NEO vs Cheap Chinese AB Myth Or Not? 

bodiless99 Glad to help, I just uploaded a starting airbrushing video which might be useful for you before this one. The NEO is a lovely airbrush. The only thing I will do with mine is use beeswax as a nozzle seal which means you can drop your nozzle into thinners when cleaning, the seal does look like viton which are solvent safe but just so you know beeswax works excellenty if the nozzle doesn't seal perfectly without.

Glad to help.

@Ridge Rhett ok thanks a lot.

Glad to read this I have a master airbrush and was wondering if the Neo was worth it

They do, but really this is because the brush is designed for newcomers and nozzle threads are very easily damaged and broken. To clean properly and thoroughly you really need to remove and refit.

Glad it helped.

I can't say with certainty as I haven't tried but i'm fairly confident saying no, they wouldn't be interchangeable.

@@spidiq8 i kinda answered my own question. I picked up the HP-CS Monday and in the manual it does has a chart with the part numbers and what airbrush it fits. Most parts are compatible, some obviously aren't. Just posting update for anyone else reading this in future.

Therein lies the true problem with the cheap ones. Not that they're bad because they aren't all but they're inconsistent in quality control. I've got one that's years old and still works great. I've had one that was really bad.

You will glad you spent a little more for the Iwata ( just for the trigger, I like that little "s" thing is attached and the trigger was so hard to align on the cheaper one 😮

@@robertmann7277 I was really happy with the Neo, I now have a Revolution to go with it lol. The Revolution is mainly for lacquers and the Neo handles my acrylics.

In this specific case you'd struggle to find a difference. However, I've had a Chinese brush which was badly machined where the nozzle fitted and it was terrible. The problem is that the cheap ones aren't checked like the Neo and more expensive name brands. So you might get a good performing one, but you might not.

From the cheap one, no. You can get needle and nozzle sets. You 'might' find some are the same diameter etc but never assume one airbrush brand part will fit another.

@@spidiq8 I just purchased a cheeeeep Chinese set of three needles and nozzles down to .2mm. The needles appear to be the same diameter. ( I just can't stand paying $17 for a tiny replacement nozzle that probably costs 5 cents to make. )

@@O-cDxA understandable, fingers crossed they work for you.

@@spidiq8 I got the cheap ( $ 8 ) set of three needles and nozzles. .2 .3 and .5 and they all fit perfectly in my Neo. For such tiny parts, I'm really impressed with the quality - especially when you get all three needles and nozzles for less than $8. .3 size works great, but the .2 and .5 fit perfect, but air does not come out at all. ( With no blowback to the paint cup. Just nothing at all. ) Do you need to replace the the cap when you go to a smaller or larger size ? I was really looking forward to using the .2 size for detail work, since .2 is not even a factory size on this airbrush. I notice if I gently unscrew the cap, it reaches a point to where air can finally come out. I'm guessing this is because the caps on different size setups are a tiny bit longer inside, and by unscrewing the cap, it allows the air to flow. Since Iawata doesn't offer different size caps for the Neo, I plan to add plumbers tape and unscrew the cap just a tiny bit to see if this will solve the issue, yet keep air from leaking out the sides of the cap. Any other suggestions on making the other size setups work ?

@@O-cDxA Firstly, it's good to know they fit. Secondly, yes. When you change needle and nozzle size you need to change cap size too. The reason for this is that the gap around the cap is optimal for airflow over the nozzle, this is what creates the Venturi effect that draws the paint from the nozzle. If you look at that with the other 2 nozzles in chances are you'll see they're completely sealing around the nozzle which is why air won't be getting out. You can theoretically get some reamers and enlarge the cap hole so that there's a gap around the nozzle to allow airflow, the problem there is that it will make the gap larger on the standard nozzle and might affect the paint flow characteristics. I'd recommend you try to get s couple of cheap aftermarket caps. If the needles and nozzles fit, they should. Then you can enlarge the holes in those if need be without damaging your original one.

I'd recommend an Iwata CR personally from my own experience. All Iwata brushes use solvent safe Teflon seals. All of the known name brands should by now but the Iwata is the brush of choice for pretty much anything I'd pick up. I'd recommend a 0.5mm nozzle as this will allow small enough detail for stone chips etc but be able to cover larger scratches and chips easily allowing blending better. Your standard compressor will be fine for the airbrush but be sure to dial down the pressure. You want to be no higher than 30 psi hope this helps you.

@@spidiq8 thank you I've found this brush for around £50 I think I'll order it and see how I get on. 😁😁

@@ukr1pp3r99 The Iwata? That's a great price for it if so.

They're a great brush, the only downside to the early ones was that they used non solvent safe seals but for the last few years now they're solvent safe so you can spray anything through them.

@@spidiq8 just asked a seller to see if he got this one in his next shipment which is due early next month!I got 4 too cheap pistols that no matter how nice or proper mixing with thinner, always "coughs" and spatter at some point!I have used Wicked for some time and going to try out the fleshtones of Trident next month!

It's not, that particular one has been a great brush. The real problem with the cheap supplied clones is lack of quality control. I bought another with several accessories and had so much bother with the nozzle and nozzle cap fit it was really temperamental. On closer inspection the threading on one or the other was off enough to not leave an even gap for airflow which affected the spray pattern. So. Nothing against the cheap ones whatsoever, just that if you're new to spraying going for a name brand means you're buying the QC and the ability to have it swapped no questions asked if it is faulty.

Thank you. I couldn't tell you for certain where it's made but I can tell you it's very good. I use it regularly.

