Side by Side Comparison of: Master Airbrush vs Ebest vs Iwata-Medea vs Vallejo

This is my first airbrush setup and I'm very pleased with this kit. It comes with everything you need except the paint. I really like the air brush gun, it is very light and easy to use, I got the hang of painting right away and was pleased with my first attempt at painting. The air hose is a good length and the compressor is very quiet, I was able to paint and talk on my speaker phone and my party could barely hear the noise. If you are looking at getting into airbrush painting this is a great first time user setup, I can't think of anything else you would need to get started and the price won't break the bank.

Love this airbrush. I had never worked with one before purchasing this. Easy to get started, small, compact, but does the job for me. I was concerned it would be too loud and vibrate too much, but I have not had a problem with either situation. For my needs this was reasonably priced and is a winner for me. I use it with alcohol inks, acrylics, watercolors, stencils and have blown masking fluid across a page with it.

I have been painting miniatures (stuff like 40k and such) for years, and finally wanted to do something that I KNEW would be intensely easier with an airbrush. I decided to give this setup a try, and I was not disappointed. I liked it so much that I also got a G233-SET by Master so that I could have two brushes (the G233-SET comes with a .2 needle, and I figured that would be easier to get smaller paint action out of it). Disassembly isn't an issue, nor is cleaning (though, again, this is my first brush, so I can't say how much easier other brands/models are). One thing I could suggest is getting some Badger Needle Juice to lube the airbrush up (there's youtube videos you can find about it). Using the Needle Juice made both the G22 (which comes with this set) and the G233 super smooth feeling. The compressor has worked like a charm, and, while I cannot attest to the longevity of the unit, it does seem to be pretty well made.

I am totally new to airbrushing. I read reviews and recommendations from many internet sites, and this was not on any "top of the lists". After checking out prices for the "top of the list" airbrushes, my choice started to lean toward something more affordable. I bought this one because the price of the compressor alone was worth what I would spent on this set. So, I tried it, and, I love it! It's definitely more than I expected. I'm happy with the quality, and the results. Definitely a great price. It's easy to assemble; easy to do. I'm airbrushing repairs. I'm airbrushing new ceramic pieces. I'm looking around the house the see if anything needs some 'touching-up'; yeah' going a little airbrush crazy. Needless to say, I am very happy with my purchase.

I'd like to start my review by responding to some of the negative reviews I have read. Some say that it turns on, and then all of a sudden stops working. Others say that the compressor is leaking air. One thing I can guarantee is that if you receive this item having low expectations or are impatient with trying to get it to work, then this is probably not an item for you. In fact, I myself ran into the problem of it working and then stopping, but I realized there is no reason not to keep trying and look into maybe why it was happening. It takes time to learn how your first compressor works, but once it gets going, you won't find a better bang for your buck!The airbrush too is very sharp, simple and easy to use. The trigger can be pulled back to increase or decrease the airflow, thus limiting or increasing the paint being released. I advise purchasing an airbrush cleaning product to help clean the area in which paint goes through. Taking apart the components of the product isn't too difficult, but once mastered, it is a huge plus in keeping the airbrush in pristine condition. There are instructions on where each part goes, so goodbye confusion! Vallejo Model Color Paints should be mixed prior to being placed into the airbrush because their consistency (w/o thinner) easily clogs the brush. For those not planning on thinning paint outside of the brush, Tamiya paints work extremely well. The paint can be poured directly into the brush and then the thinner, all without clogging the brush (as opposed to Vallejo Model Color). All in all, the brush will perform as well as the time you put into cleaning it.The compressor is great and easily adjustable (in terms of PSI). Don't give up if somethings not working. Keep trying, especially if its your first compressor because it's easy to give up without knowing much about how it works. Apply teflon tape (included) between the connection of the compressor and the attachment of the air regulator. It won't fit on properly (facing downwards) unless you apply a lot of teflon tape. It's pretty quiet and very accurate in keeping the desired pressure.Overall, great product! Highly recommended.

