Testing A Paint Shaker / Mixer For Hobby Paints - Is It Worth $100 ??
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 лис 2021
- Today I test out a couple paint shakers / mixers. One of them is awful and the other is fantastic. Watch as I put it to the test with almost every bottle type in my collection. This shaker comes highly recommended by me.
If you have many paints in your inventory and if you paint often then I feel
you should own this great piece of equipment for your bench
Purchase the paint shaker here amzn.to/3qrrMJA
Get A Blue Paint Shaker Here amzn.to/3qnt5Jv
Get The Steel Shaker Balls Here amzn.to/3o7CFxu
Get My Empty Jars Here amzn.to/3086nKY
Get Your Paint And Gundam Kits Here :
www.gundamplanet.com?c=XKHXPj&referring_service=link
Get All Your Airbrush & Paint Supplies Here spraygunner.com?aff=10
Get Gundam And Supplies Here www.gundampros.com
Tell Them Barbatos rex sent you
Get Gundam & Other Model Kits Here :
galactictoys.com/?rfsn=569445...
Get All Your Miniatures Supplies Here
monumenthobbies.com/?ref=Barb...
Use Coupon Code "Barbatosrex" For 10% Off at Monument Hobbies above
Get A 10% at www.micromark.com with discount code "barbatosrex"
Follow me on Instagram barbatos_rex65
On Reddit u/Barbatos-Rex
Email triggerfish65@gmail.com
Logo Opener by Free Music | / fm_freemusic. .
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com...
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/.... - Навчання та стиль
I bought a medical lab vertex mixer (cost me over $500.00 in 1980's money) back in the 80's and it served me well for over 30 years. When it died a year back I started to look for a replacement with little joy. The medical grade ones are way too expensive and the eBay / Amazon offerings were weak and troublesome.
Then I watched your video and immediately ordered the one you showcased, and it is as powerful and efficient as my original. It looks to be very sturdy and I bet this one will outlive me (as I'm in my 70's now)
I always enjoy your videos and am looking forward to you upcoming paint line.
Kudos, sir!
I use this every day and is worth every penny they charged for it. Thanks for watching and have a wonderful day 👍
I've had this mixer since about August (I put a video of it on the Warhammer40k sub Reddit mixing Tesaract Glow), it has been a great addition that has extended my painting sessions.
Plus my 5 year old loves it, I'll be painting and she randomly comes up and sticks her nose in the vibrating bit, makes her giggle like a loon!
Edit: I often find that thicker paints mix better when you mix the bottle on its side, especially metallic paints.
Another edit: always check your paint caps before mixing and half way through mixing, I've had the vibration work the cap off, I have Vallejo Gory Red all over my workspace wall now!
I keep a sandwich sized slide-loc bag for mixing paints in. I had a lid break once while shaking by hand, and so I never go without the bag. I even bag things that go in my ultrasonic cleaner. It's cheap insurance :)
Some people say they aren't worth it but to me it makes a huge difference with army painters, Ammo by MIG and any metallic paint. Makes a huge difference with metallics
I just use a mixing ball and dillute the paint accordingly. I just reshake it by hand when needed. I dont think its a waste of money you could have used on paints or kits because it makes you save time and strenght you used shaking it.
If you paint on the daily and use your paints every few days then a manual shake is all you'll need.
But if you sometimes go a few weeks between painting...or months...this is a great quality of life addition to your painting kit.
I never thought that I'd consider a $100 paint mixer, but after watching this, I really want one!! That looks really great!
Thanks Robert! another great product, I was a little dubious about the vortex mixers until this one, I've just ordered one because in my mind they are a great help and saves a lot of time and pain!!
Great video! I bought this mixer from your link it is super quick and way better than any other unit I have ever used. It was worth every penny, Thank you!
A follow-up. I got this paint mixer a few weeks ago, and I have to say this is the best investment I've made in a long time! I have to thank you Barbatos Rex, for showing us all these things that will enable us to have more success in our hobby!!
I've been mixing lots of paint including 30+ year old paint that I still have around. This mixer really does the job! I wish I've had one of these years ago because it does a superb job at mixing paint.
