Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

I have an antique airbrush. A Binks Wren. I am considering updating to a more modern design. The popular choices at the online hobby suppliers are:

Testors Aztek

Badger

Pasche VL

Which airbrush do you use? Why did you choose it over the other model?

Have you used more than one model and can make a direct comparison?

FWIW, right now I am thinking the Aztek system looks very good.

Thanks!

Irish R.Seer

My Feedback: (1)

I've been using the Badger Crescendo airbrush for a few years now. It was recommended by my LHS and I am very happy with the unit. It comes with three sizes of nozzle and you can use it for big areas or very fine work. This is the only model I've used so I can't compare it with any of the units you mention. Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Bill.

icenine

The Iwata eclipse is a great all around airbrush its a double action gravity feed with a double taper needle .The doulble taper allows you to get very fine detail as well as a very broad stroke without having to change parts .
You can even spray without the crown cap to get an even finer line . is all chrom metal which makes for easy cleaning and is very durable , they are very competivly priced but im not sure if you LHS will carrie them you might have to go to an artsupply store. Iwata makes a bunch or different air brushes and guns for fine art and automotive but the eclipse is best suited for hobbiests.
Cheers.

Steve Collins

My Feedback: (8)

I had a Badger 200 airbrush for years. I hated it! It never worked right consistently. I switched to a Paasche VL because a friend of mine was using one and he never had any problems with it whatsoever. With the Paasche VL, I also have never had a single airbrush problem. Works perfectly every time. It comes with three different needle sizes for different spraying needs.

chris de jon

Hi,
I have 3 airbrushes, an Atlas air. a Devilbis sprite Major, and an Iwata Eclipse as mentioned byIcenine.
The Iwata is by far the best Brush. Mine is a suction with bottles. I purchased the Auto stop handle as an option.(This lets you set the amount of travel) The Eclipse also has a cutaway handle with a pull stop in the cut out. When the pull stop is pulled all the way back and the trigger depressed allows all build up of gunge to be blown out. A handy facility when spraying acrylic primer
Cheers
Chris de Jon

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Thanks for the info gentlemen. I looked up Iwata and found them to be priced in the $400-$500 range. Is this correct?

chris de jon

Hi Kmot
Sorry I can't help you on price from the land of Oz.
I purchased the basic Eclipse model number HP BCS
with suction feed about 2 oz plastic bottle supplied. Even though I can also use my collection of
Devilbuss glass bottles.
plus purchased the optional pre set handle.
Hope this helps
Chris De jon

Steve Collins

My Feedback: (8)

Nope, $400 to $500 seems to be way off, at least for the Iwata Eclipse, according to the $75 stated on this website:

http://www.dixieart.com/Eclipse.html

DustOffUH1

My Feedback: (2)

I ordered mine (Iwata Eclipse) from Dixie Art, among other things. They deliver fast and have decent prices. I love the Eclipse, although for bigger jobs, I plan on using an automotive touch up gun. I have a badger touch up gun, and another set, can't remember the name.
Joe

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

It also depends on what you wan to do..

the Eclipse is probably the best brush out there.. and the slightly more $$ you'll spend, will be well worth it.

The Paache line has a good reputation, as with modellers, T-Shirt guys, and the likes.. Again, a good brush for the $$. It's more of a 'hobby brush' than a 'Pro brush' the Iwata is known as..

The Cresendo by Badger somewhat repalces their 150 line. A good brush, and in line with the Paache VL line, same quality & market. But teh Paache offers easier clean up, and parts. The BAdger 150 or cresendo offer teh various tips for the level of detail, but just more parts to loose... The Creseondo is also heavy, and liek teh PAcche, fat! this might take some getting used to..

Dunno anythign about the Testors model, but from what I beleive, it is a single action (all others mentioned are dual action) and geared to 'first timers'

And make sure you get a compressor with a tank. This is usually a major oversight, but yeilds BIG results..

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

That's more like it! Thanks!

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Well the new Aztek 4709 airbrush kit is home with me now.

It is a double action that can also be used as a single action. It comes with lots of different paint bottles and accessories and a lovely solid mahogany wood case. Quite a good value. I practiced with it today a bit and getting used to the double action feature will take some getting used to but I think I am going to appreciate it.

It has some interesting features. It can be used with gravity cups; siphon bottles; and a third type (I forget right now) but it comes with all of them plus 6 different nozzles for different spray patterns and types of paint.

But, it was missing the adapter to hook the air hose to a compressor! Typical Irish luck, lol! Fortunately I had some fittings and was able to make an adapter so I don't have to wait a couple weeks for the replacement part.

Overall a good deal for $100 imho. http://www.testors.com/catalog_item.asp?itemNbr=50

icenine

the eclipse goes for about 150.00 canadian ( 100 us or somthing like that ) the $400- $500- are the iwata micron's not suitable for hobby more for fine illusration and

Semi Retired Aviator

While on the subject of airbrushes, are they suitable for use with acrylic paint, or is the paint too thick? I see that most come with a number of jets, so maybe the biggest will be OK.

