HF Paint Guns

[Pappy]

Has anyone used any of the handheld airless paint sprayers from Harbor Freight to spray unthinned latex or urethane alkyd paints with any success? We are repainting the inside of the house and laying new floors room by room. In addition to painting the walls I am also replacing the baseboard, doors, door jambs and door trim. Renting a sprayer isn't practical doing one room at a time and I would prefer not to lay out $250+ for a spray rig to pick up paint from the can.


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[dbhost]

I have the predecessor to this airless sprayer.

https://www.harborfreight.com/handheld-hvlp-paint-stain-sprayer-64934.html?_br_psugg_q=airless+sprayer

The instructions clearly state to thin your paint to make it sprayable. I painted my shed with it dilluting the paint 1 to 1 latex paint to water2 coats no problem. I see a couple of spots I should go back over, but that is user stupidity not the fault of the sprayer.

So cut your paint 1 to 1, spray, when done wash it out and run soapy water through it until it runs clear, then rinse...

So far it h as painted my shed, a college friends shed, and I am planning on using it to spray my master bath vanity / changing room. MUCH faster and cleaner finish than rolling or brushing.

[Jim Frye]

Don't have the HF model, but did buy the Wagner Flexio 3500 handheld machine to paint the basement concrete walls. It was recommended to thin the latex interior paint (SW CHB white) 10% for spraying with the regular nozzle. Worked really well. I also used the sprayer with its detail nozzle to spray a table top with MinWax polyurethane semigloss varnish and the finish was flawless. The poly was thinned about 20%. Unit is really easy to clean after use. The Wagner unit is twice the price of the HF unit, but has more adjustments and power than the HF model.

Added thoughts. 1. if the paint has to be thinned 50%, it tells me the gun is a bit low on power/air flow. 2. The applied paint film will be pretty thin and you may have to recoat the walls. 3. None of the handheld HVLP sprayers I reviewed could spray unthinned materials.

[capncarl]

Prior to thinning the paint with water add Flowtrol to the amount paint you intend on using. It makes latex paint work better. I’ve use up it in my pump/hose type airless rig with very good results without using any water.

[Pappy]

I asked about being able to spray unthinned paints for a reason. The urethane alkyd paint that I'm using for the doors, jambs and al the trim says do not thin. Flowtrol is also not compatible with it.

[dbhost]

Sorry to say, every sprayer I know of requires the paint be thinned to a sprayable viscosity. Unthinned paint won't atomise well.

[Pappy]

They have 2 that say they will but they are $299 and $599. Not worth it just to paint the remaining trim and the doors. Cheaper to trash this paint and have some semigloss latex mixed. Then get the gun dbhost linked. I got a text from HF yesterday for 30% off one item, assuming the paint guns aren't exempted.

[dbhost]

When I bought my old gun, it was on a coupon but it was the old brand whatever that was. I just remember it is red and yellow and sprays paint really well, although overspray is an issue with any spray gun... Yeah at that price tag, not sure how much you need to do, but it might be better off just rolling it on or using different paint.

[capncarl]

What brand The urethane alkyd paint are you using?

[dirtmover]

Got me excited for a minute, then I saw the maximum spend restriction on that coupon.

[twistsol]

The only type of gun that will really spray unthinned paint consistently is an airless sprayer that uses a piezo electric membrane to force the paint through the spray tip; the same mechanism used in an inkjet printer but scaled up. They are loud and unreliable, and I don't think any of the cheap ones (Wagner) are made anymore. My experience, even with a 4 stage HVLP and my largest nozzle is that paint must be thinned somewhat to spray decently, except for the very cheapest paints that aren't much more than colored water anyway.

[Pappy]

capncarl, the paint I have for the trim is Behr from Home Depot.

dirtmover, same here. I went to print the coupon and found it is 30% on items under $20, 15% on $20-$50 items, and 10% for over $50. They expire today and I'm not sure it's worth going out in freezing temps to save$10.

[dbhost]

The paint I used on my shed was Behr exterior latex in eggshell finish. I was not aware any of their latex paints were un-thinnable. That begs the question, which ones? I need to steer clear of that...

[Pappy]

dbhost, the paint I have isn't latex. It is urethane alkyd semi-gloss enamel.