Which one ?????

J

Jez

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I currently have a paasche VL and talon airbrushes. Seem ok for the most part but I thinking about maybe getting something else. I m still a novice and want something easy to use, reasonably priced and has a broad range of uses. I like the size of the Paasche as i have big hands so something thats not too thin would be more comfortable for me. Suggestions ?
 
to easy.......... all of them, get them all then you never have to ask the question again LOL

I'm not familiar with anything other than Iwata but the Iwata Eclipse seems a popular choice as an all rounder workhorse. Capable of finer detail not sure how well that would sit with 'big' hands though
 
sounds like the eclypse is the way to go.

Definitely, I just got one two weeks ago after failing miserably with smaller nozzles and all but giving up completely, I still can't believe the detail this brush is capable of producing yet you can fill large areas in jig time, it is ridiculously easy to clean and maintain, someone on here said it was "idiot proof" which is what finally swayed me to go and buy one, with me being the forum's "Village Idiot" mascot it was the ideal choice for me:thumbsup: I wish I had started with it in the first place, but better late than never:)
 
Iwata OR Harder Steenbeck. The H&S nozzle system on my sololine is much better than my Eclipses and Badgers has a solvent proof seal and is self centering all combined

I DO like my Grex as well but they are a lot more delicate with the chrome plating and cost a lot more for less in nozzle department, but the plating is very smooth. Speaking from only personal experience Grex CS is amazing though, not like Badger where they never reply, repeatedly.
 
Iwata OR Harder Steenbeck. The H&S nozzle system on my sololine is much better than my Eclipses and Badgers has a solvent proof seal and is self centering all combined

I DO like my Grex as well but they are a lot more delicate with the chrome plating and cost a lot more for less in nozzle department, but the plating is very smooth. Speaking from only personal experience Grex CS is amazing though, not like Badger where they never reply, repeatedly.

Speaking also from my own personal experience, I wouldn't recommend H&S to my worst enemy no matter how easy the nozzle system is, in fact the nozzle system was only thing that was easy in my case, I had the evolution silverline 2 in 1 with it's special temperamental trigger feature and instantly tarnished chrome straight out of the box, it's taken me four years to find a brush that does what I need it to do, I couldn't even get a happy result with a Micron or an HP-BH+, I've been using my eclipse side feed straight out of the box for two weeks now, other than a quick flush through with water, literally no maintenance and no problems, I get a smooth transition from no paint to lots of paint with no surprise blasts which my evolution was famous for, the evolution took a fly off my balcony after six months of frustration.

I've never had a Grex but have heard good things about them, my only concern is the availability of parts for some countries, since Iwata is the most used brand, parts are available almost everywhere and easy enough find online.

I had more less given up airbrushing because of problems I had with almost every brush I've ever had, out of them all the only brush I never had a problem with was a Neo for Iwata, I would have recommended that bush before H&S except for the fact that parts for it cost as much as any mid range Iwata, so on that basis anyone who ever considered a Neo would be as well going straight for the real thing;)
 
I'd say Eclipse or H&S as well. My Eclipse SBS and Evolution AL are my most used brushes. Both are easy to use, maintain, and are very versatile.
 
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Eclispe CS has a nice weight to it and feels good if you are use to the vl.
 
Definitely, I just got one two weeks ago after failing miserably with smaller nozzles and all but giving up completely, I still can't believe the detail this brush is capable of producing yet you can fill large areas in jig time, it is ridiculously easy to clean and maintain, someone on here said it was "idiot proof" which is what finally swayed me to go and buy one, with me being the forum's "Village Idiot" mascot it was the ideal choice for me:thumbsup: I wish I had started with it in the first place, but better late than never:)
Idiot Proof sounds perfect for me.
 
Another vote for the Eclipse here.

Like you, I started out on a VL. Spent years with it, but could never really get it to do what I needed/wanted. Finally broke down and decided I needed something different, and got an HP-CS. Very first session I was doing things with ease that I'd always struggled and failed to get the VL to do. It just runs rings around the VL in every department.

It's pretty much the perfect beginner's brush IMO, and a lasting workhorse well beyond that. I wish I had gotten one instead of a VL way back in the beginning.
 
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I currently have a paasche VL and talon airbrushes. Seem ok for the most part but I thinking about maybe getting something else. I m still a novice and want something easy to use, reasonably priced and has a broad range of uses. I like the size of the Paasche as i have big hands so something thats not too thin would be more comfortable for me. Suggestions ?

