Spraytech Control Spray Max Electric Corded HVLP Paint Sprayer

I bought this quite awhile back (a little over a year ago), so I have used this item a lot. I now have a more expensive (10X the cost) HVLP rig, but I have found that this little Wagner gun is so MUCH more VERSATILE and EASIER to use, that I use this one more often than the expensive one. I can spray oil-based paints and primers, as well as water-based products, with hardly any effort. Cleaning up is fast and easy, too. You CAN get a 100% perfect, professional finish IF you take your time, read and re-read the manual, and you practice with it, first. Do not expect to pull it out of the box, fill it, spray with it, and have perfect results. I suggest that you gather lots of cardboard and buy a can (quart or gallon) of cheap paint (the same type as your first project requires (water- or oil-based)). Then, buy the appropriate diluent (read the paint can), the compatible additive (i.e., Penetrol for oil-based paints and Floetrol for water-based paints). While you're at the paint store (or you are on Amazon.com) pick up some medium size (pertaining to particle filtration size, not overall size) disposable paint filters. My two spray painting mantras are, "Practice does make perfect!" and "Paint additives can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD between a professional-looking paint job, and just an awful looking paint job!" That's it in a nutshell, but I've written at length about the first time I used this sprayer. If what I learned can help you get great results on your first project, it may be worth the time it takes to read:My first project was not the smartest one to choose as a first project to paint with a spray gun. It was the wainscoting and trim in my dining room. But, it came out so perfect, that even after a year, the glassy, smooth, sprayed surfaces still impresses me so much, I cannot believe I did them! But, back then, I didn't know any better, so I thought I would just start right in with the painting, buying the exact same paint and color (Sherwin Williams Alkyd) the installers had used. I lightly sanded all of the wainscoting and trim, as best I could, to scuff up the surfaces. I also used a liquid deglosser, since sanding detailed trim is thankless, tedious work. But, most of all, I spent a lot of time caulking (using PAINTABLE caulk) areas that had pulled apart from "settling," or that were not properly caulked by the installers in the first place. I let the caulk dry thoroughly. Actually, it was all the cracks and crevices in the joined edges of the woodwork caused by improper (or complete lack of) caulking, and some due to settling, that had caused the need to paint the trim and wainscotting.Next, I started in with the viscosity tests. I used paint thinner first, but then I read up on additives. So, I switched to using a combination of paint thinner and Penetrol (by Flood, purchased at Lowes). I can't recall the exact ratio of paint thinner to Penetrol I ended up using, but I think it would be safe to say about half and half. Of course, paint thinner was what my product called for as a thinning agent. Paint additives, like Floetrol and Penetrol, help produce a smooth, glassy finish. The additives can help make up for a multitude of sins! For example, if you did not properly adjust your air/paint flow, you could end up with a painted surface that has an orange peel texture (a common problem). If it's not too bad, the additives themselves can make that problem completely disappear! But, that's not too surprising, because one of their purposes is to reduce, or eliminate, brush marks!Once I had all of my paint thinner and Penetrol added in order to achieve an acceptable viscosity test, I was alarmed at how much I had diluted the paint! I had definitely diluted it beyond what the manufacturer had recommended (as stated on the can). Thankfully, I was worried enough that I decided to practice on some cardboard, rather than on the dining room walls, first, as I had planned on doing after reading all of the positive reviews here, thinking I could just spray the walls and get great results! And, although it didn't take long before I was able to get a nice, smooth coating on the cardboard, I am really thankful I did! I would have been scraping and sanding walls, for sure! I also stood the cardboard up vertically, like the surface I would be spraying (vertical surfaces are much harder to spray without getting drips and runs), so I could get a feel for how much paint I could apply before getting runs. It wasn't very much! I had to keep the gun moving relatively quickly. But, by then, I had to send my husband back to Sherwin-Williams for another can of paint, just to be sure I would have enough paint!Before getting to the viscosity tests, though, I had basically turned my dining room into a giant spray booth, but without an explosion-proof fan mounted in the window! I covered the windows, ceiling, and upper walls with plastic, masking off all of the edges. I also taped plastic over the two doorways, masking around all of the edges of EVERYTHING. I used thick plastic drop cloths on the floor, but I goofed by not taping them down as securely as I should have. So, I had to stop and do some clean-up and remedial taping when I saw that the air coming out of the nozzle was blowing up the edges of the plastic! Naturally, I used a respirator, and was covered head-to-toe in disposable painting attire. The air was thick with paint mist when I did paint. But, I expected that in the enclosed space. I put on a total of four coats, as I thought with all of the diluting, they would be thin coats. They were, but I wouldn't say that was a bad thing! I don't own a mill gauge (something I just recently learned about!), so I couldn't tell you how thick each coat was, but they were thick enough to cover bare wood without being transparent enough to see the wood grain show through, but not so thick that it would cause runs or drips. I always sprayed a small piece of cardboard, leaving it in the dining room, but near the opening, so I could easily check when the paint was dry enough to recoat, without touching the trim or walls themselves. It dried much quicker than I had anticipated, given all of the dilution. I did get a couple of runs, but I just sanded them off when the paint had dried enough to produce a powder when sanded, and not rub or rip. Of course, I sprayed these areas again.Even with the massive amount of prep work required (most of it would have still been required if I was brushing-on the paint, such as all of the caulking), the amount of time It took to spray, clean-up, dry, spray, clean-up, etc., was only a fraction of that time that would have been required for me to brush on all of the coats! The results were, as I said, spectacular. Today, the wainscoting and trim still look as fantastic as they did the day II had finished painting them. I was worried the dilution of the paint would have affected the wear or appearance of the surfaces, but it did not. So, I would never be afraid to dilute paint more than stated by the manufacturer on the can. Not being a paint professional, I do not know how they arrive at those figures, but for myself, I would always dilute the product according to what is recommended in the sprayer manual (using viscosity cup and timing the flow), and not what is stated on the can.But, I always read the can of the product I am using, because it tells me what to use in order to thin the product (the diluent). For oil-based PRIMERS, I use only the recommended diluent or solvent, and I omit the additive (Penetrol). To date, I have not used water-based PRIMERS, but I would probably only use distilled water for the diluent (unless the can stated to use another type of diluent, that isn't water). A shellac-based PRIMER would probably call for denatured alcohol as the diluent. Again, always defer to the can/manufacturer for the diluent to use, but defer to the sprayer manual for the proper dilution rate (using the viscosity cup). For water-based paints, I use a mixture of one part distilled water and one part Floetrol (50-50) to dilute the paint. I also use a medium filter for all paints and primers, and it is the last thing I do before I spray paint. Disposable filters are cheap, so I use a fresh, new filter when I fill or refill my sprayer cup. If I fill the cup three times during a project, I've used three filters. I always gather some cardboard to use to warm-up on, and, most importantly, to help me fine-tune the settings on the sprayer, so that I achieve the best finish possible. If your paint is properly diluted, and your spray is properly adjusted, I just don't think you will be ever be unhappy with the results. Thoroughly cleaning up your equipment as soon as you are finished painting is also extremely important. If you have a tiny, dried, speck of paint in the nozzle, you will not get good results. I have found those really thick pipe cleaners (oh, excuse me, I mean CHENILLE STEMS) are invaluable as an aid to cleaning out the inside of the slanted plastic tube that is inserted into the paint cup.Some other tips I've learned include spray painting early in the morning, when there is less likely to be a breeze, if I am painting something outside. Avoid spraying in direct sunlight, too. Finally, if there is a result that is not to your liking, Google it to find a solution to the problem. I have learned so much from doing this, and watching Youtube videos, too. If all else fails, call the manufacturer because there is always a small chance you could have a defective part that needs to be replaced.Dilute and practice with your cheap practice paint. If you can achieve a great finish on your cardboard (make sure the cardboard has a smooth surface to begin with, too!) using your cheap paint, you will surely be able to get an amazing finish with your higher quality paints and finishes.

