Having bought some more paint recently at eye watering prices, I am considering getting a pro level gun. Tried to do some googling but kept finding the same useless info. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Sata, Iwata, DeVilbiss, Tekna, etc...

Edited November 10, 20213 yr by Patcon

Been there Charles! Watched a ton of Youtube videos (a few good but a lot of bad) and tried to find reviews worth reading (waste of time). Ended up with the DeVilbiss FLG4. I don't know how it compares to the pro-level guns that start at $500, but even to my very novice self, it's definitely an improvement over the cheaper ($50) Harbor Freight guns.

ETA: looks like HF has a new gun: https://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools-compressors/air-spray-guns/20-oz-professional-hvlp-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-56152.html I don't know anything about it, but a lot of HF's new professional tool lines have received good-to-excellent reviews and seem to be properly legit. It might be worth a look.

Edited November 10, 20213 yr by charliekwin

I've got a 40-50 year old aerograph .. it's a little gun just for painting a roof/door/fender..  i found out that it is the far predecessor of the DeVilbiss!  You could go for a good pro gun secondhand..?

I just bought a Warwick 904 HE HPLV gun. I’m inexperienced and have not used it yet. It’s supposed to be a good quality gun at a reasonable price. Spent about $280 for a kit that comes with an additional size tip/needle set.

I believe it’s a Iwata clone


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As a point of reference,  I  have an older Devilbiss set that has multiple tips. I probably paid in the $180s for it. I think its probably low $200s now. I suspect there is a noticeable step up to a good gun if you've sprayed enough. Starts to be justified when paint is getting this expensive. I would use it strictly for basecoat / clearcoat. Use my older gun for primer

13 minutes ago, mailnome said:

I’m inexperienced and have not used it yet.

Ah... painting a car is easy, you just have to put on paint everywhere with the same thickness..  

Just kidding.. if you can do that it's far from enough.. many variables are trying to make a mess of your paintjob, first look A LOT of you tube videos about painting it helped me..

I painted a car and only had 1 bad spot.. and that one i knew what went wrong and came out easy.

Yep, a lot of variables and the biggest is inexperience.

Probably give a good painter a cheap gun and not optimally reduced paint and will still lay it silky smooth, then give a novice the best of everything set up perfect and not produce good results


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Im sorry, you say you are looking at the “pro” level guns. It may just come down to getting one that is similarly laid out to what you are already comfortable with or deciding what you don’t like about your current one and finding one that addresses that.


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@Mailnome,

Quite right.  Other things a guy will likely get right on the first try.  Make sure everything is clean, get the right parts on in the right order with the proper torque, and even if it's your first time, you will get it right.  But painting?  Not so much.  It is a practiced art.  Best equipment in the world and you will still have too much or too little  - all bald spots and leaks.  It would be as If you were a lousy golfer and Phil Mickelson loaned you his  clubs.  You would still be a lousy golfer.   

I ended up getting a Devilbiss FLG5, very versatile and has a low cfm requirement, I had to buy the 1.8 set up in addition to the 1.4 that came with the gun. I think I paid $340.00

https://sprayfinishingstore.com/spray_gun/devilbiss-flg5-gravity-feed-spray-gun/

Edit, I just checked the price and they have come way down from what they were, https://www.ebay.com/itm/203638824293?mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5338830130&customid=devilbissflg5&toolid=10001&mkevt=1

Edited November 10, 20213 yr by grannyknot

Some possibilities

https://devilbissclub.com/spray-guns/devilbiss-gti-pro-lite-without-cup-regulator/

https://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/products/prolite/prolite-gravity.aspx

https://www.amazon.com/Tekna-703567-1-2mm-1-3mm-ProLite/dp/B006JYNEEK/ref=asc_df_B006JYNEEK?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80882941400083&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584482468471655&psc=1

 

 

 

Why the Ebay one is cheaper..

From the ebay site:

 This gun is made from a cast and is not milled (machined) like the DeVilbiss guns that cost hundreds of pounds. This keeps the cost down but means that there are minor imperfections where the casts are joined together. This is merely aesthetic. The functionality of the internals are top class.

Years ago i heard that DeVilbiss had a lot of trouble with fake sprayguns..  I wouldn't be surprised if these ebay ones are totally fake.

Edited November 11, 20213 yr by dutchzcarguy