Airbrush purchase advice

[Guest]

I've recently gotten back into all things tank related and am realising that in order to get good camo I'm going to have to invest in an airbrush.

I'm loathe to spend too much straight off so have been trying to narrow down my options as far as keeping the budget in check.

I've seen a used Iwata smartjet compressor for under £100 which looks like an incredible bargain at aroud half-price, but so much of one that i'm slightly wary of getting stung on it should there be anything wrong with the item.

Other than that deal the spraymaster AS 189 looks to be a good compromise between price and performance (albeit i'm just guessing here based on things i've read as I tried to decide).

Compressors - Simple 2 Trade The Best For Airbrushes And Airbrush Accessories

For brush I'm tempted by the Premi Air G35 as I've seen it come up a few times as a decent beginners brush:

http://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=1110

The other I've looked at is the spraymaster ABR 1005

http://www.simple2trade.com/prod6.asp?ID=307&sub_cat=734&offset=&prod_id=114

I'm unsure what hoses I'd need to get, numbers of bottles and other things at present. Assuming 30 odd quid for the rest of the stuff I'd need, that's coming to around £140, which is a bit more than I'd like to spend on a starting compressor+brush (ideally all in for around £100).

I've also seen a couple of ebay offers which, though theyre cheap, I'm uncertain of as there's not a lot of information as to the provenance of the airbrush etc.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-KIT-WITH-TANK-TWIN-AIR-BRUSH-2010_W0QQitemZ300383907857QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Cr afts_DrawingSupplies_EH?hash=item45f046b011

The above looks like a great deal, but not knowing the make of the airbrush suggests it's not going to be easy to find replacement parts if needed. There are a number of others on that site that appear to be a good deal for all-inclusive.

I'd appreciate any advice to help me filter through the options.

[Guest]

Hi pst, the last link in your thread is basically the kit that I bought but without the tank. I'm very happy with the kit, it's served me well & performed admirably. I can't say what it's like long-term as in the next 5 years but at those prices..... ;-)Patrick

[John]

Im still working on a review for the as189 but in a nutshell it's worth the money and don't forget if you buy from simple2trade use voucher code scalemodels for 10% off

[Guest]

Im still working on a review for the as189 but in a nutshell it's worth the money and don't forget if you buy from simple2trade use voucher code scalemodels for 10% off

I did see that from it being posted before but thanks for reposting it. The main crux seems to be that the kit on ebay gives me everything for the right price. Putting all that together myself is going to be considerably more (especially as it comes with two airbrushes).

The smartjet at under 100 is a fantastic deal if it works, is all there and so forth, but buying used tools off Ebay isn't a safe bet at the best of times. Moreover, I'm not sure on the importance at this stage of a top of the line compressor. There's this: http://www.graphicair.co.uk/products/Iwata-Sprint-Jet-with-Premiair-G35-airbrush.html

But I'm not sure how much better the sprint-jet is than the AS189 and if it's worth the considerable jump up in price or if it's just a name/branding difference for the extra money.

[Guest]

Im still working on a review for the as189 but in a nutshell it's worth the money and don't forget if you buy from simple2trade use voucher code scalemodels for 10% off

Could I just pick your brain a little on the AS189?

How noisy is it, and how likely to last? Assorted sites seem to advise not buying anything but a name-brand compressor (or airbrush for that matter), is it really a 'you get what you pay for' and any long-term airbrushing plan needs to include an itawa or would this last me for a long while of using it?

[John]

Could I just pick your brain a little on the AS189?How noisy is it, and how likely to last? ?

It says in the info it's 59db, we talk between 60-70db, if you keep fish it's probably quieter than a fish pump that doesn't have a hose on, it's a lot quieter than I thought it was going to be, but once the receiver tank is full you could use it at the dead of night and not wake anyone, as for how long it will last, I don't think things in general last as long as they used to no matter what make you have, but the AS189 is totally maintenance free, there's no oil to change of any thing else to do with it apart form adjust the pressure you need, however they do give you a full 2 year warranty which you don't get with everything, so it can't be that bad.

And one thing I would say with it having a receiver tank you won't get the pulsing effect when using the airbrush