Airless Recommendation for Spraying Black Fence Paint

• Painting

The Best Paint Sprayers of 2021

Speeding through your next painting project starts with choosing a paint sprayer with the right pump, tip, and features for your needs.

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• Best Overall

  

  Wagner Spraytech Control Spray Max HVLP Sprayer

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• Best for Light Duty

  

  HomeRight Quick Finish Paint Sprayer

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• Best for Heavy Duty

  

  Graco Magnum ProX19 Cart Paint Sprayer

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Photo: istockphoto.com

Want to speed up your paint job? Equip yourself with a paint sprayer! Ahead, we've outlined the key considerations for selecting the best paint sprayer for your needs. Keep reading for our tips—and don't miss our top picks, below!

1. BEST OVERALL: Wagner Spraytech Control Spray Max HVLP Sprayer
2. BEST FOR LIGHT DUTY: HomeRight Quick Finish Paint Sprayer
3. BEST FOR HEAVY DUTY: Graco Magnum ProX19 Cart Paint Sprayer

Types of Paint Sprayers

Heavy-duty air-driven paint sprayers use high-pressure air from an air compressor to atomize paint or stain and provide a fine finish. Airless sprayers are electric- or gas-powered tools that mechanically pump paint or stain into the sprayer, which then pushes the finish through the sprayer tip, where it's atomized and becomes a spray.

Sprayer Tips and Patterns

Sprayers are rated for the tip size or sizes they can support.

• A sprayer's tip size sometimes refers only to the size of the opening, as in a .015 tip. Other times, it indicates two things at once—both the fan size (in inches) and the size of the tip opening. For example, a 515 tip sprays paint in a 5-inch diameter out of tip opening that measures .015 inches.
• Stains require smaller tip sizes and less pressure, while paints and heavier coatings need larger tip sizes and more pressure. Consider the jobs you will be tackling, and for each sprayer option you consider, pay attention to its maximum recommended tip size. The greater the maximum recommended tip size, the more finish the sprayer can output per minute.
• A paint sprayer's spray pattern is the shape in which the tool outputs the finish. The best paint sprayers are able to spray in multiple patterns: round, horizontal, and vertical. Having these options available means you can switch from spraying a wide fan across a surface to a fan of the same width moving up-and-down without having to turn the sprayer.
• Each tip size comes in multiple spray-pattern widths . Widths can vary from about six to 14 inches wide. Smaller surfaces, like fence rails, call for a smaller pattern width. Ceilings, walls, and larger surfaces call for a larger pattern width.
• Tips can be standard or reversible. The difference? A reversible tip can be unclogged easily by turning it around and blowing out the blockage.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Tips for Picking the Best Paint Sprayer

• Sprayers with 25 feet or more of flexible hose or a long extension cord are best for jobs that require distance, like painting a fence. An extension cord makes cleanup even easier at the end of the job.
• If you need to carry your paint supply a long distance, consider a unit with wheels or a backpack.
• Determine your paint capacity and how often you'll need to refill. You might opt for a larger hopper or a unit that draws straight from the can.
• Think about cleanup and whether you want a unit that comes apart for easy cleaning. Smooth interior surfaces and units that draw from the can make cleaning easier, too.
• Consider an adjustable pressure control with high, low, cleaning, or roller settings to help extend the life of your spray tips. A model that comes with a pressure roller attachment can also take over on projects where spraying isn't possible (it, too, applies paint up to four times faster than a traditional roller and with less mess!).
• Note whether or not the sprayer takes tip extensions—a handy feature when painting high ceilings, foyers, and hard-to-reach spaces.

Safety

Sprayers demand your respect. Always read and follow the manufacturer's safety, setup, and operating instructions. Use a respirator mask and proper eye protection when spraying, and never spray at a person, animal, or window.

Cover or mask off anything in the vicinity of your project, including windows and trim, because vaporized paint gets into everything. If spraying outside, cover plants and avoid painting on windy days.

Our Top Picks

Photo: amazon.com

Boasting a 20-foot-tall flexible hose, this 11.2-pound, 110-volt, air-driven electric sprayer unleashes a high volume of paint or stain at low pressure. The sprayer's 1.5-quart capacity hopper and two-stage turbine enable you to spray virtually any finish, be it as viscous as latex paint or as thin as wood stain. With a simple twist of the air cap, you can spray your chosen finish in a vertical, horizontal, or round spray pattern. All the while, the sprayer's variable air pressure control, ranging from 1.50 to 2.63 PSI, reduces the risk of overspray.

