Mad Bull Propane Adaptor

[Jugglez]

Looks like AI's got some competition now:

http://www.madbullairsoft.com/Englis...roducts_id=105
Estimated Canadian retail $25 CDN (I am Mad Bull's official canadian distributor)


AI's reaction:

Originally Posted by MadMax

To clear the air, hats off to Madbull. **wtf?! is Carl on drugs?!**

On close inspection of MB's product pictures, I find that MB is going with a significantly different design from my adaptor. MB is offering an adaptor which does not have a moving tank valve probe. My adaptor has a mag probe and a tank probe which moves in unison (they're integrated into a common part). Madbull has a fixed tank probe which leads to a valve integrated into the mag filling probe.

It's a design concept which I first landed on before the launch of my product. I refined the concept to a simpler integrated single piece mag and tank probe to make the design more elegant.

While Madbull is capitalizing on my difficult task of proliferating the fact that green gas is propane, they did not rip off my adaptor design outright.

Why am I defending Madbull?

It's the right thing to do. I don't want people to slag them as unprincipled ripoff manufactures. While Madbull could have whipped out a pair of calipers and duplicated my product, they went their own way and designed their own product using different operating principles. Unfortunately the inventive bit about my propane adaptor was mostly coming to the realization that green gas was propane rather than the design of the gas fitting.

Don't get me wrong, I'm damn annoyed that they're competing with me. Offering adaptors at $15USD is going to crush my profit margins. It'll be hard for me to afford new product design with my flagship product pinched like this. I would have liked to have paid off my injection mould before they did this at least. Offering adaptors at $15 is silly when a disposable can of green gas costs $12USD (or $30 in Canada).

The timing is difficult for me as I've just started another injection mould for another product I've finished developing. It's going to be tough as I'm already pretty stretched financially.

So what does that mean for Airsoft Innovations?

First I'm going to buy me some Irish Whiskey. Then I'm getting back to work. I'm going to have to reprice my adaptor and work out ways to put even more value into my product to retain my market share. I've looked intensely at the issues of propane adaptors longer than anyone. I can get through this. Who knows, maybe having a competition will be healthy for me. It's certainly a new learning experience for me.

Thanks for your support of my work and my company. I will continue to strive to develop innovative new products for airsofters. It's the namesake of Airsoft Innovations.

[dontask]

nothing sells like hot pink

[dodger_me]

lol he shoulda patented his

[TokyoSeven]

Friggen hot pink, Im all over it.

[Drake]

I guess that's how KAC, Noveske, LMC, VLTOR, ARMS, Aimpoint, Leupold, Colt, SIG, H&K, Walther, Eagle, BHI, Crye, TT, SOTech, and many others feel.

[manchovie]

are you serious? of course it's not how they feel. many of those companies design items for real weapons and sell for a premium, thus nerdy mcbasement airsofter wouldnt account for their sales to begin with.
the propane adaptor was invented, designed and manufactured in canada and now madbull is making a product with an identical purpose and method of operation for the same market as the original.
i guess all their "ethical" copyright bullshit was to cover their own ass, not because of any moral problems they had with the stealing of ideas.

[Skruface]

Theft is theft. Carl will lose market share due to direct competition. That's sad, but that's life. On the plus side, he was the innovator - first to market usually reaps the lion's share, and he's got brand power now.

It's not much different than those on this board that have bought a clone AEG to save a few bucks. TM (the innovator) is losing money because they can't compete - hell, just look at their freshly redesigned webpage for evidence. They've had to diversify due to being undercut by the clone manufacturers and are now moving heavily into scale model trains, which now gets equal promotion to the airsoft division.

There is a way to make a stand, folks. You speak with your wallet.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Drake

I guess that's how KAC, Noveske, LMC, VLTOR, ARMS, Aimpoint, Leupold, Colt, SIG, H&K, Walther, Eagle, BHI, Crye, TT, SOTech, and many others feel.

Madbull is officially liscenced to copy Noveske Products... I believe.

And this is really shitty, I'll keep my AI adaptor and keep buying AI adaptors as I need them in the future.

[Omi-san]

Originally Posted by Skruface

There is a way to make a stand, folks. You speak with your wallet.

Exactly, spend the few extra bucks to encourage the Canadian product.

[Cassius]

Until this one is proven 10 times better, I'm sticking with AI.

[Skruface]

I wonder if Carl knows the AI adaptor is "more susceptible to breaking off or cracking" than the Madbull one? I wonder if they can prove that scientifically, or whether it's advertising BS?

http://www.airsoftgi.com/product_inf...oducts_id=2640

[DuffMan]

Well that's upsetting.

[Jugglez]

There wouldn't be an issue here if Carl had stuck with the metal design for his adaptors. Mad Bull has had this propane adaptor on the design shelf for over year and weren't planning on releasing it at all. They've been working on an advanced design with a built-in adjustable silicone dispenser which would be far superior to the current ones.

It wasn't until AI's plastic V5 adaptor was released last month that Mad Bull decided to release this metal version.

Loyalties aside, the consumer has another option now. That is always a good thing. At least there won't be any shortages of adaptors as I recall AI has been temporarily out of stock on them a number of times in the past.


I'm not taking sides here, I'll be carrying both adaptors.

[Slick]

I hope all your Mad bull propane adaptors bring you nothing but bad luck and misfortune.

[Renegade)]

Originally Posted by dodger_me

lol he shoulda patented his

Why do I remember that he actualy did?