Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I dunno if I'm the first one on this, but here goes....

Surprise!! The Neo for Iwata - a Taiwan-manufactured double-action gravity feed airbrush.

Picked one up today @ Hobby Lobby for $39US with my 40% discount.

neo-Iwata.jpg

Retail price is stickered at $60 on my copy, and I haven't yet determined if that is an error in itself.

They're only at HL for the time being, so grab your coupons and make a run!!

Link to post
Share on other sites
Thanks for sharing!

What are the specs - 0.20, 0.30, 0.50?

I'm surprised that Iwata would allow a "non-Iwata" brush packaged under their name. Let us know what how you like it.

According to airbrushtechnique.com:

The Neo-Iwata is made to Iwata spec's in Taiwan and intended for those new to airbrushing. It's only available at Hobby Lobby right now but expect more offical info from Iwata in December.

I did not find anything at the Anest-Iwata or Iwata-Medea sites.

Edited by Kei Lau
Link to post
Share on other sites

The NEO is claiming .35, so I guess that's about the same as a mid-range Medea??

I tried it out yesterday, just squirting some thinner through it for grins, and I like what I see so far.

I'll get a real pigmented test shoot over the weekend, and post pics of thin lines and spray patterns.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I stopped by the local Hobby Lobby, with the 40% coupon in hand, after work today. Alas, they have only one Neo for Iwata that is a siphon feed. The price is $69.99, $10 more than the gravity feed one. I did not buy it.

I will try another local HL to see if I can locate a gravity feed one.

It would be interesting to know who makes it for Iwata. Sparmax who makes compressor for Iwata has a line of good quality airbrushes. But the Neo has an interchangable cup like the Harder and Steenbeck. I hope that the cup inner wall is also like the H&S for easy cleaning and the trigger is smooth and tight like the real Iwata.

Edited by Kei Lau
Link to post
Share on other sites

Somebody at Iwata is a Matrix fan. Calling the brush the NEO and having it in a green package is enough to make me chuckle. I am thinking about getting a gravity feed brush myself. Considering the price with the coupon, I think I shall have to consider getting this beastie as I already have an Iwata Smartjet compressor and it has the proper hoses for these.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Why?? Really?

Don't you hit the contests and shows for cheap kits? Don't you like a discount as much as the next guy?

Are you thinking a business model for a Costco where everything is retail, or more, will succeed??

Even with a 40% discount, I can get two NEOs for the cost of a Medea-label Iwata @ Hobby Lobby.

The NEO is made to Iwata specs, and I'm not going to Nationals with my models, so a near-enough machine means more money in my pocket and almost certainly better work-product anyway. It's guaranteed to be better than the Paasche 'V' I have now, and like well enough, but I don't see the need to go whole-hog on an airbrush for my back-bacon skills. :)

Edited by RotorheadTX
Link to post
Share on other sites

I saw this at my local HL and was curious if anyone had it. I think I may go pick up one w/the next 40% off coupon. I like my cheap Harbor Freight airbrush and I'm sure this thing blows that out of the water (I'd also like to get a gravity feed vs the siphon feed).

Link to post
Share on other sites
Why don't people spend a few dollar more for a genuine high quality Iwata Revolution gravity feed instead of beating around the bush? The Revolution is already a proven winner and has received many high praises.

First, I have not seen any review saying that the Japanese made Revolution is better than the Taiwanese made Neo yet.

Second, the Iwata Revolution is not as widely distributed in the US. It is easy to find Iwata Eclipse in local art supplier and hobby shops, but not the Revolution. (I understand that the Revolution is much more popular in UK.) Revolution parts are harder to get.

The Eclipse HP-CS sells for $100-120 in the US. It is my work horse airbrush for modeling. But I have seen many user, high schooler or college student, struggle to justify its cost. If the Neo is parts compatible with the Japanese made Eclipse, it will be a God send for these people.

I also have a US made gravity feed airbrush with fine needle. (It is not a made-in-China knock-off.) It sells $50 less than the Iwata Eclipse. But the trigger is stiff. The nozzle twice the size of the Eclipse and the needle taper half of the Eclipse. The needle also has a dark color unfinished look. I am looking to buy a Neo to see if it is both cheaper and better on the above counts.

Many of the made-in-China knock-off of Iwata design are not bad when new. They atomize quite well becasue they imitate the Iwata needle shape. But the needle is prone to damage because they use poor material. The tripper is loose and does not give a precision feel that is important to airbrushing. If the Neo use better material and precision manufacturing............. It was supposed to be made to Iwata specification, right?

Do I need another airbrush? No, I already have an Eclipse and a H&S Evolution Silverline. I am happy with them. But my curiosity is killing me and I have to find out. Just that someone will convince Don Wheeler to review the Neo for Iwata and publish on his web site.

