DaveG
Airbush Analyst
After having the brush recommended to me by one of my FB page followers, I ordered an Airtex MJ-728 off of Ebay, delivered from Japan. Total cost was under $80.00US (delivered), and it took about ten days to receive it.
The brush is a .2mm, "A" cup brush, manufactured in Taiwan. Overall build quality is fairly nice, with the finish being bright, free of defects, and well done. My initial spray testing with this brush shows that it works quite nicely. It feels quite a lot like one of the better known Japanese brushes in hand, with the same approximate build structure. I was impressed with the brushes ability to pull a fine line, even down at some very low air pressures. Pressures low enough that if you were to draw the needle back further, the pattern would appear quite grainy, yet the line quality remained quite decent. Atomization at regular pressure(s) is nice, and smooth looking.
The brush worked well enough right off the bat, that I decided to try it up against a few other brushes in the same approximate price range. I chose a used (but rebuilt) Iwata HP-A, a Grex XGi2, a Grex XD, and a Badger Sotar 20/20 Slim.
To be fair here, the Iwata is only included to establish a benchmark. It is one of my custom builds, featuring needle, nozzle, nozzle cap, springs, and seals that vary from stock. The Airtex build is quite similar to the Grex brushes, particularly the XD. If they have not originated in the same house, they are for sure some very close neighbors .
I've done some spray testing with 4 or 5 different brands of paint, reduction ratios, and/or air pressures. As I suspected before hand, the Iwata is top dog in this grouping. It just handled everything I threw at it without missing a beat. All the others either worked OK, or struggled with the various paint samples, etc. I would rank the Airtex second, perhaps swapping places with the Sotar - as the Sotar did outperform it with some (but, not all) of the samples I tried. The Airtex just did it with less fuss. The trigger on the Airtex is also much nicer feeling than the typical Badger unit. The two Grex brushes were terrible in comparison, simply based on the quality of the spray results they produced, with the various paint samples I tried. The XGi2 did fair better than the XD, which would have been dead last in this comparison. I used E'tac PS, E'tac EFX, Golden High Flow, Com-Art, and Chroma Air (branded Createx?!)
I'm impressed with the Airtex. One thing I do have pause about, (if you are interested in the brush, you should consider it too) - I have no idea what it is like to purchase spares. I don't generally have to replace needles and nozzles often, and can go years with a brush in stock trim- but, do understand the need to find replacement parts. I will look into that aspect a bit more, and update with info when available.
I will be putting together some more comprehensive information, and have it posted on the FB page in the next few days. (https://www.facebook.com/davegs.airbrush.exploration/)
The brush is a .2mm, "A" cup brush, manufactured in Taiwan. Overall build quality is fairly nice, with the finish being bright, free of defects, and well done. My initial spray testing with this brush shows that it works quite nicely. It feels quite a lot like one of the better known Japanese brushes in hand, with the same approximate build structure. I was impressed with the brushes ability to pull a fine line, even down at some very low air pressures. Pressures low enough that if you were to draw the needle back further, the pattern would appear quite grainy, yet the line quality remained quite decent. Atomization at regular pressure(s) is nice, and smooth looking.
The brush worked well enough right off the bat, that I decided to try it up against a few other brushes in the same approximate price range. I chose a used (but rebuilt) Iwata HP-A, a Grex XGi2, a Grex XD, and a Badger Sotar 20/20 Slim.
To be fair here, the Iwata is only included to establish a benchmark. It is one of my custom builds, featuring needle, nozzle, nozzle cap, springs, and seals that vary from stock. The Airtex build is quite similar to the Grex brushes, particularly the XD. If they have not originated in the same house, they are for sure some very close neighbors .
I've done some spray testing with 4 or 5 different brands of paint, reduction ratios, and/or air pressures. As I suspected before hand, the Iwata is top dog in this grouping. It just handled everything I threw at it without missing a beat. All the others either worked OK, or struggled with the various paint samples, etc. I would rank the Airtex second, perhaps swapping places with the Sotar - as the Sotar did outperform it with some (but, not all) of the samples I tried. The Airtex just did it with less fuss. The trigger on the Airtex is also much nicer feeling than the typical Badger unit. The two Grex brushes were terrible in comparison, simply based on the quality of the spray results they produced, with the various paint samples I tried. The XGi2 did fair better than the XD, which would have been dead last in this comparison. I used E'tac PS, E'tac EFX, Golden High Flow, Com-Art, and Chroma Air (branded Createx?!)
I'm impressed with the Airtex. One thing I do have pause about, (if you are interested in the brush, you should consider it too) - I have no idea what it is like to purchase spares. I don't generally have to replace needles and nozzles often, and can go years with a brush in stock trim- but, do understand the need to find replacement parts. I will look into that aspect a bit more, and update with info when available.
I will be putting together some more comprehensive information, and have it posted on the FB page in the next few days. (https://www.facebook.com/davegs.airbrush.exploration/)