Airbrush reviews from Reddit

Summary

We analyzed 224 Reddit reviews across 22 subreddits and 82 posts to rank the best Airbrush brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/airbrush, r/minipainting, r/modelmakers, r/Warhammer40k, r/boltaction. Top-rated brands include Iwata (4.5/5), Harder & Steenbeck (4.7/5), Badger (4.2/5).

Stats

Reviews224

Subreddits22

Posts82

Brands40

Products85

Top communities

r/airbrush129 r/minipainting23 r/modelmakers21 r/Warhammer40k11 r/boltaction6

224 reviews from

and

By Brand

By Product

Iwata

4.5

(54)

"Iwata all the way for me. Zero problems in nearly 10 years now."

"Big fan of the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS. Got it plus a moisture separator that mounts on the air supply to the brush plus 3 acrylic paints. $149 USD at Hobby Lobby."

"Iwata, Paasche, or Harder & Steenbeck all have excellent and well rated airbrushes."

"The Iwata CS Eclipse is an easy recommendation in that price range."

"The Iwata is undoubtedly the better airbrush."

"There were lots of recommendations for the Iwata Eclipse so I got that one even though it was pretty expensive (175€) however if you maintain it properly it will last a lifetime."

"Do a search and you’ll see the Iwata Eclipse recommended more than any other, and for good reason."

"I'd recommend an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS as a quality general purpose airbrush that should last a lifetime."

"I have the Iwata Eclipse and hands down the only Airbrush I use."

"An excellent mid-range all-rounder brush."

Harder & Steenbeck

4.7

(29)

"If the Harder & Steenbeck Ultra 2024 is in your budget (117 $) its pretty insane for the price point."

"The ultra 2024 has some great features for anyone new to airbrushing that should help with control."

"I went with Harder and steenbeck ultra 2024 and it's been excellent. It was £90. It was my entry point 7 months ago and I've yet to come across something it can't handle."

"Harder and Steenbeck Infinity 2024 is the best I’ve ever used and I’ve used a lot."

"The best beginner airbrush in my opinion."

"H&S Infinity"

"I use the H&S infinity for my Warhammer and I like it so much."

"A Harder Steenbeck Evolution 2in1 is a great choice."

"And Infinity 2024."

"The other choices are the Harder & Steenbeck Evolution 2024."

Badger

4.2

(31)

"Is fantastic and great bang for your buck."

"Can't beat a Badger 105 for how cheap they are right now."

"The Badger 105 and Thayer and Chandler Omni 3000 that's basically the same brush can be had for $44 to $55 right now."

"I personally own 2 badgers(Patriot and Sotar2020)"

"The best out of all of the ones I own is my Sotar 2020."

"A Badger patriot 105 comes w."

"If your looking for detail a sotar would be a good choice."

"The badger Sotar 2020 ultra fine is often available on Amazon for $100, but right now I think they are like $120. They are supposed to be really good for fine detail."

"For priming, I’d recommend a brush with a 0.5mm nozzle. I use a Badger 105."

GSI Creos

4.5

(23)

"Save up and get a GSI creos ps-289 or iwata eclipse."

"GSI Creos are great if you don't want to spend alot of money. The PS-289 is a great choice and can be had for under $100."

"I bought a GSI PS-270 and it's great. Because it has a smaller nozzle you have more fine control at the expense of less coverage."

"I've since bought a PS-290 for priming and big coverage, and it's also great."

"I really like it."

"It’s almost literally the iwata eclipse but cheaper, still the same quality though."

"Same quality as Iwata, less than half the price."

"If you want a really solid option that punches above its weight, check out the GSI Creos PS-270 or PS-289."

"I love the ps-289!!!"

"The PS-289 is my go to and favorite."

Gaahleri

4.1

(12)

"I absolutely love my Gaahleri Swallowtail."

"Decent airbrush, excellent when they go for <$30."

"Good value airbrush, with better quality components than their price would suggest."

"Not a bad starter airbrush."

"They may be cheap in price, but they're excellent brushes."

"Gaahleri ones are cheapish but pretty decent."

"I cannot recommend Gaahleri enough. Great airbrushes at affordable prices. The entry GHAD-39 is only about $40."

