what airbrush to choose?

G'day Matt.

I have a HP C plus that I like very much and just bought a H&S Silverline 2 in 1 and I like it better than the Iwata. There's plenty of good intel on the H&S range and what there best for.  Have a look at this.

www.youtube.com/watch

He has his opinion on CRplus as well.

I find the Silverline so much easier to use and cleaning is easier as well, parts are interchangeable and seem to be cheaper.

1 vote Silverline but as always its what YOU like.

Hope that helps,

If you are thinking of buying the H &S models or any AB for that matter, check out the prices at www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com  as they often have 11-15% off specials-get on their mailing list right away and they will send those to you. Last one was 14% off at Valentine's day. Wait a couple of weeks and another will pop up, plus free shipping over $99.

This was cheapest about 6 weeks ago.

precisiongermanairbrush.com

His service is great and fast.

It pays to shop around though as chilli says.

Hi Matt12,

Since I bought the H&S Evolution, it is the one attached to my compressor almost permanently though I have others. I don't have an Iwata HP-CPlus but have a similar Grex XG and it's a fine AB. The H&S is just great for me. I don't think you'd find  much difference in function between the Infinity and the Evolution (the Infinity sure in pretty though) because parts are interchangeable. Also, unless you're allergic to nickle plating the additional cost of the CRplus may not be worth it. And, because you've already used an AB, I think feel and enjoyment in use is important in adding another. Iwata makes fine AB's (I have an Iwata Revolution CR) but the H&S Evolution is, well for me, just better. Also, I think my Evolution is EASIER to clean than others I have.

Here's my subjective judgment.  

My main AB's have been an Iwata HP-CS and an Iwata SAR.  I wanted another AB, so I bought a H&S Evolution a few months ago.  It was a good AB but was not ultra precision-engineered like Iwata.  I especially didn't like the Evolution's trigger feel.

So I bought an Iwata HP-B Plus (the same as the HP-C Plus but with a smaller cup).  It's a marvelous piece of precision engineering.  You can buy an HP-C Plus for only $180 at Amazon.  

You'll eventually need parts. If Hobby Lobby is near you, you can get Iwata parts very cheaply using a 40% off coupon.

In terms of functionality, I don't think there's big difference between high-end Iwata and H&S.  But, ultimately, the deciding factor will be how an AB feels in YOUR hand.  

If you need to hear more opinions, ask at theairbrushforum.com.  Most of its forumites are professional AB artists and they do know what they're talking about.  

thanks everybody for the links and great help, i think i will cancel infinity crplus and go for an evo or evo crplus. hopefully it will be easy to clean since the current sparmax i have is pretty damn hard to clean or maybe its just me obsessed with the AB.  about the CRplus option, i was wondering if it is just about the exterior plating or the interior is also double plated? cause i have heard that you can wash the CRplus models with much stronger solvents and it does not hurt them.

Matt12

about the CRplus option, i was wondering if it is just about the exterior plating or the interior is also double plated? cause i have heard that you can wash the CRplus models with much stronger solvents and it does not hurt them.

CRplus models have an inner triple nickel plate finish & a heavy exterior chrome finish. Nickel is resistant to solvents / cleaners but is less resistant to abrasion than chrome, hence the triple inner coating. 

do you think the inner parts also need to be resistant to abrasion?

Matt12

do you think the inner parts also need to be resistant to abrasion?

There's a lot of variables, how much use is it going to get? don't forget that airbrushes are not just made for modelers, there's pros out there that have the brush in there hand 8 hours a day 5 or more days a week, then I could see where triple plate might be a bonus but if its going to get used a few times a week for a hour or two then its going to last for donkeys. The triple coating is aimed at allergy sufferers anyway, here's a quote from H&S:

"The advantage is primarily the reduction in the allergy risk. Contact between nickel coating and hand perspiration can lead to an allergic reaction among some users."

They also have the long life seal but you can buy that for $2.80 and it fits all the H&S brushes except the Colani.

Did you check the video above?

If you have money to burn then go for it but I don't think the average modeler will see any benefit from the CR plus.

Cheers.

Snibs

The triple coating is aimed at allergy sufferers anyway, here's a quote from H&S:

"The advantage is primarily the reduction in the allergy risk. Contact between nickel coating and hand perspiration can lead to an allergic reaction among some users."

They also have the long life seal but you can buy that for $2.80 and it fits all the H&S brushes except the Colani.

The triple coating is the Nickel on the inside.....

If you can get a triple seal set (3 seals & a retaining screw) for $2.80, please tell me where?

precisiongermanairbrush.com/accessories_harder.html

scroll down 126470 is the part number.

plus the 3 seals at $5.82 part 123450

Milairjunkie

It's handy for the inside of the paint cup, the paint well & the bore from the well to the front of the airbrush as cleaning will wear their nickel plating (eventually).

By eventually do you mean days, months, years or eons? Chrome is probably 'harder' than nickel but in an AB I don't think I'd worry about it. Nickel is plenty abrasion http://www.modernhc.com/nickeldivision.html resistant. That is unless you clean your AB with sandpaper. Yes, geologists tell us the Grand Canyon was formed by water abrasion but look how long that took - and the coating wasn't even nickel .

And, one of things I really like about my Evolution is interchangeable paint cups. A feature many others don't have.

Following what Snibs posted, my Evolutiion has Teflon seals everywhere, including the seal for the paint cup - all from the link he posted.  For our use, IMHO, Nickel plating is fine but chrome is 'prettier'. Unless you're allergic to nickel.

Bick

By eventually do you mean days, months, years or eons? Chrome is probably 'harder' than nickel but in an AB I don't think I'd worry about it. Nickel is plenty abrasion http://www.modernhc.com/nickeldivision.html resistant. That is unless you clean your AB with sandpaper.

Following what Snibs posted, my Evolutiion has Teflon seals everywhere, including the seal for the paint cup - all from the link he posted.  For our use, IMHO, Nickel plating is fine but chrome is 'prettier'. Unless you're allergic to nickel.

A few years depending on how often it's used & how it's cleaned - usually noticeable inside the paint cup & paint well first from cleaning where the brass starts to show through. Given the option of chrome or nickel I would go for chrome every time - it's simply more durable, resistant & less affected by wear or staining.

All H&S's now use solvent resistant PTFE seals in the paint path, the CRplus & ALplus model differ in having a triple needle seal, hence the long life statement.

so the verdict would be the regular Evolution with a separate set of seals & rings ? i am going to buy from airbrush-city.de, the price for infinity CR plus is 195E and the regular Evo is just 110E. the guy who reviewed the ABs on Youtube  said that even the Ultra is on par with these two models, talking about the  performance and spraying quality. so i think i dont want to pay some extra 100E just for the look of infinity and a bunch of luxury features. right?

also does anybody have any experience with Sparmax SP-20x ? is it even comparable to H&S ABs?

I have a 35 year old paasch H, and a 1 month H because we thought it was lost on my move.  I also have several additions, such as a HS nozzle and several mix bottles.  adding to that I have several old mm paint bottles for mixing, and a cap that I installed the siphon tube in, for painting.  with my system,  I don't have any internal parts.  the only internal part it one seal that costs about 40 cents per.  my first brush is 30+ years old,  the trigger and inner air only components have never been changed, and as now,  they do not leak.