Recommendations for a paint gun?

[daugen]

I have been using rattle cans for decades. I now have the room and a nice large Quincy air compressor to consider using a
more professional method. It seems one can buy three guns for 89 bucks from China I'm sure:

Amazon.com: TCP Global® Brand HVLP Spray Gun Set - 3 Sprayguns with Cups, Air Regulator & Maintenance Kit for all Auto Paint, Primer, Topcoat & Touch-Up, One Year Warranty: Automotive

or you can spend 200-600 for professional grade guns alone. Iwata, DeVilbiss, Tekna, Astro, lot of different brand names.
and what size spray head is recommended for oil implement paint? Do you need one size head for primer and another for a gloss top coat?

What would you recommend for a beginner for use on mower decks, implement restoration, etc?
Is there a sweet spot or a minimum that you have to pay to get a decent repeatable spray pattern? And something that isn't
insane to clean...

Wagner makes some systems but my experience with Wagner equipment has not been good.
If I were going to spend 200 bucks on an air paint sprayer, what should I buy?

I'm thinking my technique, or lack thereof, is going to be more important that what brand I buy, but there is so much inexpensive Harbor Freight
style products out there I don't know where the value point is. I will use this on three or four small projects a year.

thanks. Drew

 

[DJ54]

I bought a HF HVLP gun 15 or so years ago. Works great for painting what I need to. Tractors, horse trailers, and implements.

Also got one of their touch up guns several year before that. holds maybe a pint of paint. Great for smaller jobs.

 

[Mysfyt]

I used Devibiss for many years and consider them in the top tier of sprayers. That being said, for just a few projects a year I would go with the HF. I would buy them to spray high solid primers and then throw them away when they were used up. They sprayed a decent pattern and lasted longer than their price indicated they would.

 

[blueriver]

What he said

 

[davesl708]

I have two Harbor Freight HVLP guns. One is gravity and the other pressurized. Both work fine for projects around here. I don't think I would want to repaint my car with them but for diving board platforms and garage doors they go great.

 

[daugen]

is the hv in hvlp high velocity, as in high pressure?
So what you are saying is not much difference for an amateur to go with a basic gun.
Assuming slightly thicker paint, what nozzle size do I need?

really appreciate the input.

 

[davesl708]

is the hv in hvlp high velocity, as in high pressure?
So what you are saying is not much difference for an amateur to go with a basic gun.
Assuming slightly thicker paint, what nozzle size do I need?

really appreciate the input.

High Volume Low Pressure. The paint manufacturer should recommend the nozzle size. Some of the paint guru's on here may know right size.

 

[George2615]

I have a 4 spray guns. A couple are from HF and work very well for implements and other projects that need painting. My others are Binks and Eclipse. That kit from Amazon looks like a good deal for what you want to paint.

 

[JerryK]

I still have my old Craftsman that came with my air compressor back in about 1972... works great for general painting. For some reason unbeknownst to normal folks.... I read the title and was thinking ' paint ball gun ' for some strange reason....

 

[strum456]

For spraying implement paint and the primer that goes with it, you would be fine with anywhere between a 1.4 - 1.8 tip, in my opinion. Proper reduction is necessary for that stuff to spray well. The Harbor Freight HVLP gun comes with a 1.4 tip, and would do the job, as has been mentioned. Another decent gun for implement paint and primer is the HVLP gun made by Vaper. It is available at Northern Tool and I think Amazon has it too. The VAPER gun is available in a lot of different tip sizes. I have one with a 2.3 tip for spraying high build and polyester primers. I use my HF gun for epoxy primer and implement paint. I save my Iwata LPH-400 for sealer, base and clear. If later down the road you find that you are spending several times more on a gallon of paint than you spent on your gun, it is definitely time to upgrade.