"Gaahleri makes a quality airbrush and their cheapest model is about $45 on Amazon."

"Gaahleri is a good brand, they do some entry-model airbrushes that are great quality and come with good instructions."

"I would consider a budget Gaahleri airbrush, such as the GHAD-39."

Paasche

4.2

(9)

"Get a Paasche H single action - OG modelers still swear by them and they’re bulletproof."

"Get a decent Paasche or if you can afford it hit the easy button with an Iwata HP."

"I love my Paasche airbrushes."

"A cheap air brush will give you nothing but problems. Get a Pasche or similar brand."

"If they are rough on equipment and need a workhorse basic airbrush ... Paasche VL"

"The Neo isn’t a bad brush, but there’s offerings from Paasche and Badger that are better in the same price bracket. I would much rather have a Paasche Talon TG over a Neo."

"I like using my Paasche H with a .65 for primer."

"A Paasche H has .45, .65, and 1.0 needle sizes."

"Personally I say a Paasche VL. It's robust and easy to clean."

Harder and Steenbeck

4.9

(7)

"Harder and steenbeck ultra is my recommendation for the best!"

"You should really look at the Harder and Steenbeck Evolution 2024 model."

"I use a H&S Evolution and it’s been a workhorse for the past few years."

"In the end I went for the Harder and Steenbeck Ultra 2024."

"I prefer the H&S. You can find infinities for sale in the 200-300 range... It is dependable and I like the trigger feel much more than the Iwatas."

"...holy shit. Thing works like a dream! I will only ever buy harder and steinbeck ever again."

"Ultra is good for beginners, eclipse is midrange, infinity is top end."

Fengda

4.2

(6)

"Bought a relatively cheap Fengda airbrush and compressor combo, and I am really happy with it."

"Even with a cheaper double action fengda, Im much more happier with it than I was eith my single action sparmax."

"Something like the fengda 186 compressor (85 Eur) and their dual action airbrush (30ish) will do the job."

"Fengda bd-183 or master g33. (Fake eclipse) Or real eclipse."

"Brush is bd182. Compressor is (at least) as196."

"Fengda from Amazon but you will have to buy a compressor"

PS

4.4

(5)

"I have the PS-289 and it is SO good."

"This GSI brand sounds ideal for me. Reading a few other reviews about it and people are extremely positive. That PS-270 looks excellent."

"I think OP will be better off getting a PS-289 for general use."

"The PS-270 excels at that more than a general 0.3 airbrush especially the PS-289 which would be the next best thing."

"As recommended, Mr Hobby Creos PS-270, it looks the same as the one you linked but with 0.2 setup."

#10

Vallejo

4.4

(5)

"I also use vallejo ptimers, and a different brand's flow improver in a 2:1 vallejo to flow ratio. Works fantastically, and is easy to clean up."

"I use Vallejo primers and love the results I get. I barely thin them out of the bottle."

"Really don’t understand the hate for Vallejo airbrush primer. As long as you thin it properly and keep your airbrush clean it works great."

"People have a bad time with vallejos primers because they don't use the right thinner for it and it clogs really badly due to it being a PU primer."

"I bought a 25 dollar airbrush ... It works pretty well."

#11

Eclipse

5.0

(3)

"The excellent side feed Eclipse Takumi."

"The Eclipse is available in a small cup version called the HP-BS."

"Would be perfect for you."

#12

Grex

4.3

(3)

"I'd recommend something like a Grex Tritium with a .5mm or even .7 mm tip."

"Check out the Grex Tritium series of brushes."

"I just (\~2 weeks or so) picked up a Grex Tritium TS3 for less than $300CAD all-in, including shipping and taxes."

#13

H&S

4.0

(3)

"In fact, I use the H&S Ultra for priming."

"H&s evolution 2in1 is pretty sturdy and good for average painters."

"If you want to do detail work I recommend the 2024 Evo from H+S."

#14

Harbor Freight

3.7

3.0

(1)

"Any of those will support the ps290's & NoName minigun type brush that you will eventually desire."

#40

No Name

2.0

(1)

"Get a good brand airbrush not a no name one. Even if you have to spend a little more."

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