Which IWATA airbrush to choose

Assuming they are not dealing with 127 Million enquiries at this moment, I would expect their sales advice to be top notch in their responsiveness.

Well it is a foreign company in a nation of 127 million people!  How responsive do you think their customer service will be?

keilau

Did you get anything from Iwata yet?

Hey no reply from them yet, I hope it's no real indication of their customer service

Ebonguard: If you're leaning towards Iwata, I'd recommend the Eclipse HP-CS gravity fed. It's been my workhorse for the last 8 years and handles 90% of my airbrushing needs (Sotar 20/20 handles the ultra-fine work). It's easy to clean, well built and relatively cheap. As Keilau has said in other posts, parts are readily available at Hobby Lobby or other major retailers.

I spray mostly acrylics, some lacquers, and I've never had any major issues (with the exception of being ham-fisted and dropping it recently!)

ebonguard

I have also emailed my original question to Iwata, it would be interesting to hear what they have to recommend.

Did you get anything from Iwata yet?

Water traps last quite a while, if your air source is fairly dry. I use two traps, one is oil/water trap and can be drained, while the other is an inline trap which needs to be replaced. My system is dry enough that the first trap doesn't pickup any moisture, so I have redundant double redundancy!

Air regulators are merely a tap that restricts flow, and should last for years and years.

ebonguard

I have also emailed my original question to Iwata, it would be interesting to hear what they have to recommend.

Check the airbrushguru.com site for comparative description of the Iwata AB. I don't necessarily agree with everything they said. But it is a better description than the Iwata site.

Could you guys tell me how long the water trap lasts? Is it a part that would need replacement if I bought a compressor second hand? I guess the same question could be applied to the regulator as well.

The moisture trap and the regulator have only simple moving parts and are not subjected to heat like the compressor. In normal situation, they should last longer than the compressor.

I have also emailed my original question to Iwata, it would be interesting to hear what they have to recommend.

Could you guys tell me how long the water trap lasts? Is it a part that would need replacement if I bought a compressor second hand? I guess the same question could be applied to the regulator as well.

ebonguard

Hi guys after reading through these forums along with others I have decided I would like to purchase an Iwata airbrush. The problem I am having is that Iwata has put out a huge range and I am looking for a consensus on what would suit me.

I am a complete newbie to airbrushing, but don't which to choose a low end brush that I will later want to upgrade. I am keen on modelling armour at the moment but also like aircraft. I don't have a huge budget so am looking for something at the middle of the range that would suit me.

What do you guys think, I would love your advice? Also any advice on accessories I would need... I know I need a compressor or some other air source.

You will find plenty of advices for Iwata airbrushes when you do a search using the string "Iwata" on this forum.

Generally speaking, the Eclipse HP-CS and the Revolution HP-CR seem to be the most popular Iwata among modelers.

I personally use an Eclipse HP-CS and perferred it for several reasons. The 0.35 mm nozzle is the right combination in details vs. quick spray. The CS uses a cone nozzle design that you can replace without a special wrench. (The Revolution and most other Iwata uses the wrench and small nozzle tips.) It is important in quick cleaning of the AB when needed. Also, the cone nozzle design makes it easy to change over to a 0.5 mm nozzle when working on larger scale model and needing to lay down solid coat of paint over larger area quick. I add the second,larger nozzle set for $13 buying from Hobby Lobby.

Since you want good quality, but not expensive equipments, the Sparmax TC-2000 will be a good choice for compressor. It costs no more than some older design diaphram compressor, but is much more powerful and pulsation free. For a little more, the Iwata PowerJet Lite is a good choice too if it is the brand you want.

You should also take a look at the Harder & Steenbeck airbrushes. The Evolution 2-in-1 will be a good starter-to-own AB. But it costs a little more than the Iwata options mentioned above.

Good luck in your adventure.

As you may or may not know I am a Badger user and swear by their airbrushes as they can do anything the overpriced Japanese airbrushes can do and for a lot less money.

If I was however to buy an Iwata I would buy the HP-CS Eclipse as it is all you need for modeling.

Don't waste your money on an overpriced Micron or plus model with the air valve at the front that you can adjust. It's all just marketing hype for the most part if you ask me.

IMO, the HP-C is the best bang for the buck.

One can pick one up a decent used one on Ebay for under $100 after Iwata came out with their HP-CH.

One can also pick up a decent used Iwata compressor for about $100 also.  They come with hose, regulator and water trap all in one convenient package.

The only accessory that I use nowadays is a quick release ($7) so I can take the brush off faster to clean, or put away.    All of my other accessories such as a vale controller or needle-stop is cute, but left unuse.   The reason is that after one gets familiar with one's brush, one no longer need their help.

BTW, I use a Badger Velocity.  But I almost went with the Iwata HP-C.