# Best HVLP Sprayer for Stain AND Paint ?



## Scottg (Nov 5, 2012)

Soon will be time to re-stain the spindles on our deck. It takes hours. This year, going to convince wife we need to do the sprayer thing. The thing is, I'd like to be able to use it to paint some woodworking pieces as well, but my understanding is these things have very limited capabilities with regards to viscosity.

And yes, same old story, I'd like less expensive; e.g. $90 - $200. This won't get heavy use so I don't want to spend the $500+ for the really good ones.

Iv'e looked at:
Wagne​r Pain​tREAD​Y Stat​ion HVLP Spra​yer-0​52901​7​​
Wagner 0518080 Control Spray Max HVLP Sprayer
HomeR​ight Fini​sh Max Fine HVLP Pain​t Spra​yer-C​80076​6​​

Anyone have any experience with these? Thoughts on a decent until for relatively light, intermittent use?

Thanks,
Scott


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

I can't comment on the new Wagners, I have an old one. One of the first ones on the market. I tried it on several projects and had to give it the thumbs down. I do use the compressor to it for blowing up mattresses etc. for camping and what not.

With the air continuously blowing through the nozzle, not a good idea.....


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## del schisler (Aug 22, 2010)

Scottg said:


> Soon will be time to re-stain the spindles on our deck. It takes hours. This year, going to convince wife we need to do the sprayer thing. The thing is, I'd like to be able to use it to paint some woodworking pieces as well, but my understanding is these things have very limited capabilities with regards to viscosity.
> 
> And yes, same old story, I'd like less expensive; e.g. $90 - $200. This won't get heavy use so I don't want to spend the $500+ for the really good ones.
> 
> ...


go to a tool rentel and rent one that will do the job , than take it back to them, that way you don't buy something that will not be used again for a while ?? cheeper ?


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

Not familiar with the Wagners you mentioned, but if they can't spray unthinned latex, you don't want them. I have a Flexio, which works pretty well. I have this model.

http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/products/sprayers/interiorexterior/flexio-590-sprayer/


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## rich_kildow (Feb 7, 2012)

I can't speak to those specific Wagners, but I have the Flexio 890 and love it. I used it with Bullseye 1-2-3 primer on my daughters bed, followed by unthinned latex, as well as a few projects at work recently. I also used it to spray Cabot semi-transparent deck stain and it works just as well. Cleanup is easy, especially with water based stuff, obviously you need to use solvents with oil based. 

It is VERY adjustable and you can change the paint volume and air speed, dialing in the right application amount without excessive bounce-off. My parents have the Milwaukee M4910-10 airless sprayer and it was just overpowered for everything I used it for. I just poured on the paint and filled the room with a fine paint mist, regardless of how I dialed it in. The Wagner simply can't deliver the same amount of paint, but it is much more controllable.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

If you use a standard airless sprayer indoors, it will kick up an incredible amount of mist and overspray. The Flexio is not as powerful obviously so you can't go as fast, but you also don't need the same level of prep work. You can simply cover the ground and the immediate area with plastic. With the big sprayer, you have to cover EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE. Think of it like a pest fogger in your house.


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## Scottg (Nov 5, 2012)

rich_kildow said:


> I can't speak to those specific Wagners, but I have the Flexio 890 and love it.


The 890 looks nice. Seems to be just what we need. But maybe a bit pricey. I'm hoping maybe the 590 will do it for us. Great to hear that it does stain well. That's our primary application and the one for which - if it did poorly - the wife would be saying, "and yes, we really needed yet another power tool???"

But... I showed her some YouTube vids of the time difference between brush and spayer. And just asked, "you remember how long it took last time? You make the call."

So that's the top one in the running right now.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

jeffnc said:


> If you use a standard airless sprayer indoors, it will kick up an incredible amount of mist and overspray. The Flexio is not as powerful obviously so you can't go as fast, but you also don't need the same level of prep work. You can simply cover the ground and the immediate area with plastic. With the big sprayer, you have to cover EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE. Think of it like a pest fogger in your house.


Jeff I'm going to disagree here. From what I have read about the 890 the biggest complaint is the amount of over spray. Now as for the airless if you use the tip that comes with the sprayer (usually a 517) yes you will get a fog as this is way to big. 

Now with the proper tip size and the correct pressure adjustment the paint will atomize to the point of being almost a dry fall. Just like an HVLP with the proper tip and pressure overspray become almost a non-issue. I have both airless and HVLP and for doing walls I would not use the HVLP. Believe me HVLPs are good sprayers, cabinets are about the biggest thing I use HVLP on and they are fantastic for clear finishes or anything with a semi or gloss finish.


