List $ 170
.35 mm tip
1/3 oz cup
I've had this brush for about a month now and I'd have to say I'm very happy with it. It will spray almost anything, thinned or not is sprays it. I even tested it spraying straight model color out of the bottle (not thinned at all). It sprayed it without any issue at all and that is pretty impressive, to me at least. Thinning is still the better way to go but it's nice to know this brush will keep on chugging along even if it runs into a thick spot. It also sprays very even and only when the tip is dirty will it splatter. Dab the tip with a wet Qtip now and again as you spray (hahahaha) (what I do with all brushes) and you'll be good to go. It's easy to clean and seems to require less cleaning as it doesn't clog as much. It will give you a very fine detail line and I was thinking it was the finest of my brushes as my Velocity has be down and out lately but after I got it squared away I noticed the Iwata is the second finest I have.
The only cons I have with the brush is some of the pieces feel a little cheap. The needle thread section and when you screw the rear of the chamber back on, it's not a big deal and it might be that they were trying to keep the brush very light and it is a very light brush. The only other thing is the trigger tension, this is pure preference for me. It's a little soft in my opinion and wish it had just the slightest bit more tension. It's also the most expensive of the brushes.
Overall I love the brush and I'm mainly using it at the moment.
Badger Velocity
List $ 165
.21 mm tip
1/4 oz cup
This is my old faithful and up til about a month or so ago I had no issues with this what so ever. It's a very fine detail brush and has a very even spray, only thicker paints will make it spatter. Iwata Comm art paints require no thinning with this brush and seem to be the perfect consistency, for VAC a little thinning and you are good to go.The brush feels very solid and well made, nothing feels cheap but it does have a little more weight so that may be the trade off. The trigger tension is also much higher and that might be why I wish the Iwata had more, I've been using this awhile so I'm probably use to the feel of it now. It's also very easy to clean, I'd recommend some cleaning brushes and you can clean the entire chamber no fuss no muss. It also has a plastic cup lid which I prefer, most of the time I don't even use one but if I'm going to be spraying a lot the plastic lid seems to seal much better to me (again just preference).
As for cons there isn't much, I have had to send it back to be repaired once but I've used it a lot over the course of it's life and it wasn't a big deal. I think it was like $12 for a complete rebuild from Badger. The only thing I wish it had was the handle cut out so I could loosen the needle to clear a clog without taking off the whole handle but it's not really that big a deal.
Overall this brush is a workhorse and will treat you right as long as you treat it right. I just replaced the needle and tip (which I think I bent 8() and have now added it back in the mix. This and the Iwata are on rotation.
List $ 150
.33 mm tip
Siphon Feed / 1/4 oz cup
This is my heavy duty high volume brush, mainly used to prime and clear coat. With the larger diameter tip it can spray the heavier materials. It's also nice to have the Siphon Feed, I have matte, satin and gloss clear loaded already just have to screw them on. It's the same design as the Velocity just a different system
** When cleaning, you really want to keep the inner chamber clean. It's hard to get in there, keep a bottle loaded with cleaner and run that though the brush after any primer or clear use. Also with the Siphon cap keep the breather hole clear. That can get you! If the brush stops spraying check that first haha**
List $119
.38 mm tip
1/4 oz cup (but seems bigger to me)
This brush.. oh this brush. I continue to have issues with it and barely use it. It CLOGS, a lot. Thinned to almost water is the only way it seems to work ok for me. This is my last resort brush and even then I'll usually just wait till the Ultra Sonic cleaner is done, clean the other brush and go. There are a few things I do like about it and just wish it worked better. The tip is easy to remove, incredibly so. And the tip is larger and one piece that is removed with a special tool. I like this alot, you aren't going to easy drop and lose the tip plus you don't have to use a pair of pliers to remove the tip housing. It is for sure the easiest to take apart and build up again. Sadly it goes to waste. I'm going to order a new tip and needle to see if that helps, when I received it the needle already appeared to be bent and maybe that's all it is. Sadly I wrote to Paasche twice and heard nothing at all, the first one was cordial but the second one was a little heated haha.. Needless to say I don't plan on buying another of their products anytime soon.
Bonus!
It's a great product made my Iwata. Every time I clean my brushes I apply some to the needle, threads and trigger. It really does help and I recommend it highly!
So in closing I'd say you can't go wrong with either the Iwata or Badger brushes. They are both awesome and work great, you can find the Badger brushes for much cheaper then the list and can usually get a pretty good deal. If you hate thinning paints and aren't as good at it I'd recommend the Iwata but Badger Sprays them as well. The Badger Brushes do come with a larger tip so you can make them a bit bigger but you'll lose some of the detail. Overall I think the Badger will give you a finer line then the Iwata but the Iwata will spray thicker paints and still be very detailed. I would never recommend the Paasche (that thing can suck it, unless the needle fixes it haha..).
These are just my opinions on the brushes and you may have a completely different experience. I just wanted to give out my impressions and hope it helps someone maybe looking for a new brush.
Have a great weekend.