I'm convinced. From the looks of your frugality in other areas, you know this will pay for itself in time, frustration and of course the expense of little plastic throwaway containers that ruin the environment. Thank you for the review! Oddly enough, I've actually cracked paint jars with mixing bearings in them before just by manually shaking them.
Thank you Sir. Definite buy now for me. Saves my wrist and having to cut spruces as my mixing sticks. Be safe and wishing you more success.
Thanks buddy, you won't be disappointed with this purchase. This thing is great
Thank you for this review - not sure how I never looked into or knew about these so instantly bought one based on your extremely thorough examination. :)
I purchased one of these also, oddly didn't look at reviews first. Super happy you made one though because that is SOOOO satisfying to watch,. I can't wait until mine arrives!!
I just bought one of these (the green one like you are using) and it does a great job. I'm very impressed by the ease of use and how well-mixed the paints get in just a few seconds. I hate endlessly stirring paint to get a completely mixed solution, so this is likely a very good $100 purchase. I hope it lasts a good long time as that will be the final test.
These are great and totally worth it for me. As I'm always shaking paints and that gets to you after a while and that affects your airbrushing because of tired hands. The company sent me they're top model so I'll be testing that one soon
I really like the line, I like to test everything. That’s good for me and others. Saves us a ton of money and time wasted. Thanks for doing so.
Wow this thing is very impressive. Worth every penny. Imma have to get this. Thanks for sharing. You are the man!
Thanks for the great test/review, I had a look at a few as my Army Painter bottles are always SO seperated. I ended up buying a large box type - comes with on /off switch, bigger rubber section for the bottle to sit in and speed control - it ended up the cheapest for me too .. $ 40.00
I got a similar mixer (seems like yours is more powerful) for my birthday and I really love it. For thicker paints like Vallejo Model Color, sometimes I give it a few sharp shakes to dislodge the really thick layer of medium in the bottom. The stirrer will do it eventually, but a bit of pregaming cuts the time in half, easily.
Thank you for this review. I was going to buy another one but after seeing your video I decide to buy this.
I’m going to get it for the funny farty noise it makes. Hours of laughter.
Lol
ass an added bonus it mixes paint too!
Used these things for years when I was slinging pipettes back in the day (molecular biologist). When I got into model painting I really wanted one for my paints. Might have to go and get one of these.
This device is magical, i have the same exact one (with red top) and its wonderful for metallic paints and standard acrylic paints. Totally worth it.
I use this thing everyday, a worthy addition to all benchs
Incredible find. Must have bench item for me! Thank you!
This thing is great. You won't be disappointed
I can vouch for the shaker. I have a version of it without the larger spread feet, its brilliant. In general I was very sceptical but the difference it makes really is huge. In particular the difference to MIG and Vallejo etc is worth it alone and I have gone from avoiding some of these paints when I could to using any at any time.
Thanks. Great review. I'm just getting back into the hobby after 50 years, but you really need the tools to do the job. I grew up in the UK with Airfix, with tons of gaps and enamel paint all over my hands...
Just bought one from the same company based on your great review. I couldn't get the one you have in Australia, but I got one in the same range. It's also got great modeling paint reviews.
I picked this up on Prime days for $75. Very happy with it! I threw a Model Master metallic that has easily been sitting for years and this mixed it pretty well without a mixing ball! I dropped in a metal bearing ball and it was like new paint. Very impressive. I'd rather have the Typhoon but this should work. Thank you Robert!
I was literally shopping for one right now and looking at reviews for mixers and thinking that the reviews sucked.. And then I got the notification for your video!
Now that's timing. This thing is awesome, money well spent for sure
Yep…you got me on this one. Thanks for sharing!
ALL your videos are so helpful. I can't get enough of them.
I just ordered the Four E's Scientific Vortex Mixer (blue) + 200 x 3/16" stainless steel ball bearings. I'm in Canada, so the mixer was $176 and ball bearings $23. After watching this video a couple of times, I'm absolutely certain I can justify the cost. Been using my workhorse Badger Paint Mixer for a long time, and it's done a fantastic job with most paints (saw your video on it "Testing 3 Hobby Paint Mixers And 1 Epoxy Mixer"). However, you just convinced me that it's time for an "upgrade." Am looking forward to receiving and using it.
Thanks for sharing your evaluations!
