Tamiya, Badger, Iwata, Paasche????

[DRUMS01]

I am looking to replace my old basic air brush. Now that I have some experience I want to get a great all arounder that can paint the thin pencil line and up to 2-3". I am looking for something I can use for a very long time; something that can take the use, easy to clean, and has easy access to replacement parts. I am looking for something with the following charistics:

- double action

- gravity feed

- 0.3mm tip (+/-)

- good with enamels and acrylics

- works from 10-30 psi

So far, I am leaning towards one of those shown below but I would like the forums input (based on experience).

- Badger Renegade R1V (0.21mm)

- Badger Patriot 105 (0.5mm)

- Iwata Eclipse HP-CS (0.3mm)

- Tamiya Paintworks HG (0.3mm)

- Paasche Talon TG-3F (.25mm, .38mm, 66mm and fan tip)

If you have any of these or have experience with them, please let me know your feedback on it. Thanks in advance for your time and effort.

Ben

[MarkSzeman]

Oh the can of worms is being opened

But in seriousness everyone has their own opinion, just based on personal preference and budget. Most people tend to recommend what they use because its what they have experience with and love it.
From what little I've gleamed in regard to this its really down to 3 things (all budget related):

unit price
availability in your area (to help lower cost of ordering parts etc)
price of spares

I personally have this:

http://www.foxystudio.com/product/iwata ... s-eclipse/

And I boxed myself in spare parts wise as just about everything for it is only available from overseas so I have shipping to take into account.

And this :

https://www.dtc-uk.com/anest-iwata-lph8 ... aygun.html

And I'm in the same boat with it..

Both are excellent (overpriced for what they are) but I would go for a H+S in a heartbeat because they are (from what I've seen) super reliable, hardy units, and for me the spares are allot more available in my area.

I've used AB with needles from some of the smallest, to larger autobody guns, and some people prefer to use the smaller for certain detailing work, and the larger for area coverage. I personally found the 0,3-0,35 to be a happy medium and I can do both detail and coverage work (for modeling at least) just fine with the one size.

[DoubleDigit12]

I would reccommend Mr hobby procon boy FWA airbrush as it fits into all the above categories and I can confirm it is considerably better than the Iwata HP-CS as I have used both, in both terms of detail and usability. It can easily rival Harder and Steenbeck Infinity detail, no question. It has control for both air and paint input allowing for complete control.

I can understand it is not on your list but just my opinion.

[Twokidsnosleep]

I shall not give opinions as have not tried any of those
Think you need to broaden the possibilities there.....

[digger303]

I have the - Paasche Talon TG-3F (.25mm, .38mm, 66mm and fan tip)
I should say first up that I'm in no way a expert painter. I primarily use Tamiya/Mr hobby and some life color paints and don't tend to overly thin them.... max 40% thinner

What I like about this brush is
1. good size paint cup with a cap
2. robust size nozzle tip.... easy to remove, clean and reinstall.
3. nice weight and size to it makes handling it good
4. cleaning is easy, needle reinserts easy and easy to disassemble.
5. spray patterns are good, atomizes paint well, will handle 30psi Ok down to about 15-17psi without spitting. May work at lower pressures for enamels... I don't know.

What I don't like
1. nozzle tip needs to be fairly tight or it will blow air back into the cup
2. trigger doesn't have a good grip pattern on it, but its not that bad. I tend to hang my finger over the leading edge a bit to compensate.

The fan tip I have only used once. It produces a good small fan. I'm not sure if I would bother with it as the fan isn't really big enough to do a large model properly. I have a Procon boy trigger type for that job.
I think the Tamiya AB along with Iwata/ Mr Hobby Procon Boy and some others are all made in the BB Rich company facility. So choice is up to you. Think along the lines of how much air the brush will consume as to a guide to how much paint it will poke out and how much control you can achieve plus how the brush feels in YOUR hands.
I would think about getting 2 brushes at some point. No one brush is good at everything.
Also remember .... You will have to buy spares at some point and everyone bends needle points. So are those spares easy to get and how expensive ??
Optional extra's to think about.
I have never used one myself, but I think it is a convenience item is the use of mac valves to finely tune the air output.

hope this helps a little
this might help as well https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/

[Kevthemodeller]

Ben my recommendation, although not on your list would be H & S any of their CRplus range. Not cheap but so simple to strip and clean and the quality speaks for its self. If their in your price range and you've not looked at them I'd encourage you to do so.

[Modelfreek]

Ok,

First of all, there is no right or wrong here in terms of what brand to choose. I’ve seen
$50 airbrushes out perform $800 airbrushes in the hands of professionals. And unless
You are painting murals and want nuances that most people wouldn’t even notice you won’t
Notice a significant difference between those price points. not to say that the expensive ones don’t
Perform well, they do indeed do the job.

I would say to you this: what features do you want in an airbrush? E.g macvalve or no,
Removeable paint cup, side feed, top feed, ease of needle change/maintenance ect. Then find
The price point you can live with that has those features you want. Then practice practice practice
Practice practice ( you see where this is headed) and practice some more until you know that airbrush
Inside out.

My personal work horse brushes are iwata hp-c pluses x2 and an H&S infinity plus for fine work.
But that’s just me and what I feel comfortable using.

Hope that helps.

[NoelSmith]

There are many good airbrushed on the market. Just stick to those made by reputable manufacturers is all I can recommend.
There are many cheap airbrush kits out there that look good as they appear to come with all bells and whistles included, but their quality will be inferior to well trusted brands.
Like some earlier posters said, it comes down to personal preference, but when buying your first airbrush one does not have personal experience to draw upon, so just buy the best quality airbrush type that you can afford, after taking a cold hard look at what you will be using it for. Then buy the best suited for what you want, fine detailing, overall spraying or a mix of both will determine what will be best.

[digger303]

Very old thread , but for those who might read it in the future for research purposes. I would say don't forget those rebranded airbrushes that are from the Iwata factory. Such as Procon Boy, Tamiya and some others. You get a Iwata brush at 2/3 the price.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Very old thread , but for those who might read it in the future for research purposes. I would say don't forget those rebranded airbrushes that are from the Iwata factory. Such as Procon Boy, Tamiya and some others. You get a Iwata brush at 2/3 the price.

I would post my brilliant Kermit the frog response again, but then I would just look cheeky

[digger303]

Very old thread , but for those who might read it in the future for research purposes. I would say don't forget those rebranded airbrushes that are from the Iwata factory. Such as Procon Boy, Tamiya and some others. You get a Iwata brush at 2/3 the price.

I would post my brilliant Kermit the frog response again, but then I would just look cheeky

Getting that old feeling your about to launch yourself back into the fray