I saw this on sale in the local hobby store. They were selling it at 700 HKD (100 USD). Naturally, I was attracted to it. However, I could not find much reviews on the Internet. Has anyone tried it? Is it a decent airbrush for a beginner who never owned a airbrush before?

Don't buy this.
If you feel like starting to airbrush then get something more useful. For US $100 you can get a decent to good airbrush if you shop around a little. Another US $100 will get you a noisy but sufficient compressor.

If you buy this Tamiya package you would probably want something more/better after a short while. If you spend US $200 to 300 you get a decent setup which you can continue using until you have learnt so much that your skills require a better tool and then you will get a more expensive airbrush but you can keep the compressor.

The most important thing to look for in a compressor is that it has a tank. This allows the engine to stop and get some rest when the tank is full and you can spray in complete silence until the tank needs filling again. There should also be a regulator to allow you to control the air-pressure going to the airbrush. An oil/water trap is also a good thing, especially in humid parts of the world ...

Look around and ask here again before you buy anything.
There are many real airbrush experts here and there is almost always someone who has got experience with the airbrush you might be looking at.

In my opinion this Tamiya compressor is almost a toy.
/ Robin

Edit: forgot to say: Welcome to Armorama

Sorry but is not true,for 100$ you can buy a little quiet compressor,42Db~ like a fridge..

This is the top of the range...
http://www.tcpglobal.com/MASTC-40T_4.html

But you can buy something like that at less...
http://www.tcpglobal.com/ABD-TC-20T.html

of this type of compressors you will find many in various stores and under a myriad of different brands but the basic compressor is always the same,you can buy them from many different shops, also on Amazon, Aliexpress or Ebay.

Also because since you live in Hong Kong, a city that I like a lot but a little overcrowded I do not know if you can afford the luxury of making all the noise you want, I have one similar and it's very quiet and also little

One of the most difficult things I had to learn was to use a double action airbrush. After years of rattle cans getting comfortable with the push pull button was not intuitive for me. A while back I bought a Grex trigger style and am very pleased with it. It's is literally point and shoot. The Grex was pricy but Iwata make the TRN1 for about half the price of the Grex. I've seen them as low as $95. Good luck.

Thanks Vicious!
Didn't know they were so cheap nowadays
/ Robin

Careful what you are buying. I have the TC20T compressor Viscious posted above. You are right-- it's inexpensive, and quiet, but you get what you pay for too. It's a Chinese made compressor (not that that's bad) but it's not the best quality either. Fittings are poor quality, the tank is prone to rusting, and the regulator/ moisture trap is so-so. This is a tank compressor designed and sold on the cheap. It does the job just fine though, but I have to keep mine in semi-constant repair-- I'm handy, and have a complete workshop, so it's not a problem for me, if you're not a handy person with full size tools-- you may have problems later. Here's my list of fixes for my compressor:

1) split/cracked air outlet elbow to the regulator-- fixed with a "c" clamp, plumbers putty and JB weld epoxy. Works fine now-- I had to do it that way because replacement parts for these things are almost impossible to find, and when you do find them, usually the threads don't match up to the cheap machining. By the way, we used to sell these in the LHS where I worked for a while, and this is not an isolated problem-- I've fixed others too.
2) regulator failed, bought new regulator.
3) Moisture trap works fine, but it's difficult to drain completely, causing rust build up--- but that's really a regulator design issue. It doesn't affect operation.
4) tank fills with water (my own fault living in a humid environment and not draining it often enough) which rusts the bottom of the tank, causing a pinhole leak (fixed with JB weld epoxy). The drain is a large nut that is difficult to remove unless you have full sized wrenches. The upshot of this is I still have a very minor leak around the putty patch-- so minor I can still keep constant pressure in the tank, with the compressor running about every 20 minutes-- enough to cool down-- but now my tank is "self draining"-- the minor leak pressures all the water out as I'm using it. I just have to keep a paper towel under the compressor to absorb it-- maybe that's a benefit because now I don't have to drain the tank!

