Beginner needs airbrush advice

[DJR]

There is a tremendous amount of information available on airbrushes in general, and I have attempted through searches/reading posts to narrow my options as far as which one to initially purchase. However, I have never owned/operated an airbrush before, and ultimately find myself rather confused as to which model will suit my needs best. I already own a tool compressor that has a regulator and moisture filter, and want to spend approximately $100 or less on an airbrush. Which brand/model would you recommend to a novice that wants an airbrush that has the ability to do a variety of painting tasks for crankbaits/plugs without spending a small fortune? Thanks.

Ron

[BobP]

There are several good choices but I'm an Iwata fan and would go with an Iwata Revolution R2500. It has a .3mm tip, a 1/16 oz gravity feed cup and a Teflon bushing - $65 from Dixie Art, delivered price (no hose). With paint, hose and fittings, you're up to around $100.

[allstate48]

I'm probably in the minority here, but, I would buy a cheapy, at Harbor Freight, or Wall Mart, for the first one. Learn how to clean, and operate first, then spend the money on a good one. JMOO. Doug

[dampeoples]

The old saying you get what you pay for holds true with all types of tools. A cheap airbrush won't have the spit and polish that a good one will, and it might never become evident to the person if they give up.

A well machined and polished brush, needle and nozzle will allow the paint to flow through the brush smoothly, and cause less problems, parts will be easy to find, and won't be so problematic to find that purchasing a new brush will actually be cheaper than replacement parts. There's a thread recently where a guy wanted to find a needle for an off brand brush, $16 plus $10 shipping. It's good practice to replace the nozzle as well, further adding to the cost of retooling his brush, which was an off-brand to start with. Had he bought a name brand off the line, he would have spent the same money, and almost any hobby or art shop would have replacement parts.

My recommendation would be to get a Sunday paper, and find the Michael's or similar craft store (if you have one local) coupon, there's always a 40% off one item, sometimes a 50% off, and get the nicest model they have, which is generally a Badger, Omni or Paasche. You'll have a quality brush that you can find spare parts for locally, and will last forever if maintained correctly, and while their prices are higher off the bat, the coupon more than makes up for it.

That being said, I do like my Iwata brushes, but this site is living testament that it's the knucklehead holding the brush, not the brush itself that does much of anything, providing you get a quality tool.