Iwata Neo, Eclipse, and Custom Micron compared, tested, and reviewed.

[@crywalt]

I'm amazed to hear that anyone is still doing t-shirts and fairs and such. I haven't seen a live airbrush artist in years!

[@airbrushuniversity]

Lol. I stay pretty busy mostly with custom painting projects on autos and motorcycles. I don’t do many shirts anymore but there are still t-shirt airbrush shops.

[@crywalt]

@@airbrushuniversity I spent the summer of 1990 airbrushing t-shirts and license plates on the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey. All those stores are long gone.

[@Witty..UserName]

@@crywalt I spent a lot of time off & on doing the same & anything that would hold still long enough (used to have my partner airbrush my hair with dye... this was before rodman). We used to do pagers & zippo lighters too. Last shops I worked in were c.2011 in Las Vegas. At that time... it was still very busy & very good money. Airbrushing there led to a tattoo apprenticeship &, though I don't do it full time these days, that has been my sole medium for over a decade now. I am actually thinking about getting back into t-shirts... more portrait & higher end things. Which is what brought me to this vid... I loved my eclipses... but my original 6 (Sadly not with me anymore) were like $80 ea back in the day... $130ea is a difficult pill to swallow.

[@chadh3441]

Thank you for this great demonstration of all the different models! I've been looking for a video that explains these 3 exactly! I have been leaning towards the Eclipse based on so many great reviews of it. Now I know that this is the model I want to get thanks to your video. Thank you again!

[@airbrushuniversity]

You are welcome. Glad it was helpful to you.

[@xPhillMcDx]

Did you end up getting the eclipse?

[@DraggonCanoe]

A question, and this may be a stupid one, but I thought the main purpose of a preset was for production applications. Where you want the same line over and over on a product. So the only factor the operator has to concentrate on is the distance to the work from the brush with no need to also focus on the trigger.. I use mine at times to help control any slip I make when my Parkinson's is bad, so it certainly helps to steady the flow if you aren't able to with your finger.

[@shaunmcinnis566]

I think the test pieces / paper they send us are done with ink and not paint. Thats a bit easier to get fine detail.

[@YukoldechWasutit]

What compressor should you use with this airbrush?

[@DMAbCD]

Thank you for the very helpful video. I am curious about why many Air Brush artists have multiple Air Brushes. Like in this case having these three different types. Are these Air Brushes able to have different needles and caps? I am curious also about what makes a Air Brush like the Micron more expensive? Oh, could you list the accessories you used in this video? The quick disconnect and air cleaner attachment? Thank you

[@MihaiDobrin88]

a review like this would be nice between micron and new h&s infinity 2024

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

Thanks, I’m new to airbrushing. I use it for miniature tabletop gaming, terrain. I have the Iwata Neo, I actually have two of them. I have the siphon one to prime large terrain, and the gravity fed one to work with the miniature and scatter terrain.

[@airbrushuniversity]

Cool. How long have you been using them? Also what kind of paint do you use?

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

@@airbrushuniversity I just started using it this summer, mainly for applying primer on 28-32-45 mm miniatures and the terrain I am designing. I finally have full lines of terrain. I have been learning CAD design and 3D Sculpting. My goal is get down with the airbrush to paint all of those things. I have been experimenting with acrylic paints. I mainly use cheap craft paint until I make some sales and buy better acrylics and airbrush paints. I use Army Painter, AK for airbrush paint for metallics. I make my own paint medium and and airbrush flow enhancer. I also just started my own channel to promote my product and may paint journey. I still have to make up my camera setup for my airbrush painting. Not trying to teach, but to share and hoping to help and inspire others by sharing my mistakes and advice from other people. I if I can learn all that stuff at 54 years old anyone can do it.

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

@@airbrushuniversity so individuals like yourself is very encouraging and inspiring. Thank you so much for doing this and sharing it. So many of us are introverts and isolated for many different reasons.

[@anthonygreen5160]

What air compressor do you use?

[@deshawn4077]

Which one painting models with acrylic paint and for spraying primer? Have two different ones?

[@frankartale1026]

Neo is not made by iwata. The Eclipse is the most versatile gun on the market. The Eclipse is so good infact. If you can only ever buy one gun. The Eclipse cs and sbs should be it. The Custom Micron needs no introduction, and has no equal. (other than the out of production original, the Olympos Micron)

[@gregcarter9680]

I'm just planning on getting started into Airbrushing, mostly will be using it for model building/diorama work. What types of things should I look for when looking at Compressors, as I've heard that's one of the most important items outside of the Airbrush itself.

[@airbrushuniversity]

Thanks for the question. You really do not need to spend a bunch of money on a compressor. At a minimum I would look for one that has a built in air pressure regulator and is capable of 10-50 psi. A small air storage tank built in is nice so it does not run continuously. I also prefer oil less compressors to avoid the worry of oil in the air supply. If you can also find one with a built in moisture trap that is nice but you can add that as an accessory in the airline away from the compressor. I also prefer a quiet compressor and/or place it outside of your work area and run the air hose through the wall or under the door. California air tools makes some that have worked well for me for years. Iwata also makes several small ones if you don’t want a larger one. I have always used a larger one that I can also use with household air tools and to inflate tires etc. so it is dual purpose.

[@bop5277]

@@airbrushuniversity So, would you give me a link to a good compressor like you just described, one that I can also use with air tools- dual purpose? thanks

[@MrCrankyNYC]

Brilliant comparison and tests. Very well done and I learned a lot, thanks!

