Badger Basket Badger Air Brush (150 4PK) Professional Head Air Brush Set In Wood Case Review

Overall 3.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

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matthaak
Chicago, IL

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Nice action but delicate parts

neat freak, a do-it-yourselfer, Mr. Fix-it

MAR

2008

I've recently become interested in airbrushing plastic model airplanes and other display models, so the airbrush (or "AB") I've needed does not need to do fine detail work. Honestly, I don't know how to use an AB to do much more than lay down even sheets of color. Having said that, I thought the Badger 150 would be a good, basic, airbrush.

Having used it for a couple weeks, I will say that it is an average AB for the money. First the good: I really like the comfort, controls and spraying action (mine was fitted with medium spray parts.) The best part of the controls are that the trigger can be held in-place by an adjustable screw so that the needle will sit in a single position and produce even paint coverage -- a good feature for someone painting model airplane parts. To be fair, I think most ABs allow you to similairly lock the trigger in the fully-engaged position, but the screw is nice in that it allows you to find and hold a sweet spot without having to otherwise adjust the needle. As for the spraying action itself -- I'm no expert -- but it seemed to produce a very nice, even, cone that is great for the work I do.

Now the bad: The 150 has extremely small, delicate parts and seemed to clog very easily. As I've used the brush, I've been in the habbit of blowing a lot of thinner through it between uses and doing thorough cleanings at the end of the day. This did not prevent my confronting a major blockage problem. Having attempted to clean individual parts, including soaking them overnight in paint thinner, I am still having problems.

Additionally, the parts themselves -- particularily the very small brass tip -- are very easy to damage. The damage I've had to the brass tip comes not from aggressive cleaning, but simply from moving the needle in and out. You have to be very careful not to let the needle thrust too far into the tip and cause the tip to split open. So, if you get this brush, be prepared to buy replacement tips and possible needles and head assemblies. Fortunately these parts are cheap, usually just a couple bucks each.

In closing, remember I am a basic AB user without a lot of experience. But, having also purchased a Badger 175, I can immediately see differences in the two. I'll review the 175 separately once I've used it a bit more, but so far it seems to be a better, more durrable, brush and doesn't cost much more. Get the 150 if you are a pro at cleaning and carring for small-part ABs, otherwise look for something more durrable.