Hello,
I am trying to find a good newbie airbrush that is at a good price.
I looked on the web and saw Iwata and Neo for iwata. What are the differences?
And with the different ranges of the airbrushes what are the major differences?
I would probably be going for a gravity feed with dual action.
My understanding is that a Neo for Iwata is not actually made by Iwata but is made in China for Iwata. I have one and I like it. There is a website you can look up called Don’s Airbrush Tips. It’s been mentioned on here before and I checked it out last night. It’s a good site and you can get a good bit of info about a large number of airbrushes as well as general tips on cleaning, measuring paint, etc. Check it out. It’s worth a visit. I think single-action AB’s are better for the beginner but everyone has their own experience and beliefs in that regard. There are a number of companies such as Paasche, Badger, Iwata as well as others that offer good quality AB’s at an affordable price.
Hi, Alvinhy -
Over the years I’ve owned many of the popular airbrushes, Paasche, Badger and the Neo bottle feed. So many good ones, but for reasonable cost, spray quality and long component life, I have selected Badger as my current everyday, all around brushes. My personal favorite and most used is the 100G small cup, also using the 155 Anthem medium and small head/needles, and the 200NH for large area spraying, like the overall base coat of a model.
The 100G comes in large and small cup sizes, either works well, I find the large cup size to be a bit top heavy feeling, but it will cover a much larger area with a single loading. I find that a very small amount of properly thinned paint goes a very long way, so for me the 100G small cup works perfectly.
The large cup is a bit harder to see above or around when working close, so the smaller size does help with seeing what you’re doing, it’s also a bit lighter. With the smaller cup I run out of paint sooner, yes, but that gives me the chance to run a thinner load through to clean up the ports and cavities, between paint loads. If you can live with the smaller cup size it makes a fine airbrush, otherwise go for the larger size. I can paint about half of a 1:72 model plane, with one small cup load.
My newest airbrushes were purchased either at my LHS, or at Web airbrush, Dixie Art, TCP Global and Chicago Airbrush. A friend recommends Coast Airbrush as a good source, but I haven’t tried them, All were good prices and quick delivery, I just check for who offers the better price. I do suggest avoiding the liquidators and pawn dealers, maybe OK, maybe not.
Once again I highly recommend a look at Don’s Airbrush Tips, type it in on Google and you’ll see plenty of detailed info and comparisons of types, it was of great help to me, I learned a lot.
For about forty years I used exclusively Paasche, wonderful tools then, but sadly the last few parts orders and airbrushes as gifts to friends were delivered with quality issues, mostly could be fixed, but should not have been delivered that way.
If you try Webair, tell them it’s a Badger referral and you get a 33% discount, the other large dealers sell for a roughly similar amount. Some even have free shipping, which does make a difference. Check around, it’s worth the time.
Good luck with the search, if you hook up with an airbrush you like, you’ll have some real fun.
Patrick
For $90-$130, you can buy a truly great AB. Buy a high quality AB you can afford (e.g., Iwata Eclipse), learn how to use and clean it, and don’t look back.
I am an advocate of the Badger 200 for a first airbrush. It is not terribly expensive, and is bulletproof and easy to clean. I have had mine for over 45 years!
I do have a 150 Double Action brush too. I only use it when I really need DA. While a good brush, it is harder to clean than a SA, Once you learn to use it well, there is so much you can do with a SA brush. You can still dial paint flow way down for stain and overcoat techniques. Only area I find the DA necessary is very fine lines and some small stain areas.
Never heard any complaints about Badger, not major ones, anyway. My first attempts with an AB were with the little plastic-bodied 350, which I still have. And it is a decent little AB at least for general application. It has it’s limitations but for beginners, especially those who are not sure if they want or need to switch exclusively to airbrushing, the 350, I think, is ideal. I need to get some new nozzle assemblies and make it like new again.
Is this a really crappy airbrush? since its so cheap.
I have zero knowledge of this product, I can only offer that the cheap knockoff products are often a shot in the dark, as to dependable quality. You could find a winner, or a sinner, depends on your luck. A quality airbrush, cared for and used appropriately, will function perfectly for many years. I’d rather spend the money on a known product that offers that assurance, more than I would to gamble on chance.
The sweat shops that produce the cheap imitations are interested in ONLY one thing, how many can we make today! Badger, Iwata and others have their corporate reputations to preserve, they understand that it’s not in their best interest to put inferior goods out there.
