Harder & Steenbeck Ultra X Review
7/2012
My friend Martin at Air-Craft.net sent me a Harder & Steenbeck Ultra X airbrush to review. Martin is a dealer in airbrushes and airbrushing supplies in the United Kingdom, and a really nice guy. He carries the Harder & Steenbeck, Iwata, and Neo lines.
The Ultra is the starter level of Harder & Steenbeck airbrushes. I was curious about them because you hear a lot about the Evolutions and Infinities, but nobody mentions the Ultras, especially the X siphon version. And, I have a weakness for siphon airbrushes. There is also a gravity fed version which is just called the Ultra.
The Ultra X arrived in the same kind of plastic case as the Evolution.
Here is a better look at the airbrush itself. There are no gold plated parts as on the Evolution. Like all Harder & Steenbeck airbrushes, it is made in Germany. The manual is very similar to the Evolution manual, which is good.
The basic brush doesn't come with cups or bottles, but my Badger cups and bottles, and most other brands will fit. The air hose connection is the standard 1/8 inch size. The Ultra X has a 0.40mm nozzle and needle while the gravity fed Ultra has a finer 0.20mm set.
Without a cup, the Ultra X weighs 83g.
First Impression
The finish is really nice, and balance is good. But, the main thing that struck me was the tension on the trigger pull. It was very firm, with a very slight roughness.
Parts Breakdown
Here it is disassembled.
The air valve is identical to the Evolution.
Here is a closer look at the trigger assembly.
The spring is pretty short, which results in a noticeable increase in force as the trigger is pulled back. The knurled cap on the right allows some tension adjustment.Note: I heard from Anke at Harder & Steenbeck, that they recommend that the cap be tightened all the way. In the picture on the right, the Ultra spring is the upper one. The lower spring is from the Evolution. The Evolution has a much more even trigger tension. The Evolution trigger assembly won't fit in the Ultra.
The needle tube is kept from rotating by a square end that fits in the rocker. Here is a close-up on the right. I've never seen this approach before. The trigger and rocker look much like the Evolution parts, except for the shape of the trigger top and the way the rocker grips the trigger. The trigger top lacks the grooves of the Evolution.
The head assembly is different too. The nozzle is the same type, with the Teflon gasket. But the head itself is a single piece that acts as a spray regulator. There is no separate head cap. So, you can't spray with the needle fully exposed. The single groove indicates that it is 0.4mm
The needle has a single taper and is very sharp. The shaft diameter is 0.047 inches, like the Evolution. There is a notch on the rear end, which also is a size indicator. It has a nice shiny finish.
Trying it out
I replaced the trigger back spring with one from my junk box to get the lighter feel that I prefer, and did my usual doodle with food coloring on a paper towel. I found that if I selected too light of a spring, the rocker can move up and down, and action begins to get a bit flaky. I was never able to get the fine feel of the Evolution. So, it's not a great detail brush, but for general use it sprays fine. Maximum coverage for model painting is about 3/4 inch. Like the Evolution and most airbrushes with an adjustable needle seal, there is a channel between the seal and the paint chamber that collects some paint. I used my modified dental brush to swab it out.
Conclusion
Well, it isn't an Evolution, but then it doesn't cost as much either.
The trigger is a little too stiff for me, but if you like a firm trigger, which a lot of people do, it would be fine.
It's certainly adequate for most model painting and it is a well built airbrush, and very easy to care for.
If you need more detailing ability, the Ultra 0.20mm parts can be purchased as a kit, P/N 126723.
My sincere thanks to Martin for the sample.