I have read through all of the reviews with low ratings and I can all see why they gave this WONDERFUL product a low rating. It is simply because they are ignorant, not because the product if broken. Heck, I thought my compressor and airbrush were broken when I first got them, too!As a newbie to this product and airbrushing in general, here is a little newbie guide I threw together:The compressor: The first deal is that the regulator is not attached. My compressor came with Teflon tape (I'm not sure if yours will, I got mine used). You NEED to wrap the male part on the compressor in Teflon tape then screw on the regulator. This is done so that the none of the air leaks out. Once it is attached, you can hook up the braided hose. Here is the deal with the compressor: when it is turned on, it will not constantly run, it has an auto shut off once it has stored pressure. On top of this, your airbrush must be hooked up to the hose & compressor for the gauge to work. To adjust the pressure, you pull out the black knob on the regulator and then twist it left/right, it should have + and - symbols so you know which way to twist it. Note, the gauge will only read if you have the compressor running and the hose is hooked up to your airbrush! If your compressor has auto shut off and you need to adjust the pressure, just run some air through the airbrush so that it starts back up again. Also, keep in mind when you are airbrushing the compressor will turn itself on and off. THIS IS NORMAL AND A GOOD THING, don't let it alarm you. It means your regulator and compressor are working correctly!The airbrush: as stated earlier, the airbrush must be hooked up to the compressor and the compressor must be running for it to work properly (this should be obvious, but I will state it anyway). There are two controls on the airbrush, and also some adjustments. The first control is pressing the trigger down, which will make air come out. Note, when it is pressed down there should be NO fluid coming out, just air. Once the trigger is pushed down, when you pull it back your liquid should come out stronger and stronger. If you cannot pull your trigger back far enough to let the liquid out, here is what might be wrong: On the very back of the airbrush (opposite of the front) is a little knob. If you loosen this knob, it will allow you to pull the trigger further and further back allowing you to release more and more liquid.As I said earlier, I am nowhere near an expert or even an adept on air brushes. As my first air brush, for $80 (I got mine used from Amazon) this is WORTH EVERY PENNY. Airbrushes alone go for $100+, where this is an airbrush AND a compressor AND a regulator (yes, some airbrush/compressor kits don't come with regulators)! As for quality, I honestly don't know how good the airbrush is, but I used it to write my name and paint some model kits, and the paint (water based acrylic thinned with Windex) came out evenly with no splattering. Also, the included booklet is a joke. It is about 5 pages front and back, and basically explains how to clean your airbrush and tells you to practice painting lines, dagger strokes, and dots. The important thing is that it explains how to clean your airbrush. It is EXTREMELY important to keep your airbrush cleaned if you want it to last you forever. The brush gets gunked up with paint quick, so it is important to keep it clean. Just keep in mind that when you purchase this you will have to keep it maintained. It is not too hard to clean, you just need to run some cleaner through it and unscrew some small parts.Conclusion: If you are looking for a airbrush for painting anything, this is worth it. I personally use it for painting model kits but you can use it for everything else!

When I put it all together and tried it nothing happens, psi was first set to 60 psi, after finally getting it down to 20 psi I tried again and nothing. I thought the airbrush was busted, so I decided to take the airbrush apart and make sure all the parts where ok and moving the way they should, I noticed the pin where the air hose connects was not moving smoothly, so I just kept wiggling it untill it moved smoothly. I then put it all together and it worked just fine. But when I increase the PSI back to 60 it stopped working again. Took apart the airbrush and the pin was doing the same thing, I repeated my previous steps and it works just fine. I am only going to be using the machine at 20 psi for what I intend to use it for (gunpla). I give it four stars because it is cheap and I am just learning how to use an airbrush. But I think they could have given you a better quality airbrush it just feels cheap

Everything came in great shape. It is really quiet. My model seems to be an improved version over earlier models (has more vent holes in the back, still heats a little however). The hose isn't exactly 6 feet, I haven't measured mine but its definitely not as long as I am tall. As far as the airbrush itself, it seems to work fine. Some fiddling may be needed to find the proper working pressure though. Overall its really great for the price. As a beginner myself I would recommend this as a great place to start. Hard to find a compressor and airbrush for less than a hundred dollars.

