I first started out ages ago with a Badger 350, and eventually moved to HF’s Central Pneumatic double action siphon feed airbrush. I think my price at the time with coupon was only about $10. I was surprised at the cost how well it actually worked! Plus at that price point, if seals wore out or the airvalve failed, it was easy to just replace it! Now I see that it has been replaced by an Avante? Does anybody know this brand? This is a gravity feed double action - I’ve never used one before, so not sure how much differently they operate.
Amazon offers a ton of Chinese tools and I’m sure you get what you pay for. If I were to look at going to a name brand, is there something recommended that won’t break my bank? I do mostly enamals with very few acrylics used.
Yeah, I bought one to use as a spare. Doesn’t quite have the smooth feel of a Badger, but does work. Main irritation to me is it does not use same bottles- thread is different.
Can’t go wrong with a good old-fashioned Paasche H. Its a siphon-feed, external mix, and those are the qualities I really love about mine. Its got all the same seals and valve parts on that it did when I bought it when I was 15 years old. I’m 52 now, and that same old airbrush is still producing great results for me every day.
I’ll second Paasche, though mine is the VL. Also siphon-fed, but double-action. I find Paasche’s airbrushes to be reliable and rugged. I have the same kind of results as Eaglecash describes.
I also have an Iwata Neo, which was a kind gift from another forum member. It’s a gravity-fed brush, with the cup mounted along the centerline.
I sympathize with working within a budget, but remember, too, that you get what you pay for. If you buy cheaper brushes that aren’t made as well and wear out after shorter periods than a more expensive brush that outlives you, then in the end, you’re wasting money. I’m frugal-that doesn’t mean I’m cheap, but that I don’t waste anything, if I can help it.
And I use both a Paasche H and Paasche VL. I also have my longest term airbrush, the Badger 200 ( not to be confused with the 200NH)… I’ve been using the Paasche airbrushes over the past 10 years or so and the Badger dates back into the 1970’s. Any of the 3 will put down a very nice finish, as good as the capabilities of the one using it. And they all last decades.
I wouldn’t recommend Paasche. If you write customer service, they never get back to you. I got a Paasche EZ-STARTER for my birthday (yeah, I know, not the most expensive but, still a Paasche) and out of the package it had a cracked Fluid Tip and I wrote customer service about two weeks ago about how I go about getting a new Fluid Tip and I haven’t heard a peep from them. I will never do business with Paasche and I wouldn’t recommend anyone else do business with them either.
I’ve had excellent response from Paasche and very accomodating. I received a screw mount setup for my H and only wanted the regular H, which is push in. Called them,they sent out the standard #3 needle set with no screw mount, free of any charge. I called on a Monday or Tuesday, the parts were in my hand Friday.
Paasche is heavy duty, the chrome excellent. I have both VL and H with no complaints. I can’t speak for the starter set. I think it is what it is.
When I contacted customer service that one time, I believe I called and talked to a human being. The issue was rectified right then and there.
I guess I am just an old phart!I retired my first Badger two years ago, forty years that thing worked! Now where I differ from ya’ll, I use a commercial unit, called a De-Vilbiss Lite. I have some of their detail spray units(Automotive Detailing and Striping" ) from fifty five or more years ago. So I paint with them. Now I recently got the “Whisper” Compressor from Spring Creek Model Trains, (In Nebraska) Darned fine little compressor. does what I want when I want, and is a good companion to my De-Vilbiss Lite unit whice is still available under another name! And guess what? They ALL work with my “Harbor Freight” W.R.Brown compressor too!
Yeah, I’m not a big fan of talking to people on the phone and I prefer e-mail as a form of communication. I sent customer service another e-mail a couple of days ago and I’ll see if they will respond this time and, if they don’t, I have no use for them. I might buy another EZ-STARTER so my brother won’t be disappointed that he got me that for my birthday (as I won’t tell him I got a new one and that the new one is the one he got me) but, I will never consider upgrading to any more expensive units.
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