Which Air Brush would be best

The most versatile is a internal mix dual action gravity fed airbrush with a medium sized needle. As (or more) important is the air source.

To advise you better I would need more information, such as minimum/maximum budget, and your particular household requirements, such as : basement, spare room, small kids in the house, or a need to be quiet as a mouse. You've already provided your location which is a great help!

Keep in mind that you can get started airbrushing for as little as $50, but you will be limited to single action external mix single action bottom feeder with canned air, which is ultimately frustrating. A budget of $175+ is better, though with some shopping you can get that down to $125 if noise isn't an obstacle.

You might want to look for some reviews on the web, like (ahem) mine. 

Don

I've got units from Paasche, Grex, Iwata, Binks they are all good and serve me well. Like any tool you need to pick one then practice practice practice to get good with it.

Find out what your local shops stock. Then you have a source for parts and accessories. You can also order online, prices can range by a lot. I got my Grex from MidTenn Hobbies which advertises here on FSM. My Iwata came from Hobby Lobby using a 40% off coupon. My Paasches came from various sources...the Binks was a gift.

parrotheadkc

I know this question is like "Which Football team is the best?" but I am novice to airbrushing. I would like to start airplanes and armour models again and I have been wondering which airbrush system would be the most versitile.

I am not sure of which types of paints yet, that will come as I develop my skils and models.

I am looking for a good/better than average starting airbrush set that would be able to expand (unknown on how expandable they are) for my needs.

I have several airbrushes, Iwata HP-CS, Harder and Steenbeck, Badger, Paasche and 2 knock-offs. All of them work ok for modeling. But the Iwata HP-CS is my favorite for modeling tasks because of how it feels in my hand and the versatility. I got it from local Hobby Lobby using a 40%-off coupon. It is the best value among the airbrushes I have. The store also stocks all the Iwata replacement parts that I may need at very cheap price. No need to wait or pay for expensive shipping.

parrotheadkc

Budget: I would like to try to stay under $150 but could go to $200 if I would get many years of use before "upgrading"

Location is not a problem - Indoors/outdoors or in my wood shop. No kids to worry about so noise is not an issue.

Would a pancake compressor work for an air source? I have one for my nailer in my shop.

The pancake compressor should work just fine driving the airbrush. Try it. If the noise does not bother YOU during an airbrush session, it stays. If you find the noise distracting to you, then look for a quieter compressor.

Since you have a pancake compressor, you don't have to budget for one for the airbrush. I use a pancake compressor and pipe it into my man cave. I do recommend that you buy a pressure regulator for use at your spray station. A water trap is also a necessary investment, and both can be found for pretty cheap if you settle for a hardware store brand, otherwise you can spend upwards of $35 for a "airbrush" regulator and water trap.

So, you get to either cut your budget in half, or spend the $150 and get a top of the line airbrush.

Around $75 will get you a Badger 100LG or 105 patriot, the Iwata CR Revolution, or the Paasche Talon.

At the $100 point will get you into a Badger Renegade Velocity, or Thayer & Chandler Omni 4000 (owned by Badger).

Around $125 will get you a Iwata HP-CS Eclipse, Grex Genesis XG, Harder & Steenbeck Evolution Solo.

Any of the above airbrushes will do pretty much anything you set your heart on, as long as your skill set will let it!

There are others available at those price points and higher, but the ones I've suggested all have an excellent track record. I would see if someone close to you stocks parts (washers, o-rings and needles) for any of my recommendations, so you don't have to wait for an online store to send you a part. I tend to buy extra "expendables" and keep them in my toolbox, just in case.

For the record I'm a Badger man with two 100LG (Medium and Fine) 150 (Medium and I can attach the fine head from the 100LG and 200-20 (also shares the head assembly with the 100LG) in my arsenal. Badger's customer service is top notch and I highly recommend them.

But the big selling point is availability of parts locally. Chances are someone will stock Paasche, Iwata or Badger parts, and those are the three brands I recommend.

Bgrigg

Around $75 will get you a Badger 100LG

At the $100 point will get you into a Badger Renegade Velocity

For the record I'm a Badger man with two 100LG (Medium and Fine) 150 (Medium and I can attach the fine head from the 100LG and 200-20 (also shares the head assembly with the 100LG) in my arsenal. Badger's customer service is top notch and I highly recommend them.

I'll second the motion for Badger 'brushes, the finest I have personally used.  I use a Badger 200NH, Badger 100LG, and a Badger Renegade Velocity and can spray anything I desire with those three.  I have found the 100LG to be the most versatile, and use it 90% of the time.

And like Bill said, their customer service is the best I have EVER seen in the business.

It's tough choosing that first airbrush. Everyone agonizes over it. I did. It's one of my favorite tools.

If you have a $150 - 200 budget there's a lot to choose from. I use Badgers and something like their Patriot would be a good choice. Dual action gravity feed. I just sent my 360 Universal back to them to have the teflon needle seal/bearing replaced. After 7 years of hard use and abuse it was worn. I sent it Priority Mail on a Thursday and got it back two weeks later on Thursday via UPS and had to sign for it. They replaced the whole front half of the brush, no charge and no questions. All it cost me was postage to them. I can't argue with that.

Tony

I would also second the Harder & Steenbeck Evolution Solo. The Evolution has the same basic internals as H&S's top line Infinity. Needle / Nozzle combinations of 0.15, 0.4 & 0.6mm are available in addition to the supplied 0.2, paint cups from 1mm to 100mm are available, as well as a side feed conversion kit.

I have found the H&S brushes to be very well built, with exceptionally easy strip down for cleaning.

Badger! Badger! Badger! Badger!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIyixC9NsLI

hehe

I have owned and used several brands of air brush liking and disliking them all at the same time. At the moment I am using Iwata Eclipse HP (bought at Hobby Lobby with coupon) and I recently bought the Badger Renegade Velocity. I like both of these brushes using the badger more for detail work and the Iwata for general use. Love both of them and they will both fit in your budget.

As for the air compressor...I like you got a pancake type thinking I could deal with the noise. Well I could for a while, but when it was real quiet while I was airbrushing, and that puppy popped on I ALWAYS jumped even when I knew it was about to come on. Needless to say when doing fine work i.e. squiggle camo, jumping is not a good thing. To get you started it will work, but for not much more money you can pick up a relativity quiet one from Air Brush depot online.

Good luck on the decision... as it is a big one. But to start off with, buy the best you can afford (buy once, cry once) and learn how to use it to its best potential.