Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Which Paint Sprayer should I buy??
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Sparker
09-06-09, 04:56 PM
We are finally ready to paint our house, barn, 3 sheds & miles of wooden 5 rail fence. I would like to buy 1 sprayer that can handle both large areas as well as the 6" width of the fence boards (Are different tips the key here?) and use either a 1 gallon or 5 gallon bucket of paint. As I'm researching I'm finding all kinds of info but don't really know how it relates to the ease of use or finish. I've also read that some of them might require you to thin the paint. ?? I'd like to keep the cost under $500 if possible. Any suggestion, tips, tricks and techniques are welcome!!
marksr
09-07-09, 06:07 AM
I wouldn't consider a diaphram pump, a piston pump is a lot better. I've never shopped for an airless in that price range but you might look at a Titan 440. It's a small pump that works well - it just doesn't have a high enough output for production work. I'm sure it's priced under $1k but I suspect it will cost more than $500.
The control knob on the airless controls how much paint can be pumped [per minute] but the tip controls both the size of the spray and how much paint can go thru it. The smaller units can't handle the larger tips but that probably wouldn't be a concern for the average diyer. You do want a reversible tip! Most sprayers have a filter at the pump and another in the gun but if any 'trash' gets thru them it can plug up the tip. A reversible tip allows you to flush the 'trash' out of the tip without taking it off and trying to clean it.
Tips are classified by 2 sets of numbers. The first # indicates the fan width. Take a 5/19 tip - the 5 is the size of the fan [usually double 5=10" on the wall. The 19 refers to how much paint can be forced thru the tip. A 5/19 is good for ceilings and walls that don't have a lot of openings. A 4/15 tip has a smaller fan and restricts the paint flow. I don't know how small you can get with tips [maybe a 2/11] The smaller the pump is, the lower the maximum size tip it will support is.
Generally it takes less pump to spray oil base than it does latex. Some of the smaller pumps may require the coating to be thinned in order for it to spray properly.
Another thing to check when shopping for an airless is the availabilty of repair parts. They aren't that hard to work on but if you can get a replacement part......:eek:
The control knob on the airless controls how much paint can be pumped [per minute] but the tip controls both the size of the spray and how much paint can go thru it. The smaller units can't handle the larger tips but that probably wouldn't be a concern for the average diyer. You do want a reversible tip! Most sprayers have a filter at the pump and another in the gun but if any 'trash' gets thru them it can plug up the tip. A reversible tip allows you to flush the 'trash' out of the tip without taking it off and trying to clean it.
Tips are classified by 2 sets of numbers. The first # indicates the fan width. Take a 5/19 tip - the 5 is the size of the fan [usually double 5=10" on the wall. The 19 refers to how much paint can be forced thru the tip. A 5/19 is good for ceilings and walls that don't have a lot of openings. A 4/15 tip has a smaller fan and restricts the paint flow. I don't know how small you can get with tips [maybe a 2/11] The smaller the pump is, the lower the maximum size tip it will support is.
Generally it takes less pump to spray oil base than it does latex. Some of the smaller pumps may require the coating to be thinned in order for it to spray properly.
Another thing to check when shopping for an airless is the availabilty of repair parts. They aren't that hard to work on but if you can get a replacement part......:eek: