who makes a fair quality air brush for a first time airbrush user something that is not super expensive would be nice too

The Iwata Neo is pretty good, and is very reasonably priced.

Hi,

I think a Chinese mass produced BD-130 (sold under many names just search for 130 or 0.3 airbrush) is perfect to start, that was my first airbrush and I still use it every now and then.

https://www.amazon.com/Durable-Dual-Action-Trigger-Airbrush-Painting/dp/B00OC49IT4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1469134774&sr=8-8&keywords=130+airbrush

Just take the time to clean it properly after each use and do not use excessive force when screwing back the nozzle.

As it is China made there is a chance that it has defects off the shelf so look for a seller that provides replacement in case you get a faulty one.

I had no issues with mine. Yes, a more expensive one has its benefits but if you can master it this one is very good to learn.

Cheers,

Adam

You a never too Rich to buy a cheap airbrush.

This is my motto.

I bought as my first airbrush Harder&Steenbeck Evolution Silverline (cca 100€/$)

Simple service, self centered jet...

China is simple China.

Many modellers say - Why i waste a money for Chinese crap ?

Give money to better mark- Iwata or Harder-Steenbeck (two most popular brands) in U.S. are a few another brands as Paashe, Badger etc.

Look on to review etc...

Fengda is really a budget airbrush.

I think a Harder&Steenbeck Ultra or Evolution are better choice.

Bought a Paasche VL after having trouble with another brand. It came with 3 different nozzles/needles, not tiny ones with o-rings either. Parts are cheap and plentiful. Easy to clean. I paid a little over $79 for it. Seems to be going well for my beginner status. I've been able to draw with ink and shoot lacquers, enamels and acrylics without much fuss.

ihave 4 airbrushes . my first was a badger 150 . I still have it and use it for all my genera work . I love it !I have a badger patriot too for finer work. I have 2 I awatas too but prefer the badgers.

Getting back into hobby.I bought a Paashe E-Z starter brush for $30.Worked well for a few minutes,but I did not have the paint thinned enough.Nothing would come out,so I cleaned the thing and am practicing with just water.You need to have a gentle touch to use this product to get it to work.I am using canned air,maybe that is not strong enough?

The Iwata NEO is a nice beginners brush. I picked one up for under $60. They spray pretty well too!

My standard reply is always the Badger Patriot. Inexpensive, easy to clean (which is, I feel, very important for a beginning airbrush), provides surprisingly good performance for the price, and allows a fair degree of trigger pressure adjustment which really helps the user.

As mentioned, the Iwata Neo is a great starter airbrush.
I have also used the cheap chinese models. The ones I use are branded VEDA. They are available from a company in England called Bartsharp. They are really cheap and the spares are readily available. Not sure about shipping to the US. These work great. check out the reviews on YouTube. For the price they really are worth a look.

Look i would suggest and its just a thought what i did was go to harbor fright which are all over the U.S and pick up both of the ones they sell. 1 is 9 bucks the other is 20 bucks and if will give you some practice and to learn some techniques. Once you get squared away then go out and buy a good one if you want. There is nothing like spending 300 bucks on a airbruch and not onow how to paint, at least with only spending 30 bucks on the guns minus the compressor you wont get as frustrated.

Frank, I don't disagree with that approach actually - it will give you a feel for what you're doing and get some practice in and you won't be so paranoid about messing up an expensive piece of equipment. You can always upgrade once you are comfortable.

As an alternative, and I think in a similar price range to the Neo that others above suggested, is the Sparmax Max range - these are maybe between the Harbor Freight type cheapies and the more seriously priced a/bs. I did this Armorama video review a little while ago which may be of interest: Sparmax Max-4

[quote]As mentioned, the Iwata Neo is a great starter airbrush.
I have also used the cheap chinese models. The ones I use are branded VEDA. They are available from a company in England called Bartsharp. They are really cheap and the spares are readily available. Not sure about shipping to the US. These work great. check out the reviews on YouTube. For the price they really are worth a look.[/quote


no offense but I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for . Badger is a great airbrush and isn't super expensive . and their guaranteed for life ! Iv had mine repaired . it cost$8 shipping and they fix it ! it initially cost about 100 bucks but ive had it for years !!

