So Many To Choose From!!! (possible can of worms alert!!!)

Just personal opinion here, but I'm a Badger honk.  My recommendation would be a good mid-level dual action AB to start with.  I use the siphon feed/dual action Badger 150 for most of my general spraying, about 60-70% of the time.  I also use the Badger Sotar for fine detail work and finally I have my trusty 200 single action that is pushing 30-years-old now if I am doing a large project.  They are great airbrushes as far as I'm concerned. 

Just my endorsement but keep in mind: everyone has a favorite.

You are wise to consider quality.  If you buy a name brand, you will do OK.  I like my Badger 155 Anthem.  But, there are lots of people who love their Paasche, Iwata, Harder & Steenbeck, or Grex.  It's the same with single action vs. double action, siphon vs. gravity or side feed.  They all have their fans.  It's hard to say which type you would prefer.  You can do nice work with any of them with practice.

Consider spare parts availability and price.  You will likely need some.  Needles are easy to snag and nozzles eventually wear out.

If I may put in a plug for my website, you may find the reviews helpful.

Don

Shnake

...Then there is harbor freight...

 

I bought the H/F airbrush/compressor combo for under 100 bucks. I also bought the one year warranty for a couple bucks...glad I did. Compressor went bad, just shy of a year. It got a LOT of use though. With the return/trade, I bought a second combo, so I can switch back and forth between the compressors during long painting sessions. I'll sometimes paint for 4-6 hours straight...compressors get hot...switching back and forth gives them time to cool down. The two I have now have been going strong for about 4 years now. The A/B's that came with them(red handle), while they were nice in the begining...shot now (pretty sure just in need of new tips and/or needles.) I have also bought 2 of their A/B's(blue handle)...these blue handled ones have a finer tip than the red handled ones. For 20 bucks...I can not complain at all. I do not believe that these are going to last a lifetime...but 20 bucks every few years, really aint too bad!

Welcome back to the hobby! You really can't go wrong with Don's advice, and his website is a great place to sort things out. My belief is that it is easier to grow into a dual action quality AB than to put up with the frustration of using a cheap tool and never knowing if the inevitable problems are you or the equipment.

Airbrushes can be tricky, but they're also really fun. Let us know what you decide.

Mike

I'm a badger fan as well. Got a 150 syphon for larger areas and a 10o gravity for finer detail work. Had my 150 about 15 years or more and no issues that were not self imposed.

I had a Badger 200 for many years,worked well for me,but I now prefer a gravity fed,easy to clean and use.

I have an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS

It's all personal preference,you just have to get as much info as you can and see what fits you

 

I'll echo what others have said, and definitely use Don's website as a guide. The man is a wealth of knowledge in the airbrush department.

When I returned to the hobby a few years ago, I was in a similar situation as yourself. I had used an aerosol can "airbrush" and it was more like a toy and not a true tool. My first airbrush I purchased, upon my return, was a cheap Master G-22 dual action. It was not the greatest by any means, and I picked it up off of eBay with a small compressor. It was okay for learning to control the flow of paint and air. I quickly realized that I needed a better quality airbrush and a better compressor if I really wanted to improve the results. I then purchased a Paasche Talon gravity feed, dual-action with a fine and medium needle and a larger compressor that had a resevoir tank and moisture trap and adjustable pressure valve. Immediately I noticed the difference in what a better airbrush could accomplish.

About 6 months ago I found an excellent deal on the Badger Krome and have been thoroughly impressed with this brush. I now use the Krome as my "go-to"; however, I do still reach for the Paasche from time to time, especially when I have a large painting are to paint as it has a large paint cup than the Krome.

Thank you all...!!!  You are a huge help.  I do need to visit Don's page before I purchase anything.

I have seen a Paasche H set on ebay, brand new.  It comes with a heavy duty double braided 10 foot hose a lid and bottle.  $28 bucks with shipping.   I'll keep my eye on that.  It's a single action.  I also am scoping out the badgers.

Since I already have a pancake compressor I will use that.  Pleanty of volume and variable pressure. 

Now off to Don's site.

 

Well;

   The truth is once you try a brush , if you like it stick with it . I started many years ago with De-Vilbiss sign painter pro .Can't afford them now so it is a forty year old Badger and a bunch of Paasche , and each is set up for a specific use . I use my Badger for autos or Aircraft gloss jobs .

     I also have , believe it or not , an ancient Binks that my foster father used , for his Duck decoys . It still works too . It is for weathering only .  T.B.