Is it the version with or without a tank? The tankless one does get hot because it runs all the time you press the trigger of the brush and can get too hot to touch, the real problem is condensation build up in the line so a long air line and under brush moisture trap as well as the one on the regulator are useful. Even the tank model gets hot but it shouldn't switch on as much. It's normal. They should have a safety thermal cutout in case of severe overheating.

Grrr, I've got the one without the 'tank'..... No AS18's on Amazon that I'm sure of coz there's different manufacturers so... Any suggestions please mate, or should I tough it out with the one I have? Regards. Garry. PS: I'm seeing a lot of AS 186's made by various & sundry, but I'm at a loss which one to go for & trust to be ok for me at the price.

@@Freecloud9 just stick with it, they get hot but they'll work, beat in mind in the UK it's been much hotter than usual currently. An additional moisture trap under the brush and as long a hose as possible will help with condensation build up as you don't want that in your paint ruining your paintwork. If you do plan to do very very long spray sessions on a regular basis I'd recommend one with a tank. Something else to consider is a small garage style unit which have larger tanks, the downside is noise if you have others in the house to consider but they won't start often when spraying at 20psi with an airbrush.

Had a quick look on amazon and here's a tanked version, (AS18 etc) are the generic Chinese names for the units so with Amazon it helps searching simply like 'airbrush compressor' www.amazon.co.uk/RDGTOOLS-PISTON-COMPRESSOR-TANK-AIRBRUSHES/dp/B00RE94E52/ref=mp_s_a_1_38?keywords=airbrush+compressor&qid=1564570574&s=gateway&sr=8-38 But stick with the one you have for now unless you do get moisture problems. Get one of these for between the s air like and brush though. www.amazon.co.uk/Hemore-Airbrush-Professional-Moisture-Filters/dp/B07HHZ92Y9/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=airbrush+moisture+trap&qid=1564570771&s=gateway&sprefix=airbrush+moisture&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

@@spidiq8 Many, MANY thanks my friend, I have actually looked at this one on Amazon before, so I suppose I was on the right track (kinda, but a bit unsure). I will do as you suggest & carry on with the compressor I have but, I think, I will invest in the one you kindly suggested. As for the moisture trap, I do actually have one of these in my drawer & a longer pipe, so I'll attach & carry on. On a lighter note, I'm slowly getting there with the airbrush I have, AND cleaning it properly as per your valuable tutorial...., when knowledge speaks (that's you).....,wisdom listens. Good luck to you spid. Regards, Garry.

Thanks. Hope the video helps

Mike Burke Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

Sadly in most fields there's a general ignorance and misunderstanding that anything far eastern is chinese and therefore cheap and crap, I've had some excellent stuff from China, Taiwan and some utter crap from the UK where I live.

That's why it's NEO 'FOR' Iwata on the packaging. It's still a good quality brush and there's a distinct difference in person with the NEO and other Iwata made brushes.

This video is comparing the build and component quality side by side to debunk the myth that neo are the same as the £15 Chinese cheap airbrush. Spray comparison is irrelevant in this case. QC is the issue there.

Yes they do manufacture airbrushes.

Fuso Seiki makes almost all of the airbrushes that leave Japan . Iwata, Richpen, GSI CreosMr.hobby, Wave, Olympus, Tamiya and Peak are all made in the same factory in Japan.

@@robofatcat Not according to Iwata's website, do you have links to anything? The neo is made FOR Iwata but not by them.

@@spidiq8 missing-lynx.com/reviews/other/tamair/tamair.htm www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235038928-iwatas-oemmystery-solvedpartly/ www.google.com/amp/s/armourinscale.wordpress.com/2016/08/18/demystifying-japans-airbrush-industry/amp/

Out of curiosity, have you watched the video? I do go into detail explaining the differences, (spolier alert, there are differences). In no way am I disparaging of chinese brushes and I still have and use my very first one occassionally which has been excellent but there's no getting by the fact that the problem with them is QC, sometimes you get god ones like my first shown in this video, sometimes you get terrible inaccurately machined ones, (i've had a couple), which give nothing but problems. As a beginner to airbrushes it's impossible to know if the brush or the user is at fault and I've known people give up on airbrushing because of this believing they can't do it.

Don't tell me, I don't sell 'em. ;)

The point of this video was to demonstrate to all the folks on model forums and groups insisting it was a cheap chinese clone brush with Iwata branding that it wasn't.

?

They are, but there's a world of difference in construction, heft and quality.

I can make you a special 12min video in reverse? :)

😂😂

I was actually hoping for another 12. Great vid Sir.

@@Grayfl1cks Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Are you saying you get any time spent back?

Did you watch the video through? The point of this video was to show that they weren't the same in quality in response to numerous people on model groups saying that the Neo was just a cheap Chinese airbrush branded for Iwata. Not everything is made in China. Iwata are made in Japan, Badger in the USA, H&S, Germany etc

@@spidiq8 yeah but they way you mention is racist! like everything from china is cheap

@@carbonoxx It's absolutely not intended to come across that way. I have owned and used numerous China made items, they phone I'm typing on right now for example. Some are very good. Some are very bad. Like goods from anywhere, I was merely addressing the fact that several people in the modelling community group this into the 'cheap Chinese' good category and pointing out that it's not a cheaply made item whether of Chinese manufacture or not. The cheap Chinese made brush in this very video is my own and other than the fact you can tell it's of cheaper manufacture and has wear to the plating which showed more quickly than say my Iwata it's an excellent performing brush and I still use it occasionally to remind myself of that.