One of if not my best piece of equipment on my bench. Money well spent. Good luck my friend and let me know when you get it
@@barbatosrex9473
I received the 4E's vortex mixer yesterday, but let it warm up overnight (it was minus 12 degrees here), as it was left on my front porch for a few hours.
Anyhow, I tried it today, and all I can say is "WOW." This is definitely going to be my new favorite toy.
It does take a few tries before you get the hang of it, but once "mastered" it works great, and so much fun to use.
I have several Testors enamel paint jars (small, glass rectangular ones) from up to 30 years ago (I don't throw anything out - my wife thinks I'm a hoarder). So I decided to give it a go with these paints, knowing that the pigment usually solidifies at the bottom of the jar. To my astonishment, many if not most of the ones with solvent still on top of the pigment mixed perfectly with the vortex mixer - I was not expecting it to work so well on 30 year old paint. I have many that are completely dried up, but may try to restore them somehow, just for the fun of it (as I'm writing this, I'm watching your latest video "How To Restore Your Dried Up Paint - Save Your Lacquer Paints").
I tried a few more new paints, and it worked fantastically. I haven't tried mixing with a ball bearing yet, but will try soon.
Thanks again for the in-depth review of the mixer (and everything else you test). You sold me on it, and very happy you did.
@@michaelm.7703 that's awesome my friend. It's a great product that I use every day. Best of luck with it 👍
I bit the bullet and got the Four E’s for $107 from Amazon. I’ve had it for about a year. Well worth it. I add a stainless steel ball to each bottle or pot. Works wonders.
I have nerve damage in my back, and shaking paints is difficult and painful. I bought the Four Es Scientific Laboratory Vortex Mixer for about $80 on Amazon year ago. It was an amazing help, and I can't paint without it now.
Just received my paint shaker it works awesome, love it
Great piece of equipment, a must have for your bench
Just placed an order for one. Thanks for your help
having an agitator helps for sure. I bought some hematite beads because I once made the mistake of using BBs (like you'd put in a BB gun) and they rusted. But glass or hematite won't rust.
My Badger electric paint stirrer works just fine. But if buying for the first time, this thing sure would be tempting, although the price a little steep....if mixing a lot of bottles, this is the way to go, thanks for the review and over 30.000 subs....
This device is pretty cool. I could really use this. Thanks for sharing BR.
Anytime my friend
Nice review of commercial products. Made a nice homemade shaker from a Harbor Freight oscillating multi-tool and a electrical box cutout saw. Velcro straps keep paint bottle on thick sponge mounted inside of cutout saw. Works with any size bottle and I don't have to hold the bottle.
Thanks for your great review of this mixer!! Based on your review I bought one of these FOUR E’s. It’s amazing at mixing my Createx Wicked Colors bottles that have never been opened. It really does a good job. Now I just have to get some SS balls to make the mixing even quicker.
It's a great piece of equipment. I use mine every day. Good luck with it. 👍
Nice review. That one is something that I would love to have...
Way to go after watching your video I had to buy one. Found it on Amazon with a $6 coupon and an additional top cup for only $101. Thanks for the video it is very much appreciated.
thanks a ton for showing this off!
Anytime my friend 👍
@@barbatosrex9473 got mine in last night and damn is this thing nice to have. Thx again!
@@Sharkey007x this is a great piece of equipment to have on your bench. I use mine every day. Great purchase
It was pricey but after watching this video I pulled the trigger. Especially after seeing the Metallics mixed. I use them a lot especially sms paints and recently Gpaints. Thanks for the review.
Bought this Four Es vortex mixer on your recommendation. Works very well, thanks.
You're welcome buddy, it's a great piece of equipment
Thank you again. I like this one
I have one of the $20 ones that you just strap the bottle in to. It's a game changer for making painting more fun.
Thank you for the review!
The “extra” usb is a requirement in my shop, where every outlet gets fought over😎
Update: my wife has uncharacteristically approved this purchase 😱☺️
Smart woman 👍
You better buy 2. If the wife likes it you can be sure you won't get to use it, unless you hide all her nail varnish.
