Need paint sprayer help this AM-HVLP or airless?

[hazmat]

I'm going to buy a paint sprayer today - I'm leaning towards HVLP vs airless, but thought I'd ask here first.

Tasks (In order of use)

Latex & "Oil" paints - interior and exterior
Deck & House stains

Potential woodworking finishes - Poly, laquer, stain etc. (I think this is HVLP only?)

I would like to use the sprayer indoors, so overspray is an issue.

Also I don't want to spend a long time cleaning the unit.

What features/specs should I be looking for? Brands? I want to buy once, budget should be 3 figures not 4 /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Do the "power rollers" work well?

Thanks

 

[gsganzer]

In my opinion, you can't beat the versatility of a gravity fed HVLP sprayer for all the tasks you mentioned.

If you get the air and paint mix adjusted right, you can reduce the overspray. You'll never eliminate it though.

I just bought a new HVLP from Lowes on Saturday. It's an Ingersoll Rand (270?). It cost around $100 and seems like a pretty decent unit. If I didn't need one immediately, I would have searched around on e-bay to see what else is out there.

Regarding spraying latex. I talked with a guy at the Sherwin Williams paint store. He said you can spray latex from an HVLP. He said you need to add "Floetrol" to the paint. I'll be trying it this week on some raised panel interior doors. I'll let you know how it works.

 

[Spiffy]

IMHO, your list of tasks begs for different tools.

For large surfaces of thick [relative term] coating, like house piant, you'll want the airless to avoid thinning it enough for the fine atomizing in an air-gun [I have a devilbis with interchangable tips; you can get some serious paint through the large ones, but still not what I think of when painting wood items]. Also, if you don't have the fine atomization, overspray will be localized.

For something like stain though, the HVLP would be perfect. I haven't tried HVLP on stain [for the few times year I do staining, ussually just go hand rubbed, so I don't have to clean the gun]; but the way it works with enamals and laquers, I think you'd be pleased with stains.

On last note on guns; I got lucky and the Devilbis came with bag liners; I first thought it was hokey, but makes clean up easier and you can spray in muliple positions. I had some up-side down work (horse trailer) I was so concerned about, I ordered a remote tank [good deal on Ebay] set-up; but it didn't arrive in time and the bags weren't horrible.

I'd say you'd be happy if you spend $100-$200 on each. Not sure about exact models & prices around now though.

 

[Bird]

I've painted a few houses with just a Craftsman paint spray gun with a 1 qt. cannister. For latex house paint we thinned with 25% water; i.e., one qt. of water to 3 qts. paint. Only did one house with oil based Sherwin-Williams paint; worked well, but I don't like to do the cleanup after using oil based house paint. I used the same paint gun to paint a dune buggy with automotive enamel paint, and to apply stain and polyurethane varnish to some furniture.

I also painted an aluminum sided mobile home using a Wagner Power Painter to which we added the floetrol (not sure of the spelling). That airless Wagner did a good job if you can stand the noise and vibration. I never got up nerve enough to spray paint inside the house unless it was new construction and before the carpet, etc. was installed. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I have a cousin who did, and then bought new carpet. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Spiffy]

Bird, I wish I had your talent. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I must just be too impatient with large surfaces - actually, being partial to oil based for exterior and really not liking to thin it much probably compounds my woes. Oh, the FIL's big stand alone pump, which sucks up 5 gallon buckets, kind of spoils a person too.

Good note about the noise and vibration of the hand-held units!

My imagination says that Wagner [maybe it was another brand; I only see the twin stroke on the large stand alone units on Wagner's site] now has either twin cylinder or twin stroke to reduce the noise and vibration.

Anyone sure about the expected life of the hand-held airless units?

I will say with air guns: keep it clean and take care of the packing nut, and there's not much for wearing parts.

 

[ScottAR]

The handheld wagners are next to useless in my experience. Power rollers too. The stand up sprayers are fine if you get a good one which is high 3 figures from companies like Graco. In Latex, cleanup isn't bad although I usually don't go to the trouble for under a whole house size job. Inside jobs are best with no carpet but can be done with careful drop cloth placement and proper mask off. Anything you don't want painted gets covered or gets a polka dot treatment.

HVLP works great for auto/tractor paints, stains and varish. House paint like Latex would need to be thinned considerably, Sherwin Williams recommends 10% or less. For a gravity feed gun, you are limited to 1 quart capacity. My airless has a place to mount a 5 gallon bucket. With a helper, I really only have to stop to move the machine. With 50ft of hose, that isn't very often.

 

[hazmat]

thanks everybody. I bought a Graco Magnum XR9 $600 at Home Depot + $75 rebate if you bought the power roller attachment which makes the roller free. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Hopefully I will find that it is worth the money /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. I have to paint lattice work, stain a deck, and paint a family room (roller attachment) this weekend. Also have 5 rooms to paint on the other side of the house (2 family)

In the near future I have to paint my fence, finish my attic, and hopefully a barn/garage (someday).

 

[Boomerang1]

Grayco makes an excellent gun. I once was an industrial painter and I used a Graco electrostatic turbine generator gun.

 

[Spiffy]

Very Nice!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I've never regretted spending a little extra on a tool that doesn't frustrate me and lasts "forever".

I wonder if that XR9 was made in Sioux Falls, SD. I'm pretty sure Graco has a plant there, they might do general pumps instead of paint pumps and guns though.

For staining or tractor enamal: I'm still thinking you should keep your eyes open for a good deal on a Devilbiss JGA, GFG, or Plus (certainly other good brands like Binks ect. too; in current models, I only really know the Devilbiss [didn't like their FinishLine though]). Your new tool might be just a little big for a half pint of stain!

Have fun painting! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif