I'm in the market for a new compressor. Right now I have a SparMax (I think it's an Iwata variant) compressor and I use Iwata Eclipse and Passche VL airbrushes. Despite my attempts at lowering the pressure on my current compressor it feels like the psi is still too high. I have a moisture trap but no pressure gauge. I was considering the Iwata Smart Jet Pro which has a moisture trap, pressure gauge and regulator for adjustment.

Does anyone have experience with this model? Any other suggestions for a compressor at the $250 range (or less)?

TIA
...Kevin

Ciao Mac,
If you use acrylics, I would suggest that you go to Walmart and buy one of their compressors. I bought a "whatever" brand for about $80. It came with a pressure gauge, but I didn't get the moisture trap (but I could have. There are plenty of options). Mine works great, and was real cheap. More money for models.
Ciao for now
Rob

I would suggest considering a compressor with a holding tank. The negative is that their motors are generally much louder than diaphragm compressors. So if noise is a big concern, you may want to steer clear. On the flipside, the advantages are that you can usually get them cheaper (as Rob mentioned under $100), they eliminate any pulsing common to many inexpensive diaphragm compressors, and you can easily regulate pressure (most come with a regulator built-in).