I’m sure this has been covered, a quick search of the forum though and I didnt see it… just looking for opinions on a good quality/price combo on a gravity feed dual-action airbrush.
Currently I have a Badger 200NH, I like it but I need to upgrade- something that will allow me to do some finer detail and use less paint (tired of the bottom feed). Looking for something not super expensive- idealy the $100 range.
Ideas? Thanks!
I have the Badger 105F (F for fine needle) and the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS. They both have the drop-in self-centered type nozzle which makes them easy to clean. I don’t see one over the other in this regard.
The difference is in the feel and control of the airbrush. The Iwata is quite a bit heavier. The biggest difference is the control of the trigger. Iwata has a long taper needle which gives the control a long and gentle stroke. The Badger has a short taper and double cone needle which allows quick release of paint to cover a larger area quicker. The badger is also more tolerant of paint thinning due to the larger nozzle tip. With the Iwata, you will have to thin the paint more and use light, misty spray in multiple layer to get the same solid coating.
Personally, I prefer the Iwata type control and feel. Besides, I can get replacement parts for the Iwata locally at Hobby Lobby at very good price.
But I also know some modeler on this forum prefer the Badger type trigger control.
For a little more money (~$200), you may consider a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution 2-in-1. You can find a lot of video on H&S at Youtube. I feel that those by Phil Flory are pretty good. Here is one of his basic. Phil uses a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution 2-in-1, which has a pretty tiny 0.2 or o.4 mm nozzle.
Both the Iwata and H&S trigger feels silky smooth and is a joy to use.
Ditto on the Iwata.
I would also second the H&S Evolution, if the price tag of the 2 in 1 kit is over budget, the Solo comes in at about $125 & the additional cup & needle/nozzle set could be bought at a later date.
There is also the H&S Ultra, which is like the “little brother” of the Evolution - Its innards vary little from those of the Evolution, but it will only accept the 0.2 & 0.4mm needles, not the 0.15 or 0.6mm it comes in at about $80. Although its not as featured or upgradeable as the units further up the range, it is still a precision engineered bit of kit.
I recommend the Badger Velocity.
Balanced. Durable. Nice trigger. Cheap needles and spare parts. Great atomization. Detailed enough to go all the way to 1/72 scale. But flexible enough to spray just about any type of paint.
And since the user is currently using a Badger, he doesn’t have to get a hose adapter. Plus he knows where to get Badger parts.
Howdy!
My tip would be the Paashe VJR. I use it for years now and it’s just great for details and frequent paint color changes. Very easy to clean, too. Hope it helps, have a nice day
Paweł
I like Badger. Good customer service, made in the USA, and very affordable. The Patriot 105 which comes with a fine needle and nozzle combo will do excellent detail work. Spend a bit more, buy the extra needle and head combo in the medium size, and you’ll have a brush that can do everything.
I rarely use the fine needle/tip combo. I find the medium, with the lower air pressure I can shoot with (about 12 psi), lets me get as much detail as I need for most jobs.
Chris