As some of you may know I am looking to buy an AB, I was going to go with the Aztec A470 But when I went to local shop and held it I didnt like the feel of it in my hand.


So now I have narrowed my choice down to three. I would like to know what you guys think to any of these and what one you would go for ?

1: Paasche VLS £114.34
The same as the VL but with the added flexibility of the screw in swivel bottle connector.

The VLS Set comes complete with all three head assemblies, 7cc metal cup, 30cc bottle assembly with spare bottle, 88cc bottle assembly, 6 ft air hose, spanner, and airbrush hanger.

2: Badger 175 Crescendo £129.99
Complete Air Brush Kit - Set contains 175 Crescendo airbrush with all three nozzles / needles (Fine, Medium and Heavy), jar with jar adaptor, two additional jars with covers, braided air hose with varying air source fitting, one ¼ oz. color cup, trigger pad, protective cap, and instruction manual in an attractive triangular display box.

3:Iwata HP-C Plus £154.99
The Iwata HP-C Plus is a practical choice for most airbrush uses. Its larger 1/3 oz. (9ml) gravity feed cup and larger (0.3mm) needle/nozzle configuration allow for use with most media. This airbrush does it all – from fine hair lines to finely atomized background spray, along with an entire range of stippling effects. The gravity feed cup is useful for mixing custom colors and allows quick color changes. The short paint passageway from the cup to the front of the airbrush gives the HP-C Plus a responsive feel and allows it to be one of the quickest cleaning airbrushes in the industry.

cheers

A J

If I may be so bold, go for the Iwata. Coming from a very happy owner.

Iff i had to chose between all three, go for the Iwata, why...gravity feed


Greetz

Dacala

Definately the Iwata. I have two. One for enamels and one for acrylics. I have had great success with the Iwata.

Go for the Iwata, I use a Badger 360, but in your list the Iwata is the only one with gravity feed.

I have just brought my first airbrush , which was an Aztec . I found that it was very ergonomic , I only have small hands , I am a girl ! My friend Richie has a plastic Aztec , A metal Aztec and an Iwata . The plastic Aztec was the one I went for because Richie reckons it isn't as temperamental as the Iwata .He uses the Iwata for fine camo work & the Aztecs for everything else . It was in my price point , it has all the nozzle types ,spare paint pots ,can be used as single or double action & when I went into the LHS there are all the nozzles available seperately as spares . Plus it comes in a funky wooden box :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
I hope this helps

Howdy A J,

an old compadre' said....." If I may be so bold, go for the Iwata. Coming from a very happy owner. "

I am also in agreement with Kenc's statement........even though you may have to spend a few extra sheckles.......the one thing I can quite confidently gaurantee you is; that you will never grow out of an Iwata ....you might upgrade.....but never grow out of it !

.....for what it's worth....

Tread.

One more vote for the Iwata. I have two of them and love 'em both. They are easy to use, atomize the paint extremely well, and the gravity feed also makes them easy to clean.

Cheers,
Mike

i have an aztek and tamiya...
based on your choices up there, i would recommed Iwata ....

Iwata First...
VLS second....

An owner of both speaking........

I don't have an airbrush but from what I am hearing is that many of you have multiple brushes. Why do you use more than one? Do you get a good one and a lesser one?

Alan, airbrushes are designed to do certain things, and most over lap each other in the areas or spray pattern, and coverage. You'll never get the superfine spray pattern from some airbrushes, and those same superfine airbrushes will never give you the overall coverage of the others.

To really understand the difference between them, and learn what each can do, a trip to each manufactures web site will explain the parameters of each airbrush they make.
I don't expect my Badger 150 to do what my Badger 100G can do, and I don't expect my 100G to do what my Iwata can do, simply because they may have small over lapping areas, but the were designed for the onset for a specific area. An easy way to understand it is.... my VW and truck will both get me to work, but only one will tow my boat over the mountain in the snow.

AJ.... all are good airbrush, the important thing is:
1. What are you expecting it to do.
2. Is it designed to do what you are expecting it to do.
3. Are replacement parts readily available in your area, or are you going to have to do mail order. (nothing like having to wait for parts in the middle of a project)

[quote ]3. Are replacement parts readily available in your area, or are you going to have to do mail order. (nothing like having to wait for parts in the middle of a project)[/quote]
Dave raises a good point here , I am the Richie that was helping Jenny out on the previous page .
The brush Jenny is getting is the brush stocked at the LHS , all the parts are also stocked for this brush . Why do I have 3 brushes ? The 2 aztecs are interchangable , hence twice the parts , also if you are midway through a painting session you can have two seperate nozzle types set up ie. one fine , one medium , Why both well you may want to use the fine to mark the edges of a camo scheme , then fill the centre with the wide to save "scribbling" it in . All you have to do then is pull the paint pot off one & attach it to the other , then the hose , into it !
I find with my Iwata you need to thin the paint down a lot more but can do a lot more delicate work . I did not recommend using an Iwata first off for three reasons , 1 . out of her price range 2. LHS doesn't carry them or parts 3 . For her she wanted a general airbrush , to cover as wide a spectrum of uses as possible , the Iwata I have would have been like using a modelling brush to paint your house :-) :-) :-)
Hope this helps

