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Paint Sprayer Recommendation ?

Design2Reno | Posted in Tools for Home Building on January 11, 2007 07:22am

Hello Everyone,

I am interested in purchasing a paint sprayer for mainly interior work.  I have been looking at the Wagner TWINSTROKE 9140S but then I read somewhere that I should be looking at a High Volume/Low Pressure (HLVP) for interior work.

Does anyone have tips or recommendations?

Thanks, Dennis
 

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  1. TomT226 | Jan 11, 2007 09:04pm | #1

    Depends on what you're spraying.  HVLP is fine for lighter bodied material, but will spray acrylic/latex thinned.  A pressure tank is a must.

    Airless is the best, IMHO, as there is less overspray which you get even with the best of HVLP, and you don't have to wag a compressor around.

    I keep the HVLP in my shop, and my Wagner 642, which I'm trying to sell for $325-low hours-great-condition, goes to jobs.

     

  2. bc | Jan 11, 2007 09:55pm | #2

    buy a graco...you can get one at HD...

    1. CAGIV | Jan 12, 2007 07:06am | #7

      HD sells a lesser grade of Graco, many of which can not be re-packed, be sure to check into it.

      We have all Graco equipment, 2 airless (1 for laq 1 for paint) and an HVLP which doesn't get much use anymore.

      I can't recall the model numbers, the airless we use for paint is a larger unit bought from the paint supply store and the laq unit is a smaller throw away unit bought at HD, all of them have served us well

  3. frenchy | Jan 11, 2007 10:36pm | #3

    interior work use airless!

     less overspray,  faster application, ability to cover walls quickly,  I sprayed the exterior of my house with one in three hours,  once I painted all the trim I had less than a day doing my whole 1 1/2 story house..

     However if you want a really fine finish on furniture or other nice wood work  then you need to use a HVLP gun.. (but I suspect it would take a year to spray the exterior of my house with one <G>)

  4. willyx2 | Jan 12, 2007 04:29am | #4

    Stay away from the diaphram airless sprayers, when I started out spraying I had a campbell hausfeld, noth'n but trouble, very finicky operation, I have a titan sprayer now it is bombproof, go with a bigger sprayer and you wont be sorry.  It gives you more options with differents finishes.   I also have a capspray hvlp 4 stage, if you go hvlp (for doors,trim,furniture and woodprojects) this is great for finish work-hvlp has a better transfer rate of paint to project (less overspray).  Always remember buy the best tool you can afford, and you wont have any regrets..

    good luck

    1. 5brown1 | Jan 12, 2007 05:50am | #5

      My Campbell Hausfield airless has been a great tool for over 15 years.
      Just clean it up good and do the recommended maintenance.

      1. User avater
        james | Jan 12, 2007 06:58am | #6

        If it is a diaphram pump stay away from any heavy coatings and keep an eye on your hours. My first airless was a diaphram CH and it lasted thru 2.5 jobs. one was an exterior lightwell/stairwell, it worked flawlessly. The next was a diningroom/ kitchen... we sprayed tuff hide .. then oil primer on the trim ( when it was installed ) then applyed paint to the walls etc.. worked well....

        the last job was a whole flat paint job. it made it thru the priming stage ( again tuff hide as there was lots of wall repairs. ) and then gave up about 1/2 way thru the wall color..  imediately purchased a Grayco 495st pro and have not looked back... that was 8 years ago and the only thing I have done is clean the thing and replace wear items that are obtainable from most any paint retailer.

        so you can see that the CH was not a stellar preformer for me.. the verdice was that the diaphram blew. I attempted to get another as that part had a lifetime gaurentee.. their costumer service was pretty bad and I gave up... ended up giving it to my dad as he was going to paint his exterior.

         

        james

        1. 5brown1 | Jan 12, 2007 04:24pm | #9

          I did have the diaphram give out about 8 years ago. It is inexpensive and easy to replace. Just called the company 800 number and they sent it right out. I got a spare but have not had to use it yet. By the way they sell rebuilt units directly from the company. One can save some money. I got a rebuilt two tank compressor from CH which lasted about 10 years until I screwed it up.
          Just saying that I have had good luck with CH products. I have several of their nailers as well. I'm not a full time user of these tools but I have built a 4-plex,4 duplexes a new house and lots of remodeling, painting and roofing and they have held up for me.
          If I were doing any of the above full time I would probably spend more money and get lighter nailers. However I would not hesitate to use their compressor or paint machines again.

        2. User avater
          BarryE | Jan 14, 2007 07:01am | #12

          I can see why. Tuff Hide takes a good size pump. At least 1 gpm such as a graco 1095 or bigger.

