Has anybody used the Harbor Freight HVLP sprayers? They have one for $49 and another for $99 and they look very similar, in fact the cheaper one is very nicely made, cast metal gun handle, metal paint cup and metal pickup siphon tube. I want to spray semi-transparent stain on the cedar siding of my house. The stain is very thin, but strongly pigmented. Some years ago I sprayed solid color stain on another wooden house I owned . The gun was an airless Wagner pulse-type. Spray pattern was small, maybe
3"' across. Hoping one of the HVLP will throw a larger pattern. If anybody has actually USED one of these, I welcome your email
A airless sprayer would be much better for that application. Go to Sherwin Williams or other pro paint stores and ask some questions. They "might" have rental units.
That Harbor Freight is for bird houses not pe> Has anybody used the Harbor Freight HVLP sprayers? They have one for $49
'm spraying fairly thick primer with it (I got the 2.2mm needle and nozzle set) and it works extremely well. I'm telling you that this gun is good enough for all but the most experienced painters. That means that most of us would have a bigger problem with our technique than with the gun, whether we're painting the Taj Mahal or birdhouses.
The spray pattern can be adjusted up to 5 - 6 inches or more, but with a gun like this you have to use a sweep pattern that allows for 100 overlap, which means that you aim the center of the spray at the edge of the stripe just applied. This is the technique that's used with standard high pressure guns (at least for automotive paint).
I'm beginning to believe that the designation HVLP on these conversion guns is a real stretch. Real (turbine) HVLP rigs have almost zero overspray, and this HF gun (and I suspect all other "conversion" guns that run on compressed air) has enough overspray that it has to be considered. It's a lot less than the old style guns such as a Binks #7 or the like, but there is definitely going to be some airborn paint.
Here's the information (or opinion) that you really asked for: It will do a great job of applying the stain. Thin is no problem. BUT...I would be nervous if my neighbor was using one next door. I might not try to insist that he stop, but I would keep a very close watch for any sign of paint/stain landing on my windows, fence, car, brick etc. For your house, you will definitely need to mask your windows and trim, even shrubs etc. within 10' of the gun. In short, it would not be the ideal approach unless overspray is not a concern in your circumstances. With a true HVLP, you can paint your house with no masking other than a "shield" that you hold in your off hand and move along the work to keep the paint off windows and trim etc.
If you decide to proceed, here's a link to some very helpful information and instructions for setting this gun up from another user:
I think they're all about the same in that price range, and I think they're fine in terms of the resulting finish. I don't believe they get much more expensive, but I wouldn't go cheaper. Basically, the conversion gun is a compromise. I don't think there are "super high quality" conversion guns because people who want that will just buy a real HVLP (turbine) rig. As I said in my other response, if overspray is not an issue, or can be managed, just about any conversion gun is going to be more than good enough for all but very experienced, i.e. professional painters.
Devilbiss even has their name on one, at it's about the same price. Heck, it may be from the same factory!
I have one of the Harbor Freight guns and it works great for spraying laquer and other finishes. It is just not the right tool for the job for spraying a house. It works great for laquer because it puts out a very fine atomized mist. In the slightest breeze this mist will be all over the place and you will end up using a lot more stain than necessary. An airless sprayer is the right tool for the job but even an airless sprayer will not bond the paint as well to a house as a roller or paintbrush. An airless sprayer doesn't break the surface tension of the underlying paint as well as a roller so even with an airless sprayer I have heard it is reccomended to "back roll" a house after it has been sprayed. By "Back rolling" you will get better adhersion and your paint job will last longer.
Maybe I did not ask the right question then... What I would like to know is whether you can give me an example of a very well made real HVLP gun. Thanks a lot.
Put me down as being pleased with the Fuji Q4. Not only for quality, but for service after the sale.
I use my Fuji for ALL of my fine finishing, and I use an assortment of other guns - some conversion, some high pressure, depending on what I am doing.
As mentioned, there is a curve, not only on the spraying, but on the coating mix. With HVLP, you mist on the finish, as opposed to (I still miss the old days, damnit) atomizing your finish into subatomic sized particles with high pressure.
I never cared at all that a good high pressure gun only got 35% material delivery on target. I like spraying high pressure because that is what I learned. There is something wonderful about standing in a cloud of overspray knowing you are making a great finish.
However, I don't miss taping off everything within 30 feet of my spray area, and my clients don't mind the fact that I am not fogging their house and neighborhood with finish. With the gun tune properly, I can literally spray a door in one bay of a garage and not get anything on the junk in the other bay. With high pressure, I only sprayed outside.
Search this group for HVLP and application procedures. There have been some really good discussions on both.
Thank you very much, Tom, for an honest and informed opinion. Yes, I was expecting some overspray, no matter what they claimed, and would be working with the wind accordingly. The tool you showed was not the exact one I saw- the blue one with the cup underneath, a motor unit about like size of a coffee can, and 8' of 1"hose.
I once used an airless on a house with thick opaque stain and it shot the stain deeply into the wood fber. That paint job turned out very well and lasted a long time. My main criticism was that the pattern was too small, about the size of the bottom of a beer can
You're most welcome, but it appears that my "honest and imformed opinion" was about the wrong tool!! The unit you're looking at is similar to ones that Rockler, Woodcraft and others carry. These are clearly quite different from the conversion guns that I was talking about. I don't know anything about them and it's hard to get any information from the website, but they DO operate at MUCH lower pressure, which is very likely to dramatically reduce the overspray.
I'd say it's worth a look, and if you're worried about the quality of the HF unit, consider the similar item from Rockler. It's more expensive at $99.
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