Iwata Neo Question

[splasha]

Hi, All.
I am considering purchasing an Iwata Neo.
I was wondering wether you would consider it a suitable AB for a beginner like myself [only a couple of pics] and I am still
coming to grips with the basic [but COOL! .] stuff.
Price in OZ is about $100, which I reckon is alright [considering our dollar].
Any help / advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Splasha.

 

[jord001]

Hi Splasha, the neo's are a cheaper airbrush MADE for Iwata in china. They are not actual Iwata airbrushes. There have been some bad reports about them BUT there are also folks who have them and love them. I personally would save up a bit more and get an elipse which is a proper Iwata model and is a very good starter airbrush. There are more models you could go for but if you fancy Iwata then try and go for one of them. Its al down to preference an im not loyal to any particular brand, i have all sorts and one of my best AB's is a 30 year old DeVilbiss SUper 63. I can say the eclipse is a good brush. I'm sure others will pop in and suggest others so don't get anything just yet.

Lee

 

[ad fez]

Top advice.... the neo is just as Lee describes. ... no frills.... does the job and easy to use..... but once you know how... even the most expensive brushes are little more difficult to use... so add far as "beginner" brushes go is more down to cost than how difficult it is to use. .. Havnt got one but many seasoned artists user the eclipse solely. ..... iwata eclipse or badger krome dependent on price over there (and how easy it is to get spares

 

[splasha]

Thanks for the advice.
As for spares, one of my local paint [auto] shops has started carrying Iwata brushes and compressors.
Should be ok there.
There is a BIG price difference between the 2 mentioned brushes, but as you said [jord001], if one is made in China for Iwata and the other is a GENUINE Iwata, that would explain the discrepancy
between them.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see, then.
Maybe online snooping?
Thanks

 

[splasha]

P.s, Don't currently have a preference for a particular brand, it's just after reading the poll and comparing the figures, Iwata have by far the bigger user base.
Thanks,
Splasha

 

[Madbrush]

If you look at the box of the Neo, it actually says "Neo for Iwata", this is because Iwata was impressed enough with it's performance considering the low price to endorse it.

Consider this statement "My neighbor's uncle has a daughter who has a dog which sniffed a street artist who had a friend who owned one and he said it was crap", ridiculous I agree, but I see this kind of statement every day here and on other mediums, without personal hands on experience with any airbrush, no one can possibly know how an airbrush will perform, but it also has a lot to do with luck of the draw and how you handle it, if you drop a Neo and a Micron together on a concrete floor, do you actually believe the Micron will continue to perform as it did just because it's 8 times the price, course not.

I've had a Neo for nearly two years and never had a problem with it, never even replaced a single part on it, and it still keeps me happy to this day, this makes me think that anyone who has had a problem with it either didn't have a clue how to handle it in the first place or they got a Monday model, a problem with the Neo as with most airbrushes is that they sit a long time in the shop before they are sold so that the lubrication in them becomes a little hard affecting performance out of the box, so it's necessary to strip, clean and lube before the first use.

I've also had Harder & Steenbeck Evolution 2 in 1 silverline at three times price, which gave me so much grief that it destroyed my soul so bad that if someone offered me one for free I would have no choice but to stab them in the eye with it.

My point is any airbrush at all will perform to your' liking if you respect it for what it is, which is a versatile though delicate piece of equipment.

At the end of the day the choice is yours, but my experience is if you choose the Neo you won't be disappointed as long as you treat it right, you could do a lot worse than check out Don Wheeler's website or even ask his advice, he is a member here, also hunt down another member called Snoopy who produces masterpieces with a Neo.

That's my tuppence worth, thank god I got that out, time to breath now,

 

[splasha]

Thanks, Madbrush.
I think you better breathe now, as well.
I'll take your advice into consideration, and weigh up the pro's n cons before I decide which way I'm going.
Thanks again,
Splasha

 

[jord001]

There you go Splasha, just like i said, Madbush has had one with no issues. Thanks Malc, I was wondering when someone would pop on and say theirs is great. I knew there was a good side to them.

Lee

 

[splasha]

Thanks, all.
Jord001, do you have one?
By the sounds of your reply, it seems like you have one with a bad side?
Or you haven't quite decided how evil they are? Lol.

 

[jord001]

No I don't have one, I was just speaking on what people have said about them really, as I said some peeps have had trouble others like Madbrush have had trouble free use. You just have to treat them gently.

I do have an iwata hp- b plus which I love. I have a number of ab's some Chinese knock offs and some branded, I mainly use the iwata and a super 63 by DeVilbiss. Hopefully getting my micron in a week or so. It's here but I am unable to collect it at the moment.

Lee

 

[splasha]

Thanks, Lee.
Hope you enjoy your new Micron!
Splasha

 

[HCP-draggin]

I'd recommend going with the HP-CS instead of the Neo. Iwata didn't license the Neo because it was impressed with the quality, it put it's name on them because they needed something to compete at that pricepoint (cheap). Personally, I think it's a dumb business move on their part, but that's a whole bunch of other topics.

But, the HP-CS is a time-proven, well reguarded workhorse of an airbrush thats also very capable of impressive detail (with practice, of course). The parts are fairly cheap. A bit more than Badger and Paasche parts, but they also rarely need to be replaced. So the overall operating cost winds up being cheaper. My favorite part about the HP-CS is probably it's dead-nuts reliability. It just works.

 

[Melbee]

I second HCP. The HP-CS is a great airbrush and I love my HP-SBS Eclipse. It gives very good coverage, I can get great blends with it and if I reduce the paint a bit and lower the psi I can get lovely fine lines (after lots of practise).

I have never used a Neo but I hear good and bad things about it. Until now I have never read/heard a bad thing about the HP-CS only good things. That speaks volumes to me.
Cheers Mel

 

[splasha]

Thanks,
Splasha