My wife has been wanting to repaint our kitchen cabinets but is having difficulty talking me into doing them. She found the hvlp sprayers (never heard of them) and said how easy it would be with one. Curiosity got the best of me so I looked the sprayers up and was pretty convinced a $100 or less sprayer was a piece of junk. I had a small project that has needed painting so I figured I would order one and see if they would work. Could always send it back. Ain't Amazon great. I looked at a few and decided on this one, mostly because of the hose, figured it would be lighter than one with pump on sprayer, plus it had pretty good reviews.Bought some Behr Ultra semi-gloss latex enamel. Thinning suggestion on can said no more than 2oz. Per gallon. I thinned it, stirred it, strained it did a quick test on a piece of cardboard with pressure dial on medium, was satisfied so I started painting. I am really impressed with this little sprayer. Paint goes on very even with fine spray particles, no issue with runs and fairly fast. I could have thinned a little more for faster painting. Extremely easy to use and a beautiful paint job. You will never get this with brush or roller and not nearly a messy either. Very little overspray. I like the hose, it is very long, soft and very flexible. Cleaning the sprayer is very easy and simple. I dissembled the spray nozzel (4 parts to that, watch out for the little red washer) washed with water hose until no paint showing. Removed paint tube, washed it and cup with hose and used water hose and washed paint off of every part. Take about five minutes. Put it back together sprayed some water through it still works. Removed cup and stored in box until next time. Pictures are of first project. Wood is fairly rough so hard to see just how smooth the paint is, there is also a good bit of trash laying on deck from trees overnight. I did tape up the glass and other unpainted surfaces. Anyway this was the most fun I've ever had painting. Maybe I should say the least pain in the butt I've ever had painting.

