I need help choosing an airbrush!

What are you painting and with what type of paint.  And, what's available locally so spare parts can be had.

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You didn't list your skill level with an AB so I will assume it is a first AB. I have had a Badger 250, 350 and a 200. I currently use an Iwata CR and an HP-C.

The Badger 200 is a good starting point. A single action, well made, dependable Airbrush. I had the older model that had 3 different heads(Large, Med, Fine). It is a siphin feed and you can use cleaned paint bottles to paint directly from. It is good from base coats to fine line work. For 15 years I only used the 200 and was well satisfied. I would gladly get another. You set a screw in the handle to adjust the paint volume and the trigger controls the airflow, simple as it gets. Goes for about $50 at Dixie Art Supply.

I have had compressors and have worn them out. A continous, adjustable, airflow is important. A regulator and a water trap are important. I have gone to using CO2 in a 20 lbs cylinder. It is quiet, portable, uses no electricity, has no moisture problems, more than enough pressure. Lasts a long time between refills($14).  

I currently use acrylics mostly-Tamiya, Model Master, and Polly Scale.

H3nav wrote:

What are you painting and with what type of paint.  And, what's available locally so spare parts can be had.   E

I will be painting aircraft (mainly jets with easy to moderate level schemes, nothing too tricky), simple auto schemes and armor, armor can be tricky.

Dealing with acrylics sounds too tricky for me. An article on acrylics in a more recent FSM tells how to handle acrylics and properly apply them. It's a fine art as far as I'm concerned. At the moment I just brush paint with Humbrol and Tamiya enamels. Pure and simple. No primer, no solvents, no special treatment.    

There is an art supplies shop in my city that stocks Paasche and Badger and have a list of replacement parts on file, forgot to ask about the other two. Finding a compressor won't be too much of a hassle.

Despite a maximum of two or a few hours of experience of airbrushing paper at school this will be my first ever attempt at airbrushing. I have never used spray cans either. 

Cheers 

Dealing with acrylics sounds too tricky for me." border="0" width="19" height="15" /> An article on acrylics in a more recent FSM tells how to handle acrylics and properly apply them. It's a fine art as far as I'm concerned.

A good hobby airbrush should be able to handle acrylic and enamel paints with equal ease.  Acrylics are really not any more difficult to use than enamels, it's just a matter of different techniques. 

I've switched from enamlels to using acrylic exclusively.  I was really tired of paint fumes and solvent clean up.  I think with safety trends and other issues enamels might end up going by the wayside in the future anyway.  Not anytime soon, but 10 years down the road acrylics may be the only game in town.

Disclaimer: Personal opinion only...