Grex | Genesis XT Double Action Side Gravity Feed Airbrush
Reviewed by Floyd S. Werner, Jr.
Have you ever been painting a model and had your trigger finger cramp up. I have, especially when doing Luftwaffe modeling, maybe what you need is a better way to airbrush. Enter the GREX Genesis.XT. I first saw the GREX product line at the IPMS/USA Nationals. Emblazoned in the lime green booth were some excellent products for you to test drive. I was immediately impressed with the feel and action of all the airbrushes. The Genesis.XT was the first time I've had the pleasure to use a trigger style airbrush.
Amazingly, the Genesis.XT can do everything from a fine line to larger area coverage. Fitted with a .35mm nozzle and a 360 degree swiveling paint cup the airbrush is ideal for model painting. The action is easy enough, just pull back like a gun trigger and you are painting. The more you pull the more paint, typical double action. The further away you get from the model the larger the area of coverage.
The action of the trigger demonstrates the precision that is a hallmark of the entire GREX line. I also picked up the Genesis.XN ($139.98) and had great success with it as well. The GREX line works with the same style of hose as an Iwata. Everything about this airbrush exudes quality. The airbrush shows up in a lime green box encasing a plastic case with the airbrush including two reservoirs, paint cup cover, a wrench for disassembly and the instruction sheet. Everything is protected by foam packaging.
Looking nice is one thing performance is another and the truth is in the usage. The most difficult thing I can think of is Luftwaffe mottling. I ran mine at 5-10 psi and had no problem with either enamels or acrylics. I was able to do Luftwaffe mottling and also the gloss and flat coats. I really enjoyed the ease with which I was able to do the clear coats. It is unrivalled with how well it worked for this application. Also, and this is the best part, my fingers didn't cramp up even after all the testing and painting.
This airbrush, along with the traditional XN, has a prominent place on my paint bench. That is the best recommendation I can give. Just like every airbrush, the more you work with it the better you'll get. Practice, practice and some more practice.
The Genesis.XT is an exceptionally good airbrush that is a great value. What more do you need to know. If you are looking for a new airbrush consider the GREX Genesis series. You will not be sorry.
Highly recommended.
You can obtain your copy directly from GREX at http://www.grextools.com. Let them know you heard about it from here and from me.
© Floyd S. Werner, Jr.
This review was published on Saturday, July 02 2011; Last modified on Wednesday, May 18 2016