Returning to the hobby after a very long break. Looking for advice on what airbrush to go for.

[dandove]

As far as airbrushes are concerned, I have no experience but understand the advantages of using one. I have had a look online to try and find out about airbrushes on Youtube etc., but cannot say I am much the wiser. I would be grateful for any guidance as to types and models. In terms of budget, my general position is that I will spend what it takes to buy something that does a good job and will last a reasonable amount of time.  

[Steve McArthur]

I'd recommend an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS as a good general purpose airbrush that will last a lifetime with proper care. Facebook link for common airbrush questions.

 

If you need a compressor get one with a tank. 

[Tijuana Taxi]

18 minutes ago, Steve McArthur said:

I'd recommend an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS as a good general purpose airbrush that will last a lifetime with proper care. Facebook link for common airbrush questions.

 

If you need a compressor get one with a tank. 

That's what  I use, easy enough to dismantle and clean, floating nozzle that is much less delicate than the tiny screw in type.

Can also swap the needle from 0.3 to 0.5 if so desired for the price of a needle, nozzle and cap.

 

Not so sure I agree about the need for a tank, my Smart Jet Pro provides a reliable non fluctuating air flow.

[Steve McArthur]

6 minutes ago, Tijuana Taxi said:

Not so sure I agree about the need for a tank, my Smart Jet Pro provides a reliable non fluctuating air flow.

Your Smart Jet Pro cost about four times what an AS186 style compressor with a tank costs, I'd hope it works at least as well.

[Chuck1945]

Everyone has their preferences. When I decided it was time for a gravity feed brush back in the late ‘90s, Iwata were becoming popular and I found a good price on a HP-C. Later I got H&S Evolution and Infinity brushes, both of which I preferred to the Iwata. These days there are Iwata models that also incorporate a floating nozzle (the nozzle fits into the tip assembly but isn’t physically attached) as do the H&S. CREOS also have a series of brushes that are popular and similar too but generally lower priced than Iwata.

[Mark Harmsworth]

There's an airbrush supplier (air-craft.net) that frequents britmodeller and who may be able to help with your queries.

 

See in 'Shops, Manufacturers and vendors':

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/613-air-craftnet/

 

Their website: https://www.air-craft.net/

 

Seems to be @Jetblast who may be along soon.

 

Good luck

Mark

PS I have no involvement - in case that needs stating

 

 

[-Ian-]

1 hour ago, Steve McArthur said:

Your Smart Jet Pro cost about four times what an AS186 style compressor with a tank costs, I'd hope it works at least as well.

tbh if I was looking at spending well over £300 for a compressor, I'd spend the extra £50 or so and choose a tanked Sil-Air 15A over the smart jet pro.

For sub £100 compressors I don't think you can beat the AS186.

[Gav G]

Any of the Mr Hobby Procon airbrushes, or the Badger SOTAR 20/20, depending on what spray size you'd like.  The advantage these have over others is that spares tend to be cheaper.

 

I haven't used the new H&S Infinitys but the old ones are great so I assume the news ones will be too, not cheap though!

 

 

Airbrushes I own or have used extensively:

Mr Hobby PS-270, PS-289 & PS-771.

Badger SOTAR 20/20 with both fine and medium setups, Patriot 105 fine.

H&A Infinity CR+ 0.2mm.

Edited March 9 by Gav G

[Tijuana Taxi]

4 hours ago, Steve McArthur said:

Your Smart Jet Pro cost about four times what an AS186 style compressor with a tank costs, I'd hope it works at least as well.

It actually cost £50 after making an offer on Ebay,. Needed a good clean up, new mains lead and some connections tightening. Did have to buy a new pressure switch, but works very nicely  now.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/387820803257

[talbot]

I took up the hobby just over a year ago to give a sense of where I'm coming from

 

Started off with Mr Hobby Procon Boy 0.2 and 0.3 airbrushes

I like them they work well for me, easy to clean up and maintain

 

I also picked up a cheaper Gaalhri to do primer, it's ok I don't use it that much and I found it finicky for consistent spray occasionally

 

I recently picked up a H&S Evolution 2024 and instantly fell in love

It is a way better brush than my skill level, gives me a lot of confidence and I really enjoy using it

 

I'd recommend H&S and from everything I've read Iwata's similar as well

 

[Richard E]

Once you have made a shortlist of possible choices, can I suggest that you make contact with The Airbrush Company (Airbrushes.com) when I was looking for a new airbrush and compressor a couple of years ago they gave me some very good and impartial advice.

[Tijuana Taxi]

11 minutes ago, Richard E said:

Once you have made a shortlist of possible choices, can I suggest that you make contact with The Airbrush Company (Airbrushes.com) when I was looking for a new airbrush and compressor a couple of years ago they gave me some very good and impartial advice.

They might not be that impartial being the UK distributor of Iwata.

Another decent all rounder could be a Badger 105 Patriot.

Easy to maintain and reasonably priced with a choice of needle sizes.

[dandove]

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions. On the basis of what you say, I have a shortlist of iwata eclipse hp-cs, the h&s evolution 2024 and the badger patriot 105. Would you say that the h&s can function as an all-rounder or what do you think? 

[ckw]

I use the H&S Ultra and Infinity and either one I'm happy to use as an all-rounder. To be clear, my use has been with enamels, solvent based acrylics and lacquers - I don't use water based paints, but I don't see why that should be any different. H&S offers a range of needle/nozzle sizes from 0.15 to .4, though I find I almost always use the .2 - but my subjects are 1/72. For larger subjects, the .3 or .4 might be useful for overall application of primer or varnish. If money is not an important factor, 

 

That said, I imagine the Iwata or Badger would be equally good for the job.

