I am thinking of upgrading to an Aztek . Has anybody used one? And are they worth looking at?

NO!!!!!! go with badger. aztek is a ******* piece of ******* ****

As per above.

Go with a Badger, you won't regret it!

Karl

These airbrush dialogues are reminiscent of my Grandfather's Ford vs. Chevy view. Passionate but not necessarily fully informed.

I only know the Aztek 470, which is the top of their line. It was a spur-of-the-moment buy, inspired by repeated failures to make my Binks Wren work properly (I've been at this a long time). It works fine in 1/72 scale and I'm very happy with it, particularly after I learned how to disassemble the nozzles for proper cleaning. Also, if it's not spraying, taking the nozzle out and checking to see if the inner sleeve is jammed in at the rear of the nozzle is a good first step. Parts seem to be readily available, not that I've needed any after I bought the kit. Testors has a good reference page on airbrushing with a training syllabus - they don't cover disassembling the nozzle or back flushing but these tasks may not be necessary if you spray cleaner soon and long enough, plus the periodic soak of the nozzle in lacquer thinner (enamel) or windex (acrylic).

However, the Aztek range is very large, and the cheaper Azteks may deserve the reputation that they seem to have with many of our brethren.

In turn, I don't have any experience with Badger or any of the other modern airbrushes, haven't done a proper cost comparison, don't try to spray a very fine line, and have had trouble with smooth trigger control. However, if the price were right, I would unhesitatingly recommend an Aztek 470.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tailspinturtle These airbrush dialogues are reminiscent of my Grandfather's Ford vs. Chevy view. Passionate but not necessarily fully informed.

I would agree. Saying that a product "sucks" or is "a piece of junk" as a blanket statement is not an objective answer and is nothing more than a subjective opinion.
If an Aztek works for you and you enjoy it then don't listen to what others tell you, but if it has given you nothing but troubles as many here have attested to, then maybe it's time to get a traditional airbrush. I think that's the best advise for any tool we use in this hobby.

Mike

so far I'm happy with my aztek 4709 kit. I'm still learniong, as I'm very new to airbrushing. I think it was worth the money.
Bruce

Man, this has been a hotly debated issue.
I persinally can wholeheartedly reccomend the aztec 470, as it's a brush I've been using for a while now, and it works just fine.

You will hear discussions like this about computer harddrives.
One guy has a problem with a maxtor harddrive and proclaims to everyone that it is junk, but Western Digital is the best
Another guy will have no problem with the Maxtor but will proclaim the WD junk because of previous issues.

I guess the same thing is here.

I have 2 Badger's, a 150 and a 350, and an Aztec A470.They all work well and each has it's plus's & minus's.All I can say is research and ask and decide which is best for you.
JJ.

I think some of these comments are the very best advice you could receive. Every segment has people who compare "A" to "B" to "C" and there will always be differing opinions on which is best.

The best advice you could get is to find one that YOU like, that will do what YOU want, and fits your price range. As long as you are happy with it and it does what you want, it does not matter what anyone else thinks. After all, painting with an airbrush is probably 80% painter and 20% airbrush.

The problem is you don't know what you like until it's too late. Following are my experiences with an Aztec that I posted some time ago and a follow-up on my Omni experiences.

I purchased an Aztec A470 about a year and a half ago on the recommendation of my LHS. I was getting back into modeling after a long, long time away and had never used an AB.

I fought the Aztec all the way. The nozzles were a pain – always clogging. Soaking was only marginally successful – and I pulled the nozzle immediately after completing a job. Sometimes I changed nozzles several times during a session. I almost always had to pull the needle out and clean it and the spring. The caveat is I use Tamiya flat acrylics exclusively – thinned 50%. This could have been a factor?

But, the biggest problem was it never worked in double action mode. It started shooting paint as soon as the trigger was depressed, regardless of the adjustment setting, the air pressure setting or the nozzle being used. A warranty replacement still didn’t fix the problem.

I finally solved the problem a couple of months ago. I purchased an Omni 6000, so I could use my Aztec cups. In my opinion, there is no comparison between the Azrtec and the Omni. And, I tried long and hard to make the Aztec work.....