So, you get what you pay for. I've had mine about eleven years now (the names change, but it's the same compressor-- mine was just labeled "TC20T" without the "Master Air" logo). Don't get me wrong-- I actually love my compressor, it has character, but I can fix or repair most anything. If you can't do that, start with a high quality/low maintenance compressor, which will cost more. I also have two other tankless compressors to fall back on if this one dies completely. In contrast, my tankless Binks compressor is 50 years old, and except for some paint spots and dust, it still runs like new when it was purchased in 1968 when I was 15 (for an exorbitant cost of about $30, which is equivalent today to about $200 given inflation). My dad bought it and I used it for everything until I purchased the TC20T.
VR, Russ

I have to say that my compressor I paid a little more 'and is rebranded Artlogic and has some difference, compared to the basic model TC20T, some parts are slightly different and made better, even as a quality control, for drainage I have a valve that I can open manually, even the moisture trap is another model, then having the tools I made some minor changes.


I live in the tropics and with the humidity that we have is here I let it load to the maximum so that the pressure helps to empty the tank from the water and then drain it every time after use , I added a pressure regulator and a second moisture trap to the workbench

Hi MR Yun,

just read this thread. It happen that the basic airbrush set by tamiya is my first airbrush 20 years ago.. (with different box)

so far it works well for a beginner. The price back then was about USD60. I got it as a gift from my naval friend who happen to visit tokyo.

the airbrush is of the single action type... i forgot the nozzle size but i think it's 0.35mm or 0.4mm
the compressor is silent, and need to be powered up by the tamiya RC battery or outlet socket of 120V..i dont know about HK but me in Malaysia uses 220V and i have to buy voltage converter to run this thing...
i had good time with this..but as i move on, i found out that due to the larger nozzle size, it's not a good choice for fine cammo detailing...so i sell this set..

so i kinda agree with everyone, do not buy this as the price is USD100 kinda expensive for me... add maybe 50-100 more to get a good compressor and ab combo... i heard sparmax is cheap overthere..

Zaidi

So, first of all, I would like to thank everyone for your replies. I went out again this afternoon to look for alternatives.

I found the brand Zaidi mentioned. The Sparmax airbrushes were quite cheap indeed. For example, the DH-2 (a gravity fed, 0.25 mm nozzle AB) cost about $43 USD. As for the compressor, I found the DC-25 at $84 USD. And, boy, that thing was small. So is Sparmax a reliable brand?

Ps. Just call me Frederick.

Frederick,
If I were you I would not buy the DC-25, the preset max pressure is 30 PSI and even if this is sufficient for almost every airbrushing needs there could still be times when you could higher air pressure.
The airbrush can be used to remove dust and then a higher pressure can be useful. I almost managed to strip acrylic paint with it once, max pressure and spray water with a very small drop of detergent added. It removed all the paint that had a bad grip on the plastic.

All the piston compressors make more or less noise so you may want to consider that point. It depends a lot on your living arrangements.
I use something which is similar to this one:
http://www.sparmaxair.com/product_detail.php?id=1&r=10
If you can accept the noise (like a small one cylinder engine) then at least get one with a tank:
http://www.sparmaxair.com/product_detail.php?id=1&r=7
This one also has a small tank:
http://www.sparmaxair.com/product_detail.php?id=1&r=12


My first compressor looked like this little critter, it sounded like an angry petrol engine and wanted to move across the table when it was running. I couldn't use it in the evenings due to respect for my neighbours:
http://www.sparmaxair.com/product_detail.php?id=1&r=4
/ Robin

A tank type compressor is much better than one without. The air flow is smoother without the pulses that you can get without a tank. My first compressor was tankless and the pulses could really affect fine line painting. Drove me crazy but in those days you couldn't find small tank type compressors.

the DC-25 is a toy for that price buy a cheap compressor with tank that even with its problems anyway works better.


You must also think that the compressors without tanks in addition to the pulsations it work all the time you use the AB with constant noise and heating of the engine, instead with the tank 0 pulsations and the compressor its less under stress because it works only when the tank drops below a certain pressure, now almost all small AB compressors run on 42-50db, roughly like an old refrigerator or a little more.

