Help Choosing an Airbrush & Compressor [UK]

[Cordova]

Hi guys,

I’m thinking of getting an airbrush and compressor, and could do with some recommendations/guidance.  I’m initially looking for it to help with quickly priming, base-coating, and varnishing models, as well as blending magic weapons, although I would like to get one I can “grow into”, should I decide I want to make greater use of it.

 

Airbrush:

I’m looking for a gravity-fed model, which is easy to clean, and preferably has a chrome exterior (I have fairly acidic hands, so a chrome finish will “wear” better than a nickel one).  I mostly use Vallejo’s Game- and Model Colour ranges, along with their polyurethane primer and acrylic varnish, so it needs to play nicely with those.  I don’t really know about needle sizes, beyond Badger saying it’s more determined by the medium you’re using, and to look at a ~0.3mm for acrylics.

I was originally looking at the Harder & Steenbeck Ultra (£60), as it gets very good reviews and is easy to clean.  However, I was wondering if an Evolution Cr+ (£120) might be a better idea due to having a hardier finish, being able to accept a wider variety of needles, and being slightly better-engineered.  Other options would be the Badger Patriot 105 (£85) or Renegade series (£110), which seem to be about as easy to clean, but don’t seem to be as modular (fixed cup, fewer spares, etc), and parts are more expensive.  There’s also the Iwata Revolution (£110), although it’s not as easy to clean, and parts are more expensive.  There’s also the Sparmax SP models, which I don’t really know anything about, but seem to get good reviews and are the same price as a Harder & Steenbeck Ultra.

 

Compressor:

I’m looking for a quiet, relatively portable compressor (I’d probably be doing airbrushing in the garden…), which also has a pressure gauge and pressure adjustment.  Unfortunately, I’m somewhat tight on storage space, so I’m ideally looking for something smaller than 12”x8”x12”.

Whilst I was originally drawn to the Iwata Neo due to its tiny size, I’m guessing this may not be a great long-term idea, as it may not be as durable or controllable as some of the other options.  Iwata’s Silver Jet (£150) looks like it should meet most of my requirements, although it’s noticeably more expensive than the Sparmax AC-27 upon which it’s based (which is also out of stock everywhere).  Sparmax’s AC-501 (£130) is a little cheaper than the Iwata, and seems to be a bit more fully-featured.  Having said that, Sparmax’s TC-610H (£170) isn’t much more money, but adds a 2.5l air tank, which should mean it’s quieter and is a bit more durable (although it fairly large).

I’m not sure what others I should be looking at..?  I've had a quick look at the "trade" compressors, and whilst they're cheaper, they're generally bigger and louder (one was 97dbA!)

 

Finally, is there anything else (other than cleaning supplies) I should be looking at?  And can anyone suggest a good UK supplier? (I've seen air-craft.net and Everything Airbrush mentioned in a few places)

Thanks for any input!