i found a cheap airbrush...should i get it?

[RocketJockey87]

i found a brand new Miller 2000 airbrush...he wants 50 bucks for it...says its never been used...has the acutal hose and brush too...

is it worth it and is it a decent setup?

[greymack]

Hi there well it might be a good setup.Why is this guy selling it I'd ask that first.Then try to get it for a cheaper price

[Bill Eh?]

I'm sure that any Badger, Paasche, or Iwata owner will tell you that you get what you pay for. Things to consider ... warranty, service, parts availability ...

[Dr. Cranky]

Not only that but you can get the IWATA NEO for an excellent price.

[1930fordpickup]

Never mind I just reread your post.

Edited February 11, 2014 by 1930fordpickup

[lordairgtar]

The Harbor freight air brushes are around $30. I've seen the Miller 2000 compressors and they are cheap and noisy. Brush could be the same way.

[OldTimer50707]

I echo DR. Cranky's post. My wife got me a Neo for Christmas and it is an excellent air brush

[Erik Smith]

$50 bucks is no steal on it.

I am one of the "you get what you pay for" types, so...

Save up another $50 and get a good AB that will last and had replacement parts readily available.

There really is a difference.

Unless you don't plan on using it much...but still...

[DirtModeler]

I'll give you my $.02 on getting the right airbrush.

I have an Iwata Eclipse. I've had it for 14 years now. I used it for Intersection Replicas when i built replicas and i probably painted 500 cars with it and thousands of parts.

It started acting up so i thought maybe it was time to get a new one..

Utrecht had a sale so i bought a new one (same model), on a whim i bought some of the Iwata Lube for it at the same time.

When i got the new airbrush and lube, i first grabbed the lube and put a drop on the valve of the old brush and fired it up...

it started working as good as it did the day i got it.

I haven't even taken the new airbrush out of the box.

14 years old, thousands of uses and it still works perfectly.

I paid about $120 for mine, but amortized over time, it's been a bargain!

[Brett Barrow]

My rule - only buy airbrushes you can get parts for. I've owned pretty much all the major brands, I wouldn't recommend one over the other, just get one you can get parts for.

You can get brand name airbrushes for around $50 or just a little more. Paasche H and VL, Badger 155, Iwata NEO series, etc...

[Erik Smith]

Problem I had with the NEO is the rubber grommets that seal the tips. The "real" Iwata brushes use compression for sealing. I toasted the rubber one on the NEO after my first tear down. Returned it and bought another Eclipse. After about three years of use, I haven't had to buy one part for either Eclipse.

[58 Impala]

I've had my single action Badger 200 for 35yrs, never had any problem until last year. It was starting to spit, my tip was split. I read that Badger has a lifetime warranty, so I sent it to them. Came back completely rebuilt, new tip, new needle....no charge. I'm now ready for another 35yrs. I also have a couple of Paasches, I would stick with name brand airbrushes.

Edited February 12, 2014 by 58 Impala

[Skip]

Currently own, Paasche, Badger, Iwata and a couple Harbor Freight DeLuxe Airbrushes (all Dual Action) which have all been used extensively. With proper care and cleaning even the cheap airbrushes should last a whole lot of paint jobs. There are a couple of good YouTube videos on airbrush maintenance that I highly recommend watching. Even the most seasoned airbrush artist should pick up an idea or two after watching them, I know I did. While you're at it watch some of the videos on how to use an airbrush, it's free and if you don't like it you can move on until you find what you do. You will also see different airbrushes in use.

Best advice that I would give anyone (after almost 40 years of fiddling with airbrushes) is to first figure out what you will be using the airbrush for. Will you be doing fine line detail work? Then choose something that has a fine tip or extra tips readily available and gravity feed cup. Painting small parts, get the a medium sized tip, gravity feed or siphon feed if spraying a lot of parts. Paint jobs, choose something that has a wide or fan tip and siphon feed, maybe even a small sized automotive detail gun for shooting metal flake or clear coats. Don't pigeonhole yourself into an airbrush that everyone says is the best, it probably is for what they use it for; but does it fit your specific needs, the one that does is the best for you. The other thing is price is not always an indicator of how the airbrush will perform for you, if the cheap one fits your budget and needs that one might be better for you than the higher priced one. Do your homework before you spend a dime on an airbrush you'll thank yourself for it.

Don't get me wrong, after you learn to use one properly nearly any airbrush will outperform the best rattlecan paint job! The first airbrush I ever owned was the blue plastic Badger siphon feed with the propellant can which I quickly learned to get an air tank and fill up at the corner gas station, I painted a whole lot of stuff with that state of the art set up! The results for me were a world of difference.