I have a H&S Ultra, probably the worst
airbrush I have ever had. It is now confined to the naughty shelf as it is virtually unusable. I replaced it with a 'Chinese Iwata copy' which has faultlessly sprayed my last ten kits without a single problem.
You have to remember that not everyone can afford the price of a top end
airbrush and, unless you do a lot of fine line work, do not need one. Yes, a top end brush is nice to own but that could be said about anything. We don't all drive Rolls Royce cars do we 9_9
I see that John is stocking the Mr Hobby branded airbrushed which according to a review I read recently is manufactured in the same factory as Iwata and takes Iwata parts but comes in at £119.
http://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/0-2mm-mr-procon-boy-double-action-platinum-airbrush-ps270-mr-hobby.html
This is still a lot of money for a lot of modellers, in fact it is £104 more than the 'cheap' copy that I am using.
Yes, I agree that the engineering and materials of the cheap copies is not the same but for general spraying, it is good enough. Like most things, it isn't the tool that does the job, it's the user. Of course, the better made that tool is, the more reliable and repeatable the results will be. Most issues that people have with their
airbrush is caused by inaccurate and inconsistent thinning, use of the wrong thinners and their cleaning regime.
What I don't like about the very top end in just about anything is why we have to pay more for a brand name. If the Mr Hobby is made in the same factory as Iwata, and takes the same parts, why do I have to pay a hell of a lot more for the Iwata name?
If I do buy a 'better' brush, even though I have been so disappointed.... no disgusted by the Ultra that is sold under the H&S brand, it will more than likely be a H&S Evolution 2in1.