 pyrrhus wrote: |
| Well I need quiet compressor as I live in an Apartment building and I dont want to get kicked out .I have pretty much decided on Badger as an airbrush choice I was interested inthe new 105 patriot .Are the compressors from harbor feight really quiet ? do they work well ? what else do you suggest? |
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Most of the low cost airbrush compressors sold around the world are either made by Sparmax in Taiwan or various factories in China. I like the Sparmax compressors because of their established track record. Sparmax used to make the compressors for Iwata, Paasche, among others. But it may have changed now.
Ask the seller/dealer about their return policy. If they have a good return policy and after sales support (repair, parts, etc.), the Chinese compressor may be worth a try. There are many different factories in China turning out airbrush and compressor and the quality varies a lot. But they are usually cheaper than the Taiwan made ones. For example, Paasche changed sourcing their DA400R compressor from Taiwan to China two years ago as well as Airbrush Depot in the US. It is an indication that some Chinese factories are improving their quality control to meet foreign market requirements. But the durability record is waiting to be verified.
When you take the compressor home, check how quiet it is. A quiet running compressor is usually a sign of quality made. You should be able to talk to your family and friends in normal voice when the compressor is running. Normal conversation in home or office is about 65 dB. So the compressor noise should be -6 dB down or about 59 dB or lower. You can still hear it, but it is not distributing to you. Return the compressor if it is noisy or it gets too hot quickly after short usage. You should be able to keep your hand on the compressor cylinder after 30 minutes of intense use. A powerful motor and a cool cylinder is another sign of quality.
In the July 2008 issue of FSM, there was an article on compressor reviews.
Look for these items in the spec:
1. Noise level. The lower the better, but not to exceed 59 dB.
2. Flow rate (L/min) must be specified with pressure (BAR or psi). 25 Litres/min at 4 BAR will be quite good. Stating max flow rate and max pressure separately is typical trick to inflat spec.
3. Auto on-off. A good airbrush compressor should have the automatic stop feature that turns the motor off when pressure reaches 4 BAR and re-start when pressure drops below 3 BAR. It is about 45 psi on and 60 psi off. If the compressor does not have an airtank, the motor will be on only when the airbrush is on. This feature makes the compressor quieter and saves tear and wear of the unit. The compressor should have a maximum pressure of 6-7 BAR or 80-100 psi when the auto switch is turned off.
4. Manufacturer's name. It will tip off the reliability of the compressor.
I would suggest looking at the Sparmax "Professional Series" of compressors. If you are in the US, you can find the Sparmax TC-2000 at Hobby Lobby. It is $210 with the 40% coupon. Look at recent posts at this forum, you can find two recent purchases of the TC-2000 and happy owners.
The Sparmax brand of compressors have all but disappeared from US internet airbrush stores. The Sparmax prices at general art supply store are much higher. I don't know what happened to the distributor.
For $150 shipped, the Airbrush-Depot TC-20T is worth a look. The Airbrush City has some good spec compressors too. I don't have first hand experience with these made-in-China compressors, but consider these two dealers to be reliable. There had been good feedbacks on the TC-20T compressor, but one recent post indicated problem and resulted in a return.