Technical I need a cheap paint gun?

I have a limited budget for a limited use item. I need a cheap paint gun. I need to prime my car and paint with some satin/low gloss black. I was wondering if someone can recommend a paint gun from Harbor Freight, Northern Tool or ebay. What is good and what it not? Thanks

My car is a 1950 Chevy Fleetline 4 door

 

You won't beat the HF purple gun, especially when they run it for $9.95 on sale.
Shot the primer on an OT truck bed with one recently, (just to save clean up time w/my 'go to' gun.
Laid the primer down smooth as a baby's bee-hind. I was happily surprised.
Note: Clean well BEFORE initial use, AND after of course.

 

x2

 

Lot of options. Check Craigs List and Harbor Freight. Maybe a local tool rental or auto parts that loan tools.

 

As said-you cant beat a CLEAN HF gun for the money.

 

Cheapest unit I have located is a number 2 low knap roller and a 1/2 gallon of low lead thinner . Really used HVLP gun can be had fairly cheap and will work for must painting issues

 

If you're going Cheap Cheap,get the Harbor Freight special. If you want cheap,but decent,I like the Astro. It's worth cleaning and using again.

 

A buddy also says Harbor Freight. Central Pneumatic, HVLP, 20 oz, #67181. Only 10 bucks with a coupon or on sale. He doesn't even clean his, just tosses them. Gary

 

Agree with the HF gun. I've used a couple of them. Fixing to use one again when the weather warms up.Extremely good results. For $10 they don't need to last for years of use.

 

Yup. I even clean mine and use them over again.

 

I also have primed, painted and shot clear with an elcheapo Chinese Princess Auto gravity feed paint gun.
Same stuff as HF, but these guns, I usually run 45 psi at the regulator, but these are not true HVLP, think there is a lot more than 10-15 psi out of the cap.
I don.t get too hung up on PSI, and if I need a little more no big deal.
I have shot hi-build 2 k urethane primer out of 1 gun with a 1.4 tip, just reduced the primer, and shot on more coats for film build.
I have not tried the HF elcheapo with a 2.3 tip for polyester primers to date..
I also have a set of 2 Campbell Hausfeld gravity feed conventional guns, the bigger gun with 1.5 tip has a huge spray pattern, but lots of overspray waste too...

 

I've been using one like this since the early 90's. I have other, more expensive guns, but this is the one I use the most. Guess I'm just used to it! I did change the nozzle out with a DeVilbiss one, though.
http://www.harborfreight.com/32-oz-automotive-siphon-feed-air-spray-gun-69708.html

 

Another vote for the HF purple gun. I even splurged and bought a larger tip and needle for one of mine to spray primer. That upgrade cost lore than the gun! I have never used a $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ gun but I can't imagine one doing a better job than the purple gun. But maybe that is more a comment on my lack of skill than on the quality of the equipment!

 

Dirttoo, I agree with slowmotion.I use the H.P gun and about after the 3rd time just chuck them.You cant beat $9.95 Bruce.

 

At work I use a $2000 Capspray HVLP. Booooring. When I'm at home doing things like I want to, I use the purple cheapy. Once you go purple you'll never go back. What are these tool snobs sprayin' anyway? The Mona Lisa?

 

I have an HVLP too, but could never get used to it

 

I also use an old HF gun but I have the green one. My opinion is they are much better than the purple guns but can not get them anymore. I keep an eye out for the green ones at swap meets but haven't come up with anything yet.

 

The amateur used the $9 HF to paint the jalopy, under a tree.

 

HVLP guns don't dry the paint as much painting in cool temps is tricker.

 

HF purple gun. Works great for what you want to do, and if you don't feel like cleaning it when done just toss it.
I actually have 2 of them. Totally worth the money and with some practice they don't lay too bad of a finish.

 

I like the HF purple gun. I do clean it but sometimes it seems like a waste of money with the cost of thinner. I justify it because new guns need to be cleaned before using because they have a preservative in them.

 

The 'go to' gun I mentioned earlier is a swap meet #7 knock-off that I got in the early 80s. I'm just comfortable with it. I will say the purple gun worked so slick on the primer, I'm very tempted to use it on the color, next time I paint.

 

I like this "toss out the spray gun idea! In the Navy, I was told; the best cleaner for paint brushes was salt water. (Toss it over the side of the ship!)

 

While we're on this subject: I have a friend who is one of the best airbrush graphics guys in the business and he LOVES his $20 Harbor Freight airbrush. It's all he uses now. Go figure...

 

I love these topics. My $499.00 Iwata is junk and I should use a $10.00 gun and toss it when finished. When you can't see solvent pop, the $$$$ floating in the air due to lack of transfer efficiency, the materials consumed in waste and redo, yes, by all means slop it on with a cheap gun. "You get what you pay for" is never more accurate than it is in the world of spray guns. So what do I recommend? Swap meets, Craigslist, friends that wish to upgrade, garage sales (!). How much does it matter? Way more later than the days immediately after the job. Feel free to show us your 20 year old finish done with the $10 HF piece, but I've seen more than 1 hobbyist continue painting once they get that feeling of success.

I don't know where in IL you are but here's some options:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/search/tla?query=spray+gun

Your results may vary, tax n ***le extra, no purchase necessary, see your retailer for details, void where....


A quick edit; someone with a degree of know-how can get a great finish with a ****in paint brush. Sometimes it really doesn't matter to folks what the quality or longevity of a given finish is. Decades of refinish has given me some respect for the craft that many don't nor never will have or need. So don't take my snarky response to heart, but you do indeed get what you pay for, and many times what you didn't, but didn't want either Good luck...

 

Here are some of my $10 gun paint jobs.

 

Highlander, you are a professional that restores Deuesenbergs. No one would suggest that you should shop for tools at Harbor Freight. Few here would compare what they are doing to what you are doing.

But if you reread the OP's original post:



Reading between the lines: he's broke but wants to move forward with his personal project. He just wants to end up with satin black, who knows what shape the body is in, he just wants to screw around with his hobby.

I will speak for a lot of us; there is a very small "x" amount of dollars in our family budgets to screw around on our "hobby", (which in the big scheme of things about as important as a kid's booger collection under a kitchen chair). There are mortgages to pay, school, car payments, health ins......So choice "A" is to forget this old car **** and collect marbles because I can't afford a $2000 welder and an $800 spray gun. Choice "B" is to buy cheap tools, some 4 door car that HAMBERs think is a POS, go off in our garages, have a good time, fix up some heap and drive it around like we're some greasers in the 50's. I'll take B.


He shouldn't scrimp on materials, obviously, and he should do his homework before mixing and spraying it out. But for a guy in his garage painting his pile, if he has only enough bread to buy the correct paint, but doesn't have enough for a proper gun should he just do nothing? Are you saying that if he gets the proper supplies from PPG that a cheap gun will not atomize the paint? That it will peel off in 5 years, because it was purchased at HF?

If the OP wants to step up from Harbor Freight, he can get a decent gun from Eastwood for under $100.

 

You must be talking about Glen. I've followed him using them, pretty cool, says he has less issues than with a big $$ brush, and if it is an issue, toss it

 

Correct! I was part of the crew at the Circus when Glen first came around. That was 1974-ish.