Due to the movements and vibration no wonder it has another popular application for the ladies 🤣 mixes paint too
@@davidhiscock1969 😂
@@MrSneakyGunz imagine the sales if it was portable 🤣
Thanks for the review very helpful as all you videos are
This thing is amazing! So glad we don't *have* to use the ball bearings since I have a lot of paints with glass jars like gaia and mr hobby paints, don't want the bearings to potentially shatter the jar
I have the same style shaker of the first one you showed and I never had an issue with it running when not being pressed. I have noticed often it not wanting to start despite me pressing the bottle into it. Whatever the reason for this, I find that placing the top of the Vallejo type bottles down into the grove tends to make it work 90% of the time on the first try, and when I flip it I usually don't have issues. For someone like yourself with a million different paint bottles lol I think the 100 dollar one is worth it, but all I use is Vallejo and Tamiya (which I have an electric paint stir for) so I'm fine with my cheap mixer. Plus it's usb rechargable so I don't even have to have it plugged in.
Definitely something I've been looking into but don't feel the need quite yet... even if shaking some paints makes my arm fall off.
One thing to be careful of is the ball bearings. Unless they're marine steel or close to it, they will rust in water-based paints. I've had them in acrylics for several years and noticed they did change the colour of lighter shades. When I got a whole new set of paint I tested 2 sets of so-called stainless steel bearings in salt water (that speeds up potential rust) and within a few weeks, the water of both was muddy brown.
Marine steel would work but is much more expensive than anything else. You can also use glass beads, non-ferrous metal, or hematite jewellery beads. The latter is what I use now and even though they are lighter than glass or metal, they do work okay, and even though they are technically rust, I left them in salt water for months before adding to paints and it made no difference to the water. They're also incredibly cheap.
I should add that a lot of the bearings that come in paints already are a high-grade stainless steel and don't pose much of a problem. The ones sold on Amazon and eBay etc tend to be of a lower cheaper grade though.
Arrived without delay despite the holiday, go Amz! First test, I'd say it blasted my Testors flat steel from completely settled to homogeneous in about 3secs, compared to around 10-15secs for the previous 3krpm model. FYI, both machines have throttling capability if you use a light touch. This one seems to transfer less vibration to the table; tried it right on the main desk with some warhammer figs 2ft away and they didn't dance at all. Very cool.
That's awesome, good luck with it buddy. I just used mine a few minutes ago prepping for a new video
That’s awesome. I wonder how this would work with spray paint. I guess I should have waited until the end.😃👍👍
For sure 😉
Every 4-5 months,i check all my paints,every have a metallic mixing ball inside,literally brake my elbows,especially with the Vallejo model color,even i add thinner and flow improver inside...this shaker will be my chritsmas gift,hope the price will reduced with the black friday !
Great video as always,thanks !
Well, I know what my next modeling purchase will be. That looks to be an outstanding product.
And gratz on 30K subs!!!
This video is absolutely fantastic, because it clearly shows the difference between a good brand and a cheap Chinese knockoff. I have the Four E’s one and it works like magic. Worth every penny.
I had the awful one for 5 minutes and I started to box it up to send back when my wife said why don't you show the bad one in the video too so credit her with that one
Funny I bought this same shaker before I watched this review. :)
Thanks for the confirmation.
Going in my Christmas list, but not sure I will wait that long. Thanks.
I have never been more content watching paint getting mixed
you can use this for cleaning out small airbrush parts like the nozzle, if you dont have a sonic cleaner. just put in a small jar with some solvent and mix. does the trick
A good paint shaker is so valuable, specially for metals. It saves time and paints are better mixed :)
I got the FOuR E's unit after watching this. It's a beast! My only gripe is using the USB connector for the power. If it was one of the larger ones like USB-C, or a standard barrel socket, it would be better.
Yea I definitely have to order me one to use for my paints
It's awesome, you'll love it.
I got the blue topped one. Paints I thought were lost are fresh and usable again.
That's great, it's an awesome product for sure
Nice - even has led lighting lol.
I got the one with a blue triangle base and grey top - slightly cheaper but works great.
awsum video i just purchased the smaller Four E's from amazon £99 works lovely for my vallejo paints :)
Four E's is a pretty good brand from what I've seen. I have a few pieces of their lab equipment, and everything has been great so far. Now I got something else to buy from them. :)
Really dig it when they use a micro USB power cord. Something we all have laying around. Don't have to worry about losing a 6V or 9V power cable with the right end. Wish everything would go to that. Now everything is USB-C anyone who isn't into those other lesser phones will have a ton of extra cords lying around. You can tell by the sound of that one hitting the table it's super heavy and should equal a solid-built motor.
