Reva's Reviews: Duff Airbrush Machine

The Stats

Product: Duff Airbrush Machine

Purchased: Michael's

Retail Price: $129.99

Final Grade: B -

For a long time I have wanted a small airbrush that would be both easier to pull out and set up for very small applications and to have in my "to go" kit when I am out on deliveries.  But it took a destination wedding in Georgia to finally motivate my purchase!  The old Kopykake wasn't going to fit in my carry on after all!!

Originally I had my eye on the Pegasus model (seen to the left) because James Roselle always recommended it to me, but recently it was always sold out!  Now I know why, Duff Goldman.  His recent line of cake supplies is largely repackaged product already on the market (a common practice in branded lines like this) and his airbrush is no different.  Side by side, you can see it is the same machine as the Pegasus and costs the same too.  The size, controls, all identical and I knew I could always slap a Merci Beaucoup sticker over the Duff logo!!  Michael's in Conyers, GA had it, so I whipped out the business card.

 The Pros

• Portability
• Easy to Clean
• Small Color Applications (solids)
• The Gun Box

First of all, and probably most of all, this is a small, portable machine that is light in weight and takes up minimal space in my travel kit.  Measuring less than 5" in length and 2" in depth, the ability for me to take this where I need it is its biggest pro.  That same portability makes it easier to clean than the bulkier professional machines.

As a tool, it is more butter knife than Swiss Army knife but for this particular wedding, it made the production of my sugar flowers a lot easier.  I made roughly 170 sugar flowers and they all needed to be painted purple.  If I'd done it by hand, I would've gone crazy!  I don't know if I could cover a whole cake with the Duff airbrush, but for covering smaller surfaces like flower petals, it performed quite well.

The machine and power supply have no case, but I'm sure there's something out there you could use.  It does come with a nice hard plastic box for the actual spray gun which I appreciate for the price.  Be nice if it wasn't etched with Duff's logo, but I'll get over it ;)

The Cons

• It Gets Dirty Quick!
• Not Detail Oriented
• Lackluster Instruction Manual
• The White Hose 

I had to list easy to clean as a "pro" because a "con" is how quickly it gets dirty!  The white color attracts the color in the air like a magnet and within a few minutes of work, it was an ever deepening shade of purple.  One solution might be to cover it in cling film, just don't cover the bottom as that is where the air intake is located.

The basic controls are a bit of a negative.  There are only three modes; low, medium and high.  That regulates the maximum 15 psi available.  Mic thinks that means you can have 5, 10 or 15.  A higher end machine will have a more precise dial to control your airflow.  My Kopykake Airmaster is controllable from 0 to 30 psi.  It's all technical, but what I do know is with only three settings, my ability on the Duff machine to do fine detail work or to use it to write on a cake is limited.

                            "My Work Space in Georgia"

The instruction manual is basically useless.  Of course, most are these days!  You need to have experience with an airbrush to be able to use it out of the box or else you'll be going online to find some lessons on airbrushing.  There's also a mystery eyedropper in the box that I have no idea what you'd use for and isn't described in the instructions!

The hose is white, which threw me off, because it also gets dirty real quick!  The hose itself is sturdy enough, but after one use, you can already see it permanently stained with the colors I used.  I can imagine over time that getting darker and darker.  Will it look bad?  We'll see!

Conclusion

Overall, for what I got it for and for the applications I will use it for in the future, I am happy I picked it up.  It is great for small stuff, accents and highlights, but not for covering a large cake and not fine details or writing.  It's a little quieter than my large Kopykake machine, but it will never replace that as my main airbrush.  A good purchase though and I'll rest easy knowing it's in the delivery tool kit if I need it.

Comments

[Stacey bumgardner]

Reva. You are right about the book. Any idea of a good sight to teach myself airbrush techniques?

[Rachel McBarron]

I had an idea what the eye dropper might be used for. Maybe a different way to add the color? Like to get the precise amount without spilling or something..just a random thought lol.

[Shanali Zeballos]

Can I use my 40% off coupon? >.< Not that I'd know what to do with it, after I bought it. lol

[airbrush]

Airbrush compressors spits water at the end of the working environment. It is a function of compression of the air and can not be avoided or ignored. You need a good air filter to the bar after work to remove free water. If you are spraying on a cold surface, it can inadvertently get a few drops of water forming on the surface of the water vapor in the air condenses. When it does, you must have an air dryer online as well.

[airbrush]

In order to use the airbrush would be a good supply of air pressure. Almost all projects that use the airbrush does not require large industrial air compressors and accessories, but any business that needs to be undertaken to determine what kind and great airbrush compressor like this is needed. Small projects, will lower the compressor, but the manufacturing industry, definitely need a larger one.

[credit monitoring]

Informative post I like it. I never read such awesome post before. It's really helpful to me. I always in search of this types of post. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Kimberly Chapman]

Thanks for this review! I'm an airbrushing newbie but tried the Pegasus version out in Mike McCarey's class on Tuesday (he's been telling me to get one for two years so he finally got me to try one). He likes it for the same reason you do: travel. He said it's a light touch, which is good for a nervous beginner like me, so I'm checking out prices right now and find it funny that there's a Duff version! Maybe I should see if I can score one with a Michaels coupon.

Thanks!

[Eric Lee]

I was wondering how this machine compares to the Kromajet by Kopykake. I am torn between the two machines. Could you perhaps enlighten me?

[Kathy]

Nothing compares to the Kopycake. I just bought the Duff airbrush,and its not good to use on a big cake. I wouldn't buy it again!

[Aaron]

for all who have mentioned it you CAN use a michaels coupon! got one for %50 off today. paid $75 for it :)

[Diana]

I bought mine yesterday as welland used the 50% off coupon. I did see it doesn't have a moisture trap like the Pegasus version. I hope it won't make too much of a difference. Has anyone tyried it?

[Patti]

OMG...I just went today and purchased one of the Duff..& yes I used a coupon.
I have not taken it out of the box yet, just wondering if I should take it back & get my money back?!

[Ali Smith]

I noticed in another post by The Bearfoot Baker (fab blog!) that she uses the eye dropper thingy for cleaning - just fill in with water and the spray it into the sink a few times til the colour is gone? Haven't got a machine myself (just dreaming about owning one at the mo) so not sure if I am making sense but check it out here:

http://thebearfootbaker.com/2012/03/airbrush-101/

Thanks for your helpful review x

[bread]

Thanks for sharing such a good opinion, piece of writing is nice, thats why i have read it
completely

[Carla]

This was most helpful! I really enjoyed reading your post however I just placed my order and due to the rave reviews I ordered the kopykake! : )