Airbrush Reccomendatations

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catnippertom

catnippertom

That Oregon Guy
I am looking for some good airbrush recommendations. I am a beginner looking to start painting my locos and rolling stock. I don't want to break the bank and spend a ton, but I want to get one that can paint some good details. Does anyone have any recommendations? (All equipment recommendations are welcome as well)
 
Paasche H airbrush is good quality and easy to learn. I've had mine for over 20 years and they still make them and parts for them.

As for a compressor, I have a small piston type. Is an oil type crankcase, I just added an oil/water separator. Never had any problems with the air affecting the paint. Diaphragm type don't seem to last or keep up with the demand.
 
catnippertom said:
I am looking for some good airbrush recommendations. I am a beginner looking to start painting my locos and rolling stock. I don't want to break the bank and spend a ton, but I want to get one that can paint some good details. Does anyone have any recommendations? (All equipment recommendations are welcome as well)
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I was going to recommend checking out Harbor Freight Tools to see what they offered. But unfortunately, after checking out their offerings, inflation hasn't done their pricing or selection any good.

I have both a Paasche H and VL (single action and dual action), and they get me by pretty good. Not sure what they're getting for them these days, but I imagine they're not cheap either.

Here's something I found on Temu....... Professional Metal Airbrush Kit

Doesn't look too bad, although I seriously doubt if it comes with an air compressor at that price! Bad thing of it is though, it's kinda' like gambling. If you get one, you might get lucky and it will be decent. And if not........................... 😭

And then you'll need an air compressor if you don't already have one. I'd recommend a diaphragm type, with attached air tank, such as this unit from Harbor Freight........... 2-Gallon Jobsite Air Compressor
It's probably not a whole lot more money than you'd have to spend for a small air-brush compressor with no air tank.

I'm sure there's other good stuff out there too at reasonable pricing, just have to hunt around. :)👍
 


catnippertom said:
I am looking for some good airbrush recommendations. I am a beginner looking to start painting my locos and rolling stock. I don't want to break the bank and spend a ton, but I want to get one that can paint some good details. Does anyone have any recommendations? (All equipment recommendations are welcome as well)
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I'm also starting out with an airbrush and am looking forward to the posts for hints and advice.
 
i have a harder and steenbeck or how its written.
it costs a bit of money but its quality.

my compressor is a "standard" one where you can adjust the psi, and has a knob on the bottom, to clear the tank of air and sometimes "water".

best tip for a beginner (iam also just started a year ago):

- just try it
- stay focused
- dont rush

:) have fun!
 
My current compressor is from Harbor Freight, it’s a 2 gallon tank and very very quiet. About $50 more than I paid a few years ago
IMG_9681.png


Airbrushes are like cars, everyone has a favorite. This guy reviewed 43 airbrushes, all accessible from this article.

sites.google.com

Don's Airbrush Tips

Don's Airbrush Tips A collection of airbrush tips and reviews.
sites.google.com sites.google.com

I own Badger, Paasche and now an Iwata airbrush, both single and dual action. I pretty much use them 3-4 times a week. I use them for specific tasks. Find your price point and decide on a selection and check the reviews

If you prefer these type of reviews, here is another for 2023


www.craftyhangouts.com

12 Best Airbrushes for Models – Reviewed and Rated (Fall 2026)

If you are envolved in fine hobby of minis painting, you should choose the best airbrush for models with our reviews
www.craftyhangouts.com www.craftyhangouts.com

I am not a fan of sponsored reviews and was unable to find one for 2025 that wasn’t sponsored

Have fun
 
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I bought (two years ago) what I consider a rather good entry-level airbrush. The brand is Gaahleri. (Pronounced like “gallery.”)

Gravity feed, trigger type. Easy to point and use.

Available on Amazon, sixty bucks.

Replacement nozzles, needles, and O-rings are also available on Amazon.

Will go a long time between needs for deep cleaning, provided you stick with acrylics, and do normal cleaning. But if you venture into laquers, you’ll want an airbrush cleaning kit on hand.

My compressor is a Master Airbrush Cool Runner II. $140 on Amazon. Has adjustable regulating valve, air tank, and water trap & drain valve. Runs quiet. It’s small and easily portable. Portability is important for me as I do most of my airbrushing outdoors, but do small amounts indoors when weather forces it.
 
Can't go wrong with the Paasche Model H. Mine's probably 40 years old and been through several compressors. It's simple to use and easy to clean. A couple of years ago got a "Master Airbrush" branded dual-action gravity feed airbrush and compressor with a tank from Walmart. Little bit of a learning curve and takes a bit more care when cleaning it, but quite satisfied with it.
 


Regardless of which airbrush you choose, you have to have a decent compressor or it won't matter, you can have a $500 airbrush and you'll still get rubbish results, something similar to the compressor @TLOC has posted is ideal, look around to see what fits your budget, but a decent one will cost you between $90-$140 and in my opinion well worth the $

For general painting, I still use a cheap Chinese airbrush I found on fleaBay for about $10 and it has served me well, for very fine detail work (which I admit I rarely do), I use a Harder and Steenbeck which is well worth the money.