BrieflyPros - Low cost, Easy to use and clean, Decent controls,Not that loud, Long hose, capable of a very nice smooth finish (with practice)Cons - Plastic gun, “Bleed” gunNot BrieflyIt does a really nice job considering the price but the materials have to be at the correct viscosity for the gun. You have to work at getting your technique down in order to get a nice finish (certainly true of any gun). You have to get the right paints and finishes (also true of any gun). You have to go for multiple layers.The “bleed” gun requires that you really pay attention to dust and debris in your work area as there is a constant flow of high volume air coming out of the gun the second you turn the unit on. You also have to pay attention to where and how you set the gun down as it will blow itself over. I may not have purchased this gun if I had known the difference between a bled and non bleed gun. Not sure there are any non bleed guns at this price. The plastic gun is a concern as far as a durability is concerned though that concern may be unfounded. I don’t believe there are any needle/tip sets of different sizes available for this gun. I believe different sizes would make for better finishes as many materials have recommended sizes for spray applications.If price is a big factor and your projects aren’t too demanding (though you should gauge that against YouTube videos by people doing sheds and cabinets with this thing - I’d definitely try the shed but not sure about the cabinets), then you would probably not be disappointed with this product. If price is not that big a deal, and you’re looking at more challenging projects and finishes, start looking at higher end systems such as the Fuji Spray line. I’m seriously considering one of their Mini Mite models.

I have never used a paint sprayer before. I have used spray paint in the past but never had good luck with it because I always ended up with uneven results that had runs. I installed some new baseboard over carpet and wanted to paint it after it was installed. This would be an extremely difficult task using paint brushes, hence my desire to purchase a paint sprayer. Wagner makes several paint sprayers with mixed reviews, although the vast majority of people liked this sprayer including myself.I got some masking paper and used a drywall taping knife to carefully tuck the paper between the carpet and baseboard. I then got ready to spray a very thick primer which had the consistency of pancake batter. I added the equivalent of 16 ounces per gallon of distilled water (no conditioner). It was still very thick but this unit had no problems spraying it. I completed over 60 feet of 6 inch baseboard in less than 30 minutes. I had no issues with runs and it was very easy to apply the primer evenly. During the painting, the hose came off the hand unit a couple of times causing a small stream of paint to land on the ground (not the baseboard fortunately). It would be nice if the manufacturer could make the connection tighter.The one issue I did have that I was not aware of was with a particular type of over spray. I always thought over spray was when the paint overshoots the target area and paints the adjacent area. With respect to this type of over spray, there was very little of it as the over spray was less than 6 inches on either side (I used a wide spray pattern). There is a second type of over spray that occurred. There were fine paint particles that did not adhere to anything and dried in the air. When I completed the project, there was a fine film of dry paint dust throughout the room. The dust was heavy and settled quickly and did not spread to other areas of the home. The dust was easy to vacuum (I used a HEPA vacuum to avoid re-spreading it), although I had to re-wash my bed spread and pillow covers. This was totally unexpected but then again I have never used a paint sprayer before. Therefore, goggles and a dust mask are a must as well as covering all furniture and belongings that can't easily be removed. Cleanup was extremely easy.After priming, I applied a coat of paint and diluted it to the equivalent of 8 ounces of distilled water per gallon per the paint manufacturer specifications. I also strained the paint. The paint was still thick but I had no problems spraying it. The finish result was nice but not as good as the results a professional painter can get using a high power airless sprayer and oil based paint; however this machine is very inexpensive for what it can do. I also would never rent a high power airless sprayer because they are dangerous and can cause injection injuries. The latex paint had a mild spray texture to it (not like the orange peel texture described by another reviewer) which is fine for baseboards but probably not as ideal for crown molding which are much more visible. For the crown molding, I want the finish to be as smooth as glass. I will likely use the sprayer to apply the primer and the first coat of paint (as the sprayer works much faster than I can hand paint) and will possibly do a finish coat using my Purdy paint brushes and latex paint with paint conditioners added to slow the drying time to get that final smooth finish.Per the manufacturer Q&A, this machine can be used indoors with latex paint even though the sticker on the unit states it is for outdoor use only.