Alan,
i like your question. Me my self ask the same question back then when i owned only one ab (and still ask my self now)...
and i feel that one of the criteria or reasons i get another ab is influenced from others (in the internet of course)
my first ab was an aztek....which i was so lucky an bought them cheap in 2001....and since i love to do complex german camo job, i think my aztek woundnt 'fit' enough to do that...so after reading most of the guys used fine ab to do some complex camo... and Iwata was in my mind but they're imposible to find here...so i end up with Tamiya Superfine.
They're both being good to me. If i'm bored with the plastic ab, i change to my tamiya SF. They're both connected to my compressor.
And booth have their own specialty and specific for certain painting job.
besides that when one ab is down, i still have another !!
my 2 cents

Thanks for every ones input on this, much appreciated!

So taking on board everything that has been said I am now going the Iwata route. the only thing now is I can't decide what model ???I was only thinking about the HP-C plus originally but having another look at Iwata's web site I think I may be better off with either the:

Revolution CR
Eclipse HP-CS

and the adding the HP-C plus at alater date for really fine detail.
so what are your thoughts on this ??

I have ordered my compressor from Screwfix at that will arrive tomorrow morning just wanted to say thanks to frost for his help on the compressor

AJ,
I can't comment on the Eclipse, but I do have the Revolution CR. I use it mainly for general coverage and it is great for that. I have a HP-B that I use for detail work and for intricate camo, but with practice you could use the Revolution to do some camo work. I have heard that the HP-C is the best of both worlds, and I don't think you could go wrong with it. I would highly reccomend getting a preset handle for whichever one you decide on, it will make doing fine work much easier.

Cheers,
Mike

I honestly Love my HP-C and use it way more than the VL anymore....... and you can get the .2mm Needle conversion for it too!!!!

Well I have decided at long last , and I have gone and placed my order for the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS
I really appreciate everypones help with this.

I Cant wait now for it to arrive, should be coming on tuesday and my compressor arrives tomorrow!

The total cost for me to start airbrushing was £156.98 so I am quite pleased. Until I saw the compressor on Screwfix I thought it was going to come to around £300

So I guess now a steep learning curve is ahead of me but it should be all good fun.

Just got to sort out what type of paint to use now so you can expect another post Im afraid asking lots of questions about paint and my Iwata

Excellent choice, I think you'll love it. I have the exact same model, and it is outstanding. I also have the HP-B, and I find that the CS will do almost as well in detail work (for my needs anyway) and is much more versatile (wider coverage, etc.).
Now, I strongly recommend buying three things: 1.)Detail crown cap. Allows you to work closer to the surface for tighter spraying patterns. 2.)Pre-set handle. This permits you to regulate paint feed, again valuable for when doing detail work. 3.)Super lube. Use this stuff on your needle and trigger so that you get nice, smooth action of those parts. Of the three, get the super lube immediately because it helps keep your airbrush working properly regardless of application. The other two you can put off until you reach the point where you want to start doing tighter patterns.
Enjoy your new airbrush, it's a winner!

Thanks I just cant wait for it to come now and the worst thing is the compressor comes tommorrow and I can do nothing !

Thanks for the tips on the three things you recomend. I will be sure to look into them. This super lube stuff is that a brand of lube ? or can I get any light lube to do the job?

thanks

Id go Paasche all the way

AJ,

Good choice on the airbrush. I went through several 'lesser' airbrushes before I got my first Iwata. I now own a HP-A, Eclipse CS, 2 BCS and a Revolution. And now I have an eye on getting another. IMHO they are the most dependable airbrushes on the market today.

The only worry that you'll have with the airbrush is the needle and nozzle. Be careful when you clean the airbrush and reseat the needle. Be very gentle when pushing it into the nozzle. The nozzle will deform with use but pushing the needle too hard will split the nozzle. If you ever have the problem of the spray going off at an angle, then you have a split in the nozzle. Be sure to get a couple of spares for back up. I always have some just becuase they will wear out under normal use. Just replaced the needle and nozzle last week after 8 months of use.

Otherwise the Iwata airbrush will be the best purchase you will have made in model tools. The oldest one that I have is 20 yrs old and still works without problems. The Eclipse workhorses are both 10 and 8 years old. Just the above mentioned tune-ups and off I go.

You will love your new toy for years to come. Worth every penny paid.

Sounds like you have made a good purchase, i have 3 Iwata's my self, super lube assemble lube its pretty much the same, after you clean your airbrush coat all the moving parts you just cleaned with a very small amount of the lube, keeps the parts moving smooth and helps keep the paint from sticking to the needle. Good luck.