KingBob
10-12-2009, 09:02 PM
I decided my christmas present to myself would be a new airbrush. It'll be my third, so here is a comparison of the 3, with my likes and dislikes of each.
The first was a Paasche VL millenium.
http://www.paascheairbrush.com/2008/mil-set-2.jpg
Its a great double action airbrush for just getting started out, the needle and tip can be changed for 1 of 3 sizes. 1 for fine lines, 3 for medium spray , 5 for wide/heavy spray. The millenium edition has a smaller body than the standard VL, and has an aluminium handle vs the standard plastic one.
Likes:
Versatile, with 3 different needles/tips it can be used for a lot of stuff.
Its pretty cheap! The millenium set includes all 3 needle and tip sizes, hose, and a couple of bottles for $105US from Amain.
Its fairly easy to clean, but you do need a spanner or pliers to take the tip off, and to tighten. If loose, it'll leak air.
Removable paintcup, or bottle for suction paint feed.
Dislikes:
I don't like suction feed, to overcome gravity I always found i had to increase the spray pressure which made it harder to control.
I wasnt thrilled with the level of atomisation of the spray, I just couldnt get it fine enough for what I wanted.
Next up I bought a Tamiya HG Superfine.
http://www.hobbylinc.com/gr/tam/tam74514.jpg
After using the Paasche this was smooth and luxurious! Again its a double action airbrush, and has a 0.2mm needle for fine spray, and an integrated gravity feed paint cup. The chromed body has a good weight and feels nice in the hand. The atomisation of paint is beautiful, very fine spray for nice smooth painting. The nicest part is an adjustable needle limiter on the end of the brush. By screwing the knob in or out, you can restrict how far back you can pull the trigger, and thus limit how much paint flows so you dont over spray something. For what it is, its priced quite well. It's made by Iwata for Tamiya, and Iwata make some of the best airbrushes around. For only $125AU (mail ordered from HK or Japan) its a fricken bargain and i Highly recommend it!
Likes:
Beautiful paint atomisation.
The needle limiter is a great tool.
Handles nicely, great feel and good weight.
BARGAIN $$$
Dislikes:
Cleaning! Being a 0.2mm tip, the paint nozzle is tiny, and unfortunately pliers are needed to unscrew it for cleaning, but being so small, a little slip and the tip can be crushed. (which i have done, a $45 lesson).
It will also only use the 1 size of needle/tip, so you cant use it for different spray types.
My new airbrush is a Harder & Steebeck Infinity.
http://www.hansa-airbrush.de/images/infinity_02.gif
This thing is the ducks nuts! Most people would go for an Iwata next, they have a great reputation, and are high quality. And I was actually going to get one, but while researching what model etc, the price started to get high for the features I wanted. So after reading some reviews and forums, found out about the H&S airbrushes. They're German made, and have a great reputation in europe. They've not been available elsewhere for long, but every review I could find said they were great!
The Infinity is one of their highest end brushes, and comes with a 0.15mm needle. The 2-in-1 version (which I bought) includes a 0.4mm needle and tip as well. The spray tip is a friction fit with o-ring, so is easy to change. Besides the standard cap it comes with a distance cap, so you can use it from a constant difference from a surface.
The paintcup can actually be unscrewed, and actually comes with a second larger cup for volume painting. The trigger is very smooth, and unlike any other airbrush i could find, actually has a tension adjust screw. You can easily set the tension in the spring to make the trigger as soft or firm as you prefer, making it easier to control. It also has a quick release valve for the hose attachment.
The Infinity has a needle limiter like the Tamiya, but this one has extras! It has a grading on it so you can see what its set to, plus it has a memory feature. Once you set the limiter, you can click the memory button, and go back to that setting at any time. Handy if you paint a thin line, then broad, then want to go back to the same thin line.
Whislt not a performance feature, it also looks pretty bling, chrome, gold plating, and red anodised ali!
Likes:
BLING!
0.15mm needle is ultra fine and gives tiny lines and great atomisation.
The aircaps are easy to change since they're just friction fit.
The trigger tension adjustment is great, makes it easier to maintain the position for even paint flow.
The needle limiter memory function, great for going back to a specific setting.
Cleaning! The airtip is much larger than the tamiya, can be removed by hand, less likely to be damaged, and easier to handle.
Changeable needle/tip size, good for multiple paint types and spray sizes.
Dislikes:
Ummm....
Hmmm...
Must be something...
Oh yeah, price. Its not cheap, was $265US, but you get a lot of bang, and a lot of quality for that.