IMVHO, you have the airbrushes you seek according to your description. LOL Reasonably priced, broad range of uses, larger body size and comfortable to hold.....Paasche VL all day long. It's incredibly versatile for just about anything you want to spray from tee shirts to tattoos to motorcycles and cars. There is a reason that airbrush design has stood the test of time. Some people will self polish the needles for better spray characteristics. That's not a bad idea. If you really like that brush, also look for a Badger Crescendo, if they still make them. Very similar to the Paasche VL with a few different features. The airbrush body on the Crescendo has that fat tapered feel as the VL. The handle is a pull-off type instead of threaded and it also has the floating nozzle. The parts are also cheap. If you don't mind a little an airbrush with a smaller body than the Paasce VL, look at the Badger Anthem or the Badger Universal 360/Omni Matrix. The body is larger than most airbrushes but smaller than the VL or Crescendo. Again, parts are cheap and easy to find.

Some here suggest the Iwata's, but if you like the larger size of the VL then you may think the Iwata's are a bit narrow. Not sure about the Eclipse line though as I have only used the HP's and Microns....GREAT airbrushes but not very large bodied like you are seeking. Another suggested the Infinity. I would highly suggest against it based on the size. It felt very skinny and small in my hand, which is larger with short thick fingers.

As far as performance goes, the airbrush isn't near as important as the airbrusher holding it. IF you have trouble controling the VL or Talon, then getting a Micron or some other hot rod high detail airbrush isn't going to change anything. The mechanics of control will be everything no matter the airbrush.

I think you have the right first priority looking for a comfortable fit. It boils down to what feels right to you. Based on the parameters you mentioned, I would stay with the Paasche or look into the Badgers I mentioned as they are the bigger airbrushes on the market. You can't go wrong with any of the big name airbrushes such as Paasche, Badger, or Iwata but in my opinion, I would stay away from the Harder and Steenbeck Infinity as it is skinnier and smaller feeling to me. GREAT airbrush quite capable of pinstriping a pubic hair on a flea but too tiny for my hand.
 
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Based on personal experience (as noted previously), I gotta strongly disagree with the above. In my personal experience Paasche's rep as a quality brush maker is very "emperor's new clothes", and IMO when people recommend them, it's either:

1) They won the QC lottery with the specific brush they got, and don't realize it was a lottery to begin with
2) They've only ever used Paasche's, and so don't have frame of reference
3) They have very low standards, and think standards any higher than their own are not worth dignifying
4) They're so uber-highly skilled that all brushes are effectively the same in their hands, rendering them (ironically) unable to parse differences in quality that would make or break things for a mere mortal or beginner.

#4 is held up as an ideal by the sentiment "it's not the brush, but the hand who wields it". While this is (half) true in the the upper echelons of skill, and very empowering to say/think, it's actually anti-helpful to a beginner. Some models physically cannot do certain things, no matter how skilled the user is. Some models will have real, practical downsides compared to others. Telling someone that they can ultimately do anything with any brush muddies the waters when it comes to choice, and can screw them up badly by encouraging them to buy or stick with something that will crush instead of streamline their experience.

I have two Paasche brushes. If you count the two Talons I bought and returned due to appalling manufacturing defects, I've owned 4. The VL looks nice, but has rubbish atomization, cleaning issues, overspray issues, and cannot do lines nearly as fine or as clean as my Iwatas or badgers. It's okay if you're doing quick 'n dirty T-shirts at a fair, or painting a wizard on the side of some stoner kid's van for 50 bucks (see #3 above). For anything needing better atomization or precision, or even just ease of cleaning, it's a terrible choice. I say that from bitter personal experience.

The Talon is a cheap toy on par with a Harbor Freight brush. The two I received were physically unusable, but even if they weren't, the build quality was significantly chintzier than even the VL, far less my later Iwata's.

I wasted years of my life on Paasche due to a case of #2. When I got my Eclipse , the difference was astonishing. When I say I was doing things with ease in my first session with the Eclipse that I'd struggled in vain for years to get my VL to do, that isn't hyperbole. That is literally what happened, that is how big the difference actually is/was. I had no idea airbrushes could even be that good, due to years of people feeding me Kool-aid about Paasche being quality. I thought that crap I'd been going through was just inherent to all airbrushing.

That's the exact kind of experience people warn about with the cheap Chinese brushes.... with and allegedly upstanding brand.

To the OP: Don't let anyone sell you on bad hardware by convincing you that if you you stick with it long enough you'll eventually learn how to make it work. It might be technically true, but it sure as hell isn't worth it when another brush could have you at the same place in a tiny fraction of the time with a tiny fraction of the fuss. Quality makes a difference.
 