All the above-mentioned airbrushes such as Paasch, Harder& Steenbeck and Badger are good quality and well-known brands that vary in price, so again, choose one that fits your budget if you want a high-end airbrush capable of a multitude of different uses from the get go.

But I would suggest you start with a decent compressor and a relatively cheap airbrush to learn the general techniques and upgrade to a more expensive airbrush later.

@TLOC has two weathering threads which I strongly advise you to look through with lots of helpful techniques, hints and advice from himself and other members which I find invaluable and will regularly refer back to.
 
I agree with Smudge617, a good compressor makes a big difference. I have a reasonably sized compressor in the garage and ran air hose to my basement. I installed a regulator and shut-off valve next to my spray booth, so I can control the air locally. It's absolutely quiet where I'm painting and the airflow is smooth an consistent!

As far as the airbrush, through the years I had a couple Badger airbrushes, which my son now uses. I used a 50 year old Paasche M that I loved, but it broke, so I bought a Paasche Raptor. I did not like the Raptor at all, no consistency in painting and I've been doing it so long, I know it isn't me! So, I broke the bank and bought a Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CR Plus 2 in 1 last September.

The Infinity is a pleasure to use! Cleaning the Infinity is also easier and faster than the Raptor (I'm only using acrylic paints). The Infinity is thinner by about half and 1.7 ounces lighter than the Raptor which is good if you're painting for a while. I imagine the rest of the Harder & Steenbeck line are as good, just more reasonably priced than the Infinity.

As GGHinNScale said, Dual-Action airbrushes give you better control and typically cost a little more.

But, no matter, what you buy, keep it clean! You're using a precision tool with a hole that's less than half a millimeter in diameter. It doesn't take much to clog it. When it gets cloged, you're not painting!
 
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I'm also a complete beginner, and I've been having success with the Iwata Neo I bought a couple of weeks ago. It comes in a kit for under $200 from Blick (https://www.dickblick.com/items/neo-for-iwata-gravity-feed-airbrushing-kit/). From my research, Iwata is a widely-recommended brand, and this is very much their low-end, beginner offering. A couple of reviews I read specifically recommended it for somebody who wants to explore airbrushing.

I have found it great for painting large areas and for weathering - something I have been anxious about attempting. There are a couple of things I would say about it:

- It has gravity feed and double action. I very strongly recommend getting both of those features, whatever model you end up with

- the compressor included in the kit is quite low pressure, maxing out at 15psi. That is fine for acrylic paints of the appropriate thickness (i.e. either airbrush-ready from the bottle, or suitably thinned.) If I find myself getting really into airbrushing and/or wanting to work with thicker paints, I will probably end up upgrading to a bigger compressor. (I'll be back here asking for advice when that time comes.) But it's fine as an entry point to find out whether I want to spend hundreds on a compressor later.

- The needle is a "medium" thickness. I won't be signing my name with it, but it's fine for my purposes. Note: unlike some airbrushes, as far as I know it does not have interchangeable needles, which I think is something a more experienced painter would want. I went back and forth on that limitation before settling on the Neo.

- Get a spray out pot. It will make cleanup much easier. I picked one up for $10 at my local Hobby Lobby.
 
2020 purchased the well-known single-action Paashe. Now using it to paint tracks, turnouts & bridges. It is a good simple & reliable tool. The paint bottle size is a plus for larger paint and multi-component projects. It can paint details weathering and so on.

But gets a bit crazy judging the amount of paint for a project. Over or under-mixing the paint, two constants not enough, or dumping leftovers.

Having used a full-size Iwata HVLP best of brand hands down, ordered the airbrush. Received it held it in my hand, back in the box, and returned it, pencil-thin was not cutting it for me.

Reading a similar thread the Harder and Steinbeck double action was mentioned Ultra 24. Doing some research discovered an unusual and impressive feature.
The trigger has a rotating collar with detents that control the fluid delivery. Examples are primer, top coat, 3 settings detail, fine, and dusting, 5 total settings. These preset the maximum fluid flow for the setting.

This is a unique feature, to say the least, and no others have this. Just over 120 bucks you really cannot go wrong, the brush is physically about the size of the Paashe, but heavier.

The compressor & having air tools it is outside, 2 stage 60gal tank. Can do a lot of airbrushing and it never cycles.👍
Pep
 
TLOC said:
Catnippertom

Have you purchased or decided on an airbrush yet?
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I haven't had a chance to go out and snag one quite yet. I'm still milling over what brush best suits my wants. Plus I have been pretty busy with work and haven't had a real shot to do diligent research. Once I get one, I'll let the forum know my thoughts on it to give others who are looking for one a good opinion.
 


catnippertom said:
I haven't had a chance to go out and snag one quite yet. I'm still milling over what brush best suits my wants. Plus I have been pretty busy with work and haven't had a real shot to do diligent research. Once I get one, I'll let the forum know my thoughts on it to give others who are looking for one a good opinion.
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Good to know. I’m glad you didn’t rush into purchasing. There is lots of info on this thread and out in the real world to go through
 
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