I bought an Iwata NEO gravity feed on Amazon for $60. Great airbrush. Easy to clean and can get a very fine line or wider coverage

Recently got into airbrushing myself and my choice was the Paasche talon. It was around $130 Cad and have been very happy with its performance and ease of cleaning. They sell several tip, aircap and needle combos (0.20, 0.25, 0.38 and 0.66) for a very reasonable $20usd. I have found it to be a very versatile and easy to use brush, most replacement parts seem reasonably cheap. Its gravity feed has a very attractive finish. The trigger stop is a nice feature for me as I have not mastered controlling paint flow by feel alone. Mine came with the 0.38 set which I use for finer work but I did also purchase the 0.66 for painting larger areas. This brush is a dual action gravity fed. One thing I really like is the needle cap its not solid all the way around the needle, it protects well and allows better air/paint flow around the cap. Really though I don't think you would go wrong with most entry level brand name brushes. Most seem to be of good quality. I'd avoid the 20$ amazon/ebay ones though, got one as a test and it has been nothing but problems. Tip drying, harder to clean, questionable longevity, sticky trigger, poor paint finish.

I also have an Iwata Neo and agree with everything TempestJohnny says. They have them at HobbyLobby for $80 but with the 40% off coupon....You do the math because I suck at it! With an adapter for the hose it'll work on your compressor. I use a Harbor freight 3 gallon.

You can go here:

www.tcpglobal.com

You'll find nice airbrush/compressor package deals there.

ecotec83

I'd avoid the 20$ amazon/ebay ones though, got one as a test and it has been nothing but problems. Tip drying, harder to clean, questionable longevity, sticky trigger, poor paint finish.

 

Yeah I'm playing with a limited budget...I'm disabled, wife 3 kids, house, etc... (add the violins here).

So I'm not able to drop $80 or more on an AB just yet.  I have to get the model, diorama, paints etc...  So I'm very budget conscious!  Dan's site had a pretty good review of the Paache H...  Can't afford the Badgers though they are REALLY nice!!!

Thanks

Shnake

DasBeav

hey have them at HobbyLobby for $80 but with the 40% off coupon....

HobbyLobby...That's a familiar name...I'll check them and Towere Hobies as well.  Thank you!

Thanks for the Link Black Sheep!!!   That is my favorite WWII plane BTW...I will have to build one of them.  I'll be keeping an eye out for a large one.  

Hi I'm new to airbrushing and only just starting out but sadly done the usual thing off rushing out and buying cheap rubbish airbrushes with horrid results so now I've just bought a badger renegade krome syphon feed and a iwata hp-sar revolution gravity feed i think the iwata comes with a .3 needle and the badger comes with .21 and a .3 can someone please tell me are these both decent airbrushes 

Thanks

Check out this article that shows what a skilled hand can do with a Paasche H.

Don

Don Wheeler

Check out this article that shows what a skilled hand can do with a Paasche H.

Don

 

WOW, Beautiful work on a 1/72 scale no less...  Thanks Don!!!

Shnake

 

WOW, Beautiful work on a 1/72 scale no less...  Thanks Don!!!

 

Roy Sutherland is a Pro.  He didn't get that good overnight.  But, you can do really nice work if you are willing to practice and experiment with needle setting, thinning and air pressure.  Paint some junk plastic before you try a model.  It will save some frustration.

Take care of your lungs.  Consider building a vented spray booth.  I hope you have fun with it.

Don

Hi please can someone advise me on a couple of airbrushes i recently bought i want to have a go at weathering 1:76 scale locos and originally bought cheap with horrid results so now bought a badger renegade krome gravity feed and a iwata hp-sar revolution syphon feed and wondered if these are both decent ones or not thanks in advance

Antony

All Badgers and Iwatas are decent airbrushes.  The Krome is excellent for detail work.  But, you can't buy skill.  Like any tool, it takes practice to get the best out of it.

Don

Thanks for your reply don the iwata comes with a .3 needle will this still be ok for weathering my locos 

Thanks 

Either airbrush should be fine for your weathering.  You may find that each has a different feel and that you prefer one over the other.  But, they are both very capable.

Don

My first air brush was a Badger 150  I bought in the mid 1970s and I still use it. That says a lot about great quality. I also own two more Badgers. Can't go wrong with any Badger.

 

That's an impressive amount of time to have the same airbrush

I'm also trying to find out what i should set the compressor regulator at the compressor has a 3.5 litre tank 

Badgers are made to last and are very affordable.

Setting the psI depends on the mixture, air brush type and manufacturer and a bunch of other things.  

Best advise is to experiment with paint/thinner ratios and psi settings. To start off, thin your paint 50/50 and psi 20 lbs. Thoat is a good starting point and adjust from there.

Ok thank you once again unfortunately when i rushed out and bought a cheap airbrush and cheap compressor without a tank there were virtually nothing to adjust lol but now I've invested in quality items there's a lot more to it but I'm looking forward to using them and to see what the finished item will look like