I have had the unit for a month now and have used it for its intended purpose, to paint my kitchen cabinets. I read all the comments here and took all of them to heart, as Amazon buyers always give the most helpful remarks. I was hesitant, and a bit apprehensive, as the only spray painting I had ever done was in a can. A home DIY'r to the max, this was new to me. I went ahead and purchased it and it's one of the BEST purchases I have made! Here's some methods I used. Using Behr Ultra latex paint and primer, what worked best for me was adding just 1 cup of water to the entire gallon, and I don't really think I needed to, as straight from the can, the sprayer did very well. I just wanted to extend the paint a bit and make it a bit thinner. I set up a "paint booth" on an enclosed porch with lots of windows, started with one cabinet and took off the doors, everything out of the drawers, etc. By the time I got one section done, I was painting in the kitchen, leaving the doors on and just masking off the insides. The sprayer worked that accurately for me. Once you play with the settings, you can be very accurate as to where the paint goes, with little overspray. I used cheap, $1.00 red poster board, as the paint was white and I could get the best idea of how the paint would go on. I cut the posterboard to the size of the inside of the cabinets, (I did not need to paint the insides), taped it and voila..done in a jiffy! I also used the posterboard, held in one hand behind the doors, while painting with the other hand so no overspray would go anywhere but on the doors. I have the air set as a bit less than medium and painted about two-three inches away from the cabinets. l did used plastic to cover the counters, tv, etc., and did get a bit of overspray on a window, but nothing big and it came right off. My bad..I got much better after this! I painted three coats per "section" (we have a large kitchen), and then two coats of poly the next day..the poly required much less air, but went on perfectly. I did not thin that at all. I took my time, let the coats dry 11/2 hours in between, and they came out beautiful! One thing I had going for me is that we are having a new floor installed, so I didn't obsess about getting any overspray on the floor at the bottom of the cabinets, which isn't much. This machine will work wonderfully for you, take your time, experiment with it, posterboard is great to use in a contrasting color with painters tape. Keep a paint brush around, in case you see some drips so you can blend in. If I had any poly drips, I used the paint brush that had white paint on it and it blended perfectly! Can't wait for summer to get here...Spring, even, so I can move out to refinish the decks. BTW, very, very easy to clean, much quicker than trays, brushes, etc. I highly recommend the Wagner HVLP sprayer! Make sure you have windows open and wear a mask the 3M07192 is great for this. Have fun and Good Luck! Before and after pics