If you look inside almost all those low-mid range compressors that are Spamaxair, Iwata, Badger or Artologic etc ... you will see that they are basically all the same as Cheap ones made in China apart from the position of some detail, the performance are the same, what really changes is the warranty, the quality control and the materials of certain parts, which however are not small details

this is already a good one
http://www.sparmaxair.com/product_detail.php?id=1&r=7

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Senco-1-Gal-1-2-HP-Portable-Electric-Air-Compressor-PC1010/100615090

If you have a Big box store get a real compressor, all the ones made for modeling are a rip off to me anyway.I use a 3 gallon tank one I bought 10 years, back , sure it is noisy but I do not care.I paint in my room upstairs, and don't paint past a certain time,wife don't say squat. can go to any pressure, plus I have a full size Porter Cable in the garage. Wear ear plugs if it bothers you so many years in the service and working diesels well can't hear too good anyway. You can find compressors for $100.00 to $130.00 that will last many years. I saw a little joke of a compressor for $430.00 LMAO, thing was a joke.
This one had a problem when I bought it , the rear kick in switch, for the run capacitor was loose, I put some locktite on the setscrew 10 years back never had a problem since.

is true but he lives in Hong Kong so there are 99.99% of chances that he stay in a small apartment, with a compressor like that one the furniture of the neighbors shakes every time goes on...

You may want to check out an Iwata compressor. They are tankless, but reasonably quiet and compact.

I own something very similar, mine is branded Coleman and I have had it for over 10 years with no break-downs or repairs of any kind. The problem is the db rating is not efficient for running the compressor at night when my family sleeps, other than that it is a fine compressor and it cost me 60.00 USD.

If you want a great system for airbrushing buy a 20lb CO2 tank. 0 db, dry air, so no need for moisture trap and relatively cheap to refill. Depending on how many kits you spray a year, a single 20lb tank should get you quite far perhaps enough air for 3 to 4 kits or so depending on how airbrush heavy you are. Cost of an air tank and gauge can run you 160.00 or better, but it's worth it if you need complete quiet.

https://youtu.be/IALeCr2LCwI

CO2 tanks on ebay - no gauge (extra 50.00 or so)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/20-lb-New-Aluminum-CO2-Tank-With-Handle-CGA320-Valve-Homebrew-Free-Shipping/273032634823?epid=1612262333&hash=item3f920361c7:g:EOsAAOSw5cNYNdgb

Once again, thank you all for the suggestions. So the ideal compressor should have an tank, moisture trap (because it's ridiculously humid in here) and quiet.

I went to the shop again and looked for other compressors with reasonable price. They only sell Sparmax. (There's a weird brand that sounds similar called 'sparkman' in the store opposite.). One was TC 501AS. The web showed little to none, but it looks like an TC 501N. It comes with a moisture trap, but seems to lack an tank.

Next is the Arism. Comes with the silver bullet, a moisture trap? Not sure if there's a tank tho...

Then theres the AC 55. The cheapest, 100 USD. But no traps or tank.

So, which one looks the most promising?

I would not recommend any of those airbrushes.

Adding an oil/moisture-trap isn't exactly rocket science.
Adding a tank, either by taking the tank from a cheap noisy compressor or rebuilding a dry powder fire extinguisher is a bit more work but can be done.
Turning a noisy compressor into a silent one is impossible, the workaround is to stick it in a noise insulation cabinet but that is a lot of work and requires space.

I think you should consider spending some more money on a good compressor. Upgrading a bad one also costs money and requires skills and tools.

I suggest searching the internet. There should be something available, Hong Kong isn't exactly a small town out in the countryside .....

/ Robin


A noisy one with tank and stuff:
http://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/mguiuywhwbji5eohd7ja.html
HKD 1920

the Spartmax tc-610h they give a level of 53db so more or less as an old refrigerator and calculating that it turns on just to fill the tank every few minutes is not so noisy at all, it's not at Silentair level but those cost a kidney and a few pints of blood

http://www.noisehelp.com/noise-level-chart.html

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235002255-sparmax-tc-610h-compressor-air-craftnet/


I live me too in a hot umid tropical inferno and i ad one moisture trap with regulator more at my workbench, is not rocket science,they are cheap and easy to set