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You can use the windex or air brush cleaning fluid as a leak check, pour it over the tip and behind the needle and see if air is coming out where it isn't supposed to. There are some inside seals but they generally don't go bad unless someone has jammed something in there and scarred the seals somehow.
There is also supposed to be a vent, a miniature hole on the bottle cap so as paint is sucked out it drags in air. Sometimes people put the little cardboard bottle seal in wrong or paint has blocked that little hole.
I may try the Iwata next year. I like the Paasche, and dont have much trouble with it (depending on the paint). The Graftobian has to be shaken up all the time because it settles, and clumps if you don't and that caused some clogging. But like you said, take it apart, clean it out good, and put it back together and away you go (I did a lot of taking apart and cleaning out this year).
Its something to practice with in the off season too. You can certainly hone your techniques if you get a couple of practice heads (makeup stores sell them) and just practice using the guns for different effects. Thats where my left over makeup goes from the season. I use it in the shop to practice new looks and honing my skills with the airbrush.
In the early days I bought every accessory Paashe made. I found I was indeed replacing tips and needles and added a special cut away rear body so you can pull back the needle without taking it apart, a special tip that exposed the needle more so you can wipe and go instead of tearing down and cleaning as often. I was spending lots of money to do lots of work and buying back up guns incase something got bent or needed special attention.
The Iwata units come with a matched needle and seat and that's it. Never had to replace it once in 15 years or use any special reshaping of the parts tools on it....Because it is a matched set, not just mass produced crap. Now the eclipse sells for $100 and HP-C gravity feed might be $140. To me it is exactly the same price. Iwatas are all metal, better allows and do not corrode, the rubber parts can handle all kinds of solvents and it is actually smaller and lighter, hence more comfortable for long term use. All for the same money by time you are done.
The other extreme is to get the $7 or $9 air brushes and throw them in the trash at the end of every job. I have heard of people doing a 1000 SF job and just dumping a Paasche in the trash and buying another one with no accessories for $35.
A real good airbrush will make you real good money. A lesser quality one will maybe get the job done. It just depends on how passionate you are going to be about the tool. My same airbrushes do makeup, masks, scenic design details, custom automotive and motorcycle paint jobs. I stopped buying things once I got the Iwatas and was making money instead of buying the next best thing.