Reddit reviews PointZero 1/5 HP Airbrush Compressor with Air Tank, Regulator, Gauge and Water Trap - Quiet Portable Pump
We found 12 Reddit comments about PointZero 1/5 HP Airbrush Compressor with Air Tank, Regulator, Gauge and Water Trap - Quiet Portable Pump. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
POWERFUL YET ULTRA-QUIET: This 1/5 horsepower airbrush compressor delivers excellent power with approximate air delivery of 1.0 CFM, with an advanced, precision-forged piston for very little noise (55 dB). Oil-less design makes this conveniently portable compressor suitable for food decorating and body/nail art along with all other standard airbrushing applications.SMOOTH, PRECISE AIR OUTPUT: A sensitive pressure regulator with integrated gauge and water-trap allows precise adjustment and control of airflow to deliver clean, dry air.CONSTANT PRESSURE WITH ZERO PULSATION: Air is drawn from the large, 3-liter (0.8 gallon) air storage tank, providing constant, regulated pressure and smooth output. This eliminates the pressure pulsations common with tankless compressors.POWER-SAVING MODE: Compressor features on-demand operation with preset, automatic turn on and turn off. It runs until pressure reaches approximately 58 psi, then cycles off until the pressure drops to 40 psi, when the unit restarts. This power-saving feature reduces motor wear while maintaining enough pressure to operate most airbrushes.INCLUDES 7 BONUS AIRBRUSH GUIDES: As a bonus, includes access to 7 exclusive e-Book airbrushing guides: Top 8 Cake Airbrushing Tips, Guide to Airbrush Cake Decorating, Developing Basic Artistic Skills, 10 Essential Airbrushing Tips, Airbrushing Strokes and Techniques, Airbrush Cleaning Manual, and the Airbrush Lettering Guide.
I recently bought a setup about a month ago so if you are in the US, I'd recommend the following:
I have the compressor, the hose, and the booth and they've worked great for me so far. Honestly, you save on shipping vs. the Master Brand and mine came preassembled with the regulator installed. The Master Brand ones are notorious for having regulators that you screw in and they end up tilted to the side. In fact I think people in this sub have pointed this flaw out (there's a better link with pictures, I just can't find it). Items were shipped promptly and got here in one piece. You also get the discounts if you buy a certain amount from them.
I actually have an Iwata NEO that I got from Amazon for about $40ish. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I like airbrushing or not. Honestly, I wish I had gotten the PointZero brush just as a cheap intro dual-action brush.
I think someone on this subreddit once pointed out that an airbrush is like a regular brush, just powered by air. They weren't kidding. It takes time to master. If you have the money to spend on a fancy >$100 airbrush like the Krome, then less of your time will be spent trying to master the idiosyncrasies of your brush. But it doesn't change the fact that it takes practice to be able to lay down really smooth, thin coats consistently.
I don't know how busy you are as a student, but it can be time consuming to set everything up, test your spray conditions, mix your paints, actually paint, and then clean everything up. If you find you like the process, then you can invest in a better brush in the future and keep your old one for laying down primer or base coating.
But there's nothing wrong with OOB snap builds if you find that's your thing.
edit: for link formatting mistakes, and also to say that I'm not very experienced yet, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
edit 2: My other regret is not considering compressed CO2. I live near a welding supply shop and a restaurant supply shop that both sell compressed CO2 cylinders. A 10 lb tank with high pressure regulator would have been around $120 and then some for converters or extra regulators. People on the fine scale forums claim that a 10 lb tank could last months for airbrushing and it's only $17 to refill at either shop. Would have been perfect too for carbonating beverages for homebrew purposes. Just another option to consider. Definitely do not buy the Badger compressed air cans. They don't last long enough.
You don't need anything heavy duty for airbrushing, but get one with a tank for sure.
I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KNDQCM but it seems to no longer be available. It's quiet enough that I can close a door and barely hear it from the other room. Cost around $80, so target a price in that area.
From what I've read the expensive 'name brand' ones don't seem to be worth the extra price and you should just be prepared to replace the compressor every few years.
I'm pretty new to airbrushing but I recently got this airbrush and I found it suits my needs. I wanted a compressor that had a tank so I had steady airflow, a regulator, and a water trap and this unit has all three for a reasonable price. At first I went to hobby lobby too but I found all their compressors were pretty expensive even after the discount. So, I don't have any recommendations from the list but the point zero compressor is solid for the price.
If you are in the US I would recommend the badger airbrushs I have had great luck with mine.
I think the one I have is:
https://www.amazon.com/Badger-Air-Brush-R1V-Renegade-Velocity/dp/B0013NBQLA/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1526884557&sr=8-13&keywords=Badger+airbrush
Get a gravity feed airbrush, they require lower psi to work and are just easier.
For a compressor get one with a tank it will give a nice consistent air flow. Something like this is a decent starter compressor:
https://www.amazon.com/PointZero-HP-Airbrush-Compressor-Portable/dp/B004KNDQCM/ref=sr_1_12_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1526884681&sr=8-12-spons&keywords=Badger+airbrush&psc=1
I have this one as a second compressor and have had no issues. I have a larger noisy one from Home Depot I use in the garage or outdoors but for indoor use the one I linked sits under my work table.
