Best HLVP paint spray gun?

[Hozzie]

Cleaning is actually very easy. Take the suction line and put it in hot soapy water and run the remaining paint back into the can. When it starts running thin, run the rest into a 5 gallon bucket until it is clear. Takes me maybe 5 minutes to clean mine up.

 

[sdquick]

I have a graco "bucket sprayer" and I love it and think that you will be very happy. But I also love this little guy for small jobs. (Available in corded and battery power).

https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Cordle...tery+paint+sprayer&qid=1554488637&s=hi&sr=1-2

 

[Industrial Toys]

I'm thinking more with enamal. A friend paints stuff, using GRACO air powered pump, airless sprayers. Maybe goes through 500 5 gallon pails a year and only scrapes the crap off the nozzel with a knife and is usually good to go. He always heats the paint.

 

[ray66v]

If you want to do big jobs, there is no question a big pump sprayer is ideal.

A pump sprayer should be "exercised" periodically. Sitting for long periods of time requires specific procedures, to help prevent problems.

For this reason, I can usually borrow a pump when I need it, because my friends would rather have theirs get used, than just sit.

Renting is always an option for the big jobs too.

If I am spraying less than a gallon of paint, the Graco spray gun is the better way to go.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I used to do more paining of equipment, but even then, I never wanted to deal with the issue of trying to clean a hose. I even did try an airless Wagner system once, and had a special fitting machined so that I could use cut-off 2 litre pop bottles instead of the tray. So much, do I dislike cleanup.

I don't remember what happened, but it clearly irritated me enough to result in this. View attachment 598964

hehehehe - I do believe that you disliked that Wagner a bit. Very funny.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I have a graco "bucket sprayer" and I love it and think that you will be very happy. But I also love this little guy for small jobs. (Available in corded and battery power).

https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Cordle...tery+paint+sprayer&qid=1554488637&s=hi&sr=1-2

Does that flexible bag bother you? I'm assuming that you simply throw the bag away when you're done?

 

[DMax82]

Does that flexible bag bother you? I'm assuming that you simply throw the bag away when you're done?

I have a corded version of the sprayer listed above, and also a Graco bucket sprayer. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. As you might expect, the bucket sprayer is great for spraying large quantities, but can be a pain to move around. Inside I put it on a rolling cart. Outside on a pallet that I move with my tractor. Cleanup is also a bit of a pain. The small one is great for small projects. Refilling the bag gets frustrating though. All that said, I really love them both. I can't imagine painting shiplap any other way (I tried with a roller and brush - it took so much longer and didn't look nearly as good.) Works great for exterior siding too.

 

[lennyzx11]

I’m following this with interest as I bought a Graco magnum x7 last year. I first used it to paint some porch swings and Adirondack chairs before I assembled them.

I wasn’t impressed. The thing went through paint super quick with little coverage so bad I put it away and brush and rolled the remaining pieces.
I have a bunch of projects that I’d like to use it for so I guess I’ll dig it back out and try again as I follow this thread.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Good info! Looks like I was about to bark up the wrong tree. Almost all of my painting will be with latex. So - airless is the way to go, eh?

I bought an el cheapo Wagner airless years ago for (I think) $149. I painted the house and the barn with it, and figured it didn't owe me anything. When I put it away I filled it with a light pump oil. A couple years later I decided to paint all the doors in the house. Getting the sprayer working again was tricky because the valves were sticky, but blowing them open with the air compressor got them working again, and all the doors got painted. It's been sitting in the barn for 10 years, so I don't know if I can get it working again or not. I recently painted a small utility trailer, and just bought a dozen cans of rattle can rather than mess with it.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I went ahead with the Grayco TtrueCoat360 for $166 OTD. I selected that due to needing some overhead and floor painting.

Sure hope I didn't make a mistake, but the truth is, there are so many makes and models of airless paint sprayers out there, all claiming to be the best of something or the other, that after a few hours of building and reviewing a bid-tab, it makes oneself want to just stay with a brush and roller.

Many thanks for the various viewpoints and recommendations.