Looking for a good airbrush

[planesandcars]

Hi folks...did some searching around the thread and couldn't really find anything recent but I was looking for some options of what are typically regarded as the best airbrush for models. Definitely a newcomer but I don't mind investing in good tools but I'll try to keep it in the $150 and lower range. I will mostly be spraying cars, airplanes, and possibly boats. Any advice is appreciated.

[porschercr]

Iwata, Grex, Paasche, Badger.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I've only used it once to date, but it worked very nice!

A nice wide fan spray pattern for painting larger areas helps alleviate possible "stripes" in the paint.

Double action, but activated just by pressing the button so there's no double action trigger "learning curve".

And a very handy & comfortable trigger to boot.

I'm pretty much sold so far!

Not terribly expensive at around $115.00.

But you'll have to be patient, they only ship from Japan.

Got mine on Amazon, but they can also be found on ebay.

 

Steve

 

 

[droogie]

Here's a link to a site that has a lot of reviews and other useful info:

https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/

[Greg Pugh]

I use a Paasche VL and absolutely love it! It's super easy to use and clean.

[Pete J.]

For a first time user, I would strongly suggest an airbrush that comes with multiple sized tips and needles.  You use different tips and needles to spray different types of paints and achieve different finishes. The finer the pigments in the paint, the smaller tip you can use.  The courser pigments need a wider tip.  Also bigger tips give a wider spray pattern.  This is helpful when painting large pieces such a 1:12 scale car bodies, 1:32 scale aircraft and ships hulls. 

 All of the major manufactures, Paasche, Iwata, and Badger either have kits with multiple tips or your can buy them separately.  Personally, I have had a Badger 175 for probably 20 years.  They offer a kit with all three tips included, hose, and bottles. 

The Badger does many things well, but over the years I have added other brushes for things I need to do that it doesn't do well.  My Badger is a jack of all trades and a master of none, but for a first brush it is a good buy.  I didn't have the time to look them up, but I am reasonably certain that Paasche and Iwata also have a similar kits. 

The other reason that I suggest these three manufactures are that they have been around a long time and as such, parts are readily available.  It is not a matter of if you will drop and damage your airbrush but a matter of when.  It does happen and having a ready source of parts can save you a lot of money and time.   Good Luck and enjoy!

[MrObsessive]

To echo what Pete said, I have different airbrushes for different things. My old standby is a Badger Crescendo 175T for primer coats and my BIN sealer. I've had this one since 1993-94. Not long ago, I bought a new Crescendo that I'll use when I'm doing for instance metallic paint jobs and I want something that will atomize the paint and metallics with not a lot of drama. Depending on what's being painted, my tip sizes will vary from fine to medium.

For small details like engines, interiors and they're related parts, I use a Badger Patriot gravity feed setup. Believe it or not, I still have the old Badger 150 which can spray like a can for things such as chassis, and whatnot for those times when I want complete and good coverage-------red oxide primer on the chassis for instance.

As always whatever you use, test out your airbrush on something such as a junk body or plastic spoons. Nothing's more frustrating to me when it comes to building than to put all of the time and effort into getting the body work done, getting to the paint stage, only to have it ruined by a bad paint job due to poor prep.

[TarheelRick]

All of the brands presented are good.  It is your choice whether you want a Ford, Chevrolet, or Mopar, so to speak.  I have a Paasche and a couple of Badgers I use.

Pete said, "The other reason that I suggest these three manufactures are that they have been around a long time and as such, parts are readily available.  It is not a matter of if you will drop and damage your airbrush but a matter of when.  It does happen and having a ready source of parts can save you a lot of money and time."  

One good thing about Badger is they will repair certain parts of your airbrush for free ($8 return shipping charge).  I dropped one of mine and crushed the nozzle, plus my 150 would not pull paint from the bottle.  They repaired both of them at no additional cost over the S&H charge.  However if it is a major problem they will charge for the parts needed.

[crazyjim]

Iwata or nothing.  I have use an HP-C for small jobs, and I have 2  HP-TH.  One is for color and the other for just clear. The HP-C was a freebie from a dealer and I bought the HP-TH online, probably ebay.  They came straight from Japan and I got them pretty cheap.

[Xingu]

If you have a hobby store near you, see if you can hold different airbrushes to see which feels more comfortable in your hand. I mainly use a Paasche H which is a basic entry level single action airbrush. It is very easy to use and clean. I have others, including the one from Japan that Steve mentions, but have not used them yet (trying to use of some of the rattle cans that I have).

[modelercarl]

What is the name of "the one from Japan"?  Steve's link does not open.

[Erik Smith]

What is the name of "the one from Japan"?  Steve's link does not open.

GSI Creos (PS290).  They make the “Mr.” brand items. 

Edited November 23, 2017 by Erik Smith

[modelercarl]

GSI Creos. They make the “Mr.” brand items. 

Thanks for the info...

[Pete J.]

Did a little research to see who in Japan actually makes airbrushes and it is a really tangled web as is typical for the Japaneses market.  It looks like up until a few years ago, BB Rich was the primary manufacture of almost all the airbrushes, including Tamiya, Gunze-Sangyo, Iwata etc.  It seems like about 10 years ago, BB Rich was "restructured" into Olympos and yea, I've never heard of them either, but apparently at one time, they owned the "Micron" brand name which Iwata now uses.

  If you are at all familiar with Japaneses companies, it is a very tangled web of interconnections and convoluted supply channels, so a lot of product that looks the same actually is.  Surprising to me was that Iwata's primary business is not airbrushes but commercial fluid application equipment.  It is not at all surprising under these circumstances that they would have formed ties with outside sources for a lot of their airbrushing equipment.

[Casey]

Hi folks...did some searching around the thread and couldn't really find anything recent

Airbrushes have been around for a long time, and while makes and models change and evolve, there are literally 100+ "Which airbrush...?" topics on this forum alone. Yes, you will need to read through them and take out the advice which applies to you and your intended use, but please don't disregard fellow members' advice and help because the posts are "old". Post age has very little do do with selecting and properly using an airbrush.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/73170-buying-my-first-airbrush-questions/?page=1

[High octane]

While I am a "rattle can man," I have owned a couple of air brushes and compressor but got rid of them. I have tried out a friends GREX air brush and it is really comfortable to hold and sprays well.

[martinfan5]

This is really a loaded question,  to answer the not loaded part, I would suggest the Iwata Eclipse , work horse of a A/B.

Now for the loaded part,  while the A/B is important, its the actual use of it and all that goes with that is just as important, you can get show winning paint jobs from cheap airbrushes just like you can from name brand expinsive air brushes.   Its all about getting the right mixture ( paint to thinner ) and PSI that makes a big difference, and so does needle and tip size. 

 

[Art Anderson]

Jeez, and all these past nearly 60 years, I've been using a Paasche H, and before that, a Binks Wren.  Hmmmmm!

 

Art