Was gonna get the vortex paint shaker pretty soon, wasn't the one you showed first but the other real popular one " lab genius" but not sure how well it works, just know it's a popular one. But now I know how well this works, I'm getting this one hands down. Thanks for all of your reviews, just not this one. Love the channel
Thanks my friend
I got one of these yesterday (different brand though). My newer paints were mixed really well went testing it. I did a bigger test: I have 10+ year old master model paint that I bought a few years back from a collection (300+ paints and supplies). Some of this stuff looked unsavable. How wrong I was when I used my vortex mixer on it. In about 30 seconds, it was like if it was brand new. I did 30 or so bottles of it. Only 2 were bad. The rest, perfect, or at least near perfect. Older Tamiya paint that I got from the same collection mixed like as if it was new. Now I haven't tried painting with any of these yet but the consistency of the paint was like new. So if you have any older paint and you're not sure if its good or not, try it with one of these mixers and it may come back to life. (note: I did NOT add any ball bearings into the paint, but probably will to make things easier).
Dear Barbatos Rex,
I am Zhang Jingbo, officier of FOUR E'S. I am here to thank you for acknowledging us as one of the best paint shakers, entertaining all the model paint universe, so we suggest getting your authorization to use your video on the Amazon store, thank you.
Sure, you have my permission to use my video for your great shaker
This is awesome I am going to buy one, I have early stage 3 rheumatoid arthritis and a majority of the time I find holding stirrers difficult, and vigorous shaking causes painful flairs in my shoulders then I cannot do anything for days until it subsides, I build model cars during the winter months and this will enable me to to do it pretty much pain free thanks for this great review of this mega product I know it's just a simple tool it's easy to take something as simple as shaking for granted thanks again.. ps I got just as excited recently when my mum bought me a better electric tin opener lol all the best from the UK.
You might want to think twice about getting a device like this with your condition. You do have to hold the bottle constantly, and it does vibrate the heck out of your hand and wrist. It’s a mini jackhammer in your hand.
@@deanjohn9203 really, didn't realize they was that violent while running I thought it would be more like an electric vibrating sander which would be ok for 2-3 second bursts but I think it will be fine because if I am struggling my wife can use it she moans when I give her a stirring mission with the colours I am using at the time plus she crafts as well so still worth the investment, any way thank you for replying with your concerns they are truly valid ones and now I know what to expect thanks again take care..
I grabbed one of these this fall. They are super on the smaller bottles. Bigger bottles, it struggles a bit. Overall I'm happy with it. Worth the money. By the way, they are a/c only. Not a "charger on the back".
You might have misunderstood, the back has a built in charger for you to plug in a standard USB cord. It's next to the a/c input. I was charging my phone with it today. It's actually a feature that's listed on Amazon
The Sms and Mrp paints I feel like they give you the results you would get by thinning mr color or tamiya laqcuers down with 40%paint to 60% leveling thinners or even more 30% paint to 70% leveling thinners. That is why its so great for camouflage patterns on tanks and planes.
Now that will definitely save you some time when making your whole paint lineup videos.
Geat review. The usb charger could be used with a coffee warmer to warm the paint also as some modellers do.
I finally bit the bullet and got one of these, your notice about Prime Day + $15 gift card let me get one for $77. I have a lot of Model Master acrylics that I used to use my normal Badger paint stirrer in but now that I can't get any more, I'm not thrilled to lose paint every time I stir it up. Also given that I have 100+ bottles of paint on my workbench, this will be seeing a lot of use in the coming years.
Just bought one! Been looking for a good mixer for sometime now. Great demo.
It's great. You'll love it
@@barbatosrex9473 I do love it! Just got mine today. Quiet and awesome power. Perfect for hobby paint jars all the way up to rattle cans. Motor has the power to handle all types. Thanks again for the review. You'll sell lots for Amazon!!! Shipping box was well presented and packed with the form used for optical equipment. This shows pride in the companies ability to produce grade A goods.
