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a "better" paint gun?

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 11:40 am
by pdgriesse
After many years of using my old Binks#7 conventional paint gun I`m considering going with the "new" HVLP guns . Just wondering if you have some advice on buying a good one---maybe equivalent to my old Binks? Thanks in advance for your experience/suggestions! paul

Re: a "better" paint gun?

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 1:26 pm
by Burger in Spokane
I had a Graco HVLP system drop in my lap when Sherwin-Williams bought out local
Columbia Paint and ordered their warehouse staff to dump all existing inventory. It
pays to have friends, and that $2500 box of painting machine cost me $250 !

It works like any good spray gun/system, except the additional hose and shortness
of pot-to-gun are a cumbersome affair that make lean-over spraying a PITA. Every
time I use it, I swear I am going to look into what might be done to lengthen those
hoses to make the pot something I can hang on a nearby ladder or something and just
have the gun in my hand, leaving me free to just keep the hoses out of the work. That
is my only gripe about my HVLP. I have not set up my big air compressor, otherwise I
might just go on using my Binks.

Re: a "better" paint gun?

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 2:42 pm
by Les Schubert
Once you have used a “electrostatic” paint gun you will never want to go back for painting metal.
The paint wraps around and gets virtually all surfaces uniformly.
Not practical for the hobiest

Re: a "better" paint gun?

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 3:11 pm
by Bills Auto Works
I have an old Binks # 7 with an agitating cup hanging about my mixing table along with a Sharpe 75...They are just for memories now since they have not been been used in at least 15 years, maybe longer.

I used a "lower line" Devilbiss Finishline HVLP for many years (along with a couple of others). Recently bought a Devilbiss Techna Copper. It is a very nice gun & would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little more above mid range.

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... ed.614419/

Re: a "better" paint gun?

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 3:22 pm
by John kuehn
You asked about buying a good HVLP paint gun and I can tell you about my experience with a Harbour Freight gun. It worked fine without any issues. As far as a quality paint job goes I took the advice from the AutoBody technology instructors that worked at the technical schoolI I worked for before I retired.
They advised the students to buy their paint guns to begin with because of the low cost. The jobs they did with them was as good as any other major brand guns and surprisingly 2 of the instructors who had shops at home used the HF guns for their work.
People on this forum have different ideas about HF products but for me and seeing what quality work with HF paint guns they worked for me with my 2 T’s.
Yes they are foreign made and I have to say they are well made in my opinion. In other words there not junk as some would say.

Re: a "better" paint gun?

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 3:58 pm
by mtntee20
It appears the next step above an HVLP gun is HTE. High Transfer Efficiency. I just purchased a Harbor Freight Spectrum HTE 20 oz. gun, 64824, $129.99 list. It is well made and comes with some very good reviews. I recommend you read all the reviews. There are some points in the reviews that should be understood. The Great thing about this gun is brought out by a review on July 3, 2019, by Jason. He evidently has some extensive experience with paint guns and recognized this model as a rebadged Finex FX3000, a quality spray gun for sure. Thus, there are many suppliers of the Finex repair parts and accessories. Two things of note found in the recommendations: The paint nozzle is overly tight and you will need a GOOD wrench to remove it the first time. The paint cup, being plastic may cross thread and not seal well. You can purchase an aluminum cup from Harbor Freight or from other suppliers. This gun comes with a size 1.3 needle and nozzle which is good for a clear coat. You can purchase several different nozzle packages of other sizes, which makes this gun very versatile. Using a larger needle package may be referred to as changing the gun to HVLP. I don't know as I have seen the FX3000 listed as an HVLP with the 1.8 size needle package. Just FYI.

I have NOT used my gun as yet so I can not attest to the final result. But, the gun does appear to be well made and has the feel of a good quality tool. I suggest you research this gun before you make a purchase. Harbor Freight seems to be stepping up their quality in the "premium" tool lines. I just purchased a Doyle (Harbor Freight) pair of wire cutters. They are the same exact cutters as MAC. Another quality tool from H.F.

Again, READ all the reviews before you make a purchase. You will have to figure out who did or did not follow the instructions.

Re: a "better" paint gun?

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 5:45 pm
by modeltbarn
I have 5 HVLP and one RP, 3 are Sata, 2 are Devilbiss.

The last gun I bought was a Devilbiss Finishline FLG-4; I bought the kit. My intent was to use this for the PPG sealer I was shooting, then use the Sata RP for the color. I liked the Devilbiss so much I used it for everything, and it's my 'go to' gun now. I was shooting single stage enamel, not base coat ' clear coat.You can pick it up for about $200; about 1/3 the cost of a Sata.

For mixing cups and liners I also use the 3M PPS system, it's worth it's weight in gold when it comes to ease of mixing and cleanup.

Check youtube for Gunman Paint Gun reviews; he's a painter in Australia and does a lot of youtube reviews.

Here's his FLG4 review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjZCY_tgpso

Re: a "better" paint gun?

Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:04 pm
by tinman080
Paint gun discussions are like ''the best oil'' discussions. No answer is really satisfactory. All painters have different abilities and different experiences. A lousy gun can give excellent results with a good experienced painter. On the other hand a great gun can give a very poor job depending on who is using it. I have 2 MBC Devillebiss guns. I used a #7 for many years. I have painted with the HF cheap guns. I'm not a great painter but I painted cars for a living for many years. Most painting problems are technique, not equipment. The HVLP guns were developed for the high solids bases covered with clear coat. The old siphon guns (cup on bottom) were wasteful, used a lot of thinner to clean. The siphon guns will do a very nice base/clear job if care is taken. Not really legal in most commercial applications now. Too much material blown into the environment. Regardless of brand, if you like a gun's looks get it. Repeated use will develop a ''feel'' for it and you will know what the gun will do before you pull the trigger. :D