Master Airbrush Review

Master-Airbrush-Review

In today’s airbrush review I decided to start with quote from one of emails I’m getting from my readers “It seems like you have reviewed the top models of several brands. On the other end of the spectrum, I realized there are some unknown manufacturers offer something that looks like the high-end airbrushes, e.g., Iwata CM-C Plus. I hope you won’t find my suggestions boring. I suppose most people won’t have the budget to purchase many airbrushes & many like myself has learnt things the hard way wasting $ on the quest to find the most appropriate tool.”

I don’t have that particular airbrush that looks like Iwata CM-C Plus to make a decent review but I happened to have the one that looks exactly as Iwata CM-B and that costs under 40 bucks with delivery and everything. The manufacturer is from China and the brush is called Master Airbrush BD-200.

It is a double action airbrush with regulation of paint amount. On the first look and touch you will think that this is solid and fine airbrush and maybe you will be curious why this tool is so cheap?

So let’s see if this is good stuff for small money.

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

A few closeups at the tool so you can see how it actually looks.

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

You may see from the pictures above how this airbrush looks after some time and what use of different paints and reducers may cause to the chromed look (especially seen on the cup).

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Let’s take it apart to see how it looks on the inside.

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Closer look at the needle.

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

I would like to apologize for my dirty hands but I think all painters will understand why they are dirty and that sometimes it is really difficult to get rid of all that paint.

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

In my opinion, so far this airbrush has too much useless parts that fail their purpose (if I compare it to any good brand airbrush). The quality of materials used for this tool is fairly good as in this price range you can’t expect more. Huge minus here is that all the sealing (O-rings) are made of rubber so any good reducer will destroy them all very quickly. To solve this there is a small tweak that you can read here.

Master Airbrush Review image.   

I find it very difficult to control this airbrush while using Createx and Auto-Air paints. But with finer pigment (Nitro) it works better until reducer will make its work on the packing.

The best solution is probably to use china ink or something similar as it is very soft, does not smell and it’s not toxic. Of course the use is limited (Can’t do car airbrushing for example).

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Master Airbrush Review image.   

Another thing that I would like to point out is needle centering. Well it is far from something called self-centering nozzle system I mentioned in H&S Infinity Review. Actually there is no way to center the needle the proper way and it is not centered at all the whole time. I could not make a proper snapshot so I made a drawing just to show you how it is actually centered :).

Master Airbrush Review image.   

1. needle, 2. nozzle, 3. air, 4. nozzle cap

As you can see that the quality of needle and nozzle is very poor, they are offset. What does offset mean for everyday airbrushist? After you push the air and open the paint, offset will cause delay of paint delivery and paint is in different amount that you actually need. After a bit of time the paint won’t come out at all so you’ll be forced to pull the trigger even more to bring at least some paint but there is already a significant amount of paint collected inside that will just spit out at once and will make a blot on your painting. Very disappointing.

Conclusion

I’ve tried more airbrushes from this manufacturer. I even tried to buy and change some parts like needle and nozzle (all available sizes from 0.18mm to 0.5mm) just to get rid of the offset, unfortunately no results.

With this airbrush you can fix some scratches, paint some models, cell phones or do any really small job. It is not that bad to work with stencils but I would say unthinkable to do freehand. I think that manufacturer will help not just us, customer but himself too if they include in description the fact “NOT SUITABLE FOR FREEHAND“. My overall feeling is that any beginner starting with master airbrush will lose the interest in airbrushing as art for quite some time surely or in worst case scenario for good.

If you have tried something similar or have any other airbrushes that make bad name for airbrush art, please tell us in comments below and don’t forget to tell your friends to be aware of such brands.

I’m not saying that all Chinese airbrushes are bad and I’ll be glad to review any other Chinese airbrush guns hoping they will score much better.

March 27, 2012 Sergej Voronko
  • Hans

    Thanks for the great review which could help many to save wasting $, preserve the joy of airbrushing & perhaps protect the environment by reducing waste.

    I was tempted to purchase a similar Chinese airbrush which looks like Iwata CM-C+.  Like most people, I can’t tell the O-ring & the self-centering nozzle bit as they are just too small.  It would be the time when something like offset occurs that one would find out the difference.

