I’m looking at the 105 and noticed there are different needle/nozzle sizes that are compatible. Which one does the 105 come with now? The .5 or .3x? Badger’s site doesn’t say.
.5
When the Patriot 105 first came out, 0.76 mm nozzle is standard and 0.5 mm is 105Fine. Not sure what it is now. You should talk to the seller before buying.
MerriArtist.com offer Badger 105 Patriot Airbrush (extra fine tip) without saying what the actually size is.
It is much safer to order the Badger Krome which is a better airbrush anyway.
Yeah, I was just curious since the 105 got so much praise
Let’s bear in mind that the Krome is also about twice the cost of the Patriot as well. I don’t know that it’s twice as good though.
I have the Badger Krome and had the Patriot 105Fine. Yes, the Krome is more than twice as good.
The choice of an airbrush is personal. Some would consider the 105 better if he/she likes a quick paint release type of trigger action. Again, it is personal.
fair enough…I may have to ask Santa to put a Badger Krome aboard his sleigh for me next year then. (ugh, another whole year of being good)
I use the 105 and have both .3 and .5 This is a great airbrush but for the money of the Krome you should look at the Harder Steenbeck Infinity
Cbeers Leo
krome comes with two needle nozzle sets. i just bought a new nozzle / cap / needle set for my iwata and in cost over 60 quid so krome looks good value.
The Infinity only has .15, .2, and .4 needle sizes. The .4 is like $200, twice the amount of the Krome…
@ talentless: Isn’t that around $90? What Iwata brush do you have?
You do not necessarily need the Infinity for modeling. Harder & Steenbeck makes the Evolution series which uses the same nozzle and needle as the Infinity series at half the price. I have the H&S Evolution Silverline Solo which has slightly tigher spread pattern than the Krome at similar cost.
The only draw back is the cost of H&S replacement needle and nozzle. It is quite a bit higher than Iwata or Badger.
You cannot go wrong with either the Iwata HP-CS, Badger Krome or the H&S Evolution.
The Patriot is cheaper and that’s exactly what it is. When you put the Patriot needle next to any of the above, the difference in quality is very obvious to even the new user. You can go to Don Wheeler’s web site to see the pictures if you do not have a local Badger dealer who can show you the Patriot vs. the Krome.
Again, the choice of airbrush is personal. Many accomplished modeler have said that the Patriot with fine needle (o.5 mm) works well for them. Personally, I just perfer the more linear action of the trigger of those I mentioned above.
WatDaFunk,
I don’t own a Badger Patriot or Krome so can’t comment. But I do have an Evolution Silverline Solo which is my favorite. I agree with Keilau that the choice of an AB is a very personal thing. I like the Evolution because of the way it ‘feels’ to me when I use it not because other AB’s are bad. BTW there is also a 0.6 mm needle/nozzle available for H&S AB’s including the Evolution if you want broader coverage. Yep. they aren’t cheap. BTW, I have not seen, with the ABs I own, a needle as highly polished as the H&S. Most airbrushes use the same physical principles to spray (the Paashe Turbo is different) so the real difference is fit and finish and known functionality. Badger, Iwata, H&S, Grex etc. all make fine AB’s; finding the one that suits you is what’s important. I wish you good experiences no matter which you choose.
PS I have an old (>20 yrs) Badger 200 and, truth-be-known, it probably would do everything I need but it’s siphon feed and just doesn’t “feel” good to me when I use it though It’s a perfectly capable AB.
I sold my HP-CS to Doogsatx for a 105 and the upgrade was measurable. No more spitting, better atomization and easy cleaning. Badger hands down is better.
I see Keilau is still preaching the same thing as last time I was here. [:D]
I can paint almost as good with the Patriot as I can with the Renegade or Krome.
It’s all a matter of practice and skill. The Patriot doesn’t release paint that fast, some people just can’t control their finger as well that’s all. [8-)]
I agree with you montague. I had an HP-CS and sold it as well as it wasn’t as good as the Badgers in my opinion.
You are absolutely right about that.
The Masters can do everything equally well with whatever tools. It is the less skillful mortal that needs a better airbrush because they can’t control their figure as well. (Shall we call them the 97%!! [;)])
In my unskillful hand, the HP-CS and the Krome are both much easier to control than the Patriot 105Fine. Most users can tell the difference, but others may not.
True Keilau. I was just giving you a hard time. [;)]
I have learnt NOT to say “x brand y model airbrush” is the best. I say what I like best and emphasize that it is a personal choice.
I refrain from saying “x airbrush” is better than “y airbrush”, but try to discribe the observed difference instead.
But the fine tapered, micro polished needle of the Krome looks a lot better the double coned, unpolished needle of the Patriot. “Eppur si muove.” ― Galileo Galilei [:P]
hi all…I’ve and use both Patriot and Krome…two very different airbrush.the Patriot (fine) is a workhorse…it can spray everything:primer,metallic,same not easy acrilic (expecially the vinilics…)…It is also good for several kind of camo…but…the control you have with Krome (0,21 Tip) in free hand camo or when you need to spray very close to the model and a very low pressure explain the cost difference .A trick:try to put the handle of Krome on the Patriot…and so go with fine line!!!.ciao Enrico.
Usual disclaimer about airbrushes being subjective, blah blah…
Back in 2011 I got a 105 and a Renegade (pre-Krome). Disliked them both and sold them. Thing I didn’t like about the 105 was the double-tapered needle, since it’s quick to go from no paint to way too much paint. With the Renegade, the balance felt funky, the cup looked like someone just stuck a grinder in there, and the trigger action felt very rough and clunky. That and Badger needles are very exposed.
My current airbrush lineup is as follows:
Iwata HP-CS (x2) - A good, solid workhorse brush. I like the balance and and the spray performance. Something about the cup design makes cleaning it more of a pain than other brushes.
Iwata HP-C+ - So far this is the best airbrush I’ve ever used. Awesome control, good balance, fantastic atomization…a very real upgrade from the HP-CS.
Grex Genesis XN - I had a Tritium briefly. Loved the airbrush but hated the trigger action so I sold it. Finally picked up just a basic Grex…this one’s for fine work, has a .2mm needle and a smallish paint cup. I’ve used it on a few projects and love it. It’s not as precise as the HP-C+, and the trigger’s a bit looser than Iwatas in general, but it sprays very well and is super-easy to clean. In fact, I haven’t had a single issue with needle stick or anything like that yet.
Harder & Steenbeck Evolution - Good airbrush, but it has a tendency to spit when you first depress the trigger (none of my Iwatas do this and it’s really frustrating if you’re trying to do something like mottling). It also sprays bigger than it’s needle size. The .4mm pattern is wider than that of my 0.5mm-equipped HP-CS. Getting ready to sell it.
Harder & Steenbeck Infinity - See Evolution above.
Iwata Custom Micron CM-B - No way I’d pay the usual price for one of these beauties, but I scored one for an amazing deal on eBay. I’ve only sprayed thinner through it so far, but wow. I could literally use it as a pen.
Olympos HP-100A - Olympos airbrushes are what’s now Iwata’s High Perfomance + and Custom Micron lines. Some say they’re even higher quality than the Iwata pieces, and since they aren’t as well known they can sometimes be had for a steal on eBay. Case in point, I got this one - the equivalent of an Iwata HP-A+ ($190) - for a whopping $33.