LabGenius MI0101001 Mini-Vortex Mixer, Blue(Top)/Clear(Body)

I'm a miniature painter and I bought a cheaper vortex mixer thinking that I don't really need an expensive version. I was very wrong. The switch mechanism in the cheaper version broke so that it never shut off, so I had to unplug it after each use. Also, the cheaper unit doesn't shake enough to mix up some of my thicker paints or paints that had been sitting for a long time. I finally broke down and bought this mixer. This model is obviously more expensive, but the difference in quality is immediately apparent. The motor is much more robust and shakes my paint bottles very thoroughly, regardless of how thick or old they are. It also has a smaller footprint than the cheaper model, slightly less than 4" in diameter. It also stays in place when being used; it doesn't "walk" across the table. The durability remains to be seen as I've only used it a few days, but it mixes small paint bottles very thoroughly. Even the most stubborn paints only take 20 seconds to mix at most. This type of item is certainly a luxury, but it works beautifully. Strongly recommend.

I’m happy to have gotten this little guy to use for my nail polish. It is solid and compact, good quality. I was a little nervous that it was going to be uncomfortable to use since it vibrates your hand as you hold the polish to mix. But not so, it is just a little shaking, it does not bother me. It does an awesome job at mixing my polishes and thicker stamping polishes. If the stamping polishes are a little to thick I do add a little thinner to get it mixed. Works great with glitter, shimmers, flakies, etc. Mixes everything throughly. It is perfectly sized for me, just takes up a tiny space on my desk, about the size of a coffee cup or a little smaller. I always have it plugged and ready to go. When I got it was around eighty bucks, so I feel a got an awesome value, I do see the price fluctuate a lot, so keep an eye on it, you might get a good deal too.

Like many others, I picked this up for mixing paints for hobbying/miniature painting. For this, it's flawless. The unit is heavy, sturdy, and with the rubberized feet won't jump around your desk. It accepts any size/shape bottle I've thrown at it and handles the usual suspects very well. Citadel pots sit flush and mix flawlessly. Throw that chunky Corax white on get it nice and smooth. There is no overlooking the fact that this is expensive... However, once it has a place on your desk, you'll wonder how you ever lived with out. Tossing a paint on the mixer for 10 seconds and having your paint perfectly mixed is just too nice to ever go back to the endless shake weighting of paint bottles. My one gripe - the power source is large and awkward, taking up too much space on a power strip. Overall, a pretty minor inconvenience that doesn't take away from the fact that it does exactly what you'd want it to and seems to be fairly indestructible.

I use this powerful little whirlwind for remixing anything in a tiny bottle: paint, ink, nail polish, liquid watercolors. It swirls up pigment that has settled but produces fewer bubbles than a shaker. The mini-vortex feels & looks like a quality tool. Other paint/polish shakers looked junky to me & would take up too much precious real estate on my workbench. The mini-vortex measures 4” wide and 3 inches high. For the compact size, it’s deceptively heavy & stable. Of course, most bottles are not the size of a test tube, but just hold the bottom edge against the center to engage the motor, hold it there for 15 seconds or so. It does a great job. I also purchased some stainless steel ball bearings (will link) to make the job even more effective. Does it do as good of a job as those paint shaker gadgets? Probably not but I have yet to find an affordable one without multiple complaints that they stopped working. I imagine that all that shaking, surely shakes the motor apart? I’ve been using this Vortex for about six months without issues.

I've been needing something like this for too long. I use it to mix/shake miniature paints and finishes. What I like: Auto-start/stop (simply press the mix vial to the unit and it mixes until you release! It's relatively quiet. It' doesn't move around on the table due to weight and sturdy feet. Seems really durable and hopefully will last long time. I've used it for Vallejo and similar paint bottles as well as the Citadel pots with equal success. I was particularly impressed that some paints I haven't used in many years, were easily reconstituted when mixed with this vortex mixer! WOW ! Worth every penny spent and a good investment in your painting craft if that's what you're getting this for!

I am a 22 year traditional tattoo artists in a professional shop. I use this at my tattoo shop to mix up my inks well before I put them in the skin. I've noticed it makes the brightness and saturation of the colors better. You could never shake an ink bottle by hand like this thing does. Basically makes a liquid tornado form inside of the bottle. But I have found the best way to mix your most stubborn compacted inks is to shake them up and down by hand a little bit first then put them on the mixer then shake them by hand again then put them on the mixer again usually that gets even the most stubborn particles to break up. Occasionally you may have to lay it down sideways on the mixer if it's really super compacted Ink. Inks with the steel marble agitator inside work even better. You can hear the model get to spinning like a centrifuge. The only reason I'm not giving this five stars is because I liked it so much that I bought several for our shop but one of them we received had a sensor problem where it wouldn't shake correctly when you press the ink bottle down so I had to send it back and get a replacement. But one out of five is pretty good odds. Just check yours when you get it. Also the other brands that are a little bit cheaper have nowhere near the power that this one does ...this one is very powerful. Trust me I tried the cheaper one and it's no good. although I wish this one was a bit cheaper cause I would definitely buy more if so. The only way to make this better for tattoo artist is for a different rubber top that is specifically designed for industry standard ink bottle sizes instead of design for test tubes like this one is. Despite that it still works incredibly well. I plan to try it out on acrylic paints when I get back into painting soon as well

I couldn't figure out if the more expensive vortex mixers were worth it, or if a cheap one would suffice. I ended up getting both and I found out that there is a night and day difference between a $45 vortex mixer and a $90 vortex mixer. If you watch the attached video, you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm sending the cheaper one back. It simply doesn't get the job done. The LabGenius, on the other hand, shakes the ever-living-bejesus out of your paint and is a pleasure to use. It mixes paints super fast, even metallic paints (which is what I got it for). I think this is a solid 5 star product.

This little mixer means business! I am a professional eyelash artist and I use this to shake my adhesive. I know you can use it for paint, nail polish, or emulsions that need mixing as well. It is sturdy and doesn’t shake off the table. Easy to clean and is honestly incredibly helpful! This little lady saves my wrists from shaking my fluently and doubles down as a little wrist massager. Incredible!