Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Airbrushes are purpose built. Some are really good at details, others are really good at priming and basecoating. Some are okay at both. Before you buy an airbrush, you need to ask the question "How do I intend to use it?" and then find a brush that matches that need. If you're only looking to cover large areas (like when priming, basecoating, and varnishing) and indend to pick out details by hand, you can probably do okay for cheap. If you want to learn airbrushing as an art, it's worth saving up a little longer so that you can afford a quality airbrush or two.

My workhorse brushes are an Iwata Eclipse HP - CS and an Iwata Eclipse HP - BCS. After burning out some cheaper compressors, I finally settled on a two-cylinder model with a tank. With this setup I can paint a huge range of details with pretty much any paint than can be thinned (including craft and house paints). For more basic needs or occasional use, the link that Todosi posted would be perfect.

Tanks have a few benefits. First, as Crispy said, they allow for consistent pressure to be delivered to the airbrush which improves control. In the absence of a tank, the flow will oscillate with the piston. A tankless compressor also needs to run whenever the airbrush is in use, meaning it's noisier and can overheat faster. Finally, compressing air literally squeezes moisture out of it, so the tank acts as a very effective moisture trap.

I have mixed feelings, but that's very much due to personal biases. YMMV, but I think it's best to save up for a good airbrush and compressor because quality tools last a long time. When buying an airbrush, you very much get what you pay for. While top of the line (like Harder and Steenbeck) is certainly unnecessary, Paasche, Iwata, Badger, Grex, Sparmax, and others make quality airbrushes at more reasonable prices. Is the reduced price worth the risk that when your cheap airbrush breaks you won't be able to get parts and will then have to buy a whole new one? If that happens, you just bought two cheap airbrushes when you could've bought one good one (and the cheap one may break again). I generally don't think that it makes sense to spend money on cheap tools for this reason. That said, I understand that budgets are budgets and that airbrush kit looks pretty good for the money. Someone who has experience with that particular set may be able to give you a bit more info.