@@jimhantsch awesome. It's a high end medical equipment company and that reflects in the quality here. Good luck with it. I've used mine every day since I got it so it's money well spent.
Cue my inner old man but ... "Back in my day we didn't have any $100 vortex paint mixers... we had a badger paint stirrer that cost $12, and we liked it! ... Up hill!, both ways! ... IN THE SONW!!!!"
Great review.
Looks like this will be a handy purchase. A lot of my Tamiya paints to be shaken
I can't remember where I saw it recommended, but I bought 8mm hematite beads, and they work great... plus no rust!
G'day...just subbed....upfront, im a complete noob, just got some basic chinese brushes to paint my 3d printed rc bodys, but after watching i realised ive 5 tote boxs full of gundam, old starship yamato and new yamato 2099, all unbuilt, my fav is a MG Tallguese and MG Crossbone gundam so this m8 might be right up my ally....regards downunder
Just bought a "new, open box" unit on eBay. Cost me $84 with tax, shipped. Looking forward to using it with the Stynylrez I bought from Spraygunner. Thanks for turning me on to them, BTW!
You're welcome flyboy
Thank you
excellent review would by one from your link but I am in the UK.
Groovy!! I repurposed a blender as my paint mixer...it aint nowhere near that quiet..LOL
Thanks for the review! I’m wondering about bubbles though- does it cause more bubbling in the paint with the vortex? I like to use the Vallejo acrylic airbrush paints for some brush stuff sometimes for my application, but no matter how gently I shake them they’re always super bubbly… it’s annoying.
Nice!
Just one thing I’d like to add:
I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to use those steel bearing balls in every paint, as the substances (especially metallic particles) might react with the metal.
I didn’t do any research, but (being an engineer) I’m familiar with metals/substances reacting.
Best wishes!
Lay stubborn paints on their side. It does the initial mixing and then you can put the paint on vertically as you demonstrated.
@Barbatos Rex do you leave your mixer on all the time so it’s ready when you press your paint bottles on it or do you leave it turned off until you need it? Just wondering if it would be better to only turn the power switch on when you use it. Thanks.
You just save me money, I was about to buy the first one.
Man that one is awful. It was an experiment buying the $100 one after the epic fail of that first one but boy it's great. I don't mind spending the cash on good equipment
great product i will have to save for that thing
I just got one to replace my jigsaw mixer. I paid $50 . Works great
Some of the TruColor paints I purchased need a super shake. I might invest in one of these, will get the blue since lime green isn’t my color. Haha.
Wow, great product, I’m not at the level that I need something like this. But dang, what’s a product
Great review my friend.I got to tell you that the TYPHOON HD paint mixers will blow those ones away .Honestly.I have one and nearly all my Vallejo paints are over 5 plus years old. And I really can’t mix them by shaking them by hand. So I tried this mixer and WOW no worries about mixing old Vallejo paints.
Typhoon was supposed to send me one for review but he never did 🙁
@@barbatosrex9473 oh wow that’s a shame.it would have been a great comparison.
Great video :) I wonder if a palm sander would do the same job?
Fantastic video, allow me a comment, with vallejo acrylics you cant put inside a stainless steel metal bearing because it will harm the color etc, only glass bearings, they have a different consistency from migammo/ak etc
Four E’S also have a smaller version with 3000 rmp instead of 5000rmp, its cheaper too.
Be handy for thinning out Model Color with thinner and flow improver to air brush with.
Yeah, that was an insta buy. I use a jigsaw with a clamp attachment which i thought was doing good till i got the badger hand mixer. The hand mixer was night and day better for my Tamiyas. But it's messy and a PITA. This... This looks amazingly easy. I have hundreds of paints. I need this.
This thing is awesome. You won't regret this purchase.
@@barbatosrex9473 Yeah, this thing works great. All my old pots are good again. But, my 5 year old primers not so much. It mixed them but the poly in them must age out because they remain clumpy poo no matter how mixed it gets. My thanks is for you to take a look at the gunprimer raser kit. This is my new must own item. The 3 pack is voodoo magic for sanding down nubs, blemishes, and fixing scratches on model pieces. I have no idea how this works like it does, but it sands, polishes, and super polishes and I'm sitting here blown away after doing half my current MG RX-78-2 kit.