Edited by Kei Lau
Link to post
Share on other sites

I have two Paasche H's and a Paasche Talon. Like Kei Lau, I don't need another airbrush, but my curiosity is killing me, too. However, I think I will wait until the jury gets back on this one. I am also wondering about parts. I also agree that this AB will be a Godsend to those folks that are on a tight budget.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Do I need another airbrush? No, I already have an Eclipse and a H&S Evolution Silverline. I am happy with them. But my curiosity is killing me and I have to find out. Just that someone will convince Don Wheeler to review the Neo for Iwata and publish on his web site.

Thanks for the plug Kei, but I don't even have a Hobby Lobby where I live. I sort of specialize in low price airbrushes that are commonly available. I bet before long you'll be getting some good feedback from the first users. And, I expect something will show up on You Tube soon too.

Don

Link to post
Share on other sites
Why don't people spend a few dollar more for a genuine high quality Iwata Revolution gravity feed instead of beating around the bush? The Revolution is already a proven winner and has received many high praises.

I have to agree with RichardL on this one. I have the CR and IMHO it performs just as good as my higher end Iwatas. The only difference is the feel and appearance of the gun and of course the price. In case anybody is interested, I submitted an article on tuning and converting the CR into a 0.30mm at the Iwata website. It should be up soon.

With that said, I'm always curious about new products etc. so in that sense I also agree with Kei and a few others. I do have my doubts that you can get Iwata quality at such a low price. Like they say "You get what you pay for!" In fact, here's a link at airbrush.com on the NEO. It doesn't sound too good, because the reviewer owns a CR and a Peak C5.

If there was a Hobby Lobby in my part of the world, I would pick one up just find out myself. $40 is dirt cheap for an AB anyway.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ok, I just got mine home. I had to drive an extra 15 miles because the closest Hobby Lobby has sold the gravity feed one. Apparently, each store gets only one sample of each, one gravity and one siphon, in the first shipment. I will report on my first impression in a few days after I take it out for a spray. And check on parts compatibility with Iwata needles.

The good news:

  1. It is a 0.35 mm nozzle airbrush, ideal size for modeling.
  2. The cup design is excellent for paint flow and cleaning. (It does not have the recess that Don Wheeler reported on the Master G-22.)
  3. The trigger is not stiff or loose. It is ok.
  4. The connector is Iwata standard.
  5. Two interchangable cups at 1/3 and 1/16 oz. (Holds 1/32 oz paint with no cup.)
  6. 5 years warranty.

The not-so-good news:

  1. It is "Assembled in China from Components of Taiwan".
  2. The trigger does not have the smooth feel of the high end Iwata or H&R.

I paid $36 plus tax. It is 1/3 of the Iwata Eclipse and 1/2 of the Badger Patriot. From the cup design and trigger action that I quote above, we may finally get a budget airbrush that is good enough for any modeler.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I went ahead and picked one up today. I have access to Eclipses and Revolutions at the LHS, but I decided to go with this one considering how abusive I can be on some equipment and even with my best discount, I can't approach this price with the HL coupon. I have an Aztek 470 that I've had for the past 13 years and thus far it hasn't let me down. But I know its limitations. I'm not looking to try and do tiny precise lines with a gravity feed, but I know a good sized airbrush can likely allow me to finally do decent freehand camouflage if I wish to as the Aztek is just so light it causes my hand to drift too much. I had considered going with a brand new 480, but if the Neo can get me what I am looking for on a budget, then I am all for it.

The advantages going for me is I already own an Iwata Smartjet compressor, so I have the proper hose to use with this. One minor disadvantage I can see with the brush is it doesn't come with a parts listing or a diagram to show how everything fits together. As such, there is no way to tell at a glance what will work with it needle and tip-wise. But, it looks very close in design to a Revolution and the Eclipse, so I think the needles can be made to work and I will investigate further.

I've got two model projects getting close to the paint stage, so I may have a chance to give this brush a workout this week. I'll keep you guys posted.

Link to post
Share on other sites
One minor disadvantage I can see with the brush is it doesn't come with a parts listing or a diagram to show how everything fits together. As such, there is no way to tell at a glance what will work with it needle and tip-wise. But, it looks very close in design to a Revolution and the Eclipse, so I think the needles can be made to work and I will investigate further.

It is not difficult to tell at all. Mic the Neo needle and an Eclipse needle. If they are the same diameter, you have a chance. Lay the 2 needle side by side. If the taper length are the same, they are interchangable.

I will do exactly that when I have some spare time.

Link to post
Share on other sites
One minor disadvantage I can see with the brush is it doesn't come with a parts listing or a diagram to show how everything fits together. As such, there is no way to tell at a glance what will work with it needle and tip-wise.

That doesn't sound very encouraging. Is there any information supplied on how to get replacement parts?

Link to post
Share on other sites
That doesn't sound very encouraging. Is there any information supplied on how to get replacement parts?

Well, the website link listed doesn't really say anything but "Coming Soon". I anticipate when December rolls around, the full information will be up and presumably a parts list in PDF format will likely be included. But hopefully I won't damage a needle before then. Everything on this brush pops off easily enough and a wrench is supplied to take the tip off. So it looks like Iwata plans to provide a full assortment of stuff for it.

