Today we will take a look at the gravity Fed Badger Xtreme Patriot 105. This airbrush is the big brother to the venerable Patriot 105 and offers users some upgrades over the standard Patriot.
The first thing you will notice is the dull grey coating on this airbrush. Reminiscent of gun metal or some other exotic alloy, this brush looks really great to the eye. But aside from good looks, this new coating, officially called Accuracote Dark Ice, is inside the color cup and resists paint sticking to it quite well, making this one of the easiest to clean airbrushes I have ever owned.
Users will also see a much different trigger than on the standard 105. This new trigger, called the High Roller, is, as them name suggests, taller. I have used this airbrush almost exclusively for the last year and I love this trigger. I love it so much that I purchased one for my other Badger Airbrushes. The trigger allows for more precise feathering and control over paint flow. The trigger also is coated and it glides back and forth very smoothly. Couple that with an adjustable trigger tension and you get, in my opinion, one of the best, if not THE best trigger on the market.
The Xtreme 105 is equipped with a 0.3mm needle/nozzle set and has a torpedo tip that makes cleaning the end of the needle a snap. I know that a lot of people worry about having an exposed needle, but I am one of the clumsiest modellers known to the hobby (I have super glued myself to a number of models) and I have NEVER damaged the needle tip. I understand that the new version of the Xtreme has a new nozzle (much like the T&C Omni) that is reversible, allowing you to have a protected needle, and an exposed needle when reversed. Because the Xtreme 105 shares the same DNA as its sibling, you can use the needles/nozzles and air caps from the standard 105 of you need a larger needle set. I have a 0.5 available if I need to spray varnishes or metallics and I think the 0.3 is not the right fit.
The new needle and nozzle set allows for a more elongated linear flow angle. What this means is that you can get hairline fine details, up to 2” wide lines, all from the same needle and nozzle. This is impressive, as other airbrushes require you to choose between fine or broad line detail. All that being said, you still need to thin your paints appropriately and ensure you have the correct PSI to get these results, but being able to switch from my primer to my base, and then secondary and detail coats all with the same needle is a huge bonus.
The Xtreme 105 comes in 2 variants. The standard X105 has a 1/3 oz color cup which will hold enough paints or primer to negate the need for constant refills. While the cup is large, I don’t find that it obstructs the users view the same way some other airbrushes do. With that said, if you are trying to get in close, it can get in the way. The Xtreme Arrow comes with a 1/16 oz color cup. This will appeal to detail sprayers or those who paint minis, allowing you get in nice and close without obstructing your view.
Also included with this airbrush is the addition of a Precision Air Control or PAC dial. This dial allows you to dial the pressure up and down at the brush and create effects. I will admit that I don’t use this much as I have an inline pressure adjust that I use, but I have played with the PAC when adding pre-shading to panel lines and it is helpful for getting just the correct airflow for the thinned out paints.
As with the standard 105, there is a cutout in the handle exposing the needle chuck. This allows users to quickly retract the needle and clear paint clogs without removing the handle. I have not had to do this much honestly, as this airbrush has handled primers, base and top coats with the 0.3mm needle pretty well- however, your experience may be different based on your paint line.
The brush is equipped with PTFE seals, meaning you can spray any type of paint through this without fear of damaging your seals. The needle seal is very strong and I have not had to replace mine in the 1.5 years I have owned this airbrush. It is not designed as a user replaceable part, so if you do wear it out, you may need to send it in for servicing, but that is not an onerous task.
That leads me to Badgers customer service. What can I say about their customer service aside from that is AMAZING. Every Badger Airbrush has a lifetime warranty. If you need to service your airbrush, you send the airbrush, a note telling them what the problem is, and a shipping and handling fee for return, and they will return your airbrush to you good as new. There is a caveat that there may be a charge for any parts, but I have never heard of Badger charging for any parts, and I have read so many testimonials on the groups I belong to about Badger sending parts to customers directly. This is one of the reasons that Badger has such a loyal user base.
So…do I recommend this airbrush? If my review reveals nothing, it should show that I am a HUGE fan of this airbrush. I have an Xtreme 105 in my toolkit, and I don’t expect that will change anytime soon. Priced around $100 USD, this is an ideal brush for the beginner as it is easy to use and get great results from, and it will appeal the experienced user who is looking for a good detail brush. It keeps pace with more expensive airbrushes and for the dollar to performance ratio, it’s hard to beat!
