#airbrush rec?

37 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

solid zealot
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Looking to buy an airbrush, I already figured I’d buy the as186 compressor and I already have a respirator for my 3d printer. I was told an iwata eclipse was a great airbrush to get but now looking into a spray booth (I work out of my spare room office.) it seems the price tag for all of the stuff is getting a little high. Is there an equivalent to the eclipse around the 100 mark to save me 70 bucks?

Right now with compressor, eclipse, vent booth, and initial cleaner and flow bottles I am looking at around 4-450 total. Which is fine but I’d like to pinch pennies where I can. I already own paint I would use.

My initial uses would be priming and base coat until I can start getting better with the AB.

Any help here would be great!

slow sapphire
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What kind of budget do you have for the airbrush?

Your options are principally:

  • top end model, established brand (H&S Infiniti)
    -mid range model, established brand (H&S Evolution, Iwata Eclipse)
  • Chinese knock offs of the established brands

Under $100 your only option is the Chinese stuff, which is perfectly fine for your first airbrush to be fair. When you out grow it in a couple years, you can upgrade.

Or spend a bit more on the midrange category, which is going to be functionality same as high-end airbrushes for miniature painting. To save money, start with a 0.3-0.4mm nozzle but get an airbrush that will take 0.2mm as well, so you can buy that once you get better control and start doing more detail work.

Personally, I started with a cheap Chinese replica and after a couple years upgraded to the HS Evolution, and very happy with that path. I bent the needle on the cheap one, didn't know how to clean it properly, overtightened the needle, all sorts of bad things that would just be a lot more expensive to learn on a better airbrush. And I can get 95% the same results with both. It's going to be your skill, not the tool holding you back for a long time.

scarlet needle
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I would recommend the Iwata still - I've had mine for 5 years and it's still like it's brand new

sullen arrow
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iwata neo is like the best budget option

scarlet needle
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I would honestly not recommend the Neo - the quality is the same as the other cheaper China/Taiwan brushes but the price is much higher.

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at that point I would say just get a $20 Master brush

sullen arrow
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heresy

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;p

scarlet needle
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They're like the same thing, good chance they're even made in the same factory lol

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you're paying a premium for a Neo because Iwata put their name on the box

sullen arrow
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you get all replacement parts from iwata

scarlet needle
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yes but it is not made in the Iwata factory

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that's why it is "NEO for Iwata"

sullen arrow
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still you can use original iwata replacement parts for it like the nozzle needle and whatever

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you will run into trouble doing this with a china one

scarlet needle
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no you cannot, they are all specially made for the NEO

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they are not stock parts for the other Iwata brushes

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Master, or Timbertech, or Sparmax or any of the other whitelabel China brushes all have replacement parts as well

sullen arrow
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hm did iwata fuck up that much in the last years

scarlet needle
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It's just a cheaper product they decided to make. All in all you could get an Iwata HP-CR for only about $25 more and it's actually made by Iwata

sullen arrow
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when did they start with this neo FOR iwata

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i could swear this wasnt the case years ago

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but they still advertise the neo parts as original iwata parts on their own shop site

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hm but guess youre right

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maybe better buy a H&S then

scarlet needle
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or just a real Iwata

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depends on where they are as Iwata is cheaper outside of Europe, H&S cheaper within Europe

solid zealot
solid zealot
solid zealot
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OH does anyone have a reccomendation for what kind of hose or adapter I would need for a Eclipse hooking up to a AS186

scarlet needle
solid zealot
slow sapphire
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The hoses and quick releases are all standardized luckily.

scarlet needle
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well, no, Badger has a different connector, Iwata compressors have a different connector, etc

slow sapphire
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Huh, TIL. I was just lucky with mine then

torpid bolt
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this exact type of Chinese knock off (take notice of how the cup is permanently attached) is a great beginner's brush, and you can get pretty good results from it ...

s-l1600.png IMG-0885.JPG
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KKmoon