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I bought a "used" Iwata HP-BH airbrush on e-bay. I am still within the return policy dates and I have a few questions for you airbrush veterans. The brush came in the mail today and upon inspection I noticed that, aside from the "light wear" described by the seller, there were a couple things that concerned me. One was that it was dirty... like paint gunk in the crevices etc. Whoever owned it previously didn't care for it very well. The other thing was the wear inside the cup and around the nozzle. The chrome appears to have been worn down. Being that this is my first airbrush, what are your opinions. Will this airbrush serve me well, or should I return it and go for something different? Keep in mind that this airbrush retails for near $300.00, I paid $159.00 shipped to the door. The needle was bent, which I expected and will ask the seller for a partial refund to order a new one but I expected for it to be bent to be perfectly honest. Here are some pics.

It looks like a used airbrush. Have you hooked it up and put some paint through it yet?

I get my compressor in a couple days so I haven't gotten to spray with it yet. Very soon though, I will have pics up ASAP.

Well, you're a braver man than I for buying a used airbrush.

The airbrush looks to be in okay shape but I would have to feel the action of it to give you a better idea of the shape it is in. For less money you could have bought a brand new high quality airbrush such as the Badger Renegade Krome 2-in-1 ($134), Badger Patriot 105 (at $99 it is an excellent first airbrush), Harder & Steenbeck Ultra (at $83 another awesome brush for a beginner), Harder & Steenbeck Evolution ($131), or even an Iwata Eclipse ($140). I use a Badger Krome (I paid $120 for it) and a Badger Sotar 20/20 (I got on sale for $75 in June last year, normally a $250+ brush)

The Iwata HP-BH is a fine airbrush (I personally am not much of a fan of Iwata brushes though) and it retails for between $200 to $225 depending on where you buy it from so I suppose $159 isn't that bad of a price. For me personally however, I'd prefer to buy something new from either the manufacturer or a dealer. It just gives me better piece of mind.

Can we get a better picture of the cup? Probably due to the picture quality but it looks like the finish inside the cup has been eatten away.

Thank you for your input sir, you are making me contemplate returning this lol. The reason why I went with this brush instead of the others was because it can be fully converted to a .3mm and it has the MAC valve on it.

Can you see if the surface inside the cup is smooth?
My concern is something caustic being used in the brush, that could have eatten all the seals.

Petrov wrote:
Can we get a better picture of the cup? Probably due to the picture quality but it looks like the finish inside the cup has been eatten away.

Just kinda looks filthy actually clean it up and see how it works.
Check out iwats CA/warranty too. I am sure for a small fee they can service the brush replace the seals.
But it looks ok from the pictures just well used.

 JohnDoe1990 wrote:
Thank you for your input sir, you are making me contemplate returning this lol. The reason why I went with this brush instead of the others was because it can be fully converted to a .3mm and it has the MAC valve on it.

The Badger Krome 2-in-1 comes with a .2mm and .3mm needle/tip and most of those brushes I listed can be equipped with a couple of different needle sizes (for instance, the Patriot 105 comes with a 0.75mm but 0.63mm, 0.51mm, and 0.36mm needles are available and the H&S Evolution can be equipped with 0.15mm, 0.20mm, 0.40mm, and 0.60mm needles). I have an airbrush with MAC valve on it as well (a Master G44 which is an Iwata clone) and I never used it. That isn't to say it's not a nice feature, but I prefer to use the regulator at my compressor so I know exactly how much pressure I am working with.

I believe all the seals are in great condition as I disassembled the brush completely and checked all of the o-rings. I lightly lubricated them with some Gold Cup lube which is commonly used for paintball guns. I requested a partial refund of $35.00 from the seller to make up for the additional wear not mentioned in the description and the replacement needle.

Everybody needs to calm down a bit here, other than the bent needle, that airbrush is fine and what you are seeing is normal wear and tear that will not effect the function in anyway. People who are chiming in here I would say have very little AB experience. The Iwata you purchased is a superb brush, dont listen to the fanboys. I think you paid a little much for it being used, but none the less you will get many years of use out of that brush.

Good luck, holla if you have any questions.

A.

What Redfinger said, and I know from experience that Iwata has incredible customer service.

I broke my first compressor years ago and called them with a prepared narrative - they didn't ask a single question, didn't want/need proof of purchase or anything - just shipped me the new part.

An update here, I sent a message to the seller asking for a minimum refund of 60.00 to cover the fluid cap, the fluid nozzle, and the needle(plus shipping). I figured why not replace the most delicate parts to ensure proper performance. I don't expect a reply from him today but hopefully he will get with me tomorrow.

why are you demanding money exactly when you haven't even fricken tried it?

Petrov wrote:
Can we get a better picture of the cup? Probably due to the picture quality but it looks like the finish inside the cup has been eatten away.

ya, that's generally what happens when you buy something that's used.

my hpcs has all of the chrome finish gone on the trigger and also inside the cup. it makes no difference, it works perfectly fine still.