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## rich_kildow (Feb 7, 2012)

You definitely can generate a huge amount of overspray with the 890, so it is important to dial in the gun for the material before going to town on your material. With the larger of the two guns, you can control spray width, amount of material, and the air volume/velocity. If your spray is to wide, you'll simply be shooting paint off the surface and into the air: over spray. To much velocity and the paint bounces off and all over the place: over spray. To much material and you get runs. You CAN thin the material within the manufacturers guidelines but I prefer to try and spray un-thinned whenever possible and leave that as a last resort. 

It takes some fiddling with and there is a learning curve, but that is also what allows you to effectively spray a wide range of materials. I tried an old Wagner power painter (the kind that buzzes like crazy) and I'm sure it would work great for a very specific paint, but there was no adjusting the gun.

The finish with the Flexio 890, and this is advertised, is a slightly stippled one, like a roller (at least with latex paint). I haven't tried it for clear finishes but intent to use to spray floor polyurethane this summer on some oak stair treads I'm making. 

We used it on our 20' square deck with stained spindles and rails because brushing into all the nooks and crannies sounded horrible. I was worried about overspray all around but was pleasantly surprised. We did use a Wagner deck mate stain applicator on the horizontal boards, and it was equally useful and worth the money.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

ToolSeeker said:


> Jeff I'm going to disagree here. From what I have read about the 890 the biggest complaint is the amount of over spray.


But it's a different kind of overspray. The droplet size is bigger. It's more of a spit, less of a fog.

And I do agree, correct tip will reduce the fog with an airless. But let me ask you this. Let's take this example. Last job I used the Flexio for was painting a brick fireplace. I taped and plasticed off the immediate area, including the wall and the laminate floor for a few feet in each direction. I didn't cover the entire floor nor any furniture.

If you were using an airless to do that job, would you be comfortable not covering the entire floor of the living room and the furniture?


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

ToolSeeker said:


> I have both airless and HVLP and for doing walls I would not use the HVLP.



Airless are super amazingly fast for spraying walls. However one attribute of the Flexio is that you get a slightly stippled look, almost like 1/4" nap roller. This could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it, but if you want it, then the Flexio would be better since the airless finish is going to be very smooth.


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

IMO - if the stain is also the preservative, as in outdoor wood, it should be brushed in. You will get better coverage, deeper penetration and better protection from a brushed on coat. With that said, sprayed on and then brushed out will save some time. With this technique any sprayer that can move mat'l, including a $20 garden pump sprayer will work fine. 

I do have a Graco airless (390 or similar? 10 years old) that I spray latex with. When doing interior drywall a second person always runs behind the sprayer and rolls it out smooth. Most every can of paint sold will include in the very, very fine print what the nozzle orifice size should be for spraying. Having the correct nozzle and pressure will give the best results without over atomizing and creating the fog that some have warned about. It does still create a fair amount over spray. And I only use it for large jobs, because it can easily take an hour just to clean it and the gun up properly.


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## Scottg (Nov 5, 2012)

Yodaman said:


> IMO - if the stain is also the preservative, as in outdoor wood, it should be brushed in. You will get better coverage, deeper penetration and better protection from a brushed on coat. With that said, sprayed on and then brushed out will save some time. With this technique any sprayer that can move mat'l, including a $20 garden pump sprayer will work fine.


Good suggestion. Basically, we're looking for speed. Every couple of years we do this and it takes the two of us half the day. Moreover, there's kind of a "double rail" at top and bottom that sandwiches the spindles. There's really no effective way to get into those cevices woult either missing spots or being overly goopy. I'm thinking the sprayer will be perfect for this. We'll definitely have to use some plastic to protect the Azec deck. (The deck is Azec, but the spindles are red cedar.) The finish is somewhat for protection, but mostly the wood holds up. What the real protection issues seems to be is carpenter bees. They'll borrow in unless the wood is stained. 




Yodaman said:


> I do have a Graco airless (390 or similar? 10 years old) that I spray latex with. When doing interior drywall a second person always runs behind the sprayer and rolls it out smooth. Most every can of paint sold will include in the very, very fine print what the nozzle orifice size should be for spraying. Having the correct nozzle and pressure will give the best results without over atomizing and creating the fog that some have warned about. It does still create a fair amount over spray. And I only use it for large jobs, because it can easily take an hour just to clean it and the gun up properly.


