My Paasche D500 air compressor has been making a strange and loud noise lately. I am thinking about replacing it with the Iwata SmartJet IS850. Does anyone here use this compressor by any chance ? Would like to hear your thought about it. Thanks in advance.

http://www.iwata-medea.com/index.php/products/smart_jet

Thanh.

Ahoy Thanh,

I personally would suggest you go the extra stretch and consider a compressor with an air tank. Iwata makes them. Yes they are more expensive but in the long run you will get you money's worth.
With an air tank, the compressor runs less often meaning , there will
be less wear and tear on the compressor and most of all benefit, constant
air pressure ...no pulsation.
Just my suggestion as I have gone thru 2 compressors and now really enjoy
an air tank.
Cheers,
Joe

Hi Joe. Thanks for the suggestion. I am looking at the Iwata line with a tank and they seem to have a smaller tank than other brands. Anyone using the Paasche D3000R or the TestorAztek AC500 unit ? Any suggestions or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

Well, you don't need to stay with a compressor from an airbrush company, just fall I bought an "el Cheapo" (Husky brand, to be exact) 6 gal compressor from Home Depot here in Toronto for only $115 and it came with two (count 'em) nail guns. The 6 gal size means that the compressor turns on less often. Yes, it's tad noisy, but no more so than the first compressor I had, and being tanklless, that first comressor was on all the time. It's got bags of pressure and two regulators to monitor the tank pressure and the delivered pressure.

I've painted 4 models with it since the fall and it works like charm.NO hassles whatsoever.

Plus, as a home owner, having the two nail guns (OK, a brad gun and a nail gun) is really, really handy, so even the wife was in favour of the purchase.

The key in buying a comressor from a hardware store is to make sure you get an _oil-free_ compressor. Any comressor marked "oilless" or "oil free" will do the job.

Paul

If you don't want the noise iwata is the way to go I use the pro jet studio series.before I was using a small testors compressor I got of of eBay for 50.00 both work well.i just upgraded because all of my airbrushes are iwata and the compressor stays off most of the time and gives you air immediately with hardly any noise on the refill hope this helps.

There are all kinds of air compressors on the market. I think it boils down to how much you want to pay and if you want an air tank with it.I have a Craftsman 2 gallon compressor. The noise is not bad but I also have it in the box that it came in to muffle some more.

I'm with Paul, cheap and meaty from the local hardware for me. So big a tank that condensation isn't a problem (my home is routinely 70 to 90% humidity)and has enough grunt to run a really long air hose from the garage to my painting room, so no noise at all really.

+1 on the dual use and Wifely approval ratings.