Greetings,

Over the last few years, I have made my way through a variety of airbrushes: a Paasche single action, Paasche double action, Aztek Metal A4809 airbrush (got a great deal on eBay on that one), and finally, the piece' de resistance, an Iwata Revolution CR, which is probably the airbrush I'm going to be using the most. I have a Paasche D500 Compressor with a regulator and a moisture trap, and would like to consider upgrading--does anyone have any suggestions on a good compressor? I would like one with a regulator, moisture trap, etc., perhaps an airtank if necessary. I mostly build armour and aircraft.

Thanks!

I have an Iwata Power Jet Pro. Supplies regulated air to two guns. Air supply is even with no initial surge you can get with shop compressors. Also very quiet operation.

Hi,

If you have the room, personally I would suggest getting a full sized air compressor like a Craftsman, Porter Cable, etc. A decent one will only cost about $200 and can be used for far more than just airbrushing. Of course you'd need to get a separate regulator/moisture trap (about another $30). I'm currently using a Porter Cable 15 gallon compressor and have never had a problem.

Just my 2 cents,

Scott

How bout Sil-Air?

Yep, the Iwata Smart Jet Pro or Power Jet Pro are both sweet compressors. Take your pick.

Greetings,
Thanks for all the responses...I think I might lean towards the Iwata Power Jet. I would like a compressor with an air tank, but really don't need the dual-brush feature of the Pro model.

Thanks guys,
Rory

you might have alook at airbrush depot.com, I purchased their inhouse brand TC196 for $170.00 plus shipping, has a tank, dual piston, is very quiet, light weight and small size compared to a huge tool compressor, I am very pleased with it so far a very good value.

If you want a tank, why not bypass the compressor altogether and go with CO2? It's ridiculously inexpensive, quiet, and alleviates the moisture problems.

I'm biased; I love my silentaire compressors. Had too many problems with cheaper options- just decided to jump in and do it. I spray usually late at night, in my house/in a booth, and silence is a necessity. I love them. The are not cheap, but are worth it. Other silent compressors proly are just as good. Look for them second hand; you will often find some great deals!

I live in a fairly dry climate so water trapping in the line is not an issue for me and I don't have a need for super silence or anything special. A good steady supply of clean,dry, regulated air is all I need. For that purpose, I've found that the $100 dollar compressors with airtanks that are used to power light airtools are good enough for what I need. The airtank supplies the air to the airbrush so there's no pulsing and the pump comes on automatically to refill the tank whenever the pressure drops enough. A decent regulator and voila. These can be found at most big box hardware stores and are relatively inexpensive. If you went with something like that, you could always add a moisture trap.



Bob