[@TheJagjr4450]

I have a neo with a trigger VS the button... which I love, my finger would regularly get cramps and it would cause me to stop and excersize/stretch my hand.

[@Stonehorn]

I love my Custom Micron, but I still use my Neo as a work horse for base coating. I also have an Eclipse CR that I don’t find myself using much. It was actually my first brush many years ago, the Neo was a deal I couldn’t pass up and loved it. I do Warhammer Minis though. The neo always felt great in my hands.

[@bobbond8232]

I'm looking for a fine detail airbrush for realism on T-Shirts, canvas and banners. I use Createx Textile acrylic paint colors and Wicked acrylics. Would you recommend the Takumi Micron or the Takumi Eclipse?

[@eazzyblue3755]

Hi, which airbrush would you recommend for tshirts?

[@airbrushuniversity]

The Iwata Eclipse HP BCS would be good for T-shirts. It is basically the same airbrush as the eclipse in this video except it is siphon feed meaning it sucks up the paint from bottles. Usually t-shirt artists have multiple airbrushes running at the same time to be as fast as possible. The bottles also allow you the change colors faster. However if you do not use them consistently they can be prone to drying out and clogging.

[@eazzyblue3755]

@@airbrushuniversity awesome, Thank you for your reply sir!

[@JohnyIrvineJewllerScooterist71]

Greetings Sir, Thank you very much for a very detailed demonstration on all 3 models. I am a beginner in Airbrushing learning to use with a Nasedal Airbrush on my Scooter Diorama work and Scultures. Your video has really inspired me to up grade, with Iwata for a more professional finsih and understanding how they work. Best regards Sir from Bangkok.🙏

[@airbrushuniversity]

I’m glad it helped you!

[@airbrushdungeon]

I never even seen a Micron in person. Everyone praises the Eclipse and recommends it as the right choice for a first brush. I disagree. It's an adequate brush, but I never use mine.

[@johnmulligan9299]

Excellent video. gr8 quality!

[@marcelchenier]

Great video. On the lookout for a second-hand Custom Micron - they expensive!

[@gbresaleking]

The crazy thing is thats over $1000 of airbrushes

[@allenshumaker7099]

Hey I'm a 66 year old man that started putting models together when I was about 12 as I said I'm 66 years old now and any any pain that you can give me to help me along the way with greatly be appreciated from guns to paint to models it doesn't matter whatever you wish.

[@allenshumaker7099]

A l l e n s h u m a k e r 402 f r e e Hill road Johnson City Tennessee 37615

[@fusion82]

You want pain?

[@elkamprettoz4325]

I preferred spraying and pull away back my trigger a few times on air, and keep my hand away from my needle tip 😊

[@vincentpritchett1231]

Why compare them to each other? How does every other brand compare?

[@johnholmes6897]

That's a little like comparing a Chevy Suburban, Chevy Cruze and a 2024 Corvette Yeah, they're all chevys They all go forward They all have steering wheels

[@Airbrushkid]

I airbrushed for over 30 years. Never have I ever had paint come back past the needle packing. Another thing I have never seen anyone use a Iwata Eclipse HP-CS for t-shirts! Yes a Eclipse HP-BCS.

[@rickyburton4642]

Thank you so much 😊 👍👍😎

[@charondolls]

Thank you for this video! It's pronounced "eewata" :D

[@k13v3rscla4]

Very very helpfull thank you💯💯👍🏽

[@mickhogan2831]

what do you mean iwata just gave you airbrushes lol they dont give me any

[@airbrushuniversity]

They sent me a few airbrushes to use in support of Airbrush University. Iwata has been my favorite airbrush brand for 30 years now.

[@andreiarsenev2421]

thanks for the review! I am Russian ! Your technique is interesting.

[@magcolor]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@a41166]

Está claro que un buen aerógrafo es una herramienta imprescindible para un buen trabajo. Pero que nadie espere hacer los dragones que haces tú si no somos capaces de hacerlos con un lápiz.... Hay que tener capacidades de dibujo, sin ello no sirve de nada el mejor de los aerógrafos. Enhorbuena, no salvo de mi asombro con tus capacidades de dibujo.

[@BidetToYou]

Ai-wadda Ee-clips.

[@ThinkerOnTheBus]

Isn't the NEO for iwata made by some other company? Iwata still guarantees them for five years, but they are not a true product manufactured by iwata.

[@airbrushuniversity]

Hmmmm I’m not sure. The Iwata rep did not mention that if that’s the case. And the packaging looked the same. So far the Neo is working well for me. I’ve used it on several projects.

[@Indyjeeplover]

The Neo that I bought clearly stated it was made FOR (not by) Iwata and is made for Iwata in China. I started with the Neo, and at that time I didn’t understand how critical using reducer can be, particularly with original Createx opaques. It would clog, and the Neo requires removing an extremely tiny nozzle. I rather quickly moved to the Eclipse and the difference is noticeable. Easier to clean, easier to control, I just get all around better results with far, far less frustration with the Eclipse. Knowing what I know now, could I get by with a Neo? Yeah. Would I rather have the Eclipse? Absolutely I find it interesting that people will spend $60 a week on a specialty coffee but balk and scream about spending an extra $60 to get a quality airbrush that you’ll use for years but the coffee is gone in 15 minutes