    Most people loves to save $, however when a tool can’t perform what it suppose to do would mean a waste.

    I’ve given up the thought of purchasing the Iwata look alike but instead will focus my energy to find out where I could find a good airbrush at cheaper price when I need another airbrush.

  • meanas

    buy the top brands don’t waste your time with cheap air brushes, we all want to create fine art work save your money buy an Iwata sell some art work on line buy anther, with the right tools can produce some really fine and sick art work. 

  • http://airbrushdoc.com/ Sergej Voronko

    Yep, I agree with you guys.  Cheap airbrush will save some money but just from the start. Then you just spend more money trying to find something better or in worst case will drop the whole thing – airbrushing.

    • Medinafeb28

      is it possible that there is a fake badger and iwata?

      • http://airbrushdoc.com/ Sergej Voronko

         I don’t know, I have not seen something like that. Usually it has some unknown words written on it or no names at all. Have you seen any fakes?

  • Megan

    Do you know anything about “Veda” airbrushed. It’s another cheapo brand like the master but wasn’t sure if they had the same issues or If it was at least a good enough brush for beginners to learn on before deciding on the better well known named brushes. Thanks!

    • http://airbrushdoc.com serzomanik

      Hey Megan, no I never have heard about Veda but I certainly going to check them out.

    • http://airbrushdoc.com/ Sergej Voronko

      Hey Megan, no I never have heard about Veda but I certainly going to check them out.

  • Tim

    Some years ago I airbrushed T-shirts and Tags at a local market during the summers. I am preparing to participate in a community project . I will be painted a lifesize fiberglass bear. I will need to use an automotive paint and will be spraying shapes in the 1″4 to 3″ sized round and ovaltype shapes. I’m thinking an Iwata that holds the paint in a bottle. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I could also use advise on stencil material for painting this  3 dimensional form.

    • http://airbrushdoc.com/ Sergej Voronko

      Hey Tim, I probably don’t really understand, is that bear a fiberglass sculpture? If yes, I think you can go wrong with Iwata. For stencils I am not sure, I don’t have experience with 3D forms but you can check ORAMASK 810 http://www.oracal.com/products/product.asp?seriesID=186

  • dissappointed

    I have Master airbrush, as seen in your picture, It is brand new, my second one the first one the paint didn’t come out, they had me throw it away, sent me another one, it still don’t work. The paint will not come out!! It does Spray water though!

    • http://airbrushdoc.com/ Sergej Voronko

      Hey man, for your problem there is many different solutions. It depends on the other factors then airbrush itself. I would like to know what paint are you using (too big pigments in paint ca cause the problem). If you can buy an ink refills for ink-jet printer, try it. Ink has very soft pigments that will go trough any size of a nozzle. It will mean that you are not using the right paint. If ink won’t come out then I would take the brush apart and check bearings.

      About the water this is another case and depends very much on your compressor. If it has a water trap but still spits water try to put behind compressor output a car diesel filter.

      As you can read in my review I can’t call this airbrush good and there are better alternatives. Still, let me know how it goes.

  • Mark

    Hi frustrated…got a g22 and its new and glogging up tried presure 20 and un sure about reduce-creek paint any advise

    • http://airbrushdoc.com/ Sergej Voronko

      My only advice here is to make paint thin like milk, if this does not help then make it even thinner. And also clean that airbrush properly. Some time it may start clogging because you use fast drying reducer…

  • Todd

    Great topic we have a box of 3 china airbrush’s , we bought a airbrush off a guy that we knew with compressor it blew about 8 lbs of air with a airbrush that was a miss mash of parts it was branded buy a store which is out of biz go figure. We then bought 3 more china brush’s which all broke with in a week or 2 ya I know dumb dumb the cost of a education I guess at least we can use the old needles to clean our good airbrush’s right?

    We broke down and bought a badger 360 wow what a difference sine then I have bought a Grex nice brush as well as a couple of Iwatta airbrushs and a aztek and they are all great. I hope my mistakes might help some one into buying good stuff you get what you pay for and airbrushing is so much better with good gear.

    • http://airbrushdoc.com/ Sergej Voronko

      Hi Todd,

      good and very very informative comment. Thanks you for that.