Paint sprayers

[John Frank]

Does anyone no of a good paint sprayer? I'm looking for a sprayer to paint the interior of my flip properties and rentals. I saw that the Graco X5 was one of the top sprayers but when I read the reviews I saw a lot of the reviews that said it broke after only one use.

[Jake Thomas]

I like Graco products. I have the X7 which works better for 5 gallon buckets of paint. I have used it on several properties with no issues. Just make sure to clean it well after you are done and use the chemical provided to store it between uses. 

[David Handel]

The big box store sprayers are not durable enough for regular use.  They are aimed at the diy/homeowner that will use it on small projects a couple times a year, which is why the price point is so low.  I don't believe the big box versions can be repacked, which is the fix for a majority of airless sprayer issues.  When it comes to regular, consistent use, these are disposable machines.

For regular interior and exterior paints, I would recommend the Graco 390 PC or the Graco Ultra 395 PC.  They are small machines designed for the lower volume professional painter (prices usually in the $900-1200 range).  For most regular rental turnovers and flips, these will be great choices.  

If you are planning on spraying more specialized coatings like epoxies, block fillers, or textured coatings, you will need a bigger machine that can handle the workload.  Take care of your tools, and they will take care of you!  

[Todd Plambeck]

It does depend on your intended use.  Are you going to be spraying the occasional unit for make ready after vacancy or are you going to be using it every day?

[David Sisson]

I've rented professional quality sprayers from the big box stores before and had great results. I'm not a fan of spraying interiors, due to overspray, but it's your choice. What about 2 foot wide rollers instead? 

[Darwin Crawford]

FWIW, before you go out and invest in a good sprayer (graco makes great machines), take some time and see what it costs to paint a house.  Unless you are painting all the time, sprayers will cost you way more than they are worth. 

Painting is typically a very competitive industry, and you might be surprised how cheaply you can get it done.  

I'm a little biased, but after spending time as a kid/teenager working the low rungs of the construction trade, I'll avoid painting pretty much at all costs.  

Sprayers are great, but are complex machines, and require maintenance, parts, paint, cleanup, etc.  As I've progressed in my RE life, I sub out more and DIY less, and painting was the first trade to go. 

[Jennifor Forst]

Graco x5 is a good one, but if you want to try another, here is a collection of   HVLP paint prayer alternatives to Graco.

What do you think of Wagner?

[Pat L.]

We rent them & ONLY spray the primer & ceiling paint. But we do color the primer the same as the finish coat & you do need to catch the runs etc.

The last time we hired a 'painter' the kid he sent knocked over a gallon of blue paint onto new carpet & then walked in it. We had supplied thick plastic sheeting etc etc but it happens & they paid for the replacement. The incoming tenant wanted blue paint on one wall in the bedroom & she was paying above market rent so we agreed. 

[Bryan Devitt]

If it is just for interiors, just get good at rolling and cutting in with a brush. The prep time for spraying and the cleanup time after make it not worth it. They seem like they would save time because you can spray a whole room in 15 minutes, but once you add in the 2hrs of taping and plastic before, cleaning up the dust after and cleaning the system after, the 2hrs to brush and roll a room is much quicker and cheaper

[David Niles]

I owned a Graco XR9 for years, great sprayer and never had any issues.  A couple years ago sold it off and got a real good deal on a Titan Pro 440 XT, also a great machine.  How much spraying and what type of paints / stains you are going to use is what you should base your budget on for purchase.  Thicker paints require more power and will put much more wear and tear on the unit.

As far as interiors, I only spray ceilings now when we are going to do all of them at once, even with that we always have someone come directly behind backrolling which stops any striping. 

Our main use for spraying is exterior work, makes a nice job and is MUCH faster.  As others have said though, setup, tear down and clean up as well as any masking and plastic eat up ALOT of time and may end up not saving you any time at all vs hand painting depending how much you are painting.