Best Primer Spray Guns (2023): Reviews & Buyer Guide (2023)

FAQs

What's the best spray gun on the market? ›

HVLP sprayers are the best choice for interior paint spraying because they have the proper power and precision to quickly cover surfaces smoothly and evenly without much effort on your part. This is because HVLP paint sprayers can apply thinner, more even coats with minimal overspray.

Airless paint sprayers are the best type for large projects or exterior painting, such as walls, fences, big decks, ceilings, or lattices. You'll get the best results spraying paint from a distance of around 12 inches.

The easiest way to ensure an efficient application of primers is to spray them on. The material is atomised and applied to the surface precisely with reduced spray mist thanks to WAGNER technology. You also save time and effort as there's no need to laboriously cover large areas with paint rollers.

There are two types of primers—Boxer and Berdan. Almost all U.S. rifle and pistol cartridges have Boxer primers.

Gravity feeds require less air pressure to atomise the paint, providing the direct benefits of lower overspray, less paint wastage, and a greater level of control for the painter. Thanks to these advantages, the gravity feed gun typically delivers better finishes.

Airless units have a product transfer rate of only 50 percent, while HVLPs can achieve up to 90 percent, Torntore says. But airless units are also more powerful.

While some air spray guns have a rating of lower than 10 CFM, we'd recommend your compressor CFM for spray painting is at least 12 CFM. For professionals, this figure may need to be higher – the important thing is you've checked your spray gun's CFM requirements and chosen a compressor that exceeds that figure.

The elasticity of acrylic paint makes it ideal for exterior painting projects. Durable and long-lasting, acrylic exterior paints are best to use on siding made from wood, aluminum or fiber cement. It also works well to cover stucco, plaster and drywall.

Many professional painters use sprayers because the prep time is not a huge time sink for them. But, some professionals can roll paint incredibly fast and evenly too.

How much does 1 gallon of paint cover with a sprayer? ›

In general, one gallon of paint will cover roughly 250-350 square feet of surface.

Amount of Paint to Use With a Paint Sprayer

Also, any paint left in the hose must be blown out. Some of the paint can be saved, but much of it goes to waste. One gallon of paint will cover about 150 to 200 square feet of wall. It's best to estimate high when spraying on paint.

Cup sprayers are a type of handheld airless sprayer. They are the best paint sprayer for home use because they are compact, cost less and require little setup. They are ideal for fences, decks and smaller DIY projects. Cup sprayers can also be used for small touch-ups on larger projects.

You will want to use 2-3 coats of primer to ensure there is a good bond between the new paint and the wall, and also to cover up any previous colors, especially if they are red, orange, or a strange outdated color. In short, you will typically need 2 coats of primer for most painting projects.

Spray paint typically has a sheen that, when dry, reflects light and emphasizes any surface imperfections, including scratches, dents and nicks. So, before spraying on the final coat of paint, you must sand the surface smooth and then apply at least two primer coats.

Because primer is thicker than body paint and clear coat, it is recommended you use a 1.8mm tip and air cap when applying primer.

Epoxy Primer - Epoxy primer is considered a good standard base when it comes to ensuring the auto paint bonds to the metal and promotes a quality paint finish. It's formulated specifically to prevent corrosion, so epoxy primer for cars won't sand as well as other types, like urethane primer.

The best primer for drywall is a latex primer. Don't use an oil-based primer unless you're putting up wallpaper or covering a stain. Oil-based primers raise the grain of the drywall and make the finish look uneven.

The working range is between 15 and 50 psi, with smaller patterns requiring lower pressure. No two sprayers are likely to agree on the same settings, so it's a matter of personal feel. Some typical settings: 15 to 20 psi:Airbrushing, touch-up, shading, sunbursting, and thin finish materials.

Disadvantages of HVLP paint sprayers

Since there are lower pressures involved, the painting speed will be slower. Because the lower pressure means that high viscosity paints are not handled as well, you may find that you have to heat the fluids using the circulating paint stove.

Do you have to thin paint for a HVLP sprayer? ›

HVLP (high Volume, low Pressure) Paint Gun

These types of sprayers can also be used with latex paints and indoor applications. However, the paint will need to be thinned out quite a bit. Start at 10% water, then add more until you achieve the desired consistency.

HVLP guns use more CFM and will require users to size their air compressor accordingly. On the other hand, LVLP atomizes better, sprays faster and lays down a better finish while using less CFM but high air pressure.

What is HVLP? HVLP, or High-Volume/Low Pressure, uses a high volume of air (typically between 15-26 CFM) delivered at low pressure (10 PSI or less at the air cap) to atomize paint into a soft, low-velocity pattern of particles. In most cases, less than 10 psi is needed in order to atomize.

We will discuss PSI below, but a high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) compressor is usually sufficient to complete an auto paint job. Look for 2-stage compressors that deliver close to 20 CFM.

In order to spray the full range of finishing products, however, you need at least a 21⁄2 to 3 HP compressor with a 75 liters (20 gallons) tank. One this size lets you effectively atomize the product and supply constant air pressure to the gun.

When painting exterior wood, oil-based paint offers the best protection and longest-lasting results. Next in line are high-quality exterior acrylic paints, which have been improved and are less likely to crack and peel than latex paint.

