Should You Buy a $30 Airbrush?

In this episode of eBay Miniature Rescues I explore the differences between a $20-30 Master Airbrush and an Iwata Eclipse. I hope you enjoyed the video and I would love to know your thoughts on the subject! Please comment, like, share, and most importantly, subscribe. Thank you for your continued support!

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Playlist:
1. Alter Grief by Ian Post
2. Our Future Past by When Mountains Move

[davedogge]

For priming, base painting and varnish airbrushing so as not to wear down your expensive airbrushes the £30 airbrush will do fine

[anthonyshillingford]

Please can you do a video on compressors? What's a great starter, intermediate and advance unit? Pros and Cons. Thanks.

[harkejuice]

Came back to this video after using the Master for a while as my learning brush. One thing I want to point out, the Master brush (that specific version) has an aggravating problem. Inside the cup there is a lip which will hold paint, ink, any liquid at all and eventually dries and causes clogging. Nicer airbrushes have a funnel straight down. I also have a rust spot in my cup, which will eventually start to affect the needle, trigger and then some. It was worth to learn on however. Buy the cheap brush, learn to break it (I have), have fun upgrade later once you know what not to do.

[shawnmccuen]

Bro I totally didn't think you were going to go this direction with the video. Very cool. As a beginner it's really appreciated. Thank you.

[tempusavatar]

Vallejo partnered with Harder & Steenbeck and they sell a few different kits, paints with an airbrush, it comes apart quick & easy and has silicone gaskets instead of rubber o rings. With the price of the paint in consideration, it may be the best value starter airbrush.

[gamelover]

Neo Cn for Iwata
If you are Stateside, and have a hobby lobby coupon, its 50$
there are things that make it good for begginners
1:Nice middle needle size, making it good for small detail size and basecoating
2: has a name attached to it. It isnt made by Iwata, but Iwata backs it
3: You will break your airbrush, so replacement parts are needed, and FAST sometimes, Hobby Lobby carries them
4: its well made
I have been airbrushing for about 3 years and I have used that nearly exclusively. I have some hi tier, Crystal Brush winning painters near me and when I showed the work I do with this brush, they are always surprised(Im not that good, but they do think the brush is good.

[tattooeddragon]

Great video! 20 bucks is a good investment for a beginner brush to get your skills down, then once you are confident, spend some money on a better one.

[briangilgan]

For my first airbrush I bought the Gocheer kit off amazon.ca for about 80 bux. Works surprisingly well and the compressor is very small and very quiet. I've since graduated to an Iwata Eclipse and Sprint Jet, But the Gocheer is still useful for times when I want to experiment with things that I think are maybe hazardous to the airbrushes health. Besides, there's a good chance you will break the nozzle or bend the needle on your first airbrush, so that's another reason to start with something inexpensive.

[NightsMuse]

Perfect advice. If you don't like the brush, you can turn around and sell it and not lose money. My first was a double action Iwata for an art class. It think my ex still has it. A more moderate version will give you the chance to learn the tricks without breaking the bank.

[TheMiniJunkie]

Good advice, I'd say...although I definitely agree that if you can afford it, it's not a bad idea to jump right into an Eclipse or similar quality brush. Partly I feel that the cheaper brushes could give a beginner a less pleasant experience, which could put them off airbrushing if they don't push through it as they learn. I used one of those "super cheap no-name" ones recently and although it worked, it was heavy, less comfortable to use and just sorta "clunky".

[paulaandjannerholliday]

My wife (as a present gave to me a few years ago a Paasche single action with Compressor for around $90), the real money was in the nice compressor. After I practiced, I purchased a dual action Iwata Neo from Hobby Lobby (here in FL) that was $100 marked down to $80 and then I used the Hobby Lobby coupon app for a 40% off coupon. In the end the airbrush was $40 and change. I like the suggestion. You don’t have to use a very expensive airbrush to get nice results, you just need to practice. Keep an eye on sales and maybe try Hobby Lobby’s weekly 40% off coupon (it’s a regular thing for them)!

[kevinfrantz]

i've used my cheapo airbrush for about two years now it gets the job done for sure but there was a clear difference between the cheap one and my new neo (still cheap). Good video as always... also noticed your view count per video seems to be increasing! Keep up the good work homie.

[kensaiix]

you can remove the nozzle on the cheap airbrush as well, you need a small wrench (usually provided with the package), and you can unscrew it. usually the seller that sells the airbrush has replacement nozzles. also the cheapo chinese airbrushes are usually copies of older brand name designs, but usually, as you found out yourself, the manufacturing quality is on the lower end.

[Mr_Secondaries]

Another good company to get is Paasche. It is what I use. I have a Testor's mini air compressor and a Paasche Talon series airbrush. Total setup was about $150. Hose was $9.

The mini compressor doesn't have a adjustable pressure regulator or regulator gauge to check pressure, its only downside. It claims its set for 20psi, but I've never checked. It works well, rather quiet but not being able to check pressures or adjust pressure is a potential issue.

I'd say its a good starter, but there are better mini compressors now.

The Talon series airbrush is very nice for $50. I got mine for $40 on ebay.

One thing to note for beginners is, gravity fed airbrushes are easier to use and clean in my opinion but can clog if you don't get your mix right requiring you to take the tip apart and clean it.

Siphon ones work just fine, but can be temperamental if you dont get the airbrush mix right, it won't start siphoning if the mix isnt right which can save you from clogs, but even if you get the right mix, the air pressure must be correct or it won't start siphoning. The bonus of siphone brushes is they are typically a lot cheaper than gravity fed ones. However you have two things to check instead of one.

[Judson.Adkins]

It blew my mind that this channel isn't as big as it deserves! It's a very awesome concept and I think we all want to see more. I really hope you find the success in this that you most certain will earn!

[williamaitken]

I think the best airbrush is the one that you're actually going to use!

I used a cheapo compressor and airbrush for a long time. I used to paint Gundam models (nothing's stopping me from painting more other than how time-consuming they are haha) and really all you needed was a cheap airbrush since you're generally just doing primer + basecoat for all the pieces. Any color separation was done with masking tape and masking fluid. And if that's all you're using the airbrush for, I see no reason to upgrade.

The real bang for your buck upgrade is the compressor. The difference between a $50 compressor without a tank and a $150 compressor with a tank is night and day. I can't count the number of times I had to redo a Gundam part due to paint sputter from condensation building up in the compressor. Or when the compressor would get so hot that it would shut off. I could have had the best Badger or Iwata airbrush on the market and still been hampered by the compressor.

[krisd]

I just started airbrushing roughly 6 months ago. Bought a Sotar 20/20. Overall opinions. I like the open rear so I can manipulate the needle and adjust the max paint flow. Like how easy to clean and reassemble. Comfortable to hold. I dislike the smaller cup size bc I tend to spill paint from "finessing" the brush around. Not experienced with other brushes but I feel like the trigger could be better.. that is just a sample size of one.

[wearytraveler]

Large scale coverage is actually easier with the cheaper air brushes. I have 5 that I bought for $15 each from a Chinese knock-off manufacturer! It saves wear and tear on your more expensive tools which you only want for fine detail anyway! I spent less than half of what I paid for my best air brush and got 5 tools that I am not afraid to just run paint through!

[carloona]

I always enjoy your content. I hope there will be a video on things to buy as a beginner, intermediate, and advance painter.

[DuncanCustomAirbrush]

I've seen a lot lately about Master...I use a Iwata HP-CS and a Micron
Your figurines look dope btw