Airless Paint Sprayer Recommendations?

[Matt Meiser]

We are looking at a basement redo project which will involve painting the faux-brick poured concrete walls (already painted once with a white texture paint that is in good condition but boring) and painted open ceiling. I've pretty much decided to do this myself since it won't really be feasible to get things to where a painter can come in and do it all at once. I think spraying is the way to go here.

Odds are I'll use the thing for this one project and then never again. I may resell it at the end to recoup as much of my investment as possible. I've done that in the past with a couple specialty tools and came out way ahead of renting. I don't think I want to buy used and have to deal with someone else's problems unless I can find someone doing the same. Right now I'm thinking of buying something like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Graco-Magnum-Project-Painter-Plus-Electric-Stationary-Airless-Paint-Sprayer/3160175.

Any experience or recommendations would be helpful.

[Dave Cav]

The sprayer you linked to at Lowe's will probably work fine. However I have this one:
https://www.harborfreight.com/airless-paint-sprayer-kit-60600.html
that I got for about $170 with a coupon. It worked fine for painting my carport, and uses Graco parts.

[Jerome Stanek]

how much is it to rent a sprayer from a paint store. Years ago I rented one for a day and they gave me a real good deal as I bought the paint from them.

[Matt Meiser]

I don't want to deal with renting. Even if there is one available locally by the time I rent it at least a couple times over the course of this project I will waste hours with pickup and return and the odds of running into an availability issue are high. If the one equipment rental place across town doesn't have one, its at least 30 minutes to the next one.

Plus my past experience looking into rentals, the cost of buying minus resale value was less than renting for the minimum time I needed if everything went perfect and I could keep it for weeks or months.

[Jerry Bruette]

Years ago I was in the same spot as you are, buy or rent?

I bought a refurbished airless sprayer from somewhere, might have been Northern Tool.

Bought it for the same price as renting but came out ahead cause I needed two days to spray. Loaned it out a couple times and the borrowers were happy to not have to buy or rent.

Hope you have a way to deal with the over spray.

[Bill Dufour]

I have Graco and like the brand. I use car antifreeze with 50% water as a pump guard after cleaning out the pump etc. I bought. used "refurbished" unit from Hoe Dpot.
I think it was used once then returned wiped off then the manager hung a refurbished tag on it. Spray tip was clogged by dry paint. Check valve failed due to paint clog, reulator failed due to dried paint etc etc. I finally bought a used pump only at a yard sale for $25.
Bill D

[Ole Anderson]

I have the Graco X5 and have probably put 50 gallons through it. Takes a few minutes to understand the priming and cleaning thing, but it is worth it. Check out videos from the Idaho Painter for tips on using airless spray equipment. When you are done and have run water through it to clean, be sure to disassemble the gun, including filter in the handle for final cleaning. Easy and no big deal.

[Tom M King]

The gun and tip are very important, if you want a really smooth job. I don't know anything about the consumer models though. I second the Idaho Painter youtube videos. Maybe he has a review of a consumer model. I replaced my gun several years back, and it's made a tremendous difference in ease of control. Maybe the newer consumer ones aren't too bad.

For a one time job, I'd rent one, and buy my own tip. I did that for years until I finally bought my own, which has sprayed hundreds of gallons (at least) of paint over the 30 years that I've owned it, and I've never been in the pump.

[Dave Lehnert]

The sprayer you linked to at Lowe's will probably work fine. However I have this one:
https://www.harborfreight.com/airless-paint-sprayer-kit-60600.html
that I got for about $170 with a coupon. It worked fine for painting my carport, and uses Graco parts.


Thanks for that link.
Spent a few looking at videos on line and so far it looks to be a Harbor Freight gem.

I have a 3 car garage needing painting bad. Was going to hire it done but may reconsider.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have a Graco X5, lots of different spray tips available for different applications.

I initially bought mine as I got a note from the HOA that I needed to stain my (60 yards) of lapped fence, 8 feet high. Worked great.

I then used it to spray wall paint, on the walls and ceiling in a 30' x 30' x 10' room. Used an extension wand to do the ceilings.

I'm in the process of building plantation shutters for about 11 windows, I'm painting a latex sealer primer and latex acrylic semi gloss for a finish. I'm spraying both of these without any thinning.

I spent about $1500 on a HVLP Turbine sprayer, which I planned to use for the Shutters, but the Graco has worked out best.

The Graco is easy to use, easy to clean.

[Matt Meiser]

I found a company doing business on Ebay that sell recon X5's for just under $200. The have a 47,000+ rating and 99.7% positive so sounds pretty reliable. I might just go that route.

[John Goodin]

I, too, have a Graco X5 and think it is perfect for small jobs. It did all the priming and painting for a flip including doors and trim. Just finishing up a remodel and it did the same. I had a painter/drywall guy come in for some patch work and said my molding looks like taffy. Since they can be messy I bought a plastic washing machine pan and stage everything from it. The learning curve is not steep if you have never sprayed. Watch some utube videos like The Idaho Painter

[Bill Dindner]

I have the Graco 360 VSP, used it to spray Paint and Deck Stain. Quite happy with it, think it would work well for you.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Matt - I have that exact same Graco you linked to.
Shop around and see what HD and Menards sell it for. IIRC, I paid $199 for mine.