Airbrush Booth - You really shouldn't breath in the fumes. If you are painting indoors, you should use something like this to capture and filter the overspray/fumes. This is in addition to wearing a mask. You will see people in youtube tutorials not wearing masks and not using a booth - it's really bad practice if you care about your brain cells. I like the one below, but the fan is louder than the compressor.
80$ on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush®-Portable-Airbrush-Painting/dp/B00BMUH8L6?ie=UTF8&ref_=pe_385040_128020140_TE_3p_dp_1
$20- Paint mask/respirator - See notes above. I use one designed for spray painting.
https://www.amazon.com/3M-07192-Paint-Spray-Medium/dp/B0002STR22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469825823&sr=8-1&keywords=Spray+paint+mask
Airbrush - I recommend starting cheap until you get a hang of it. It's easy to damage parts. It's been a while since I've researched, so I apologize for having forgotten the terms. You want an airbrush that is fed from a cup on top (gravity fed?), a trigger to control the air separately from the paint (maybe called dual action?), and needles .2 to .5mm. This airbrush came with a quick connect (to snap on and off of the compressor hose), which is a big convenience. They are cheap if you need to buy separately.
$30 https://www.amazon.com/PointZero-Precision-Airbrush-Valve-Crenelated/dp/B004KNDQMM?ie=UTF8&ref_=pe_385040_128020140_TE_3p_dp_1
$10Airbrush cleaner fluid and brushes - to flush the airbrush and clean it after use.
$10- Airbrush cleaning pot - You spray cleaner and excess paint into this.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005H46T0O/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
90$ - Compressor with Tank - The separate tank is key, it will maintain constant pressure very well and provide good steady flow. This one is pretty quiet as compressors go, but still noisy enough that you need to work behind a closed door.
https://www.amazon.com/PointZero-Portable-Airbrush-Compressor-Oil-less/dp/B004KNDQCM?ie=UTF8&ref_=pe_385040_128020140_TE_3p_dp_2
$10 - Airbrush hose- https://www.amazon.com/PointZero-Airbrush-Braided-Air-Hose/dp/B004KNAH7E?ie=UTF8&ref_=pe_385040_128020140_TE_3p_dp_5
All in, it cost me $250 before paint.
Someone posted a great set of videos by a guy who is a real "no-nonsense" airbrusher. His thought is that you use lacquer thinner (basic cheap stuff from a hardware store) to clean EVERYTHING. Even acrylics. Going with that approach I don't think it really matters.
I mostly spray acrylics and the Allclad stuff (which is Lacquer), but have used some enamels without any issues. Just thin it with actual proper thinner, and don't waste the good thinner on cleaning the thing.
Not sure about the Paasche, but the Iwata's are similar quality wise I think, and they all have seals that can handle any of the solvents, so the brush itself won't have an issue with any of the paints.
With any "kit" I think you are making tradeoffs. I would spend the money on a good brush, double action (whatever your preference for brand). I have found the .3mm needle size (some are .35) to be the most versatile. Iwata HP-C can be had for $150 or so. I am sure Paasche has a similar one.
For compressor I have been very happy with this one which was pretty inexpensive:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KNDQCM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I am sure you can get a better one, and with any of these "knock-offs" there are some risks as quality control may not be as consistent with the brand name ones. Compressor will have a much smaller impact on your quality of life than the airbrush itself. If you eventually got tired of the lower volume tank and too much running, or wanted something fancier or quieter, or if it ends up crapping out after a coulle of years you can trade up. As long as it holds pressure, and has a reasonable regulator and water trap, the compressor itself won't give you any problems until it dies. A cheap airbrush, on the other hande, will be miserable and frustrating every time you use it. Or worse, will be fine up until the point that it spits out a gob of stuff in the middle of an almost perfect paint job (speaking for a friend of course ;-) )
Also Looking at this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KNDQCM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=A3KUYHN7HI5ZSF&psc=1
[has done me well so far] (https://www.amazon.com/PointZero-HP-Airbrush-Compressor-Portable/dp/B004KNDQCM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?crid=1OPK6CK3N0BZL&keywords=pointzero+airbrush&qid=1555382635&s=gateway&sprefix=pointzer&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1)
I bought this compressor along with a Iwata Neo airbrush and a 6' hose. Came out to around 150$ total.
That compressor's like a 3rd the cost of some other compressors with the same features. And while it's only been a month, I haven't had a single issue with it.
That's a full sized compressor, but same theory :-).
You need an airbrushing one. Have a look at these:
https://www.amazon.com/PointZero-HP-Airbrush-Compressor-Portable/dp/B004KNDQCM/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1521943135&sr=1-3-spons&keywords=airbrush+compressor&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Badger-Air-Brush-Co-TC910-Compressor/dp/B005UH7CVI/ref=sr_1_21?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1521943135&sr=1-21&keywords=airbrush+compressor
Not sure where you are located, but try art or model supply shops, search for "airbrush compressor". They should go for around $100-200. You only need 1/5 to 1/4 HP as you only need to reach up to 30 psi (most spraying would be 18-25 psi).
https://www.amazon.com/PointZero-Portable-Airbrush-Compressor-Oil-less/dp/B004KNDQCM/
Compressor reliability does seem to be a crapshoot. I have a paasche cheapie ~100 bucks i bought 4 years ago that is still alive and kicking with intermittent use.
My advice would be to try out a cheaper one first. The one I linked comes with an airtank too. I just don't think 2.6x the cost is justified for compressor internals.