The last of our trio of pressurized water blaster reviews focuses on a Buzz Bee Toys-produced blaster. The Power Raider features a large reservoir, separate pressure chamber, and a red dot sight that fits recent Buzz Bee blaster rails. However, there’s a flaw that keeps the Power Raider from achieving greatness, unless you feel like opening it up and correcting it.
Utilitarian Design
Overall, the Power Raider is solid, sturdy, and comfortable to use.
Performance Issues
On the topic of hoses, the hose within the pressure chamber is stiff enough that it sticks essentially straight back in stock form. This is ok, if you’re firing vertically. In regular use, however, it means that after the initial pumping of the blaster, you only expel so much water before getting a mist shot. You end up leaving the bottom of the chamber filled with water, and effectively reduce your chamber volume by a substantial amount. Instead of 6-7 pumps to fill the tank, 2-3 now triggers the pressure relief valve. Pitiful streams result, with 20′ max distance and little volume expelled. It’s a far cry from the 40′ range claims on the box.
Fixing The Blaster
I used a heat gun to soften the plastic hose in the middle, and bent it down. With the end of the hose in this position, the blaster works spectacularly. Not only could I pump the chamber full every time, I could drain the entire load without any mist shots. Even better was the fact that angled ranges were up to 45′, as opposed to 20′.
The ranges were 40′-45′ for both the thin and thick streams. The third option, a four-stream spray, doesn’t go as far, opting for an area effect.
Final Thoughts
The Power Raider isn’t the most beautiful blaster, but it has high capacity and is capable of great performance. However, in stock form, it just doesn’t reach its potential. The reservoir draining issues are annoying, but the pressure chamber firing issues are horrible. If you’re ok with opening the blaster to fix it, then by all means buy one. Doing so will make it of the best new blasters of the season. If you don’t want to do all that work, however, other options are available.
The red dot sight is a nice touch, and works with several Buzz Bee dart blasters. I guess that’s a positive?