Buying an airbrush.Need advice.

You could get the Badger 100 side feed for $68.95 at Coast Airbrush.  There is a review of it on my site.   Or, you could get the Thayer & Chandler Omni 6000 for $81.95.  The Omni has the same internal parts as the Omni 4000, which I have, and the 4000 is a very good airbrush.  Parts and service should be no problem for either.  One kind of neat thing about the Omni is that there is an adapter to allow the use of Aztek paint cups.

Don

Thanks for the advice. I wasnt really looking at badger, mainly because im not too happy with the one i have now. It is a cheap Single action though, might be why. Havent seen the Omni before. Anyone else used one?

If you paid $20 for it it's probably a Badger 250, which is not really an airbrush.  Even Badger calls it a spray gun.  There is no comparison with a real airbrush.  Another option for side feed is the Aztek.  Some people love them, some hate them.  There is also the Paasche V, if you like fat bodied airbrushes.  It's in your price range, but I have no experience with it.

Don

Looking for a decent brush with side-feed for the budget will narrow your choices - I would suggest looking at a gravity as well;

Iwata Revolution CR - about $90,

Harder & Steenbeck Ultra - about $90, 2ml cup & 0.2mm needle, 5ml cup & 0.4mm needle available,

Badger Renegade Velocity - about $95, or the Renegade Spirit (side feed) also for about $95.

All respectable airbrushes.

I forgot about the Spirit.  But, that tiny nozzle is going to make the learning curve a little steeper.

You said your compressor wouldn't work with your airbrush.  Any airbrush will need a decent compressor to give good results.  You may want to consider an upgrade if yours is marginal.

Don

The compressor wont work because i couldnt find the proper adapter. Though i did come across one today while looking for a new brush. Go figure. 
Milair- Like i said in the original post, i dont mind gravity fed, just would prefer side if it was an option.

Thanks for the advice again. I was looking at the Revolution BR, and i noticed the Paasche Talon TG-2L, anyone know about that one at all or have used it?Same with the revolution?Any experience?
Also, i didnt see the thread sizes listed, i have an 1/8" end on my hose, will that work with the Iwatas and the Paasche, or do i need another size/adapter?
Thanks again.

Iwata & H&S are both 1/8" (BSP), Badger & Paasche both use pretty specific threads.

Ok thanks. 

I would opt for a gravity feed and go for the Badger Patriot with a couple of extra needles and tips.

They are American made, have the best service of any airbrush company and are the biggest selling airbrush in the world for good reason.

It seems like at my price range, the way it sounds, i could basically just pick whatever one looks prettiest. It seems like  there really is no clear best. Am i wrong here?

Another question. Needles/tips, how often should i replace those exactly? 

If you're interested, you can still get an Iwata Revolution from Chicago Airbrush Supply for $72.95 with free shipping(in the US) and a 7% discount through the end of the month. That would be $67.85. I've bought two brushes from them and they shipped quickly.

As far as replacing tips and needles, that depends on how much you use them. It's metal against metal so they do wear. You'll see the rub marks on the needle where it's making contact. But they don't have to be replaced often. If you notice a change in spray pattern or paint flow and cleaning doesn't fix it then maybe it's time. It is good to have a spare on hand in case you bend a needle or split a tip.

Tony

Thanks again for the info. Yeah, that looks like what im gonna go with. Seems like the best deal so far, being as most other places have the Revolutions at around $100. 

sgtcat09

Thanks again for the info. Yeah, that looks like what im gonna go with. Seems like the best deal so far, being as most other places have the Revolutions at around $100. 

In your original post, you mentioned Hobby Lobby. You can get the Iwata HP-CS gravity feed airbrush there for under $120 there using the 40% off coupon. Parts are convenient to get and cheap at Hobby Lobby too. If you have Hobby Lobby locally, this may be your best deal if you can stretch the budget a little..

The Neo for Iwata is not a bad choice for beginner at $38. Quality control is a problem of the Neo, but you can always return or exchange it if the one you get is not so good. Consider this because you have not say anything about what to use for your air source yet. A quality compressor is not going to be cheap, and canned air are too expensive in the long run.

I have both of these. The HP-CS is my main modeling airbrush. The Neo is the best Iwata knock-off I have seen, but it is NOT an Iwata. I bought it out of curiosity because it is so cheap.

I've been using a badger 150 for quite some time. I like that the cup detaches for easier cleaning. I recently got a badger patriot and it is superior to the badger 150. They both have their merits, however.

keilau

sgtcat09:

Thanks again for the info. Yeah, that looks like what im gonna go with. Seems like the best deal so far, being as most other places have the Revolutions at around $100. 

 

In your original post, you mentioned Hobby Lobby. You can get the Iwata HP-CS gravity feed airbrush there for under $120 there using the 40% off coupon. Parts are convenient to get and cheap at Hobby Lobby too. If you have Hobby Lobby locally, this may be your best deal if you can stretch the budget a little..

 

That's what I did and it cost less than $100 incluing tax.

Thanks again for all the help guys. I decided to go with the Revolution Br from Chicago Airbrush Supply. Ended up being $72.95 total. Love the free shipping. Looking forward to testing it out when it gets it, and ill report how it goes. 

Levi

sgtcat09

Thanks again for all the help guys. I decided to go with the Revolution Br from Chicago Airbrush Supply. Ended up being $72.95 total. Love the free shipping. Looking forward to testing it out when it gets it, and ill report how it goes. 

Levi

If you have not ordered yet, you can also consider the Iwata Eclipse HP-BCS, only $96 at Hobby Lobby. It is a very good deal because it includes the airhose and a bunch of other items.

You cannot go wrong with the Iwata Revolution HP-BR either. It is very popular with UK modellers. The only drawback is that you cannot get parts at Hobby Lobby.

Whatever you get, come back and let us know how it works out for you.

Just wow. I got it on wednesday, which was really quick shipping. I definitely wasn't expecting priority when i got the free shipping. Of course I had the wrong hose, so I went to harbor freight and picked up the right one. Coming from a $20 single action, I'm amazed. I started off doing a 1/36 scale RC body I've been wanting to paint for over a year. Still haven't quite finished it, but it's way better than using spray cans. When i finish that (hopefully by tomorrow) I'm gonna work on that 1/48 Phantom I've been wanting to start for a while. 

But on to the gun. The trigger is smooth (Not that i have others to compare it to, but it feels smooth enough). The paint's coming out nice. The only problem I'm having is trying to aim the brush . Other than that it's working great. I can't really see the need for another brush, except one with a bigger needle size. Damn this one's small lol. I got it mainly for 1/144 planes and it seems perfect for it. Especially for those stupid little detailed lines and little areas i had trouble using a brush with. Thank you guys for the all the advice, it definitely helped me make the right choice.