I'm a big fan of Badger brushes. I own a 200 (single action internal mix), a 155 Anthem (dual action internal mix) and the 360 (dual action internal mix gravity or pyphon fed). I like the 155 best. it is very rugged, well ballanced and can be bough cheap at the Badger garage sale: Garage Sale Paint control is very good as well as spare parts availability. My ownly issue with it is it can gum up quickly, and every half dozen uses will need an alcohol bath and a good scrubbing with a pipe cleaner. I have used mine so much the chrome plating has worn off in places. It dosen't flake, but can wear thin with excessive use. Airbrushes are like cameras, we all have our loyalties.
I've had my Pasche VL for about 20 years. I've had to replace some O rings, a couple needles and the handle, but it has always worked great for me. I also have a Pasche turbine, but I havn't used it much and it is for really microscopic detail work. My next brush will be an Iwata with gravity feed, they are great. I would recommend checking out your LHS to see what they carry (to include spare parts).
I have an old Badger 200 for about 20 years now that has served me well. Also bought a cheap dual-action one from Harbor Freight recently that I haven't yet used. My air source is a 25 gallon DeWalt compressor that I use to run my impact tools on.
I just bought an Iwata HC-CH. Real good value for a very high quality brush. I have a Badger 150 that I was going to sell, but decided to keep. I also have an old old Binks single action. It still works for large jobs. It has to be 40 years old. I like Floquil paint, but had to buy a respirator. Burned a few brain cells. Funny, I didn't notice the Floquil fumes when I was younger.
I like the single action Badger because it's easy to clean. It's lasted a long time. Everyone seems to want the fine tip but that's for fine line work for commercial artists. Medium tip is the one to use for spray painting our gigantic freight cars and engines. Well, relatively.
Four words Iwata,Iwata,Iwata and Iwata I messed around for years with the rest now I will only buy Iwata the paint control and atomization is BY FAR better than any other in my opinion. Allen....
I have owned a single action Pasche (Made in the USA), for 30 years, had to replace a o-ring once. Works the way it is suppose to, easy to clean and use, hard for me to believe there is anything better.
Added to How To Forum I added this thread to the How To Forum of the same topic. There are four threads in the How To Forum on airbrushes and compressors. Link to How To Forum topic. Search for "airbrush" in the How To forum for more. My favorite airbrush topic of all time is here.
For the Iwata crowd, I am curious as to which model you find the best for what you do. I have been considering the Iwata brush with the side cup for a while. The biggest barrier is that no local merchant will let me demo an Iwata and that makes me hesitant to spend a couple hundred or more on one. (If someone would, and I liked it, I would buy one from them.)
I've got the Eclipse, with the built-in gravity feed cup on the top. I really like it - nice and simple. IWATA-MEDEA Medea Airbrush Products
Iwata is in the Portland area. You could contact them and see if they could help find a shop where you could do a demo. Art supply Warehouse in Orange County, CA has some they will let customers use. That's where I demoed and bought mine. There is nothing really wrong with other brands of airbrushes. A well maintained 30 year old brush will get the paint on to the model. It's just that Iwata has raised the bar and is a professional airbrush. When I first looked at Iwata, I though "Wow. These are expensive". After I looked a little harder, they have air brushes in similar price ranges to the higher end Badger and Paasche brushes.
I went to their website and found their contact information. Iwata is not only in the same town (I figured they were a Japanese company that probably had an office in a bigger city), but they're a mere 6 miles or so from my house and about 2 miles from my office, and within a block of the nearby Harbor Freight. I guess next time I have some airbrush money I know who to contact.
Another opinion I think the Iwata is probably considered the best of all the airbrushes. I have used a Paasche Model VL since 1979. I still use the same Airbrush today. The needles and nozzels have been changed a few times over the years. I have painted Hundreds of RC carbodys, dozens of Helmets, and Tailgates. I have also painted hundreds of scale models. It has been a dependabeand versatile Airbrush. I won't say that its the best because I have not tried an Iwata. However I have tried many other brands from Thayer Chandler to several diferent Badgers, and the Aztec, I keep landing back on my now trusty Paasche VL. An important note though depending on what type of paint you want to use. There are 3 different needle and nozzles 1, 3 and 5. Make sure you choose the one that fits the type of paint you intend to spray. If you are like me you will probably end up owning all three assembly sets. Which ever you choose I hope you enjoy and are succesful. JoeW
