates, and refinements. We have utilized our resources of professional players, designers, and engineers to come up with the best marker yet in the DM series. The DM8 continues the tradition of being one of the lightest, smallest, fastest and certainly the most accurate of paintball markers in the world.

To improve on an already reliable design, the DM8 has no eyeplates. This is possible with the new internal patent-pending Eye Pipe anti-chop sensing system. This new design eliminates the need for eyeplates and allows us to reduce the width of the marker body, ultimately reducing the weight by 1.5oz.

The new micro LPR has been reduced in size and now provides more efficient shot consistency. On top of this, we are introducing the all new Hyper3 regulator. The Hyper3 is now smaller, more consistent, and more precisely adjustable allowing you to set your pressure in finer increments. All of these innovations, coupled with new 3D body styling, standard features like the patent pending Ultralite frame and 2 piece barrel, give perfection a new meaning.

and their snazzy promotional video:

 

Let’s start with all of the “new” things that Dye has done with the DM8. The first being the profile of the marker.

The DM8 features a new profile design that has been custom 3D CNC milled. The lower profile of the DM8 means that they have shaved off 1.5oz of weight from the DM7. The total weight of the marker is 1.4lbs.

But where did they shave 1.5oz from exactly you ask? That brings us to our second item on the list of changes. There are now NO eye plates/covers to allow you quick access to your sensors. When I hear of marker companies doing things like this, it irritates me.

To improve on an already reliable design, the DM8 has no eyeplates. This is possible with the new internal patent-pending Eye Pipe anti-chop sensing system. This new design eliminates the need for eyeplates

This can be interpreted as:

Our marker is so awesome, it will never chop paint EVAR!!!zomglol!!!.

I think of myself as a logical person, and quickly wonder what would happen when a ball(s) break in a persons hopper. The now slushy paint will enter the firing chamber and bring shells and other material that is not desired to coat and hinder the eye logic. Or what happens if one simply gets bad paint? Or fragile paint? External eye plates simply make it that much more easier on the player to reach his desired equipment and perform maintenance. Exchanging this for 1.5oz seems completely irrational in my opinion.

The next thing of the list is the upgraded air system. While the DM8 retains the standard Dye ASA, they have replaced the Hyper2 regulator with the brand new Hyper3 (IE: The Hyper2 with a rubber cover).

The Hyper3 really isnt’ that much of an upgrade. Other than switching to stacked shims, it’s the same thing. I find it humorous that companies are coming out with “revolutionary” regulators that somehow still have trouble competing with an AKA designed regulator that is years old. The LPR has also been redesigned to fit into the new “slim” environment, and allows for the same adjustability that your used to in a standard Dye marker.

Some other less noticeable changes are the improved one piece Fuse bolt system, new style Sticky3 grips, 145psi operating pressure, and an efficiency rating of 1000 shots per 68ci/4500psi.

But enough of this nonsense, how does it perform?

Testing of the marker lasted me an entire day’s worth of play. I was at a standard Xball practice that was set in a chilly December 40 degree Saturday. Ergonomically speaking, the marker is designed to fit one’s hand and make the flow from player to machine bump free. The Ultralite frame is a wonderful enhancement over the standard frames that Dye was producing pre-DM6 era. It’s slightly different from a standard 45 degree frame, but you can get used to it rather quickly.

Out of the box setup was marginally simply. Turn on, set pressures to field requirements, and play. I’m glad that most manufacturers are taking into account that quick setup time is nice, especially during tournaments when time is valuable. During play, the marker worked well with no hiccups, glitches, or random errors. The marker shot 15bps without a hitch all day long and never had first shot dropoff, bolt stick, or leaks. Accuracy was something to note. At 50ft, I had a shot diameter of under 1ft. This I credit to the Ultralite barrel, and not the marker itself.

Efficiency is another thing however. On average, using a full 68ci 4500psi fill I averaged 900 shots. I understand that this is a spool valve marker, but with all the advertisement of “hyper this high flow that improved here redesigned there” ,regarding the marker’s air system, I expected more from the marker. While I can’t imagine shooting a half a case in a game, it is assurance in my mind that if the shit hits the fan and a game changes drastically then I don’t have to worry about checking my tank every second to see if I’m going to be out of luck. With many other smaller companies producing markers that perform just as well, yet get 1500+ shots per 68ci/4500psi fill, I don’t understand why large companies with more money for R&D put out such subpar efficiency.

Also another gripe that I have with certain new markers, including the DM8, is that companies are still continuing to use LED controls. My only question is…why? After you use a visual screen input (ala Planet Eclipse and WDP), counting light flashes and colors seems extremely childish and stupid.

At the end of the day, I was simply unimpressed with the DM8. By no means however is it a bad marker. It isn’t, and if there was no such thing as a DM6 or DM7, then I wouldn’t have any complaints except for the eye cover removal. But being as there is, then I’m forced to look at steps of improvement over previous years. In that aspect, Dye has only improved the DM8 cosmetically. The “internal” upgrades to the DM8 have done nothing for its performance whatsoever.

Dye DM8 Features

• 14″ Ultralite Barrel
• Integrated On/Off
• Hyper3 Regulator
• 145psi Operating Pressure
• No Eyeplates
• Ultralite Grip Frame
• Cast Aluminum Dye Inset Logo
• PSP, NPPL, Millennium Legal Software
• Ultralite Sticky3 Grips
• LED Controls
• Metal Power Buttons
• Fuse Bolt
• Internal LPR
• Cam Lock Feed Neck

The Dye DM8 is available today from Dye’s online store for $1,3995.00.

Pros

• Lightweight design
• Lots of quality Dye parts (Ultralite frame, barrel, etc)
• Software support for all major leagues

Cons

• No improvements in performance over the DM6/DM7
• Efficiency is sub-par when compared to other markers
• No eye covers can be a hassle for quick maintenance
• Too expensive for its level of performance

Final Rating
3 out of 5