The instructions also provide the Iwata Medea phone number, so I imagine if push came to shove, a call to them would likely yield some answers.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I also saw this at my local HL and am considering picking one up. My Aztek has worked rather well for me so far, except when I do use enamels its a pain in the rear to clean. Just curious and I know this is a dumb question, but I assume you can adjust the tip on this and most other regular airbrushes to get different sizes of a spraying radius - meaning a finer or wider line.

Link to post
Share on other sites
One minor disadvantage I can see with the brush is it doesn't come with a parts listing or a diagram to show how everything fits together. As such, there is no way to tell at a glance what will work with it needle and tip-wise.
It is not difficult to tell at all. Mic the Neo needle and an Eclipse needle. If they are the same diameter, you have a chance. Lay the 2 needle side by side. If the taper length are the same, they are interchangable.

I will do exactly that when I have some spare time.

I took the Neo apart for a quick examination.

First, the not-so-exciting good news:

  1. Replacement parts will be plentyful and easy to get. Any Iwata knock-off needle from "FengHua BiDa machine Manufacture" or similar should work.
  2. The needle is plated and has a reasonably long taper.

The really bad bad news:

  1. The needle has the same diameter as the made-in-China Iwata knock-off needle, 1.18 mm or 0.465". No chance of using made-in-Japan Iwata parts.
  2. Look closely at the needle, I found signs of not-so-springy steel is used. A trade mark of "made-in-China" knock-off.

I still give Medea-Iwata the credit for improving the cup shape and trigger finish. They are important improvement over the current crop of knock-offs. I also expect the performance to be good when new. (I have to test it yet.) But they made a business decision to make Neo non-compatible of the main line Iwata.

At this point, I will have to agree with RichardL that a genius Iwata Revolution HP-CR is a better deal for the serious modeler. Or for another US$30 more, get the Eclipse HP-CS with a easier to clean self-centering nozzle.

Link to post
Share on other sites
I also saw this at my local HL and am considering picking one up. My Aztek has worked rather well for me so far, except when I do use enamels its a pain in the rear to clean. Just curious and I know this is a dumb question, but I assume you can adjust the tip on this and most other regular airbrushes to get different sizes of a spraying radius - meaning a finer or wider line.

With the Iwata, Harder & Steenbeck or similar design, you can cover a wide range of line width by controlling the trigger. You can use any nozzle from 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm which will all work well for general modeling tasks. It does not have the inconvenience of the Aztek to change nozzle size in normal painting. They still offer different nozzle sizes for extrmem situations if you want to change paint type for different applications.

For painting really fine lines, you may want to get an airbrush with a preset handle. The Neo does not have it. You can buy an optional (about $25 extra) preset handle for the Iwata Eclipse. The H&S Infinity, Evolution Silverline and Paasche Talon has the pre-set handle included.

I don't think that you can take the Aztek apart to clean without voiding the warranty. The other metallic airbrushes are designed to allow thorough cleaning without damaging the brush. Of cource, you need to do it with care.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Okay, I'm definitely no Don Wheeler, but here is a first stab at playing about with the NEO.

Paint is Tamiya XF-63 German Grey thinned 2:1 for the horizontal stuff, then 1:1 with the vertical mess.

My thoughts are as follows:

abtest.jpg

1) This thing is nice! Nice action, easy cleaning, great results for the price.

2) The trigger takes about 1/5th stroke at 10 psi to get the paint flowing. 5psi should work with inks and really thin paint, but my results were poor.

3) The air/trigger button is domed, smooth, and needs one of Don's nearly-patented rubber or leather toppers to make it more user-friendly.

4) Trigger pull is reasonable, but I get a white-knuckled grip the longer I use it; tuning the spring tension would surely help (along with more practice.)

5) At 15psi I was getting drying on the tip, which meant I had to go past the desired point of paint flow, then back off. If I had used a thinner with retarder in it (Mr. Color Leveling) I suspect the drying would not have been an issue.

6) Nobody needs to poo-talk this AB; it will certainly do RLM mottle at 1/144th scale and isn't that what it is all about?? :jaw-dropping:

All told, I'm a fan. I understand that the needle material may not be the greatest, and there may be spare parts issues, but I baby delicate gear like airbrushes and am not too concerned. The Paasche V that this NEO is superceding has been in my possession for almost 20 years, and I replaced it's nozzle (NOT needle) for the first time this past summer because I dropped it while cleaning.

Link to post
Share on other sites
A trade mark of "made-in-China" knock-off.

I have never seen a cheap knock-off perform as well as the original, and that applies to any product. For a serious modeler on a budget, the $73 Iwata Revolution BR with a 0.3mm nozzle is all he/she needs for fine line, freehand camouflage, and large coverage. Again, 99% of the time, you get what you pay for.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...