Advice RE: (near) Top of the Line HVLP Systems

[John Akerblom]

I've narrowed down my options to the below. I like the Fuji because the gun that comes with it has an option to narrow the width of the fan sprayed out of the tip while the Graco does not.

I like the Graco because it comes with three tips, has a nice lid to hold the extra tips, and can be fitted with a mod that essentially acts like a compressor pot.

DOes anyone have any experience with either of these who can weigh in?

Fuji Q5 Platinum - 5 Stage HVLP with gravity gun ($1300) + $60 for 1.0 tip.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

OR

GRACO FinishPro 9.5 - 5 Stage ($1400)
http://www.graco.com/us/en/products/...-sprayers.html

[Len Rosenberg]

I have the Fuji Q5 and am very happy with it. Powerful, quiet, excellent spray gun (T-70 pressure feed, and using 3m PPS), and has adjustable fan speed. Got it from Jeff Jewitt at Homestead Finishing, he answered my almost endless list of questions, which Amazon can't do.

[Marty Schlosser]

John,

I have owned 4 spray systems - and several different guns - over the years and here's my thoughts:

1. My first system was a Lemmer (Canadian company) 924G gravity feed HVLP conversion gun which I used before I started my one-man cabinet business. I had an inadequate, small compressor which required me to constantly wait until it caught up to my gun. I was about to throw it away when I tried it out on a friend's large compressor and the results were night-and-day. I ended out keeping that gun and continue to use it for applying oil-based stains.

2. My next system, purchased shortly after starting up my small business, was a Fuji Q4 system. It was able to atomize all the waterborne finishing materials I threw at it: lacquer, polyurethane, shellac and varnish. It performed very well for me and I'd still have it had my business requirements not changed to include higher volume cabinetry finishing.

3. My third system was a Kremlin air-assisted airless system that I purchased when my business started moving more towards high-production finishing. It was nearly three times the price of my Fuji tirbine HVLP system, but the advantage of being able to set the take-up wand into a 5 gallon bucket of finish and spray for hours at a time without having to stop to load finish into the gun made it worthwile. Further, the small air and fluid feed lines connected to the gun's handle made it easier to get into the inside of cabinets. Plus, doing the tops of wide tables - especially boardroom tables - was made that much easier on my arm because there was no longer a 1-quart cup of finish hanging beneath the gun. After I stood down my business, I sold that system because I knew I'd no longer require such an expensive system for the amount of cabinetry and furniture I'd be making as a retiree.

4. My fourth and current main system is a Fuji Q5 Platinum turbine, that came standard with their T-series gun. I purchased the system as a replacement for my Kremlin and have found that the quality of finish I'm able to get from it to be every bit as good as the air-assisted airless system - despite it costing so much less. The T-series gun is excellent, but I decided to also get a 2-quart pressure pot to go along with another Fuji gun (their G-XPC model) because I still wanted the advantage of lighter weight on my are (when you're using a pressur pot, the cup on the gun is removed) and ease of getting into cabinets, features I still wanted. I also purchased a Fuji touch-up gun, as I enjoy doing airbrushing effects, and these guns are excellent for this application. I haven't missed my Kremlin for one minute and have invested considerably less money and found greater flexibility with the Fuji turbine and three guns I now have.

To answer your question regarding air-assisted airless systems, yes, there is more maintenance with them (case in point, replacing and cleaning line filters) and the clean-up time is longer because you also have to contend with a 20' fluid line. In addition, you have to have a relatively large compressor, which must, repeat, must have oil and moisture filtration on it. It never ceases to amaze me how often the compressor issues get lost in discussions about HVLP turbine vrs air-assisted airless systems.

Two identical suggestions are hard to ignore...moving to the top of the list.

Quick question regarding the Graco air assisted systems, is there more maintenance? Are they harder to clean? Especially concerned when using two part finishes that don't flush out easily with a solvent like laquer or water-based finishes.

Graco FinishPro II 395 PC
http://www.graco.com/us/en/products/...ii-395-pc.html

Graco FinishPro HVLP Sprayers 9.5
http://www.graco.com/us/en/products/contractor/finishpro-hvlp-sprayers.html

Apollo Precision-5 TurboSpray System with Atomizer 7500 QT Gun
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1JRNLO...I2RU284QQNQWSP

Apollo HVLP Eco-5 HVLP Turbine Paint Sprayer
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GLU1R1Y...=IU6DHY4T6OH4X

Fuji 3004-T70 Q4 Platinum - T70 Quiet HVLP Spray System
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D4NPML2...=IWSQYE8XWB2ZW

[Marty Schlosser]

I guess we all have our own experience with air-assisted airless systems. I've tried both Grayco and Kemlin and vastly preferred the Kremlin... which is the reason I'd purchased one for my production cabinet business when I was running it. I also note that the vast majority of the cabinet shops in our area are using Kremlin systems. So to me, the Kremiln is the standard against which all others aspire to. To each his/her own.

Graco do aim at the serious user. They are the standard that all the others aspire to. If you are only spraying a litre or two, then it is overkill. However, when the specification says top end, it would be wrong to ignore the option. Note that if you are using the same single pack product regularly, you don't need to clean out very often. Cheers