Thayer & Chandler Vega 2000 Review
10/2013
The Vega 2000 is an internal mix siphon airbrush made by Badger.
First impressions
It looks nice and feels nice. It weighs just 64g without a cup and balances just slightly in front of the trigger. When I first worked the trigger, there was an occasional roughness. I took it apart and found that one side of the trigger slot had some rough spots. A couple minutes work with some #400 wet or dry paper smoothed it right out.
Disassembly
Here it is broken down. The red handle is aluminum.
Like the Vega 1000 and Omni 3000 and 5000, there is no needle seal. Instead, there is a close fitting bore that the needle passes through. The fit is so close that paint doesn't leak past it.
I don't like the rubber O-ring on the front of the body. It's there to stop air leakage from the head to body joint. But, it also makes it difficult to tell when the head is tightened enough to seal the tip against the body. The leak it prevents is so small that it doesn't matter anyway. So, I removed it.
A special wrench is supplied to tighten the head. The tip is the no-gasket compression type with a diameter of 0.76mm. The spray regulator must be installed for operation.
The trigger assembly is the same in all Vega and Omni airbrushes with the attached rocker. Tension adjust is good. Mine has the new Glydecoat anti-friction treatment which gives the trigger and rocker a dull look.
There are similarities between the Vega 2000 and the Badger 155. Here they are together.
The Vegas come with three different size nozzles. Badger calls them #1, #3, and #5. I know my Vega 1000 is a #1, and it is 0.50mm. This 2000 has a 0.76mm nozzle, so I assume it is a #3. #5 is probably 1.0mm.
So, my 155 and Vega 2000 have the same size nozzles, and both have cut-out handles. And, the head assemblies, although different, are of the same type. Here is a comparison of the needles. The Vega is the upper one. The tapers are very similar.
The 2000's needle extends way past the end of the spray regulator and is unprotected. So, you have to be careful.
The rear of the Vega needle has 4 marks, which I assume indicate its size, although there is nothing in the manual to tell me that.
Trying it out
I did a sample with food coloring on a paper towel.
Fine lines are much touchier with the 2000 than my 155. This sample took about a dozen tries. I suspect that's because the main taper of the Vega needle is steeper. This would make the trigger more sensitive. Like the 155, the 2000 can put out a blizzard of paint if you need it, thanks to the large 0.76mm nozzle.
The Vega 1000 parts will fit in the 2000. The 1000 nozzle is 0.50mm. Here is a sample with that combination.
It's not much better, but it was easier to do.
I noticed a major difference in the spray regulators of the 2000 and 1000. Here they are together. The 1000 is the upper one.
Notice the difference in needle exposure. The 1000 needle just barely extends past the spray regulator, while the 2000 needle is fully exposed. This is good if you want access for cleaning the needle, but bad if you want protection for it. The 1000 is an older airbrush, so this may be a change that affects both.
Conclusion
The Vega 2000 is a good general purpose airbrush. With the #3 components, it's not great for detail work. But, it has a wide range of coverage, and the #1 parts are cheap if you need them. The no-needle-seal construction seems to work well. I would swab it with an interdental brush every once in a while to keep it clean.
It seems to sell for a few dollars less than the Badger 155 Anthem. But, the Anthem has better control for fine lines and a needle that can be pulled without removing the handle.
Component identification could be better. The #1 needle has no marks, and the #3 has four little notches. I can understand not marking the fragile tips, but the spray regulators could be labeled. I don't have the #5 parts, so I don't know if or how they are marked. And,I couldn't find any documentation that explains it.
A big thank you to Ken Schlotfeldt for the sample.