They work perfect for the size job you're planning.

After you're done using it, flush it well with water, then change over to mineral spirits and flush it with that & store it with MS.

Antifreeze will also work - - but - -I hate using that because it's so nasty if a pet gets into it. There are some non-toxic antifreezes, but, they run more than MS.

Personally, I'd hang onto it & not sell it. An airless is one of those tools that you never know when you'll need it again, but, when it pops up, you'll be glad you have it.

[Dave Lehnert]

Matt - I have that exact same Graco you linked to.
Shop around and see what HD and Menards sell it for. IIRC, I paid $199 for mine.

They work perfect for the size job you're planning.

After you're done using it, flush it well with water, then change over to mineral spirits and flush it with that & store it with MS.

Antifreeze will also work - - but - -I hate using that because it's so nasty if a pet gets into it. There are some non-toxic antifreezes, but, they run more than MS.

Personally, I'd hang onto it & not sell it. An airless is one of those tools that you never know when you'll need it again, but, when it pops up, you'll be glad you have it.



Could one use RV antifreeze?

[Dave Lehnert]

For owners of the X5

Why did you chose the X5 vs the cheaper Project Painter Plus?
Recommended annual usage is 50 gal vs 125 gal.
I will be lucky to use 50 gal in a lifetime.

I liked the reviews of the Harbor Freight linked above but the Graco can be had for about the same price if you search for a good deal. Menard s is $209 and amazon has been as cheap as $169 in the last few months.

[Matt Meiser]

My Lowe’s matched the Menards sale price so I picked up the Project Plus based on Dave’s recommendation. Probably starting this project this week.

[Tom M King]

I haven't looked at either one of those. The pump is not as important as the gun. If both have the same gun, get the cheaper one. If one has a better gun, get the one with the better gun. A gun that takes the Fine Finish Low Pressure tips cost around 150. I'm using a 30, or 35 year old commercial pump with a good gun. For painting walls, it might not matter much, but when they came out with the Fine Finish tips for airless (previously only for Air Assisted Airless), I sold my good turbine setup the first time I used a FF tip.

[Dave Lehnert]

My Lowe’s matched the Menards sale price so I picked up the Project Plus based on Dave’s recommendation. Probably starting this project this week.


Matt
Keep me posted with your experience. May plan to do my 3 car garage this fall.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Dave - I suppose you could use RV anti freeze (LOL! I didn't feel right typing RV-AF! :D ) if you have it.
(I don't want anything with ethelyne glycol in it around my hounds.)
Since I don't have any real use for the RV stuff, I'd just use mineral spirits - since I do have a use for that.

The whole idea is to keep something "oily" on the insides of the pump & gun.
Some of the positive displacement Graco pumps also have leather packings on the piston & throat seal. The "oily" stuff keeps the leather from drying out and/or expanding due to moisture.



I haven't looked at either one of those. The pump is not as important as the gun. If both have the same gun, get the cheaper oneSame gun on both.
Same gun you get on the more expensive units also.

Actually - the pump is critical.

The low end unit is a disposable. The one a step above can be rebuilt over and over and over again by just replacing the pump assembly. Go a couple steps up and you can buy kits to repair the packings in the pump.

[Tom M King]

I have always kept Graco Pump Armor in mine, since I stopped using oil based paint in it 25 years ago, or more. Then, I kept Mineral Spirits in it. I've never been in my pump, and I can't remember when I bought it, but sometime in the late '80's. It doesn't get used often, but always several times a year.

https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Inc-243104-Armor-1-Quart/dp/B0021Y0V6Q/ref=asc_df_B0021Y0V6Q/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193184886406&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7209420471933792195&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009793&hvtargid=pla-365040464847&psc=1

[Dave Cav]

The HF sprayer I referenced up thread is now on sale for $169 with a coupon.

[Matt Meiser]

I use the RV antifreeze for my pressure washer since the little spray cans are stupid expensive. A gallon of the RV stuff goes a looooonnnnggg way.

[Tom M King]

I also use RV antifreeze in the pressure washer. I put it in an empty water hose, hook that to the pressure washer, and a faucet, and run enough water through it until I see pink, and stop immediately. A gallon fills the 100' hose on the pressure washer, and I still see pink in the clear inlet filter bowl, so I know it's safe.

I don't know what's in the Pump Armor, but sometimes my airless sprayer rig might sit for a couple of years, or more, between uses (I do so many different things), so I don't want to cheap out on its protection. So far, no complaints. The rig has always been ready to go. I think it might be cheaper in a store than on Amazon. Amazon has to add in for the free shipping.

[Steve Fish]

I picked up a graco prox17 as a floor model from a local paint store. Got a pretty good deal and we live on an island so you gotta take what you can get when you can get it. It was a little more machine than I originally wanted but glad I made the investment. Our new (to us) house has high T&G ceilings throughout and there’s no way I was gonna stand on a scaffold with a brush and roller to do all those grooves. It’s been a life saver. As far as that blue pump armor they sell goes , I suspect it’s just MS anyway. +1 for the Idaho Painter videos, some good info on the guns,tip selection and a few other tricks there.
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