Badger 200NH Review
7/2011
The 200NH is a single action, internal mix, siphon fed airbrush.
It is basically a 200 with a New Head design. This has been a source of much confusion due to people getting them mixed up. The key parts are very different and not interchangeable. It might have been better if Badger had given it a totally different model number.
Here is how it breaks down.
The arrows point to parts that are not the same as the old style 200.
Here is a comparison of the head assemblies of the two airbrushes. The upper one is the 200NH and the lower one the 200.
The old 200 has the same head as the 100 series airbrushes, while the 200NH has the head of the 155 Anthem.
And, here is how the needles compare. Again, the 200NH is the top one.The NH tip is .76mm like the Anthem while the 200's tip is .5mm.
Here is something that is the same on both.The needle chuck locks the needle to the needle adjusting screw. The adjusting screw is then used to position the needle and regulate paint flow.If this isn't set right, you could over adjust and damage the tip.To set it up, loosen the needle chuck and pull the needle back a little. Check to make sure the head is on tight. Then turn the needle adjust clockwise until it is tight against the handle. Now, slide the needle gently forward until you feel it contact the end of the tip, and tighten the needle chuck.
The adjusting screw is now calibrated so that when it is all the way in, the needle will be seated in the tip and no paint will flow when you press the trigger.
Trying it out
I did my doodle with black ink on a paper towel. I couldn't get as fine of lines as the old 200. But, that's to be expected with the difference in tip sizes and needles. The 200NH performs more like a 155 Anthem that it shares parts with. And, it will also give you the wide coverage of the 155, which can be handy. The crown spray regulator kept me from getting as close as I would have liked.Like the 200, spray control with the needle adjusting screw is very fine and smooth.Also, like any single action airbrush, you can get a little spitting when you press the trigger. This happens because the needle stays open, and a little paint can collect on the tip when the air is off.
Conclusion
If you don't want to learn to use a double action airbrush, and you would like something that performs like a 155 Anthem, this is your brush. Badger only lists one needle and tip in the manual, so there is no option for finer parts like there is for the 155. But, it's easy to clean and would be a nice general purpose brush. It's definitely a step up from the external mix brushes.
Many thanks to Ken Schlotfeldt for the sample.
Postscript
Stefan Sjoberg has pointed out to me that the 200NH needle has the same part number as the 155 Anthem needle. This means that if you order a spare needle for the 200NH, it may have the ball on the back end. It also means that you can use the .5mm Patriot tip, needle, and spray regulator in this airbrush for finer line capabilities.