The reason why I am asking for the seller for a partial refund is because the description provided did not include the fact that the airbrush was damaged. If the seller included this information I would not have purchased the airbrush. So in other words, he can either give me a partial refund, or I will simply return the entire unit. Does that sound "demanding"?

kb305 wrote:
why are you demanding money exactly when you haven't even fricken tried it?

Petrov wrote:
Can we get a better picture of the cup? Probably due to the picture quality but it looks like the finish inside the cup has been eatten away.

ya, that's generally what happens when you buy something that's used.

my hpcs has all of the chrome finish gone on the trigger and also inside the cup. it makes no difference, it works perfectly fine still.

Thats odd I had grex aibrush for 2 years or so and no chrome wear. My Badger I had for 10 years and I been airbrushing nasty stuff through such as cerakote through it and cleaning it with some harsh chemicals and the finish is just as nice flat smooth and shiny as the day I got it.
Not trying to start any brand purse swinging but you might just have had a bad/improperly chrome coated airbrush.

 JohnDoe1990 wrote:
The reason why I am asking for the seller for a partial refund is because the description provided did not include the fact that the airbrush was damaged. If the seller included this information I would not have purchased the airbrush. So in other words, he can either give me a partial refund, or I will simply return the entire unit. Does that sound "demanding"?

Honestly, yeah, a little.

If it was sold as 'like new' then fair enough, but if it was sold in used, but working, condition, then until you've tried it, you have no real basis to object. A used item doesn't have to look perfect to work perfectly, and unless you suspect the seller has tried to deceive you, rather than you've fallen victim to your own high expectations, then I think you've probably overreacted at this point.

 JohnDoe1990 wrote:
I figured why not replace the most delicate parts to ensure proper performance.

I think you're being a bit demanding at this point, until you've actually tried it, you don't know if it does have proper performance or not. If you try it and find it lacking, that's another matter.

FWIW, IMO you probably shouldn't buy a used airbrush as your first airbrush. I think you're better off buying a cheapo first airbrush than a 2nd hand one. You won't know if the problems you are having to start off with are problems with the brush or problems with you. It took me a few hours of experimentation to get the spray patterns I desired when I bought my first brush a few weeks ago, and I still struggle with splatter at times. I could have easily blamed those problems on the brush if it weren't for the fact the brush was brand new, lol.

The description simply said "very light wear from regular use". Does that describe a bent needle, nozzle and nozzle cap? I didnt think so. why do you even bother posting here azreal? your negativity an assumptions are invalid and did not answer my questions. I smell a troll.

You asked a question, I answered it honestly.

If you feel I've broken some rule, by all means report my post.

What's wrong with the nozzle and nozzle cap? It seems like damaging the nozzle cap would be a difficult thing to do.

Azreal has been here a long time he is not a "troll". Minus the bent needle, I would call that airbrush as having "very light wear from regular use". That brush is fine, get a new needle, and get to work building up your skills...

If you bought a car with 50000 miles on it, and the owner said "very light wear from regular use" and then you find out that it needs a new transmission, would you not expect the problem to be fixed? I don't see where it is demanding to ask for a repair or replacement, especially when I can return the item for a full refund. The definition of demanding is: requiring or claiming more than is generally felt by others to be due. If I told the seller to send me a new airbrush for the $159.99 that would be "demanding". If you aren't here to help then go back to your miserable existence of fapping to anime.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 azreal13 wrote:
You asked a question, I answered it honestly.

If you feel I've broken some rule, by all means report my post.

I asked you a rhetorical question. you must not know what that means, just like you don't know what demanding means.

I suspect you didn't understand what "fallen victim to your own high expectations" means and have just assumed I was insulting you, as I honestly can't see anything else in my initial response to elucidate your reaction.

Still, we're done here kid, I've no interest in being a target for your buyer's remorse-induced ill feeling.

I have no buyers remorse. I can return the product with no questions asked. I simply came here for some opinions about the airbrushes condition, not to have some kid tell me that I'm "demanding".


Automatically Appended Next Post:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
What's wrong with the nozzle and nozzle cap? It seems like damaging the nozzle cap would be a difficult thing to do.

The nozzle cap and nozzle surfaces that affect the way air and paint flow from the brush have been damaged by the bent needle. If he doesn't want to replace them I'll just send the brush back.

I reckon that you should just test it first. I'm pretty sure it will be fine. I bought a Veda 130E airbrush, cost only about £20 total, new from ebay. Didn't want to go mad on spending for my first airbrush, and well it worked really well, even for a complete beginner. So yeah other than the wear, I think it should be ok, considering this is a top brand, I'm sure it is sturdy/hardy enough!

 Glaiceana wrote:
I reckon that you should just test it first. I'm pretty sure it will be fine. I bought a Veda 130E airbrush, cost only about £20 total, new from ebay. Didn't want to go mad on spending for my first airbrush, and well it worked really well, even for a complete beginner. So yeah other than the wear, I think it should be ok, considering this is a top brand, I'm sure it is sturdy/hardy enough!

thank you sir

So the seller sent me a partial refund of $60.00 this morning. Amazing what happens when you are polite instead of demanding.