anyone use the hvlp sprayers? do they work? are they worth $600? ive never painted before other then spray bomb jobs and am looking into these. thanks

 

I have the HVLP 'porter-cable' brand from Lowe’s and have not been real happy with it but you get what you pay for, most of the time. I have since purchased a DeVilbiss 'Plus' which is not marketed as a true HVLP but close...almost 65% transfer efficiency, which is required to be classed as a true HVLP gun. In short, it is a great gun at around $300. I don't see how any gun can lay out a smoother finish at any price. No comparison to the Lowe’s gun which is now the primer gun.

 

I have 2 Devilbiss GTI Millenium Series HVLP guns. One is set up for base and the other clear. The guns are around 500 each. I have no complaints. I have found that parts are easy to find and cheaper than the Sata brand. I have found that if yoiu have them set up properly you get superior atomization and even overlap. This is important when spraying high metallic pearl finishes.

 

PS I do have a Sata but now use it as a primer surfacer gun. Im not crazy about the feel or weight of this gun. I do like the placement of the air and fan controls vs the GTI's though.

 

that sounds good these are from tp tools and are 500$. ill check it out. how much is the lowes prier set-up. am i correct that i will not need an air compressor for the hvlp?

 

The HVLP does require an air compressor and a LOT of air, from 11-15 CFM depending on the model.

 

Thats right, LOTS of air. The folks selling the gun should talk about volume. The HVLP guns take far more than a suction fed gun. For this reason you need to use the hose diameters AND certain couplings (both need to be larger).

 

tp tool catalog has this hvlp unit that doesnt use a compressor, it has a turbine built into the cabinet. any thoughts on these? they have 1 for 500 and 1 for 600.

 

Hello, I am a beginner to bodywork and painting, and dont have a job currently either so $500 paint guns are out of the question. I am doing my first 4x4 buildup too. I am NOT trying to do a pro job as I know it will take alot of practice to be profficient at this, infact thats what this truck is, my experimental truck. My bronco is currently grey with paint peeling, I am just trying to make it look a little better considering I live in a nice neghborhood. I want to do it right (do all the body work and sanding, use good primer and paint with many thin coats, clear coat, etc)... I am just not concerned about it being 100% perfect. A couple of runs, orange peel, etc., as long as it looks good from across the street I will be happy

So, I have looked at HVLP systems and currently have the one from harbor fright tools on raincheck for like $55. It is a complete stand alone system with built in 'turbine' plus the very much large hoses. i was just wondering if it would be worth $55 just for atleast the primer. I figure if it really is as efficient as it says it will save $55 in paint in just a couple coats. Maybe even use it for the base coat of paint, but then top coat it and clear coat it with a high pressure gun? I got a $15 one of those guns to but I think for the topcoats I will buy a better one... like the best one at harbor fright might run $75-100.

So for practice painting and to make my peeling grey painted truck look a little better, will these cheap guns perform good enough? otherwise it stays peely grey LOL!