          Barry E-Remodeler

           

          1. User avater
            james | Jan 15, 2007 05:07am | #17

             

            I can see why. Tuff Hide takes a good size pump. At least 1 gpm such as a graco 1095 or bigger.

             

             

            I know, I know , I know..... but it is what we had at the time and it had alredy payed for itself so i figured why not.... I don't miss that buzzing noise at all, it is nice to just hear a little ka-chunk, ka-chunk.....

             

            james

          2. User avater
            BarryE | Jan 15, 2007 05:36am | #18

            as long as you knew. <G>BTDT

            Barry E-Remodeler

             

  5. User avater
    BruceT999 | Jan 12, 2007 07:11am | #8

    Airless double stroke piston (pumps on both strokes)is best. I got a great deal on a refurb Wagner unit like this one, from Gleem Paint.

    http://www.gleempaint.com/0512006a-wagner-9170.html

    BruceT
    1. Billy | Jan 14, 2007 06:54am | #11

      Bruce,

      Do you have any thoughts on whether this HVLP conversion gun would work for occassional use?  It would be used mainly for cabinets, trim, and doors.

      http://www.gleempaint.com/hvcongunnew.html

      Thanks,Billy

      1. User avater
        BruceT999 | Jan 14, 2007 08:33am | #13

        It looks like it will work OK. Turbine guns deliver continuous air and you control the paint you introduce into the air stream. Conversion guns get their air from a compressor same as a conventional cup gun; whenever you pull the trigger you release both paint and air at the same time.Presumably you like the conversion gun because of cost and you already have a compressor? HVLP uses a lot of air (HV means High Volume). Ask Gleem how many CFM the gun demands at the recommended pressure for the kind of paint you will use. One customer said he used 40# for latex. Can your compressor deliver enough CFM at 40# to keep up? If not, you will be stopping and waiting for the compressor to catch up while your wet edge is busy drying on you.BruceT

        1. Billy | Jan 15, 2007 12:18am | #15

          Thanks, I noticed they didn't list the CFM and pressure requirements for the gun.  I'll give them a call.  I'll probably be spraying mostly oils and some (thinned) latex.  The wet edge would be more of a serious problem with a fast-drying lacquer, although I would have to keep an eye on it in any event.

          Billy

           

          Edited 1/14/2007 4:30 pm ET by Billy

          1. Adrian | Jan 15, 2007 01:11am | #16

            Airless for latex etc paint.....air-assisted airless or HVLP + pressure pot for lacquers.....Kremlin first choice, then Asturo. Graco....not on my list.Cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

          2. User avater
            BruceT999 | Jan 15, 2007 07:10am | #19

            Wet edge is also a problem with new latex acrylic gloss & semi-gloss paints with very low VOC because they flow poorly and dry fast.BruceT

  6. Mooney | Jan 12, 2007 06:49pm | #10

    I cant keep up with all the brands anymore . Seems like there are more brands than the barn cat has kittens.

    Graco still holds number one attention from pros but they arent all that above some other brands. Whats easy tyhough about Graco is parts. Most major paint stores stock some if not a lot of their parts.

    Piston pump versus diafram..

    I dont now what a diafram costs now but high build should not be sprayed through one . They are a light unit both in weight and material to be used. 100 bucks will buy a new head that has all the working parts that go out and it pays to keep a diafram. They are exellent units to use as laquer and stains only along with oil primers.

    Heavy latex should always be spayed through a bigger pistion of at least 1/2 gal per minute . Heavy builds are sprayed with 3/4 to 1 gpm. Those are in the 3000 dollar range. 1/4 and 1/3 pistons sell in the 3 to 600 range and arent any more powerful than a diafram. Once you let rust set up on the sleeve and the rod you might as well chunk the unit because repairs cost more than the unit . So keeping mineral spirits in a steel unit is very important . Over years the rod and sleeve will still rust and cause excessive wear to packings.

    Ive got a stainless steel unit that is rated life time that so far has went 15 years with out the first replacement packings being installed although it was in the higher range of price .

    So it depends on what you want .

    Tim

     

  7. User avater
    kanaka | Jan 14, 2007 08:50am | #14

    Another thing to think about is how many gallons you'll be spraying on the average. No real need to get big unit if you'll be spraying less than a hundred gallons a day. That was the recommendation of the manager at the local ICI Paint Store. I don't and he recommended the Graco 395 or equivalent, and that's what I bought. It has served me well enough to do the occasional interior/exterior remodel I have to end up painting. I like thae fact that it's a piston pump and has a DC motor that doesn't run continuously when it's turned on, just when you're spraying.

    I also like the short wand that Graco sells. For cabinets, louvered doors, etc. I use a Graco 4900 HVLP, that I got a great deal on.

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