If you're thinking about buying this is probably because you've never owned a paint sprayer before and wonder if it will make your life easier than painting with a brush. Answer- yes.There aren't really any serious drawbacks, even in the cleanup (think of what you have to do with brushes). It works well. The experience is, the paint goes on much more thinly than what you might have imagined; you won't cover an area with one pass the way you would with a brush. So you're in effect building up thin layers of paint as you go. As far as arm the motion of applying the paint goes, you'd have to be trying to make a mistake with this thing for things to go wrong. It's really no surprises kind of deal; the air blows, it takes the paint with it, the paint is pretty evenly applied without bubble spatters or suchlike. Back and forth a few times and viola, it's done.Now it's not a flipping airbrush, meaning, it doesn't apply paint with absolutely no trace of spattering whatsoever- you can't do infinite amounts of shading with it, but it doesn't need to be to paint walls, fences, furniture and still have a completely professional outcome. Perhaps that's what people pay 1000 dollars for when they buy better models, then again perhaps even that doesn't buy you that level of fineness. My point is, it's fine for interior / exterior painting and especially painting surfaces where a brush would make it a lot of work. We had a long fence that fit this description and it literally 1/8th the time it would have taken me.I used something called flocontrol which you can get at your big box. It supposedly makes the paint flow more freely. I can't say I needed it (I have never not used it). I just needed things to turn out right the first time and didn't want to take the chance I would have problems. Just reporting the facts of how I used it.Yeah this is going to change painting for me. It's just faster and better and above all else- how could I have left this out- terrifically more sparing of paint than a brush. I would not be surprised to learn you use half the paint or even less paint than you otherwise would have using a brush. The reason is, you stop applying paint layers when it looks right, whereas with a brush the first stroke already delivers too much paint to the area you put the brush down on and then you try to spread that excess around. Somehow this works out to be much more wasteful of paint than one supposes.Yeah go ahead and get it. Fact: I saved 35 bucks my first time using this because of the paint I didn't have to apply. I have a gallon of paint I never opened. I have to imagine it will continue to save me money going forward for the same reason. I expect it to pay for itself and then save me even more money over its lifetime.Be sure to clean it as per the instructions; you can see how it would cease to function if the small passages inside it where paint flows through and gets "atomized" would cease to function with dried paint stuck to them. You have to have a ready supply of flowing water with which to clean this soon after you're done. It puts that requirement on you. Some parts also need to be swished around in a little cup of water. This is not cumbersome or mysterious, and neither is taking it apart and putting it together.All in all a jolly good buy !

This is the first paint sprayer I have purchased. Based on the previous reviews, and given the relatively low price, I set my expectations accordingly. I expected it might be difficult to get the right paint viscosity and expected clean-up to be difficult and time consuming.My initial project was to prime (INSL-X Prime Lock) and paint (Benjamin Moore Advance) 12 new cabinet doors and 8 new drawer fronts constructed from paint-grade maple. I chose the primer and paint based on advice from the BM dealer that these were less viscous than some of the alternatives, improving chances for success with an inexpensive sprayer.As expected, there was a learning curve on the first day. Straight from the can the primer was too viscous, resulting in droplets, even at maximum air volume and minimum paint stream. By trial and error I was able to thin the primer with mineral spirits and eventually found a consistency that sprayed uniformly and provided adequate coverage. I took my time, turning off the unit regularly between panels and when adding thinner. In all, I was able to complete the 20 panels in about 2 hours, using the sprayer about 50% of the time (typically on 5 minutes, off 5 minutes).I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the clean-up -- it was not as bad as I expected. Even though the primer was oil-based, requiring cleanup with mineral spirits, I was able to clean the parts as recommended in about 15 minutes using about one cup of spirits.After drying, I sanded the doors and drawers with 220 grit paper and they cleaned up well, even those early drawers that had a lot of droplets.The second day I was ready to apply the base coat of BM Advance. I had all 20 panels sanded and lined up in assembly line fashion. I thinned the paint with water to achieve a viscosity similar to the one that was successful with the primer. I filled the 1.5 quart plastic canister and was ready to "go into production". Things proceeded well through the 8 drawer fronts and the first 3 door panels. Then the unit entirely stopped. I confirmed that the outlet still had power, but the unit would not restart. Suspecting it had overheated, I unplugged it and took it inside. Unfortunately part of the cleanup procedure is to spray clean thinner or water through the valve, something that is not possible when the unit is dead. I called the tech service line, but it was Saturday and support is only available Monday through Friday. So there I was with a half-completed project, and messy sprayer, and a dead turbine.After about 45 minutes, the unit would run again, confirming that it was probably a case of overheating. I will "baby" it in the future -- elevate the turbine so it can cool on the bottom surface, have a fan blowing on it, and use it intermittently. It's disappointing that the unit doesn't seem capable of running more than about 20-30 minutes continuously, but I guess that's what you get with a $100 unit.P.S. I am no longer living in Qatar, but I haven't yet figured out how to change my profile in Amazon.

