Planning on my first decent airbrush. Had some cheap chinese copies and some basic single action.

Since I can afford it I thought it would be good to buy well from the start rather than a series of upgrades.

My research so far has brought me to the HP-BH or HP-CH even though they may exceed my ability for now.

I assume that having the built in MAC valve over the HP-Plus is worthwhile.

Are either of these a good choice for 1:35 armour.

And if so which is the best. I like the neatness of the BH but I worry that the paintcup might be too small. But at the same time, I worry that paint cup on the CH might be too big and get in the way.

Or are there better ABs I should be looking at within that price bracket.

Hat do you think?

Cheers,

Nigel

I just love my Iwata hp c plus,no problems laying down a base coat or doing camp work.I also have a badger krome,and I also have on the way a Iwata hp th for doing larger areas.But my first choice is Hp-c plus.Hope that helps

Go for the HP-CH. For versatility you want the bigger cup and the .3mm nozzle. You'll drive yourself nuts trying to use the HP-BH for base coats and most camo.

Thanks for the advice. Do you think the built-in MAC valve is worthwhile - as far as I can tell that is the only difference between the HP-C Plus and the HP-CH.

The difference in price is more than the cost of an inline MAC Valve.

Cheers,

Nigel

HP-CH is definately a good brush and would definately give you good service. However, you asked if there where other brands that were better and that is purely subjective. Harder Steenbeck, Badger, Grex, Procon Boy and Tamiiya (among others) all make brushes that have directly comparable performance. Features and feel are what separate airbrushes at that level. If you have the opportunity, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you put your hands on what you intend to buy.

I personally bought an Iwata HP-C over 25 years ago, used it for finishing one model and sold it to a friend who wanted it desperately. The brush worked perfectly but It didn't feel comfortable in my hand, so I felt I could do as much with my old brush (Badger 350) as I could with the Iwata. It was another 2-3 years before I got a Badger 100 that fit my hand better and I permanently changed to double action.

Performance was not the issue, it was strictly feel. I've bought 5 Iwata brushes since then and they are all great, but not another HP-C...

Your mileage will undoubtedly vary, so good luck and enjoy your new brush!
Cheers,
Paul H

If you can afford it, get the HP-CH. I have an inline MAC valve and it's kind of clunky. It really gets in the way sometimes.

Paul's points are spot-on.

If at all possible, try out some different high-rated brushes before plunking serious money down on one. You will be thankful that you did so. I have 2 Iwata HP-CS brushes which I have put a fair amount of paint, dye, etc. through over many years. I like how they work and like how they feel. But I'll never blankly say that anyone else should necessarily get one of those over some other brands. I also have a GreX Tritium 3 / 5 - very nice, and VERY different from any Iwata brush, and very comfy for my older, stiffer hands at this point... So those fine Iwata are getting a little less use now-a-days! Hand-feel is very important, and as each of us is an individual, no one brush feels great in everyone's hand. But comfort WILL affect your work, so trying out some prospects before you buy could be a key step to your success and happiness.

Cheers!

Bob

I have an HP-CH and I am very happy with it. I do use the mac valve for fine adjustments. You really can't go wrong with either the C+ or the CH. The HP-C has done many a fine model if you don't want to spend the money on the mac valve..

I'd skip the MAC valve. I'll bet you'll never use it. For our models, a good pressure gauge is will do just fine.

Paul


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