I used to work professionally as an airbrush illustrator and I have used a lot of different types over the years. This is what I recommend.
Always by the best brand name airbrush you can afford.
Never buy a knock off. For one thing, parts are always a problem.
Don't buy online, buy your airbrush from a store that also stocks the parts you will need; like needles, tips, colour cups and bottles. make sure somebody there knows what they are talking about and can help you.
We had a saying back in the day that "friends don't let friends buy Badger" They may have improved but they used to be budget knock-offs of Paasche and Thayer and Chandler. Avoid weird stuff like Aztec etc.
Single or dual action? What do you want your airbrush to do: fine work or general spraying?
Use braided hose not the crappy plastic stuff.
My favourite all around handpiece is my Iwata C, now more than 30 years old, it still works great and I can still get parts. Iwata make a large range of brushes and the quality is excellent.
Don't overlook Paasche. They invented the airbrush and make great affordable equipment. I have a single action Paasche H that is 50 years old, still works and I can still get parts. Paasche handpieces are a little larger so not always the first choice for illustrators but used to be the first pick for modellers.
Lastly, consider your air source. Diaphragm compressors are cheap but have a putt putt effect for close work and generate a lot of condensation so a water trap is necessary and a regulator is not recommended. I used to use compressed Nitrogen which provides smooth dry air and now I use a Jun Air which is silent but does need a water trap. Paasche makes a great little inline water trap that will save you a bundle.

Hope this helps,

Gord
If you want tips on technique feel free to send me a pm.

I have 2 Neo Iwata ABs which I use for general spraying and Alclads and whilst OK, they go through seals like no-one's business and given the base cost of the unit, are not economically viable to keep replacing. As such, they get used less and less and the oldest is only about 2 years old with quite casual use only.

On the other hand, my Iwata HP-C+ (A 'proper' Iwata )bought around the same time just goes and goes and it really is an exercise in of 'You get what you pay for".

I would much rather buy a quality AB second hand than pay the same sum for a 'new' budget one as personally, I think in any trade, there is no such thing as a 'good quality' budget tool.

Gary

Tamiya makes excellent airbrushes. They are actually made by Iwata so you have top notch design and manufacturing. I have 5 airbrushes, all Tamiya/Iwata with needle sizes ranging from .2 up to .5. I find myself using the .2 the most.

I would highly recommend a gravity fed airbrush as you can literally spray one drop of paint. I used to use the Paashe airbrush but always found myself wasting paint.

A quick search on ebay will give you many brand new,good quality airbrushes (search Tamiya or Iwata airbrush) for less than most places have them listed for. Iwata/Tamiya parts, and I assume this is true with Badger as well, are easily found online from a number of retailers.

A lot of airbrush virgins buy the well known brands but find that their skills are woeful. Airbrushing needs practice practice practice followed by more practice. You will NOT get the results of the pro and some folks get disheartened and give up. It's not just a matter of which brush but also paint, paint thinning ratios etc. Hence the need for practice. I am still rubbish!

In my opinion buy a cheap Chinese gravity feed 0.3mm brush off ebay some coloured inks and a few kids colouring books and, you guessed it, practice. Meanwhile save up for a higher spec brush.

Neo Iwata TRN1 pistol trigger airbrush its a good one start.

Regards from the South.

I use an Iwata Revolution CR gravity-feed. Best investment. Keep away from Aztec - over-priced crap!

The brush is only a piece of the puzzle. You need an air source. The cans of propel are way too expensive a choice for long term usage.

Well for what its worth, I bought this a couple of months ago out of curiosity. It works, I've painted 5 models with it and no major issues. I have 4 Iwatas, a couple of Peaks and there is no comparison but for $15.00 + shipping - not bad

I started out with a cheap BD-130 myself in the idea that it was going to teach me how to handle an airbrush without too much loss if I'll ruin it. In the first year, I broke a nozzle and bent a needle

Then as time passed by and I've kept hearing about people praising pro brushes, I decided to buy a Harder & Steenbeck Ultra. Well... I had it for like two weeks then sold it again. I was so accustomed to the features of my cheapo that I simply couldn't do without them. The needle travel limiter was probably the most important one and I would have had to step up to an even more expensive brush to have it and that was too much. Plus, I simply wasn't able to determine the added value of this higher-end piece of equipment.

Just my two cents!

Been using an Aztek 470 for better than 20 years with good results and have been able to produce more than a few award winning pieces at both AMPS and IPMS shows. Beauty of the Aztek is the light weight and ease of cleanup/maintenance. Little to no arm/hand fatigue during long painting sessions. As I use Tamiya acrylics I simply unscrew the nozzle, put it in a jar with Windex, shake and I'm done. As others have noted, proficiency with an airbrush requires practice. While not a precision instrument as some of the more conventional airbrushes, one can still obtain a fine line and do freehand cammo. Aztek also comes with a lifetime guarantee. About 3-4 years ago I dropped my original 470(at that time about 15 years old) I rolled my chair to look for it and CRUNCH. I called Testors and told them what happened. They said no problem send us the broken airbrush and we will send you a new one. About 2-3 weeks later brand new airbrush. There are times when I consider buying a new airbrush, especially when I hear lots of folks singing the praised of Iwata and a few other bands. But then I think of how many kits I could buy instead. Just my experience and two cents. Good luck.

I got a Master brand airbrush with compressor for $49 on Amazon.Now they are $138.I guess it was on sale when I ordered it.