Evening all.
My trusty old Badger 200 has finally bitten the dust. It had been getting cranky lately, and this weekend plain refused to spray paint at all. Checked all the passages, cleaned it out anyway, air pressure good from compressor. Even with paint thinned to consistency of water it was
not good and effects were dire.
So what I'm really looking for is reviews of what other members use. I could just go for the same old thing again - positive points:
1) I know what I'm dealing with
2) They aren't too expensive
3) I can still use my spares and it will fit the compressor
Negative points:
1) It was 20 years old, I'm sure there have been advances in that time
2) I found a review on t'internet that said "You want a gravity feed, double action, internal mix airbrush". Well the 200 fails on two of those points. But why would I want this? Any suggestions?

Hi Steve, I own a Badger 155 patriot it's very good you can get lines down to a bit less then 1/8 inch up to about 2 inches so okay for base coat and lines. I found information in the thinning ratio for Vallejo and Tamiya on you tube as well as other helpful videos and thus far they seem to work. My first double action airbrush was a Testor Aztec ( total rubbish )

Double action allows you to control the paint and air separately which makes for a smother finish. They are however more fussy to clean

Hohenstaufen,

I own Iwata, Harder & Steinbeck, Tamiya, Badger, Thayer & Chandler and Grex and all are great brushes.

The Badger Renegade series are excellent brushes with my favorite being the Krome. They are very reliable and your hoses will fit with no adapters.

Thayers and Tamiyas are both good brushes and the Thayer will also fit your hose.

Grex is between the above brushes and Iwata. Solid and great performance.

Iwata is significantly more expensive and are high quality brushes. I prefer the HP-B plus over any of the Eclipses due to fit in the hand and feel. The Eclipses are no doubt fine brushes also and this is only an opinion from someone who owns multiple of both types.

Harder & Steenbeck's Infinity is even more expensive still here in the United States, but it is my favorite due to incredible atomization, feel, control and ease of cleaning.

I use all of these brushes on a regular basis and all perform well. You can pick your price range and be comfortable knowing that you are going to be capable of anything you need.

PRH001

Steve,

Another thing you might consider would be the variety of handle styles available these days. Almost a year ago, I decided to try out a Grex Tritium TG Link since it features a pistol-grip style handle — great if you have arthritis — less confusing when you return from the gun range! Either way ... spray and pray!

—mike

Badger Khrome Renegade, hands down. It is my third Badger ab. I also have the 2020 Sotar. I have owned two Iwatas, but am very happy with the Khrome Renegade. It is not too expensive and has excellent control. I like the fact that it is siphon fed. And, I can spray from a hairline to a base coat without changing the set up.

I recently bought a new airbrush and because funds are usually tight I looked around for ages before deciding. I finally bought this on e-bay. Had excellent reviews from elsewhere on the net and came with quite a few other bits and pieces that may come in useful.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Veda-Airbrush-180-Kit-Hose-Needle-Model-Body-Nail-Paint-Tool-spray-Gun-/231251835521?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item35d7aefa81

Just like to add that I have no affiliation with the seller. I understand that others like their badgers and aztecs but this was a good deal. Not sure how true it is but on one forum someone said these come out of the same factory as other well known makes. Certainly looks like some of them.

Max

I had a similar problem with a Badger 150 a few years ago. It stopped siphoning from the cup. I replaced several parts to no avail. So I contacted Badger and sent it in. For a nominal fee, ($15-20 IIRC) it came back a couple weeks later in perfect order and several new parts.

Double action is the way to go because you can just spray air to dry a layer of paint before adding another coat. You don't need to spend 500 dollars on an airbrush for modeling purposes. I have been using an Iwata HP-B Plus for years now. I'm a huge fan of Iwata products, but from what I hear is that Badger has some excellent brushes too. I would stick to either Badger or Iwata because of their excellent customer service. If you are on a budget, I would take a look at the Revolution series from Iwata.

Something else you may want to consider is picking up a spare needle and tip. I have lost two tips out of my Sotar and etched one of my first Badger's. Etching is not a problem with the Sotar or the Khrome, as the tips are not made of brass.

I still love my Badger 200. The one I have now is the second that I've owned, and I've had this one since 1982.

I still use it for general work.

However, I really love my Richpen Phoenix 213C.

Here's one review:

Airbrush Techniques Magazine::Review Richpen 213C Airbrush

The Richpen's good kit, but then again, if my Badger ever quit on me, the first thing I'd do is send to Badger for a factory overhaul, and if that didn't work, I'd buy a new one.

My old Badger's like an old friend, and I got my first one in 1974 and haven't been without one ever since. I've done some of my best work it, and I wouldn't be without one even now.

Thanks for all the information guys, I knew I could rely on the Armorama crowd!
Some of these manufacturers I've never heard of let alone seen their gear!
Max, the Veda looks interesting from the price point of view, not sure about the back up though.
If there is a trend here, it seems to be towards Badger of Iwata. I like Mike's post - it encouraged me to think I wasn't being a complete Luddite considering replacing like for like! I perhaps ought to mention I still use Humbrol paints - don't know if that makes any difference to recommendations. I know that Humbrol pigments are quite coarse - it's just after 50 years of using them you tend to stick with what you know! The old 200 certainly did everything I required of it, otherwise I guess I would have experimented before now.
Anyway thanks guys, I think I know where I'm going now!