Based on personal experience (as noted previously), I gotta strongly disagree with the above. In my personal experience Paasche's rep as a quality brush maker is very "emperor's new clothes", and IMO when people recommend them, it's either:

1) They won the QC lottery with the specific brush they got, and don't realize it was a lottery to begin with
2) They've only ever used Paasche's, and so don't have frame of reference
3) They have very low standards, and think standards any higher than their own are not worth dignifying
4) They're so uber-highly skilled that all brushes are effectively the same in their hands, rendering them (ironically) unable to parse differences in quality that would make or break things for a mere mortal or beginner.

#4 is held up as an ideal by the sentiment "it's not the brush, but the hand who wields it". While this is (half) true in the the upper echelons of skill, and very empowering to say/think, it's actually anti-helpful to a beginner. Some models physically cannot do certain things, no matter how skilled the user is. Some models will have real, practical downsides compared to others. Telling someone that they can ultimately do anything with any brush muddies the waters when it comes to choice, and can screw them up badly by encouraging them to buy or stick with something that will crush instead of streamline their experience.

I have two Paasche brushes. If you count the two Talons I bought and returned due to appalling manufacturing defects, I've owned 4. The VL looks nice, but has rubbish atomization, cleaning issues, overspray issues, and cannot do lines nearly as fine or as clean as my Iwatas or badgers. It's okay if you're doing quick 'n dirty T-shirts at a fair, or painting a wizard on the side of some stoner kid's van for 50 bucks (see #3 above). For anything needing better atomization or precision, or even just ease of cleaning, it's a terrible choice. I say that from bitter personal experience.

The Talon is a cheap toy on par with a Harbor Freight brush. The two I received were physically unusable, but even if they weren't, the build quality was significantly chintzier than even the VL, far less my later Iwata's.

I wasted years of my life on Paasche due to a case of #2. When I got my Eclipse , the difference was astonishing. When I say I was doing things with ease in my first session with the Eclipse that I'd struggled in vain for years to get my VL to do, that isn't hyperbole. That is literally what happened, that is how big the difference actually is/was. I had no idea airbrushes could even be that good, due to years of people feeding me Kool-aid about Paasche being quality. I thought that crap I'd been going through was just inherent to all airbrushing.

That's the exact kind of experience people warn about with the cheap Chinese brushes.... with and allegedly upstanding brand.

To the OP: Don't let anyone sell you on bad hardware by convincing you that if you you stick with it long enough you'll eventually learn how to make it work. It might be technically true, but it sure as hell isn't worth it when another brush could have you at the same place in a tiny fraction of the time with a tiny fraction of the fuss. Quality makes a difference.

Never had trouble with anybof the 3 VLs ive had. Atomized well and is very versatile. Since the OP was asking for a detail AND broad coverage brush that fits comfortable in large hands, i suggested the VL as well as others. Sure the Iwata micron is a superior brush in all ways, but it isnt gonna be good for the broad aspects the OP was seeking use for. Mine have been great in value and return on investment. Its a very basic design and easy to learn for the beginner or journeyman. They wouldnt have lasted for so many years were they junk as you said. As with any and ALL models of brushes it boils down to personal preference.

Ive recently had issues with the wildly popular Badger Krome. Definitley NOT Iwata quality but stsrting to work better with more use. I could care less what brand anyone uses and am just adding from my perspective.
 
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Unfortunately the general consensus is that Paasche brushes have suffered from a decline in build and quality in recent years. The name was synonymous with quality, and had a great rep back in the day, and many of the old brushes are still going strong. However that no longer seems to be the case sadly, and quality appears inconsistant.

People will always have their faves, but I think there's a reason Iwata, Badger etc are todays best sellers, and our own poll 'which airbrush do you use' seems to back that up. Plus its what the pros use, and not just for promotional, free gun purposes. For reliability, quality on a day to day basis they want the best.

All those qualities make learning easier too, with a good brush you can concentrate on technique, and rule out brush problems. Which is why the Iwata eclipse is a popular choice. Its dependable, easy to clean and maintain, parts are long lasting and hard wearing too. It has the benefit of slightly larger coverage, while still capable of very fine lines, due to the .35 nozzle. That nozzle is also more forgiving of paint ratios compared to the tinier dedicated detail brushes. Ples, you wont grow out of it. I still have the brush I learnt on, and use it regularly.

People who have started with Paasche, even if they get a good one, seem to upgrade very quickly in my experience. So while the eclipse may be more expensive ( or other brushes, but this one is a popular fave), in the long run its actually cheaper, because you only need to buy once.
 
I had not known about the recent quality issues. Thanks for the heads up. Mine is my original from 2003. Havent had to replace anything but needles...all of which were me bending them. The VL with the #3 tip setup is my crutch when i bend a needle on my HP-C and have no more backups or paint wants to be finicky with it as sometimes happens in humid weather.
 
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