When it comes to Benjamin Moore paint vs Sherwin Williams paint, neither is really better than the other. They both provide great services and high-quality interior and exterior paints.

Acrylic paint is the best paint to use for exterior painting projects because it has the highest durability. Acrylic paint can also resist extreme weather conditions for quite some time. It also maintains it's pigment over time so you won't have to worry about fading.

The benefits of HVLP sprayers are that they can atomize paint faster, more accurately, and at a lower pressure than traditional paint guns, creating a softer, more even spray—so you can cover larger areas faster without as many touchups. Plus, the lower pressure also minimizes air pollution.

Air spray is best for products requiring a high-quality finish, but doesn't have a good transfer efficiency rate. Airless has a higher transfer efficiency rate and is often used for protective, rather than decorative coatings. Air-assisted airless offers high production levels and a high-quality finish.

What is the most popular type of sprayer with contractors? ›

In general, airless paint sprayers are usually preferred by professionals as the speed and pressure these tools provide are a lot faster than other types of sprayer.

Simply spray the ceiling, and let overspray land on the wall and ceiling trim. After the ceiling paint dries, it's time to paint the walls. Cover the edges with quick-release masking tape and paper -- to avoid getting overspray on the ceiling -- and start paint spraying the interior walls.

Paint the Trim and Baseboards

In most cases, we recommend painting your trim before your walls. Let the paint dry, then tape off the trim and move on to the walls. Using high-quality semi-gloss paint will protect the wood as well as leave a pleasing shine to your trim and baseboards.

Many painters will stick with rollering when it comes to the indoors, as it gives you better control of the flow of paint. You don't have to worry about paint spray getting into the wrong places. If you're decorating an interior room, you should think about picking up a good roller kit.

A general rule of thumb is: Heavy-bodied primers and primer surfacers work best when you use a nozzle size of 1.7 to 2.2. Basecoats should be sprayed with a 1.4 to 1.6 nozzle. Clearcoats should be sprayed with a 1.3 to 1.7 nozzle.

If your trigger is pulled and you're reading the gauge, you want to make sure you're spraying at about (22 to 24 PSI for “primer”), (23 to 26 for the “basecoat”), give or take, and for (“clearcoat”, 24 to 25) trigger pulled.

I'm going to tell you that yes, if you're going through the process of using a paint sprayer for your large projects or small projects, you need to use a primer. It'll give your piece a professional finish.

To Spray KILZ® you should use an airless paint sprayer that will allow you to use a 15 to 21 thousands tip, though some products will require a 27 thousands tip. Spray pressure will be around 1800 to 3000 PSI. The filter in the airless should be a 60 mesh, which is the normal filter that comes in an airless sprayer.

For example, primers are usually thicker than the accompanying paint so you should use a 1.7 or 1.8 mm tip to prime most surfaces. Most painters will stay in the range of 1.2 to 2.0 mm unless the paint being applied is specialized.

Too much primer might cover up fine details. Also, too much primer might make the surface of the miniature too smooth. As mentioned beforehand, primer helps the paint to stick on your miniature. This works, because the primer kind of roughs up the surface of the figurine.

How do you prevent orange peel with a spray gun? ›

With the newer water-based materials orange peel is usually a result of spraying on too thick of a film. Try spraying an extremely THIN FILM, but still WET coat. A wet coat being “no dry spots that you think will flow together” and at the other end “no puddles or runs”. Remember don't turn the air down too much.

For a normally clean environment, a coat of up to 50 microns is considered adequate. For a dusty or humid location requiring constant servicing and cleaning, a thicker coat, say, up to 70–80 microns, is considered to be adequate. A thickness of up to 50 microns is possible through one coat of primer and paint.

Tip 4: Pat, Don't Rub

Though you may be tempted to rub the primer into your face, Stern says that patting it into your skin actually increases the staying power.

Back-rolling is typically most impactful when applying the primer for the interior walls of a home or a new construction build. While the primer is the coat that bonds with the substrate initially, airless spraying itself does not penetrate or enhance adhesion.

Choose the Paint for the Sprayer

HVLP paint sprayers work with oil-based paint, but thicker paints such as water-based latex can clog the sprayer. Combine a half cup of water for every gallon of latex paint in a bucket and stir thoroughly to thin its consistency before using latex paint an HVLP gun.

Apply as supplied using a brush, roller or sprayer. Do not thin. Stir thoroughly before and occasionally during use. Prime the entire surface to ensure a uniform appearance of the topcoat.

Apply using a brush, roller or sprayer. Use product when painting surface and air temperatures are between 35°F (2°C) and 90°F (32°C). Roller – High quality 3/8-1/2" nap on smooth surfaces or 1/2-3/4" nap on semi-rough or porous surfaces. Prime entire surface to ensure a uniform appearance of the topcoat.

KILZ® DRYWALL PRIMER & SEALER is formulated to prime and seal new, uncoated drywall which helps achieve a uniform, professional quality finish. Recommended Film Thickness: Wet: 5.3 mils / Dry: 0.8 mils @ 300 Sq. Ft./Gal.