Decisions, Decisions

[Tat2man]

I am in the market for a new airbrush and I am really torn on many things. I have a semi tight budget since I am very new to airbrushing. I have a Thayer & Chandler Vega 2000 but I'm not exactly comfortable with the feel or reaction. I have been looking at several models and I could possibly stretch and purchase a Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CR Plus or stay a little more conservative and get an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS. I'm really torn due to wanting to make the right choice in a brush that will be the most versatile. I can tell both brushes are excellent from the many videos I have seen but I wanted to get the opinion of you guys and gals. Thanks for any input.

 

[JackEb]

There are a lot of members here that swear by the eclipse being their go to workhorse and despite it not having the finest of needles many users can do hairline with it, parts are easy to source.
Just my 2 cents worth

 

[AndreZA]

The HP-CS is a real workhorse. It's tough and it's big. It all depends on what you want to paint. But to start off with, the Eclipse is a winner.

 

[markjthomson]

There are a number of good options, you certainly won't go wrong buying an Iwata. I really like mine!!

 

[Squishy]

What kind of stuff are you wanting to do with it? There are fans of both brushes, so I would say you would be happy with either.

I can't speak for the infinity, but I love my HP-CS, it really is a reliable, consistant, hardwearing, easy to maintain and clean brush. Not strictly a detail brush at .35, however it does do really, really nice fine detail work, and the nozzle size is slightly more forgiving for paint mixtures than some of the fine detail brushes. It was my only gun for around 2 1/2 years, and I used it for eveything from paintpals (5 x 7 inch) to automotive, though I have never really painted anything bigger than A4 size, but loved the fact that it had the versatility to do larger areas too. I always recommend this gun to learners as it's great to learn on, but the better you get, the more you can get out of it, you won't outgrow it later on....although if you are anything like many members you will end up with a collection Lol,....but this gun will be there for the long run. I now have a micron, but still use this too, and between the two will never need another brush. I think the hp-cs is the best gun for the money, and you won't be disappointed with it.

The infinity brush is a detail brush, and I believe comes with different nozzle sizes, so you can swap them as needed (just don't mix them up, I remember a couple of people having problems with that). I have heard they perform great, but never having used one, have no idea about reliability, etc, but I'm sure someone can fill you in on that.

 

[Nada]

The eclipse is certainly a great brush. I cannot speak for the infinity although i had my eye on it.
I use my cs for t shirts, helmets, paintpals and larger pictures without feeling it wont do whatever i ask of it.

 

[jagardn]

Both are great brushes. Versatility wise, the Infinity wins it for me. The variety of needles/nozzles available makes it great for about any application. Maintenance and nozzle changes are a bit easier as well.
The HP-CS is a great all around brush with the .35 nozzle. It's capable of pretty fine detail and spraying some of the thicker paints and larger pigments. Solid, reliable and the industry standard workhorse.

If your budget is pretty tight, you wouldn't regret the HP-CS. You'd never really outgrow it. I could really use it for 90% of the work I do, minus the ultra fine detail.

 

[Cpt.Nemo]

I think just about everyone on here has an eclipse if that says anything about its quality but I hear the infinity is awesome, and it looks cool. You could buy three eclipse brushes for the price of one infinity though...

 

[Tat2man]

I really appreciate the input guys. I will be ordering the Iwata today

 

[Tat2man]

Arrived today while I was at work..... Just got to open it and it's beautiful..... Can't wait to use it.

 

[markjthomson]

Good move... what nozzle size did you get...?

 

[JackEb]

Gotta love a bit of bling

 

[Squishy]

Congratulations on your new baby, you will love it!!!!

 

[Tat2man]

Good move... what nozzle size did you get...?

.3.... I picked up the crown cap as well

 

[Nada]

So clean, sooooo shiny, mine looked like that once. Well to be fair it looks like that for about 5 minutes once a week or so.
Thats one of the first things you notice on an iwata, the finish is top notch.

 

[markjthomson]

Good. I got the 0.5 needle and nozzle as well at a later time. i understand they don't make the 0.3 anymore

 

[Nada]

Yeah standard is a .35 but were splitting hairs at that point

 

[markjthomson]

Yes, there is little and bigger... I got both!

 

[jord001]

Even at .35 you can still pull some major fine lines with it so you won't be disappointed. Don't forget to post up what you paint when you get to use it.

Lee