Purchased this item and was very impressed. However after less than a month of use it stopped working. Luckily the company we very helpful and exchanged the product with no fuss. The exchange took a little while, and my husband that owns a small bait and tackle business was without his paint gun for some time, we were very impressed that they exchanged the product like they did. Since then the gun has worked fine. Would recommend

I give this product an A+ for "bang for the buck." This is the first compressor/airbrush I have bought and my first experience using one. I almost bought a different manufacturer's airbrush that used the canned air, and am very glad I didn't. My suggestion is pay the price difference for this model as your painting experience will be much more positive. I use this unit to paint HO train engines, cars, buildings and scenery and it handles all tasks with quality results. There were some problems: I could not initially get a consistent spray pattern and had trouble with air leaks with the connections. Please note other reviewer's comments that it is necessary to wrap connections with Teflon tape. I bought some while waiting for delivery only to find that a roll was included in the package. I also found it necessary to wrap the hose itself where it connects to the airbrush with duct tape to mend a serious leak As long as I keep the tape tightly bound there is no problem. Because of the lack of consistent spraying (note that I used diluted and undiluted Testors enamel paint and also diluted and undiluted acrylic paint) I took apart the airbrush to thoroughly clean it. Unfortunately I couldn't get it back together again and contacted the manufacturer who emailed me instructions. Though difficult to fix because the parts are small and hard to manipulate, patience paid off and reassembly was done. Now the airbrush operates beautifully and gives a professional result. This morning I "weathered" several cars and painted parts for a building. You may want to note my experience in mixing paints. Both enamel and acrylics need to be thinned, the first with enamel thinner and the second with water. Before you try to paint anything test the spray against some cardboard until you get the output you want. This will take some practice to get the right mix. Also, I first put the thinner/water in the reserve tank then added the paint, shaking the two together. I didn't try to mix the two in a separate container as I felt this wasted too much paint which didn't pour. In short, this is a great product as long as you exercise some patience and practice first before trying your first project. I would have given 5 stars but for the disassembly/assembly hassles. Note: it is also a good idea to google the Internet for airbrushing hints as there is some important info out there on cleaning and maintaining the brush. Hope this helps.

So I am a first time airbrush user, and I must say I'm very thrilled with my purchase. I am mainly painting gundams and so far I havnt been able to get a good result with brushes or aerosol cans. I got this in the mail, later that day I broke it out to give it a try, and within 15 minutes of experimenting with psi settings I found something I could work with to give me the perfect slow covering spray that was exactly what I wanted. I'm really happy with my results. Just make sure to flush well with thinner after use or changing colors. And the paints I'm using are simple enamel flat testors in the small square bottle along with testors thinner, with a ratio of 1 part thinner to 3 parts paint. I do tiny batches at a time in the feed cup because I'm still learning. The only negatives are that the psi gauge didn't screw on the compressor correctly in that it is at a sideways angle, but I can still read the gauge fine and the compressor operates perfectly fine. Second, I found a film of residue in the fees cup of my airbrush, but that disappeared after I used it a few times. I have not fully dismantled the airbrush yet for cleaning, when I do I'll re-review if I run into problems. So happy with results so far!

