I see that Amazon has the Badger TC910 Aspire Pro for $155 and one year warranty; that’s $185 less than MSRP. Anyone using one? My HF compressor has been working fine for almost three years now but I’d love to have a compressor with a tank. With Badgers reputation for service it seems this could be a great buy. Any thoughts?
There is very few report on the new series of Badger compressors yet. They look identical to some of the Chinese Fengdua Bida models. They price similarly to the BearAir, TCPGlobal and Whisper Air. You can see how it looks inside the case at MidTenn Hobbies.
I will look forward to your report on how well it works for you. It will be the frist data point on these made for Badger in China compressors on this forum.
The earlier report on the TC910 from Canada is less than assuring. The report talked about its noise problem, but did not mention if it ran cool or hot.
Amazon has two other offers that looks the same on the outside (of the compressors). But these two are without the case:
My TC910 arrived several hours ago so thought I’d post first impressions. It arrived with no damage and is as pictured where posted; has a large 'Badger/Thayer & Chandler sticker on top. They advertise that it ships with a 1/4" to 1/8" BSP adapter but no adapter was included with mine (fortunately, I had an adapter that came with my HF AB hose). Unpacked it, plugged it in and let it run for about 10 minutes - temp didn’t get up to ambient (just off the UPS truck). Took it to the shop, added the adapter, connected my AB and turned it on. It took a minute 22 seconds to fill the tank to 57 psi (advertised). Depressed the trigger on my Evolution Silverline (0.2mm) and held till the compressor restarted (didn’t time how long I was spraying); took 31 seconds to repressurize and shut off. Noise wise, it’s similar to my HF compressor - very quiet but there is a very slight but, if you listen carefully, discernible increase in noise as pressure builds in the tank. Not objectionable at all and you could hold a conversation while it’s running. Did notice the rattle of the little ring on the pressure relief valve as reported in the Canadian review but I was able to mentally shut the noise out - can think of a couple of ways to silence it if it ever bothers me. Played with the regulator up and down and it works fine - regulator looks like the one on my HF compressor. You have to tilt the unit up and reach underneath to get at the drain valve which sticks out of the bottom through a hole in the metal case - not a problem and it works fine. Played for about an hour and when finished nothing was hot or warm - case, motor housing, cylinder head. Bottom line so far: nice looking compressor; quiet, meets, my needs, everything works as advertised. Only complaint - the pressure gauge goes to 100 PSI - I’d rather have 0-60 but after I’ve used it a while I might change that. I think I’ll enjoy it. Anyway, FWIW
Search engine results pointed me toward this old thread…
I’m researching my first purchase of an airbrush compressor, and it boggles my mind how much you can spend on these little machines! The Iwata Power Jet Pro IS-975, for example, costs a minimum of $600 from a local art supply store. I don’t mind spending good money on hobbies, but six bills is serious coin for such an uncomplicated accessory!
I was, therefore, relieved to discover the Badger Aspire TC-910. It may lack one or two “nice to have” features found on more expensive units, but it compensates by offering far more bang for the buck than anything else I’ve come across. Michaels stores in Canada stock these units, with a regular selling price of $450. Michaels regularly puts out 50% off coupons, bringing the price down to an extremely enticing $225.
A few years have passed since this thread started, before I pull the trigger I wonder if forum members had anything more to say about this Badger compressor?
Bick;
I have had mine for a couple of years and it has worked very well. I live in Arizona and it can get a bit hot to the touch, but I have never had a problem with it. I removed the “housing” that goes around it to allow for better cooling. as far as that noisy ring; you are right. Two things I did. First, if you leave the housing on, take a twist tie and tie it in place to one of the vent slots in the housing/cover. Keeps it from rattling around. Second, with the housing cover off, I merely wrapped it up with heavy tape and no more rattle.
John
I did a review of the TC-910 that you can read here.
Don
Thanks guys.
Don, that review of yours is the most informative I’ve seen. Your whole blog is a wealth of information, which I plan to carefully sift through. Thanks for the clear photos of the compressor with its cover removed - they answered many of my questions.
I’m a bit of a DIY kind of person myself, so I won’t mind experimenting with simple fixes to make the compressor easy to live with. The woodworking compressors in my workshop were certainly a lot louder, and they’ve been tamed. I’ll probably start by replacing the pressure gauge with a good 0-60psi unit for finer adjustment control. For the tank ringing issue, I may opt for a flexible connector hose, or I’ll wrap the tank with Sorbothane sheeting, which would dampen any vibrations. I like your idea, Don, of adding an extension to the regulator. All these fixes are dirt cheap, and easy.
I just purchased this Master Compressor last week myself and should have it this afternoon when I get home. As soon as I test it out, I will post my thoughts on the compressor. Granted, I’m new to the airbrush thing, but I can tell you my novice opinion.
Your Amazon compressor looks exactly like the Badger, minus the outer casing.
The same identical no name unit here in Australia is $87 delivered, Iv’e had mine for about 5 years now and have never had a problem with it, still going strong.