Pros

• High-volume, low-pressure system creates an extra-smooth finish
• Paint flow easily adjusted via two dials
• Lightweight handheld unit minimizes fatigue while turbine rests on the ground
• Includes extra container

Cons

• 20-foot hose is convenient but difficult to clean
• Generously-sized cup may be too large for smaller projects

Photo: amazon.com

This 3.6-pound, air-driven electric sprayer is great for small- and medium-size painting projects. The adjustable air cap unleashes a high volume of air at low pressure to allow more paint to reach surfaces, while the adjustable nozzle allows you to spray on a smooth finish using a vertical, horizontal, or round spray pattern. Once you've achieved a look you love, cleanup is easy—simply fill the hopper with water and spray until the water runs clear.

Pros

• Lightweight handle and smaller cup reduce hand fatigue
• Vertical, horizontal, and round spray patterns cover every angle
• Easy cleanup
• Smaller capacity ideal for small and medium paint projects

Cons

• More refills needed during larger projects

Photo: amazon.com

This professional-grade, 42-pound spray unit features adjustable pressure, a stainless steel piston pump, and a flexible suction tube that lets you spray paint at your preferred rate of flow directly from a one- or five-gallon paint can. The built-in, wheeled cart helps you haul cans of paint, and the 50-foot flexible hose allows you to spray hard-to-reach surfaces, such as the side of a multi-story house. The Graco is rated for use for up to 500 gallons of paint annually.

Pros

• Handy reverse pressure switch easily clears clogs
• Piston Pump allows even spraying of unthinned paint
• Option to spray directly from paint bucket with no cup
• Easy-clean with garden hose attachment

Cons

• Cart can be unstable when painting with shorter hose
• Designed for high-capacity use, may be too powerful for smaller jobs

Our Verdict

The Wagner Spraytech Control Spray Max HVLP Paint or Stain Sprayer wins our top recommendation because of its power, versatility, and ease of use. It will be the best option for most users for both home and light commercial use. For those who need high power and high capacity painting, however, the Graco Magnum ProX19 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer will be the best bet.

How We Chose the Best Paint Sprayers

HVLP and airless paint sprayers are both powerful options to save time and money on paint projects that require a fine finish. We included recommendations in both categories, as air-driven options that are ideal for light- to medium-duty painting and airless sprayers provide high power and multiple finish options. We also prioritized sprayer designs that reduce fatigue during use and maximum adjustability of the spray power and patterns. Finally, we considered the durability of the sprayers on the market and chose units that are designed to hold up for project after project.

FAQs

Q: Are airless paint sprayers better?

Airless sprayers are generally more powerful than HVLP (or air-driven) sprayers. This makes them more efficient for large or outdoor projects, because the velocity of the paint being pushed out is higher and can reach farther. That doesn't make them better for all applications, however: For indoor jobs, an HVLP will often create a finer finish on the wall because the lower velocity makes it easier to quickly deliver a smooth, even coat.

Q: Is it better to spray or roll interior paint?

This is a matter of personal preference, and the answer can depend on the project at hand and your level of experience. Sprayers can speed up the application of the paint and result in a smooth finish free of brush or roller marks, and they prove especially useful for applying paint in places that rollers struggle to reach, such as crevices or grooves between boards. However, there's a learning curve, so you're more likely to experience drips or overspray onto floors and furnishings until you have some experience using the sprayer. Rolling is slower and can leave a finish that is less evenly applied, especially on very smooth surfaces, but these paint tools are far less expensive for occasional projects and don't demand the same setup or cleanup.

If you're anticipating a lot of paint work and are willing to practice and become a proficient sprayer, then a sprayer is a great investment, but rolling gets the job done as well.

Q: Do paint sprayers need special paint?

Paint sprayers do not require special paint—but some may require that you thin the paint with water, an appropriate thinner, or a paint medium such as Floetrol so the turbine can pull the paint through the tubing swiftly and serosolize the droplets. Other sprayers, especially airless sprayers, can work with full-thickness paint. The bottom line: It's important to check the manual that comes with your sprayer to choose the correct balance of paint and thinner if necessary.

Q: Can I use enamel paint in a paint sprayer?

You can use enamel paint in a paint sprayer, but it will almost always need to be slightly thinned with water, mineral spirits, or another thinner. The thick, glossy viscosity of enamel paint is too much for most sprayers to handle without thinning. Thinning will not result in a sub-par finish, because the aerosolization of the paint will apply the enamel in a smooth, rich coat.

Airless Recommendation for Spraying Black Fence Paint

Source: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-paint-sprayer/

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