That's great to know to look for. My hope is to also use this for an upcoming dresser project for which I intend to use white milk paint as the covering, and then poly on top of that. The 590 unit seems right for this without being overly pricey.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

jeffnc said:


> But it's a different kind of overspray. The droplet size is bigger. It's more of a spit, less of a fog.
> 
> And I do agree, correct tip will reduce the fog with an airless. But let me ask you this. Let's take this example. Last job I used the Flexio for was painting a brick fireplace. I taped and plasticed off the immediate area, including the wall and the laminate floor for a few feet in each direction. I didn't cover the entire floor nor any furniture.
> 
> If you were using an airless to do that job, would you be comfortable not covering the entire floor of the living room and the furniture?



Yes in that case I would use a Fine Finish tip. Without seeing it I would guess probably around a 308. Really that's a lie, I could do it but truthfully I wouldn't, I would still use drops and cover the floor and the furniture as a precaution, too many things can happen. 

I have had bad experiences with Wagner sprayers, enough to be gun shy with their products. But let me say I have NOT used the sprayer you are talking about. But I thought the purpose of an HVLP sprayer was to atomize the paint into very small, almost minuscule droplets, and to give a super gloss finish. But the sprayer as you have described it really sounds more toward an airless than HVLP.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

ToolSeeker said:


> I have had bad experiences with Wagner sprayers, enough to be gun shy with their products. But let me say I have NOT used the sprayer you are talking about. But I thought the purpose of an HVLP sprayer was to atomize the paint into very small, almost minuscule droplets, and to give a super gloss finish. But the sprayer as you have described it really sounds more toward an airless than HVLP.


I've seen some older Wagners and I think they're crap (who would want to water down latex paint?) The Flexio does a pretty good job with it though.

I'm not an expert on sprayers, but I don't think the HVLP is supposed to atomize to the extent that airless sprayers do. The pressure is just too low. They can give a smooth gloss finish, but with paints that flow and level well.

I've used an airless with BIN shellac primer, which granted is pretty thin paint, but it got quite foggy with the recommended tip. With thicker latex paint, it's not as bad.


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## Scottg (Nov 5, 2012)

My report on the Flexio 590 for use to stain deck spindles.

* I've never used a sprayer before so I don't have anything to which to compare the experience.

* Goal: Protect Azec deck and the top rail, (also Azec), while quickly staining the the spindles and the top and bottom 'runners' or whatever the side run pieces would be called. To do so, I built some plywood covers for the top rails that could slide along as I went and then some right angle pieces for the bottom. Then, for when spraying TOWARD the deck to do the outside side, just cut plastic and had wife hold it as we moved along. (Yes, she immensely enjoyed this task.)

* Bottom Line Results: For the 50' or so of run, I'm not sure that - from an all in effort perspective - the sprayer is faster. When spraying OUT towards the yard and not caring too much about a bit of overspray, things went really fast. But when spraying IN towards the deck and house, and needing to be super careful with plastic sheeting and other protective measures, things went very slowly. As well, initial set up certainly took longer than using brushes and paint mittens, and cleaning the thing afterward took a solid 30 minutes, and I'm still not sure I got it as clean as I would like.

* Main Issues: As this was my first time using this unit, after loading it up with stain, we took it out back and used some old plywood and a large test poster that came with the unit. It was challenging to get settings right. The first failure was I'd had some leakage due to my not properly tightening a forward part that needed it. The troubleshooting guide told me that I was not alone, as they had that as an obvious fix. Which worked. After solving that, it was a matter of getting the nozzle oriented horizontally as I'd wanted - which was easy - and setting the pattern to fairly tight, which was also easy. The hard part was getting the exact right feel for the trigger and setting the power properly. Ironically, you need decent power for the material I was using, (even though instructions say LO for things like stain). (I had it on 5.) I found it challenging to set the trigger as the 'amount of material' knob by the trigger doesn't have a lot of travel. I would often be producing too much output, causing either or both overspray or too much stain that would run. As I got better using the unit, this problem lessened quickly. Still, easy to screw up. Overall quality came out about the same as when we've done it by hand. Maybe just a little better as there are some tight spots that were easier to get to with the sprayer.

* Future: I think the unit will be worthwhile. I need to try it on another project before making a judgment. I'll soon be wanting to paint a dresser with white milk paint, but will definitely test more first as this will be for in house furniture, not just a deck. Still, I'm not sure - for my needs - if it was worth the $150, (or in my case $100 as I'd had an old HD gift card credit), as I was really looking for more time savings. I'm sure now that I'm more familiar with it, doing this project again or others would go faster. The last time we'd done this by hand it took us 4 - 5 hours. This time was 4, so maybe a little less, but still... I was expecting better. Maybe a $500 has more control, but still. I know others do it, but personally, I wouldn't even think about using this inside.

Scott


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