 

Of course getting an airbrush is the first step. For most people it is a pretty steep initial learning curve. As you become used to the feel of a particular airbrush, you'll probably find the one you learn on 'better' than others simply because muscle memory starts to determine how much you pull back or depress the trigger.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Chuck1945]

There are people that obtain fantastic results with almost any airbrush, and those (myself included) who obtain mediocre results with whatever brush used. True, I can obtain finer results with my H&S brushes than I ever did with the the Paasche H I started with 60 years ago but honestly I don’t think there was much difference in results comparing the Iwata HP-C and the Infinity and Evolution I now use; I simply preferred the ease of cleaning the two H&S brushes over the Iwata. Like @ckw, I model 1/72 and find the .2 needle/tip is most often used and the .4 is useful for larger models. New H&S brushes come with a little test card showing that your new purchase was tested and the results. The fine line that the card showed with the Evolution 2024 I recently purchased to replace my much older Evolution Silverline…, well let me just say I wish for the same results

[Tijuana Taxi]

I also have the Eclipse BCS which is a siphon type and ideal for primer, clear coats and general larger area coverage.

https://www.air-craft.net/acatalog/Iwata-Eclipse-HP-BCS.html?srsltid=AfmBOopzf8dGegSdb_XjaDNCNipA1PQoXiII0lLw2IYkZ6_ywTd8awBb

It comes with the 0.5 needle, nozzle and cap therefore its interchangeable with the 0.3 from the Eclipse CS.

 

Sometimes handy having two airbrushes set up rather than having to clean and then change needles etc.

Can always be bought at a later date if you decide on wanting some more flexibility.

 

[albergman]

Throw my hat into the ring here.   I've had an Iwata Eclipse for more than 25 years and it's still going but I recently wanted to have another available with smaller jets and, out of curiosity, I bought one off Temu for a song.   Turns out it's a dead ringer for my old Eclipse and the parts are even interchangeable.   Similarly when my faithful old Campbell compressor burned out I bought a cheap compressor off Amazon (under $100 in Canada).   It has a smaller tank than my old one and seems to be designed for a nail salon studio so it is dead quiet but it is a beautifully made machine and perfect for my needs.

 

If you are on a budget then these cheaper options are not a bad alternative.

 

Frank

[dandove]

Thanks for that. I am thinking about buying the h&s evolution 2024. Can anybody recommend a compressor to go with this?

[ckw]

4 hours ago, dandove said:

Can anybody recommend a compressor to go with this?

Depends what is important to you. I use the relatively cheap Fedenga FD-186 (around £85 on Amazon) which includes a water trap and air tank. Mine has served well for 7 years now. It's not pretty and certainly not the quietest - but it pushes air out just fine.

 

You can spend more money and get something more compact, attractive, quieter and maybe more energy efficient but at the end of the day I don't think it will produce better results.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

On 10/03/2025 at 15:46, Chuck1945 said:

The fine line that the card showed with the Evolution 2024 I recently purchased to replace my much older Evolution Silverline…, well let me just say I wish for the same results

As stated earlier, I generally use a .2 needle in my H&S Infinity. Wanting to do some fine line work, I got a .15 needle, and to be honest, struggles a bit with it. The paint just didn't flow as well. So I went back to my trusty .2 and experimented a bit more with pressures, thinning and general technique. Ultimately I found I could get consistent pencil thin lines by thinning the paint a bit more, lowering the pressure and reducing distance. My thinking is that the very fine nozzles are not really suited to modelling paint - I think they're intended for use with inks. 

 

IMHO final results are much more about the technique than the equipment used (given you're starting with a half decent airbrush). Some features may make things a little easier - I find the adjustable needle stop on my Infinity helpful, but ultimately good results are a result of experimentation and LOTS of practice. I think muscle memory has a lot to do with consistent results.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[talbot]

I’ve been using a badger 910 tc which has a tank, regulator and trap

works well, though i dont have anything to subjectively compare it to from personal experience 

 

as @ckw mentioned, cheaper alternatives available with same options that should work just fine

[RichD1]

Being a potential newbie to airbrushing what type would you recommend, gravity or siphon? Air on all time or controlled?

[Tijuana Taxi]

1 hour ago, RichD1 said:

Being a potential newbie to airbrushing what type would you recommend, gravity or siphon? Air on all time or controlled?

What are you intending to mainly use it for?

Fine detail work, one colour base coat such as primer or varnish coat?

Also large or small volumes of paint, regular colour changes?

Lot of variables that might determine your choice of airbrush.

 

My suggestion would be something with a 0.3mm'ish needle, gravity fed with dual control.

Many people including myself are happy with an Iwata Eclipse CS, good atomisation and easy to clean.

I also have an Eclipse siphon fed dual control brush and recently sold a Revolution siphon single control model (wasn't so keen on that) 

 

 

 

 

 

[RichD1]

I’m starting to build F1 cars in 1/12. So a mix of primer, base, topcoat and final clear coat. But in the future I could be tempted into aircraft or AFV.

But my usage will not be massive so price or should I say value for money will be important. 

[Tijuana Taxi]

1 hour ago, RichD1 said:

I’m starting to build F1 cars in 1/12. So a mix of primer, base, topcoat and final clear coat. But in the future I could be tempted into aircraft or AFV.

But my usage will not be massive so price or should I say value for money will be important. 

I will stick with my suggestion of an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS

[szeregowy]

1 hour ago, RichD1 said:

I’m starting to build F1 cars in 1/12. So a mix of primer, base, topcoat and final clear coat. But in the future I could be tempted into aircraft or AFV.

But my usage will not be massive so price or should I say value for money will be important. 

If your budget allows go for Eclipse HP-CS like @Tijuana Taxi suggested, but if that's over your budget I would suggest trying Neo CN. I've got one and it works perfectly, if you shop around you should be able to find one for under £100.