What air brush are you using?

[kellyblues]

I will soon be replacing my air brush ( old harbor fright ) with a new one and wondering what brand / model others are using. 

Thanks in advance for your time

[billybopp]

I have a few, but prefer my Paasche VL.  It's double-action siphon feed.  I like siphon feed because you can use different sizes of jars - small for details, and larger for when you need to cover a large area.  They have three different sizes of needle/orifice add-ons which will give you a spray pattern from very fine to relatively wide.  Double-action lets you control the dye/paint flow making fades easier.   

I have a Paasche H, which is a single action external mix siphon feed.  Single action is pretty much either on or off, with no fine control of feed.  It is fine for covering bigger areas, but not so much for fine stuff.  

I do not often use my Iwata gravity feed.  It's a very nice brush, but I find the small cup limiting for anything but small areas.

- Bill

[battlemunky]

I'm still using the Harbor Freight cheapo. Still works for what I use it for so if/when it dies I'll probably get another.

[kellyblues]

2 hours ago, billybopp said:

I have a few, but prefer my Paasche VL.  It's double-action siphon feed.  I like siphon feed because you can use different sizes of jars - small for details, and larger for when you need to cover a large area.  They have three different sizes of needle/orifice add-ons which will give you a spray pattern from very fine to relatively wide.  Double-action lets you control the dye/paint flow making fades easier.   

I have a Paasche H, which is a single action external mix siphon feed.  Single action is pretty much either on or off, with no fine control of feed.  It is fine for covering bigger areas, but not so much for fine stuff.  

I do not often use my Iwata gravity feed.  It's a very nice brush, but I find the small cup limiting for anything but small areas.

- Bill

The paasche VL is the one I've been eyeballing. Wanting a double action and range of use it looks like the best bang for the buck. And fading is a must. 

Thanks for the detailed response.

 

30 minutes ago, battlemunky said:

I'm still using the Harbor Freight cheapo. Still works for what I use it for so if/when it dies I'll probably get another.

I have zero complaints about my old HF airbrush. I think I paid like $15 for it probably 10 years ago. For the money ya can't beat it really. The only drawback is it's never had much control. But for 15 bucks I got used to it. I've actually looked at HF's " deluxe " model, wooooohooo. It's $25 Hahaha. 

[battlemunky]

Ah yes, the "deluxe" model. 

[JLSleather]

Ive used the Paasche VL for years.  Every so often it gets a bit of a redesign, and each time I like it a little less.  I kept using them because parts are readily available.  But, now Hobby Lobby no longer stocks needles and tips for them, so when I need to get replace I'll likely get something ELSE.

TIP:  Don't rule out "single action" brushes.  I've seen some STUNNING art work done with very simple brushes - INCLUDING the Paasche H.

Oh.. do you spray your finish?  One approach might be to keep the HF brush and use ONLY for finishes?  I have one brush that only sprays acrylic top finish.

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by JLSleather

[Mattsbagger]

I have a Badger 105 that I like a lot. Needed to get a $5 adapter to use the HF hose and compressor but the brush was only $65.

[zipsfan]

I recently picked up a Paasche H kit and couldn't be happier. I'm only using it for basic dying with an occasional antiqued edge but I have to say I was quite surprised by just how much control even the single action from Paasche yields. I'd definitely recommend the VL per your needs.

[Zonker1972]

i used to airbrush paint... or at least tried. i would recommend just about any of the Badger brushes. i would assume that you would want a siphon feed for bottles so that would be either a Badger 105 or 150. you can usually find used ones on ebay for pretty cheap.

zonker

[ohio]

Paasche VL kit.