Iwata Eclipse HP-CS vs Badger Patriot 105
The default recommendation against the cheaper American workhorse that primes beautifully.
The short answer
The Iwata Eclipse HP-CS is the better all-rounder and the one to buy if you own a single airbrush. The Badger Patriot 105 costs less, handles primer and basecoats on large models very happily, and is the better second brush or budget starting point.
The quick version
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iwata Eclipse HP-CSA 0.35 mm gravity-feed dual-action brush that sprays primer and fine highlights without a nozzle change. The default recommendation for a decade, deservedly. | Detail and all-round use | 9.4 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Badger Patriot 105A US-made 0.5 mm workhorse at roughly half the Iwata's price. It will prime and basecoat all day and is forgiving about paint consistency. | Primer and large surfaces | 8.5 | Check price on Amazon |
Scores are our own editorial read against the criteria stated below — not a lab measurement and not a user rating. Tap a row for the full write-up.
The short version
These two overlap more than their price gap suggests. Both are dual-action gravity-feed brushes aimed squarely at hobbyists, both are repairable, and both will prime and basecoat an army without complaint. The Eclipse pushes further into fine work; the Patriot is the better value for the broad strokes.
Primer and heavy paint
This is where the Patriot is genuinely strong. It is happy pushing thicker material, which means acrylic primer and heavily pigmented basecoats go through with less fuss than you might expect at the price. If most of your airbrush time is priming models in batches and laying flat base colors, it does that job as well as brushes costing considerably more.
The Eclipse handles the same material with the same ease — a 0.35 mm nozzle is not a detail nozzle — so this is a value point rather than a capability gap.
The detail ceiling
With thinned paint and low pressure, the Eclipse goes finer and stays controllable further down. In practice that means tighter gradients on infantry and more confidence doing soft transitions on a 32 mm model.
Be realistic about how much that matters to you. Neither brush is the tool for eyes or edge highlights — that is a detail brush, always. The question is how smooth your gradients need to be, and if the answer is “tabletop smooth,” both qualify.
Cleaning, parts and living with them
Both strip quickly and both have real spares chains, which is the line that separates a tool from a disposable. Badger is American-made with straightforward parts availability in the US; Iwata’s network is the broadest anywhere.
One practical difference: because the Eclipse is so common, nearly every troubleshooting video and cleaning walkthrough online is filmed with one. When you are new, that is worth something concrete.
Verdict
One airbrush, bought to last: Eclipse HP-CS. It covers primer through to soft gradients and you will not outgrow it.
Tight budget, or a dedicated primer brush: Patriot 105. Excellent at the work that takes up most airbrush hours, at a price that leaves money for a compressor with a moisture trap — which matters more than either brush.
If you are still deciding whether to buy an airbrush at all, read do you need an airbrush first. It is the more expensive question.
The picks in full
Iwata Eclipse HP-CS
A 0.35 mm gravity-feed dual-action brush that sprays primer and fine highlights without a nozzle change. The default recommendation for a decade, deservedly.
What it gets right
- 0.35 mm is the genuine do-everything size: unthinned-ish primer at one end, zenithal highlights at the other
- PTFE seals tolerate lacquer and alcohol-based paints that eat rubber seals
- Parts are available everywhere, so a bent needle is a cheap fix rather than a new airbrush
Who it is wrong for
- Not the finest line available — a 0.2 mm brush beats it for freehand camouflage
- Open gravity cup is easy to knock over and awkward to decant large volumes into
- Costs two to three times a budget brush, which is hard to justify before you know you will stick with it
Scored against this page’s criteria
Specs from the manufacturer: Iwata-Medea product page
We do not publish prices. Amazon shows the current one, which is the only one that is ever right. #ad · how this is funded
Badger Patriot 105
A US-made 0.5 mm workhorse at roughly half the Iwata's price. It will prime and basecoat all day and is forgiving about paint consistency.
What it gets right
- The 0.5 mm nozzle shrugs off thick primer that chokes finer brushes
- Forgiving spray pattern — it tolerates paint you thinned by eye
- Half the price of the usual recommendation, with parts easily available
Who it is wrong for
- Will not do fine detail; 0.5 mm is a basecoat tool
- Build finish is plainer than the European brushes at the same price
- If you only buy one airbrush, this is the wrong only airbrush
Scored against this page’s criteria
Specs from the manufacturer: Badger Air-Brush Co. product page
We do not publish prices. Amazon shows the current one, which is the only one that is ever right. #ad · how this is funded
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Is the Badger Patriot 105 good for miniatures?
Which airbrush is better for primer?
Should I buy two airbrushes?
More in Airbrushing Miniatures and Models, or start from the beginning with what to buy first.
Sources
- Anest Iwata-Medea — Eclipse and compressor specificationschecked October 2026
- Badger Air-Brush Co. — Patriot 105 specificationschecked October 2026