I was pretty scared of setting this thing up, to be honest. No rational reason, it just ended up that way. I finally did it today and I am very pleased. A lot of people complain about the regulator not fitting on straight and I was prepared for this (and it didn't fit on straight). But I could keep playing with the amount of (included) teflon tape on the fitting until it did fit on straight. It's just not that big a deal to me. I only look at the pressure gauge while I'm adjusting it. You *will* need to pull UP on the lock (black plastic knob on the top of the regulator) and adjust the pressure in order for your airbrush to work at all! Just hold down the air trigger and start adjusting until the pressure gauge shows the level at which you want it.I figured all of this out on my own, with no training (the manual is not really helpful), and no YouTube videos. So maybe I'll make a quick howto video and add it to this review at some point, as it really is simple. You just need a little patience and do a little research beforehand.The included air line fitted onto my Iwata NEO airbrush with no problems and no leaks (even without teflon tape). Within 20 minutes of unboxing this I was airbrushing some model airplane parts. I am completely serious. My only real complaint is the regulator fit. A little better workmanship would've led to a lot less complaints, and a lot less teflon tape. It doesn't affect its performance so it's only a single star off. It could do with a tank so it didn't run much, but that would make it more expensive, and it *does* shut itself off when pressure is built up. But that pressure will only last about 1-2 seconds once you press down the air trigger on the brush.All the other "issues" in these reviews are people who, it seems, don't really know what needs to be adjusted out of the box (I only do because I read the reviews here on Amazon!). This is a quiet (it's NOT silent, but it's unlikely to wake someone up in another room if they have the door closed, for example), capable little unit and I'm happy with it so far.

This airbrush is great if you're just starting out and want to give airbrushing a try. However it's not a great quality airbrush. After only a couple of uses it completely broke down. If you take the needle out or remove the nozzle to clean it, it might not work properly after do to delicate parts. This is common with cheaper airbrushes. Its still worth buying. The compressor has lasted me a long time but I've upgraded the airbrush gun itself to a high quality Iwata. Would still definitely recommend for beginners though!

I would give it 5 stars but I can't seem to get it to spray properly. I put acrylic paint mixed with water in the cup and it hardly sprays out. It definitely doesn't work like I've seen on YouTube. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or what... Nice quality and good product other than that though!

It has a knack for parts mysteriously coming apart, but luckily it is easy to take apart and rebuild. The compressor works good though.

All around low quality, but that might be okay. I original received this item as a gift, the first kit leaked like crazy. I returned that one to Amazon. The second one had a defect with the compressor which caused it to stall when starting up causing a massive drop in pressure. That one I contacted TCP Global about, the troubleshooting process took a bit longer than I would have liked (over a week due to them sending me a regulator first before ultimately replacing my compressor).After about 3 weeks I finally have a working airbrush setup. Here's the thing though. Each compressor I got was different(color, end caps, switches), and not just in minor details. The first and second compressors were more powerful than the compressor I ultimately ended up with. The first two were 1/5 HP, however the TC-20 compressor they sent me to replace the kit one was 1/6 HP (in fact the TC-20 compressor is advertised as 1/6 when its sold outside of the kit).The result of the weaker compressor is that it can only really steadily maintain ~28PSI which is way lower than the Createx paints I bought suggests.I'm not going to return it. I'm just going to deal with it and thin my paint a bit. However, in retrospect I wish I bought the comparable kit at my local Harbor Freight. I could have cycled through all the defective units much more quickly.

I bought this as a beginner kit to get into airbrushing. For the price it isn't bad, but it has a few flaws. First, the water separator ended up being upside down when screwed in all the way - they should include a few washers to adjust this, or provide the correct thread depth on the fitting. Second, the airbrush itself doesn't have great paint control. I know I am still a novice, but it seems to go from very little paint to ALL OF THE PAINT!! pretty quickly, even at different air pressures. As I said before this makes a great beginner kit for the price, but definitely spend some more money on a quality setup if you plan on doing this long term.

