WOT: Paint sprayers

[iplayloudly]

I'm wanting to paint my house soon and would like to get a sprayer to do the job (vinyl siding). I've used a sprayer before but not on anything this big. I don't know the first thing about the different types of sprayers.

Electric?
Air?
Airless?

I've read that some sprayers can only handle real thin paint. I'm planning on using typical exterior latex paint. I don't know if that would be considered thin or not.

Any ideas? Instead of renting something I'm considering buying something used on ebay. That way if I don't like it I can resell it and try something else.

 

[Capulin Overdrive]

if you get taped up ahead of time, renting might be the way go?


one of those piston pump sprayers that has a wand that looks like a pressure washer is the best thing. they would be too expensive to buy for a single job, but if you could ebay after you might come out allright? these kind have long handles and whatnot so that could easily do single story without a ladder.


those cheapo Wagner power shot thingies that hold about a quart work allright and would get the job done, just a pain to have to keep refilling it and would need a ladder.


hell, might not hurt to get some bids from painters? they work dirt cheap some places, though run a risk of them using crappy paint.

 

[Copperhead]

You want to rent an airless paint pump, gas powered. The best ones I've rented around here have Honda engines on them. They're about $4500 new. When you rent them, they give you this 5' wand extension, greatly reduces your ladder work. They usually rent by the day/half-day. Do all your prep and repairs. Mask everything up good before you go pick it up. They spray heavy paint so fast you can watch it go down in the 5 gallon bucket. I sprayed my whole house heavy, 15 gallons of paint, and had the sprayer cleaned up and returned in less than 2 hours. DEFINITELY worth it. They do a better job than what you could roll or brush, too. You've got to decide how much your time is worth.

Edit: They work like a compressor, they have two pistons inside. Instead of pumping air, you're pumping paint through the little cylinders, at a high rate and pressure.

 

[JackBootedThug]

You want to rent an airless paint pump, gas powered. The best ones I've rented around here have Honda engines on them. They're about $4500 new. When you rent them, they give you this 5' wand extension, greatly reduces your ladder work. They usually rent by the day/half-day. Do all your prep and repairs. Mask everything up good before you go pick it up. They spray heavy paint so fast you can watch it go down in the 5 gallon bucket. I sprayed my whole house heavy, 15 gallons of paint, and had the sprayer cleaned up and returned in less than 2 hours. DEFINITELY worth it. They do a better job than what you could roll or brush, too. You've got to decide how much your time is worth.

Edit: They work like a compressor, they have two pistons inside. Instead of pumping air, you're pumping paint through the little cylinders, at a high rate and pressure.

he is correct. they are the shit.

 

[ratter]

I don't have anything to offer on the sprayer front, because I used a brush. But when I painted my house, which is 2-story, and 3-story + attic in the rear (walk-out basement), I rented a towable boom lift. Man, I was glad I did. It was pricey - $200 a day, but I got it on a Saturday since they're closed on Sunday (free day), it was well worth it. I used a 6' ft ladder in a couple of weird spots down low, but that was the only ladder activity involved. Just throwing it out there in case it's helpful...

 

[Copperhead]

Awesome!

We painted my shop building, 2 colors plus trim, in two days. Airless sprayer and a forklift. Worked great! "Just keep it rolling 'bout 3 mph, and I'll hold the trigger down....."

 

[Les Zombie]

the really cheapo airless suck, your best option is to try and rent one, ive used gas and electic and both can handle the job. try and talk to somebody at your local paint store to find out the proper size fan for spraying, the reversable spray tips are the most convient since they dont plug as much. also get some strainer bags and strain your paint and it will help from plug ups.

try and rent a powerwasher and rise the home before you paint it so you dont paint over the dirt or oxidized siding or you will have problems with the paint peeling after a few years. be sure and tape out everything and keep the pressure low on your sprayer till you feel comfortable because you do not want any drip marks.

graco and titan are really good airless sprayers, gas or electic are gonna be ok also.

just make sure and tell who ever you rent it from or buy it from that your using it for exterior house painting so you can get the proper machine to do the job.

i used to house paint in florida, cali,conn,penn and nj.

 

[Beforetone]

Follow all the safety precautions. 2500 psi. can rip a hole in your finger and any skin. All new airless and attachments are labeled with warnings. Warnings state upon injection to skip researching toxicity and amputate, I'm no doctor but I think those instructions are to prevent gangreen and amputation anyway. I know one painter who survived an injection in his side, the doctor said if that gets any worse come back tomorrow. Lucky. Another painter I worked with when I was younger ended up missing a finger ten years later. That was back when flat spray tips would clog and some painters would clean it with a needle. Now with reverse- a- tips turn the handle and pull the trigger to blow out the clog. Have fun and try not to make a mess.

 

[Loudness250]

Yeah, Im a painter, these guys all gave good advise. I would go with renting either an electric or gas powered airless sprayer. Electrics are cabable of spraying almost as fast as the bigger gas powered ones these days. You can rent an electric that will spray at .75 or even 1 gallon per minute. To purchase a quality sprayer, even a small one, it would cost you a grand, maybe 500$ used on ebay. My sprayer costed a grand back in 2002 and it still works. The cheap shit sucks. So Id recommend renting for keeping your painting budget down. Your local paint store or equipment rental place should be able to explain pretty accurately how to operate it. Get 100ft of spray line with it, this will save you from moving the sprayer around "which is a pain in the ass after it's intake is already placed in a 5 gallon bucket of paint and the extension cord is connected". The 100 footer should be able to reach half way around the house and or more and then you can just turn around and walk back around to the other side of your house to get the remainder of the house without moving the sprayer. Like someone mentioned, the reversable spray tips are awesome, if the spraygun clogs, you just turn the tip around and shoot the gun and the clog blows out, then turn it back around and continue. While spraying, it's best to keep a lid or cover on your bucket of opened paint because otherwise the sun will bake a hard layer on the top of the paint and eventually your sprayer will start sucking hard dry paint bits into the intake and that is what causes clogs. Or you can also just keep your sprayer and paint in a shady area. yeah just mask your windows and doorknobs and such, cover the sidewalks and driveway with some drop cloths. WATCH OUT THAT YOUR PAINT DOESNT BLOW ONTO THE NEIGHBORS CAR!. That's an important one. If you have some nice plants near the house, you should cover those with something. Well, hope that helped.