A further caveat. I would think seriously about buying an Omni 4000 instead of the 6000 if I could do this all over again. The side cup gets in the way when trying to paint in close quarters. The Aztec will have the same constraint.

jridge - at the risk of insulting your intelligence, there is a silver knurled wheel on the rear of the Aztek 470 that changes it from single to double action. It's not really clear from the pictorial instructions which way to turn it for double action, but from your discription of spraying paint right away when the trigger was depressed, it sounds like it might have been on single action - or maybe the paint was too thin. I don't thin Tamiya that much...

I also have the Aztek A470 and love it!...I use "Castrol Super Clean" to clean my airbrush nozzles...I add a few drops to the cup when I'm finished painting with one color and spray all the castrol out, wipe the cup with a clean lint free rag, then add my new color, spray a little to clean out any remaining CSC left on the needle and start painting again....After I'm finished painting for the day, I take the A470, after removing the nozzle, and put the cups, jars and nozzles in a Qt. Size, Freezer Zip lock bag, pour in some Castrol Super clean just enough to cover them, squeeze all the air out and zip it up to soak over night!..I do not dilute the CSC and the next day I wash the nozzles, cups and bottles with water, then hook the nozzles to the airbrush, turn on the compressor and blow out all the water inside the nozzles and cups....Also I spray a little WD-40 with the 6"long plastic nozzle in the slot on the finger trigger, just a little shot will do..."It works for Me!" Also I use the right nozzle to paint with..Sence I only use Acrylic's, I use the Acrylic's nozzles and thin the paint to that of 2% milk...I also use that silver wheel on the top, back of the AB to adjust to single or double action...I "think" Aztek when using my Aztek..I also have a Paasche single action"H" airbrush that I use too....And when I'm using the Paasche I "think" Paasche airbrush... I also clean it with CSC......CSC removes the paint off my airbrushes if I get any on them and I use it to clean the paint off old models that I've bought on eBay in "Lots" of model "Junk"and some times at yard sales around town someone will have their kid's old models (some are really old) out there for sale...After a day or so CSC will have the old paint off and the model back to "New" condition...I belive that CSC will help clean any airbrush as it sure cleans my Aztek470, cups, bottles and nozzles..."RC"

I've had an Aztec since they first came out, had good luck with mine, My advise is to check around, read up on them, find the best for you and go with that one.
I orked in my LHS for 6years and saw problems with ALL brands. The main problems people had were NOT cleaning them when they are done and dropping them bending the needles.

I've been using a Paasche H for over 20 years with no problems. I only had to buy a new needle and nozzle once after dinging it. Paasches are relatively inexpensive too.

-Dave

Wow, reasoned responses to Aztek brushes, what a refreshing change. I have 470 and like it. When I first started I had issues but learned to deal with them as with any airbrush. LIke others have said, each AB has their plus & minus. Since the Aztek is different, some of the maintanence is different from 'regular' AB. Check out Hyperscale's Brett Green's work or his www.scaleworkshop.com to see some great work with the Aztek 470 - from planes to 1/72nd armor. My best advise to is read up on the different models and then find one base on your budget vs feature (i.e. gravity feed, cups, single action vs double action, etc...) But be forwarned if you do get a Aztek, you will get a lot of flak from people that will insist on telling you its a piece of garbage everytime you ask for some advice on Airbrushing.

What are you upgrading from? If you already have a quality airbrush such as a Badger or Paasche, I think the Aztek would represent a downgrade rather than an upgrade.

The reason I recommend against Aztek's is due to their lack of reliabilty as opposed to any painting issues. I have an Aztek A430 and it stopped working after a relatively short service life. I could not find any fault with my care and cleaning of the unit that would have caused the failure. I religiously followed Aztek cleaning instructions prior to its breakage, and the extensive troubleshooting guide provided by Aztek's customer representative provided no help either. Although Aztek did follow through with their lifetime warranty, I was out the use of the airbrush during the three week turn around. On this board and others, I have read numerous comments from other Aztek owner's whose experience mirrors my own, leading me to believe that my experience was due to the Aztek's fundamental design rather than a chance manufacturing defect.

