Iwata Advanced Weathering Set Review

By Michael Benolkin

Review

Iwata recently sent over two weathering sets for our review, but when they arrived, I was quite surprised at what was inside the boxes. This first set is Iwata's Advanced Weathering Set which was a bit of an understatement given that it includes the airbrush and compressor in addition to the weathering paints and supplies. Of course this set was designed with the model railroader in mind given that their workbenches are focused on aligning couplers, adjusting wheel gauge, adding lighting to passenger cars, etc. In that hobby, the engines and rolling stock come out of the box pre-finished in correct colors and markings. The only time you might think about painting is finishing a building kit or weathering your rolling stock so it doesn't look 'fresh out of the box'. Even so, some scale modelers may find the this set will provide a nice upgrade to their existing airbrushing system or might make a great present for their young aspiring modeler.

Iwata Advanced Weathering Set

This set includes:

• Iwata Smart Jet
• Iwata Eclipse HP-CS airbrush
• Iwata K250 MAC valve
• Medea 4oz Airbrush Cleaner
• Com-Art Real Deal Weathering Set
• 6 x 1oz bottles (empty)

I've been using the HP-CS airbrush for over 10 years now and it still works flawlessly. You can follow the link above to see our original review of that airbrush. The real curiosity is the Smart Jet air compressor. Kelly Jamison had written our review on the Smart Jet a while back (link also above) but I've never had the chance to test-fly one. How does it work and more importantly, how loud is it? I decided to do a short video review and put the system together right out of the box and run it. Take a look:

Understand that I purchased the Iwata Hammerhead Shark air compressor system nine years ago so I have high expectations for quiet air compressors, this SmartJet meets those expectations. It is a little quieter than the Shark when running but my Shark has a large air tank, so it rarely runs at all. Nevertheless, if a tornado blew through here (and we've had some near misses), I wouldn't hesitate to acquire a Smart Jet if I had to start over.

One note on pricing - from what I've seen, Iwata Meda doesn't like to set Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Pricing (MSRP) on many of their products so you will find the same item at various locations listed at sometimes significantly different prices. As I've urged you in the Hobby Shopping Online article, do your homework. When I see anything listed as a 'retail value', I become quickly skeptical and do my homework. In this case, the Retail Value of this set is $556.65 which to me is the combined retail prices of the contents inside. I shopped around online and found that the combined 'retail' price of these items varied but really totalled to more than $600 USD in several cases. I also found a few online hobby shops offer this complete package for around $440 USD, so it does pay to shop around.

You can find the Iwata Advanced Weathering Set at your favorite hobby shop (but do shop around for your best price) and if not, they can special order it for you. In the meantime, you can read more about these and the other cool products from Iwata by visiting their website at http://www.iwata-airbrush.com/