I'll be putting it through its paces this weekend, will update the comparison after that.
The first was a Paasche VL millenium.
http://www.paascheairbrush.com/2008/mil-set-2.jpg
Its a great double action airbrush for just getting started out, the needle and tip can be changed for 1 of 3 sizes. 1 for fine lines, 3 for medium spray , 5 for wide/heavy spray. The millenium edition has a smaller body than the standard VL, and has an aluminium handle vs the standard plastic one.
Likes:
Versatile, with 3 different needles/tips it can be used for a lot of stuff.
Its pretty cheap! The millenium set includes all 3 needle and tip sizes, hose, and a couple of bottles for $105US from Amain.
Its fairly easy to clean, but you do need a spanner or pliers to take the tip off, and to tighten. If loose, it'll leak air.
Removable paintcup, or bottle for suction paint feed.
Dislikes:
I don't like suction feed, to overcome gravity I always found i had to increase the spray pressure which made it harder to control.
I wasnt thrilled with the level of atomisation of the spray, I just couldnt get it fine enough for what I wanted.
Next up I bought a Tamiya HG Superfine.
http://www.hobbylinc.com/gr/tam/tam74514.jpg
After using the Paasche this was smooth and luxurious! Again its a double action airbrush, and has a 0.2mm needle for fine spray, and an integrated gravity feed paint cup. The chromed body has a good weight and feels nice in the hand. The atomisation of paint is beautiful, very fine spray for nice smooth painting. The nicest part is an adjustable needle limiter on the end of the brush. By screwing the knob in or out, you can restrict how far back you can pull the trigger, and thus limit how much paint flows so you dont over spray something. For what it is, its priced quite well. It's made by Iwata for Tamiya, and Iwata make some of the best airbrushes around. For only $125AU (mail ordered from HK or Japan) its a fricken bargain and i Highly recommend it!
Likes:
Beautiful paint atomisation.
The needle limiter is a great tool.
Handles nicely, great feel and good weight.
BARGAIN $$$
Dislikes:
Cleaning! Being a 0.2mm tip, the paint nozzle is tiny, and unfortunately pliers are needed to unscrew it for cleaning, but being so small, a little slip and the tip can be crushed. (which i have done, a $45 lesson).
It will also only use the 1 size of needle/tip, so you cant use it for different spray types.
My new airbrush is a Harder & Steebeck Infinity.
http://www.hansa-airbrush.de/images/infinity_02.gif
This thing is the ducks nuts! Most people would go for an Iwata next, they have a great reputation, and are high quality. And I was actually going to get one, but while researching what model etc, the price started to get high for the features I wanted. So after reading some reviews and forums, found out about the H&S airbrushes. They're German made, and have a great reputation in europe. They've not been available elsewhere for long, but every review I could find said they were great!
The Infinity is one of their highest end brushes, and comes with a 0.15mm needle. The 2-in-1 version (which I bought) includes a 0.4mm needle and tip as well. The spray tip is a friction fit with o-ring, so is easy to change. Besides the standard cap it comes with a distance cap, so you can use it from a constant difference from a surface.
The paintcup can actually be unscrewed, and actually comes with a second larger cup for volume painting. The trigger is very smooth, and unlike any other airbrush i could find, actually has a tension adjust screw. You can easily set the tension in the spring to make the trigger as soft or firm as you prefer, making it easier to control. It also has a quick release valve for the hose attachment.
The Infinity has a needle limiter like the Tamiya, but this one has extras! It has a grading on it so you can see what its set to, plus it has a memory feature. Once you set the limiter, you can click the memory button, and go back to that setting at any time. Handy if you paint a thin line, then broad, then want to go back to the same thin line.
Whislt not a performance feature, it also looks pretty bling, chrome, gold plating, and red anodised ali!
Likes:
BLING!
0.15mm needle is ultra fine and gives tiny lines and great atomisation.
The aircaps are easy to change since they're just friction fit.
The trigger tension adjustment is great, makes it easier to maintain the position for even paint flow.
The needle limiter memory function, great for going back to a specific setting.
Cleaning! The airtip is much larger than the tamiya, can be removed by hand, less likely to be damaged, and easier to handle.
Changeable needle/tip size, good for multiple paint types and spray sizes.
Dislikes:
Ummm....
Hmmm...
Must be something...
Oh yeah, price. Its not cheap, was $265US, but you get a lot of bang, and a lot of quality for that.
I'll be putting it through its paces this weekend, will update the comparison after that.