Lifetime modeler, took the last few years off as other things drew my away and am new to your forum. I’ve been using a Badger 200 single action brush for longer than I can remember. I have this sudden Jonez for a double action brush and the Testors products have caught my eye with the easy change/ easy clean nozzles.
The difference in the A470 brush in the A4709 and A4809 kit is easy enough to handle- one is metal
Can any of you tell me the difference between the brush in the A4809 and A7778 kits? Is it the exact same brush, more accessories, what?
Not gonna go high end for Iwata or something in that range. Any feedback on the Aztek brushes in general?
DO NOT GET AN AZTEK… mine crapped out on me in only 4 uses (4 differe days) and i cleaned it very well, u are better off savign for somethign better otherwise urs is just gonna crap out on you. DO NOT BUY ONE they are CRAP.
get an iwata, 60 bucks or so with hose, it will suit u better… www.dixieart.com - they rock!
Let’s don’t start this debate again! there are plenty of Aztec horror stories to fill volumes, and there are people on this forum who have used them for years and love them. If you do a forum search you can find this topic in the archives and testamonials in both directions ad nauseum. Caveat Emptor! ( buyer beware)
My wife bought me an Aztek for Christmas, and it has worked great! The trick is cleaning the thing. You must spray some sovent through it to clean out the left behind paint. Then take the nozzle off and pull out the needle and clean thouse with solvent. The cup and brush can be clean with a Q-tip soaked in solvent. Then re- assemble. It takes about 10 mins, but it is why many Azteks sema to fail.
I got my Aztek A470 second hand - therefore no warranty. So when my airbrush started to act up, I took the airbrush apart. It really wasn’t too difficult, heck I did it after 3 beers. After giving the insides a complete cleaning, I put it all back together and it works like it was brand new. I think it would be great if Testors made the A470 capable of easily being broking down for cleaning. I think the metal A470 has a screw in the handle which would probably help in taking it apart; but I’m not sure. The reason mine began to act funny was paint had seeped back into the airbrush parts. There is no way you clean the paint out without taking the airbrush apart. Like I said, mine was not under warranty, so what did have to lose? Personally, after having three other airbrushes, I LOVE my Aztek A470.
Agree with you almost 100% here (I’ve not yet taken my a470 apart yet). The airbrush works fine for me time and time again. I’ve put enamels, cellulose, lacquers through it just fine. Clean it with the appropriate thinners when finished and its ready to go.
I’m with you on the A470[tup], I don’t think people use the red ‘spanner’ either, with the different lengths on the spanner its actually quite easy to clean inside, I use a baby wipe and push that in with the appropiate end of the spanner into the various holes especially the cup holes as you can clean the ‘needle’ here just look into the end and watch as all the muck cames out on your wipe. The long end is for the cup hole & short end for the nozzle hole (sorry if I’m boring you)[2c]
Some have good luck with these airbrushes and others do not.
Personally I think they are a gimmick and not worth the money and the hassles.
I have heard little to no complaints about airbrushes from Badger, T&C, Iwata, etc so why gamble on an Aztek that may give you problems? [2c]
Like yourself I was looking to move up from a Badger 200 to a double action AB, and ended up going with the Omni4000.
This is a great AB, but having bought a Badger 100 since, and used that for the last year, I personally found the 100 easier to use, but this just may be me.
Both are easy to clean, and certainly don’t require stripping down after each session for cleaning, which is what Aztecs appear to require.
Even a full strip down and clean can be done in less than 10 minutes.
I agree with Mike. Aztecs in my opinion are complete junk. A simple childs toy with a ridiculous feature for lazy or nieve painters. You can buy a Badger or Paache for the same price and get much better results. Stay away. As a matter of fact while i’m on the subject… I would stay away from any “Hardware” with a model suppliers name. This includes compressors.
I love reading the repeated arguements for and against the Aztek airbrush. First, let me start by saying, the Aztek (spelled with a ‘k’ not a ‘c’) airbrush was a European company bought by Testors. It is not a Testors product unlike their paints and some of their kits. Second, you can get fabulous results with an Aztek A470. Too many people expect their tools to make a good model. In reality, it’s the talent of the modeler that makes a good model. Third, the A470 is a much different design than other airbrushes therefore it takes some time getting used to. Fourth, there is more than just one Aztek airbrush, so don’t call them crap unless you’ve used them all (ie. A270, A430, A320 etc.). Fifth, if Aztek airbrushes are such a piece of junk, why would a major model company like Testors, invest in them and still sell them. Personally, I think alot of people who hate Aztek airbrushes are people who are too lazy to read the directions and practice on how to use it. Enough said.
How many airbrush artists use them?
I think that speaks volumes.
If you like them and have good results with them then more power to you.
Some of us have been airbrushing since before Azteks were even invented and that is why we see them as a gimmick.
I’ve used a number of airbrushes, my first being a Badger 150 in 1984. I understand the mentality though. Something new and different comes along and people bulk at it.
I agree with that comment up to a point. I’ve said many times that an airbrush is just a tool and it is the hand that holds it that provides the talent. I do usually qualify that statement with the comment that it is also necessary to have good quality tools.
I’ve never owned an Aztek, probably never will, so I can’t speak from first-hand knowledge. I’m perfectly content with my conventional airbrushes and don’t have any inclination to change. I do know that there are some people whose abilities I have a lot of respect for who get very good results with the Aztek line and for that reason I have to think that there is some good in them.
In my opinion the bulk of the problems that people have with them can be traced to improper and/or incomplete cleaning. Contrary to the manufacturer’s claim of “Easy Cleaning” it appears that they are not easy to clean and do require a high level of maintenance. Unless one is willing to completely disassemble the tips after use and soak them in thinner and occasionally completely disassemble the entire airbrush for cleaning then they can expect to have problems with them. On the other hand if one does keep them immaculately clean then they can probably expect good results from them. Again, this is just my opinion and based on posts I’ve seen here and not first-hand experience.
Add me to the Aztek horror story. Mine died after about 10 uses. (as soon as I used Lacquer paint) I will never recommend a plastic airbrush anymore. It’s a toy, not a tool.
After my Aztek crappy putty died, I got a Badger Anthem (155) which I loved. Now I have an Iwata HP-CP and it’s incredible. But if you don’t make many detail, the badger is a great brush. You should take a look at the Iwata HP-CS or Revolution, which are cheaper than mine.