Any input would be appreciated.

t to the maxx2

My Feedback: (1)

i usad a badger 150 pro fr this

icenine

Acrylic paint ,dye and solvent base panits will be fine for air brushs just make sure when you are useing solvent base products that the "O" rings are solvent proof or they can melt -fall apart
just use the appropriate thinner . For water based acrylics you can use water or sometimes rubbing alcohol . Just about all paint you are going to use in the air brush you'll have to thin, unless it is made specifically for airbrush (ready to use). As far as" jets " (you mean nozzel's),I dont have an air brush with 10 diffrent interchangeable parts I dont believe in the "FORKSPOON" theory .

The FORKSPOON is a piece of plastic cutlery that used to be popular with a certain southern fried chicken franchise or offered at pic-nics . Simply put it was not a good spoon and even worse as a fork.[:'(] I think you get the idea!
good luck!

Campy

My Feedback: (1)

I have an old Badger single stage. I use acrylics/latex through it all the time with no problems. The key is thinning the paint properly. I set the initial pressure at 20 psi and will go to 25 psi. If it doesn't spray properly, I thin a little more and go back to 20 psi. You should not have to use over 25 psi to spray with the airbrush.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

In the video I have, it says to thin the paint to the consistency of 2% milk.

icenine

25psi? my air brushes are rated 6psi to 90 psi im always at 35 - 40psi . Thinning to the consistency to milk is a good rule of thumb though

pczanowski

Thumbs down on the TESTORS AZTEC.... I now use a PASCHE VL and it's an order of magnotude beyond the AZTEC.

Thge AZTEC is difficult to use, and very difficult to keep clean. The tips require constant cleaning, and replacement sometimes after just one use!

I'm told, but have no first hand knowledge that the Iwata Eclispse is the "Rolls Royse" of the airbrush industry... Perhaps, but I'm much happier with my PASCHE VL since it WORKS!!!!, unlike the TESTORS AZTEC.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

I find the internal mix double action Aztec extremely easy to use and clean. The needle can be easily removed from the tip for cleaning if needed. I've been airbrushing camouflage on my 1/48th scale models with Testors Aztec for years with great results:







I spray at 22 psi with a small hobby compressor.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

LOL...

I have used my Aztec so far to do weathering on a 1/7 scale P-47; and have painted a r/c truck body with it using 5 colors. The Aztec could not be simpler to clean. Simply pull the paint cup out and attach a cup with thinner and pull the trigger. It's done! Much easier to clean than my Binks Wren airbrush system. Changing colors is a snap.

As for being difficult to use, I suppose that might be true in your case. After all, it's a subjective judgement. How you could wear out a tip in one use though, is beyond me...

chimera15

Hi,
Just my 2 cents.

I've been an airbrush user for over 20 years, in everything from tshirt painting, model making, model work, illustration, and also sold airbrushes for an art store. I personally own more than a dozen different kinds of airbrushes.

The fact is that almost every airbrush you buy or look at is going to tell you that it's the finest airbrush in the world and has some gimmick that they're trying to sell you that's different from everyone else. They all have thier strengths and weaknesses, but when you come down to it almost every airbrush out there is capable if well maintained and used properly, at the proper psi, paint mixture, of spraying in 90% of applications the exact same line or detail. Almost none of them in my experiance outperform the other in general use.

What you really have to look at is what you personally feel comforatable with. A lot of people for instance will buy an Aztek and never really invest in the time of figuring out how the brush works because they see it as only a plastic brush after a few uses, this kind of thing happens constantly. You see the same kind of thing with Paasche and the widness of the body and lower quality plastic that they use in for the handle piece. The Paasche Ab, however, for instance, is probably the finest detail brush ever, contradicting Iwata's claims that the Micron is the finest detail brush.

Generally Iwata is a very durable solid classic brush with very good overall cleanability and function, the only real problem with it is that if it's used consistantly eventually the maintenance and or any accident damage which eventually do happen to brushes add up a lot more than say a domestic brush with parts readily available for much lower costs would be. Overall if well maintained an iwata will last probably your entire life where others may start falling apart. The first brush I ever bought was a badger 150 and after about 5 years the color cup attachment and regulator both had to be rewelded to the body to be useable, and also the crome plating has become extremely worn, which wouldn't happen in a solid stainless steel model.

Personally I use 4 brushes when I'm really painting, a light acrylic, a dark acrylic, a light oil, and a dark oil, so I need to do a very minimum of cleaning in between colors when I work. Right now those brushes I prefer are an iwata refitted european realeased airpro top feed, a cresendo, an aztek, and badger 200. Generally I prefer top feeds as they are much simpler to clean and overall have less hassle dealing with how the paint gets to out the end of the brush, therefore less clogging, unless dealing with larger areas or more mass production.

Many airbrushes you can refit with small needles in large nozzles, and sometimes vice versa, even the aztek, to get even higher detail and wider ranges of spraying capabilties. This is something I find many people never explore and never understand about the mechanics of air flow in an airbrush.

Phil

Jimmbbo

I have an Iwata, Paasche, Aztek and Badger 150.... each has its strengths and weaknesses.... If I were to be limited to only one airbrussh, I would be hard pressed to give up either the Iwata or the Badger......

Cheers!

Jim

ml3456

Can airbrushes be used to paint PPG paints on large 30-35% size planes, or should a trim sprayer with a small nozzle be used? Never use one before.

Mark