While the Aztek was being replaced, I bought a Badger 200 siphon feed and have been most impressed. It paints well and it's single action trigger easily allows a novice to paint fine lines. The only issues I have with it was re-assembly after a total breakdown was cumbersome the first couple of times I did it, but a snap subsequently. Badger's color cup for it is somewhat problematic as well. Ironically, I adapted my Aztek siphon feed color cup and have been quite happy with that arrangement. It's painting quality seems as good or better than that of the Aztek, although my increasing skill with airbrushing probably accounts for some of the Badger's superiority in that department.

Today, on a lark, I picked up a Paasche H, and after playing around with it for a bit and painting some tank tracks, I'm really impressed. It lays down a really nice coat of paint. With its no.1 tip, I was able to easily paint some very fine lines. Cleanup and breakdown if needed are a snap. As DJ mentioned it was quite inexpensive as well.

I bought an Aztek for $50.00 It worked for me twice. I cleaned it, I didn't drop it, I used the correct needles, I thinned the paint correctly, I used the correct air pressure. In frustration I destroyed the trigger housing after soaking it in thinner. I bought an Omni 5000 for $60.00. My Omni works every time with no problems. Cleaning is a snap, and it's not made out of cheap plastic. (any part of it, I am aware of the metal body Azteks, however those too have cheap plastic components.) For $10 more I wouldn't take the risk as Azteks are very picky, and rarely is anyone happy with them.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tailspinturtle These airbrush dialogues are reminiscent of my Grandfather's Ford vs. Chevy view. Passionate but not necessarily fully informed. I only know the Aztek 470, which is the top of their line. It was a spur-of-the-moment buy, inspired by repeated failures to make my Binks Wren work properly (I've been at this a long time). It works fine in 1/72 scale and I'm very happy with it, particularly after I learned how to disassemble the nozzles for proper cleaning. Also, if it's not spraying, taking the nozzle out and checking to see if the inner sleeve is jammed in at the rear of the nozzle is a good first step. Parts seem to be readily available, not that I've needed any after I bought the kit. Testors has a good reference page on airbrushing with a training syllabus - they don't cover disassembling the nozzle or back flushing but these tasks may not be necessary if you spray cleaner soon and long enough, plus the periodic soak of the nozzle in lacquer thinner (enamel) or windex (acrylic). However, the Aztek range is very large, and the cheaper Azteks may deserve the reputation that they seem to have with many of our brethren. In turn, I don't have any experience with Badger or any of the other modern airbrushes, haven't done a proper cost comparison, don't try to spray a very fine line, and have had trouble with smooth trigger control. However, if the price were right, I would unhesitatingly recommend an Aztek 470.

I could not agree more, although in Australia it would be Ford vs Holden

A I am a design drafter by profession, my experience with technical pens made the Aztek system very attractive and I purchased the A470 as well. Works very well for me, providing you keep it clean and tidy. There is a pinned maintenance "how to" in ARC's tools n tips forum that outlines the best methods to keep an Aztek in tip top condition.

I also have a Modelmaster (Aztek) S1000 single action a/b and that has never missed a beat either.

cheers

Mike

It all comes down to this. If you like an airbrush that may be more of a challenge than the finish that you are trying to apply, go with the Aztek. For about the same dollar figure you can get a Badger, Omni or even an Iwata that will probably serve you better and let you concentrate on the model you are working on rather than the airbrush.



Mike M

I wouldn't reccomend an aztek. I used one and was happy with it, but that was because it was the only aiorbrush I had ever known. I now have a badger and like it much much much much much more. The aztek requires far too much cleaning in my opinion.

hold up guys! this was posted march of LAST year. I don't think this guy is looking for reponses anymore.

BAHAHAHAHAHA Good call, here we are arguing the same crap over and over again like drones.........

I've been using an Aztek 4709 for about a year now with good results. I've used acrylics exclusively and haven't had to switch nozzles yet. I'm looking forward to trying the other nozzles with enamels at some point. I don't follow the idea that heavy means more quality (insert Jurassic Park line "is it Heavy? Yes. Then it's expensive, put it back!"). The Aztek doesn't feel cheap and my airbrush hand is still the same size as my offhand after hours of airbrushing. I like that. It would be nice to be made of money and try them all but I spent all my money on models. Well, if my Aztek gives me grief this forum will be first to know but so far it's been worth the price.