I've gotten quite a bit of use out of this rig. So far, my main complaint is the water trap doesn't do a great job after about 30-45 minutes. I have to stop and clear the line and wait for the compressor to cool down, which can take an hour or two.So far, I've been able to use Citadel and Vallejo Model Air paints and Vallejo Surface Primer just fine. With the Citadel paints and Vallejo Surface Primer, I thin it with Liquitex Airbrush Medium (roughly 2:1 medium/paint) and add a drop or two of Vallejo Airbrush Thinner if it's still a little too thick. It has also done well with Liquitex Gloss and Matte Varnish, though the matte needs to be thinned somewhat. For my purposes, I do a mix of gloss and matte (2:1) and have no need to thin it at 30 PSI.I wish the compressor would go higher than 30 PSI, but if you set the regulator to go higher, it will run constantly and you will still only get about 30 PSI. I end up with it running almost constantly because I have to set it to 25 to 30 PSI for the Citadel, otherwise I have to thin it too much. I'm sure other paints that are more meant for airbrushes could be used at lower PSI's.A warning I will give is to screw the nossel on using your fingers. I messed up my first one using the tool provided when it caused the nossel to shear off, leaving the threaded part stuck in the body. There was a lot of cursing when that happened. Since I've been using my fingers to get it off and on, there have been no problems.Despite the inconvenience of the water in the line keeping my painting sessions short, it's served my purposes very well. I foresee getting a larger compressor at some point in the future. The airbrush is adequate for what I do, which is primarily priming, basing, and varnishing Warhammer 40k miniatures.

This is my first airbrush and I loved everything about it getting started. Easy start up, great compressor, nice airbrush. My second session when cleaning the airbrush I inserted the needle and broke the tip of the nozzle off of the threads leaving the threads inside, I hadn't even un-threaded the nozzle. Completely my fault and understandable as part of the learning experience. I now know to be beyond careful and should have read some of the many product reviews stating so and that this is a problem. My issue is that I am supposed to pay 40 dollars shipping on a replacement for something that weighs next to nothing and wait a month and a half to get it. Very disappointed in availability of replacement parts when it is known to be easily breakable.

Worked fine for a year, then developed a leak and would constantly turn on to get up to pressure. Started spewing water through the hose. Gets hot after moderate use. Last night it finally quit on me and would not turn on. Good cheap product for learning, but if you want to save money, invest in a quality compressor that will last more than a year.

So I had to sent this back! I had a paasche but the compressor died. Figured I would get 3 airbrushes and a compressor for like a price of 1 iwata airbrush! This might be a good deal if you are a novice and never had a good airbrush before...however this compressor was crap. It was nice and quiet but the moisture trap wouldn't screw on correctly. I had to use duct tape to make it tight enough because it leaked.The air brushes all splattered and there was not a good seal/air flow. Moisture trap didn't work cause the moisture kept leaking into my design.Glad the company let me return it. I would recommend any type of Iwata airbrush and a badger compressor (got mine and they work great!!) but they are more expensive.

The airbrush and the compressor DO work. but to give a fair argument as to why I did not like this was the airbrush needle came bent like a fishing hook (no I am not kidding) so the airbrush could not be used. once the needle was carefully bent back as straight as possible and used the detail was as expected from a damaged needle. After testing the airbrush for a longer period of time huge amounts of water were spurting out through the hose where the moisture trap failed to capture it. The moisture trap had NO water in it at all when the water was spurting out. all the connections were checked and no air leaks were found so the trap should have been working correctly. I wrapped all the connections well with the Teflon tape to insure a good seal before operating. I would not buy this product again and would not recommend it. Save up for a compressor with a tank.

This is a decent airbrush kit - for the money; I repeat - FOR THE MONEY. It is fantastic that it came with a compressor. However, it is not usable for anything more than basic personal use. I found it useful for getting exposure to airbrushing at low cost but even before trying a higher end airbrush I could tell that this one was not going to win any contests.Pros:-Cheap-Double action-Includes decent compressor-Includes air hoseCons:-Action is gritty; VERY gritty. It is hard to get any consistency from the action because of the sloppy tolerances. Why bother with a double action when you get none of the control?-Craftsmanship is very poor. It works, but barely. Clearly a mass produced product with very lax QC standards.-Air and paint flow is sporadic and clogging occurs regularly even with extensive time spent working out the "perfect viscosity".-Difficult to clean.-Included compressor is good but has no resivour.-Cheap air hose.If you have never used a quality airbrush, this might seem like an okay deal. Trust me, spend the extra money and get a badger or something. If you get this airbrush kit you will quickly have to invest in a better airbrush. The only reason I gave this kit 2 stars is because it includes a decent compressor and everything you need to get started (except paint).