My Iwata Neo, (a gift from a friend,) came with parts fit issues. It was all handled quickly and well by the company, but it was a lower cost product made for Iwata.
Of my seven Badgers, only one came with a very minor part problem, instantly handled with one phone call. If at some point I determine I need another airbrush, NO QUESTION what I’ll buy. I consider Badger to be an outstanding company, producing some of the best spray equipment available, at very reasonable prices.
Good hunting.
Patrick
Does badger products have customer services in the UK?
There might be, there likely is a dealer or distributor in the U.K. If so, they could refer you to a service source. I’m in Oregon, USA, so not at all familiar with Badger network in U.K.
Patrick
I just Google checked, one dealer is: airbrush-pro.co.uk
2nd is airbrushes.com They list full services and support.
Evidently plenty of places sell Badger in the UK, scout around a bit and you’ll hit on something. I also saw reference to a “Badger Amazon.” No idea what that’s about, time to put on your Sherlock Holmes double bill hat and have a look about.
One caution, the local prices might be quite steep if retail, could still be less costly to go through one of the discount houses stateside, like Webair, Coast Airbrush or Chicago Airbrush. Maybe try Ebay UK, you never know what will turn up. The search is half the fun.
Patrick
Can’t go wrong with an American made Badger, any model you choose will last you a lifetime. I bought my first one in 1977 and I still use it. I have a total of three Badgers, a 150, Anthem (from Michaels when they had them on clearance) and a Renegade for extra fine detail work.
I also got my Badger in about 77 or 78- it is still my primary airbrush though I recently bought a Badger 150 to have a DA brush on hand. Only part on the 200 I have replaced are the teflon washers. There is a need to replace those periodically.
I think I’m going to try out the neo for iwata airbrush. It is around £40.
If I still get hooked onto modelling in the future and have a better source of income, I would probably invest into a better airbrush…
Also, to accompany the airbrush, I chose this compressor…:
Anyone know if its any good?
It looks like a great compressor for the price. Check its reliability record.
I think the Neo plus that compressor is a great start. The compressor appears to me to be one made in China and sold under various brand names from TCP Global, Master and Harbor Freight and others here in the US. I have the HF one and used it for number of years without problems - still have it and it still runs/works fine. It will cycle on and off as you airbrush but not noisy. I wanted one with a tank so added a Sparmax to my stable but wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that compressor.
Do you know if compressor like those allow adding moisture traps etc?? or do I even need one?
If the Neo is coming from a known and reputable dealer, then even if it should have a problem it would be replaced under warranty, at 40 Quid a good buy. Now that my Neo is fitted with proper parts, I like it well and it sprays nicely. How long it will hold up is the unknown, as others have stated, their Badgers have held up for decades, as mine have. I think my first AB was purchased in about 1968, still works well today, only front bushing replacement needed. ($2.00)
The compressor should do fine, if your air flow demands are not really high, then the volume tank should allow the compressor to cycle on/off, for sufficient cooling to prevent overheating. It looks much like my rig and it does fine, it’s held up for many years.
For price comparison, I recently purchased a Badger 200G single action from Chicago Airbrush on sale. with 15% discount code it came to US $37 and some change, including shipping. My 100G double action I think came to me for about $54.00, both brand new. Shipping to the UK could not be all that much, if you should find a deal that you like.
But, it makes sense to buy locally when you can, in case anything needed to be sent back for warranty work. Follow through with your plans and you’ll be spraying happily away quite soon. Good luck with your purchases.
Patrick
The compressor has a moisture trap on the regulator so you won’t need to add one.
Usually the moisture trap will be on the outside, with some way to drain or empty it. If you live in a desert area you may not need one. If you live in a coastal area or anywhere where you can get days of very high humidity it is a good idea. Some of the cheaper, lower pressure airbrush compressors may not need them. But a general purpose compressor with a tank should probably have one. They crank up to a higher pressure and then the regulator bleeds it down a lot, which can cause more condensation. For many GP compressors you can set that higher compressor level (the point where the compressor cycles. Crank it down aways. Yeah, the compressor will cycle more often, but you’ll have less trouble with moisture on humid days. If you have a good trap it doesn’t matter. Also, moisture traps are cheap and widely available to add on to compressors that do not have them.