I got this yesterday and immediately went to work! I refinish furniture for a living and have been hand painting. I'd been eyeballing a sprayer for a while and wanted to make sure I got one specifically for latex paint. I tested it on cardboard as recommended. I thinned the paint as recommended by manufacturer and felt while testing that the max settings on both the turbine and handle worked best for me. The spray was pretty even but not super fine. However, after a second sweep it evened it up. After testing it out I got to work on two large jobs, three large dressers, a desk, and a mirror for one of the dressers. It cut paint time a minimum of a 1/3 of the time. What would have taken nine hours only took six. I went to check on it all this morning and the finish looks great. It almost feels like cheating now. I love this and will use it for every project that requires latex paint. I'm actually walking around our property looking for things to spray it's so much fun! I told my husband I could paint our detached garage! This is a great sprayer for newbies. I've never touched a spray gun in my life. The closest I'd come was a can of spray paint. This was fool proof. I definitely would recommend this. I think I'll come back after a few more jobs to update.Edit: August 6th, 2013 - I used this with a paint + primer that said to not thin and it still worked great. The spray was thinner since it had to work harder I'm sure but after two or three sweeps it still covers nicely. I'm still in love with this thing. I'll be using it to spray polycrylic soon so I'll come back and let you know how that goes!Edit: August 9th, 2013 - I used it today to spray a few pieces of furniture with polycrylic. Wow! What can't this thing spray. I wondered how well it would work because it's not supposed to be shaken but it sprayed on a perfectly smooth finish. I can't believe how much time this thing has saved me and the paint and finish always look perfect. It has already paid for itself twice over! Also, I failed to mention how easy this thing is to clean. There are no brushes to rinse! No paint pans to rinse, you just rinse the tube and gun and swirl some water in the cup. It is SO much easier to clean that I don't even mind. Before I've ruined so many brushes because it just takes forever to rinse all the paint off of them. I will only be using brushes for detailed work from now on. I will buy this again if this one dies and I would without a doubt recommend this to ANYONE! My three year old niece could probably work this thing!

A pleasant experience with seller. I do recommend the seller and the product. Thanks

Very happy with this sprayer! Im always painting something and alot of different things and this does the trick! Saving so much time now compared to using a brush or spray paint.Painted vinyl siding, wood funiture, metal garage doors! The long air hose makes moving around easy! Would recommend for anyone just starting or even painting fanatics that don’t want to pay alot of money for expensive airless sprayers.

Tenía una barda muy alta y con terminado rústico , llevaba un cuarto pintado con cepillo y estaba gastando mucho material y el cansancio terrible pfff. . .Me animé a comprar este artículo y estoy " más que satisfecho y contento" con los resultados ; inicie previa preparación del material y en menos o igual de tiempo que hice una cuarta parte , termine la barda .Gracias Wagner por tu producto y seguiré adquiriendo más accesorios .

I live in the UK and couldn't find this model of Wagner Sprayer for sale here. Went ahead and purchased one, but obviously it isn't designed for the UKDM. I have now had a chance to test it (after writing an answer to another potential buyers question) by using an American to UK travel adapter. It powers up, but not comfortably. The UK voltage rate is far too high and I don't want to risk damaging it.The thing is, though, I really don't want to have to send this back as it's the one that I want, so will look into getting a transformer to step the voltage down first. Hopefully then it won't run hot.Would I recommend getting a Wagner Sprayer? Yes, definitely.Would I recommend getting one not designed for the UK? Sadly, no.

Llegó a tiempo y en buen estado.Es un excelente producto, es muy fácil de usar y sobre todo de limpiar, no hace tanto ruidoLo recomiendo ampliamente deja un acabado muy fino una vez que ajustas el chorro.Me tarde más en preparar el cuarto que en pintar con está herramienta