I did a fair share of research for an airbrush kit, and really, this one seemed to be the best bet for a beginning air brush kit that has everything you need. This kit rocked for the first couple uses. After that, forget about it. Seriously. Buy something else.BAD:-the regulator on the compressor worked for TWO DAYS. Now it doesn't do s***. Sure, the compressor can maintain a workable 20 psi. But for various jobs, I need more air pressure. No amount of twisting of the regulator changed anything. It would peak the pressure momentarily (while I wasn't using any air), then as soon as I used air, the pressure would fall back down to 20 psi. Fantastic.-The G22, the "nice" airbrush, broke after just a few uses. Constantly clogged. I even purchased airbrush cleaning fluid and spent 30 mins running it through the airbrush AFTER taking it apart and wiping everything down. Then paint started to bubble in the paint container. Tightened the nozzle to ensure everything was air tight, and broke right off into the airbrush.-The other metal airbrush wore down quicker, pretty much the same issues. The only airbrush I have left it the black one which DOESN'T FIT onto the air compressor. So now I have a half finished project on my hands and an angry customer (that I'm painting something for).*I considered buying a replacement parts kit for the G22. Just for 3 small pieces, their website asks for $45 BUCKS. You can buy a whole new airbrush for $20 on Amazon. Ugh. That doesn't sound like a good option either.THE GOOD:It worked fantastically for a total of two days.

The compressor works fine and the overall design is good.However, two of the airbrushes are the issue.The first one I tried a test run with it. The actuator for spraying disconnected after one press. This rendered the item completely useless before it could even be used at all.The second one started to work fine for a short time. However, after about ten minutes or so, it stopped functioning. I could find no reason, even went through the process of cleaning it out, simple disassembly to check for obstructions, etc. Nothing found. As far as I can tell, it's the same thing where the actuator disconnected in some fashion and is now sitting useless.Trying to find a way to have it taken care of is quite disappointing, as I have to go out of my way for it, but I suppose that's part of the process. Would also not recommend the replacement plan offered. It does not even have an option to register the product when you do so, as it goes by type and brand. Neither are listed in the drop down menus.This has been an utter disappointment, I'll look in stores next time to avoid the hassle for something defective and full of false promise.

It worked fine. For the whole 3 days it worked before the motor burned out. I understand it's a cheaper product than others but still that's pretty crummy. Better 3 days than 1 day after the return period I suppose. Using the standard 40% off coupon at a certain hobby store I got a name brand model.

I purchased and returned 2 of these kits. The first one had an air leak at the O-ring and would not hold the air pressure called for. The second one appeared to be either a refurbished compressor or a used unit. The polished plate at the end of the main body had a dent in it and the fittings on the pressure regulator showed signs of use.I have no problem buying a refurbished item when it is advertised as such and priced accordingly.Fortunately Amazon is VERY accommodating about accepting returns.

Totally dissatisfied with this product. I purchased it on August and I recieved a defective product. They sent me a different machine and I have problems with the pump.

I'm no expert but it would seem that a vital aspect of a good airbrush is that the compressor turns on. Unfortunately the Master Airbrush didn't do that regardless of what I tried. I would have done more troubleshooting except there are no instructions included on how to put this together or to resolve problems--just a useless 'how to get started with airbrushing' which, of course, assumes your compressor actually works. Finally, the piece with the pressure gauge screws on so that the clear receptacle for collecting condensation points up--not what you want for sure. There are probably inexpensive small airbrush/compressors that work, but this isn't one of them. Now if you'll excuse me, gotta go buy some spray paint.

The regulator did not function repeatably. Although the unit is nice an quiet - I need to be able to adjust the air pressure for air brushing. No problem with the return process.