Sparktrician said:
Scott,
In this video you used a Graco cordless sprayer. How would you stack up this Graco with, say, the Apollo 1050VR? Cordless clearly has advantages in maneuverability, but disadvantages in the area of battery life. Which HVLP unit currently available comes closest to the idealized "one size fits all" model, or could be described as the best all-around HVLP unit for those that can not justify or afford more than one, both for fine finishes as well as general wall finishes, using latex at the least viscous end of things?
Good question, Sparktrician. First off, just to be clear, all of the Proshots are airless in nature. They are oft confused with HVLP because they run on an attached quart cup. By virtue of being airless, (compared to HVLP), the PS is running at significantly higher pressure. The bottom of the power band on the unit in the video might be 500 psi (fluid pressure) versus about 6 psi (air) on an HVLP with the same product. Kind of apples and oranges on paper, but in reality, here is the deal. The HVLP is technically the finer, more precision atomized fan. Airless tend to "shear" product, while HVLP creates tidy little droplets. That said, with correct technique, I can get very similar results with both machines in the same product, mostly because I know how to adapt technique for the machine in my hand.
For instance, a well respected artisan, The Wood Whisperer, a month or so ago had an admittedly nightmarish experience using a cordless for the first time, and trying to do so with the same technique he would use with his Fuji HVLP. Recipe for disaster. Because the PS is dispensing fluid at such a higher rate, the technique is completely different, in terms of pace and distance from target.
The "one size fits all" question is also a good question and I (and many other users) get it alot about sanders: which one can do it all? Same question with sprayers, and the answer is the same: "all of what?"
It depends on the most common types of work you do. If you work in a shop and spray one piece of furniture at a time, one quart at a time, to a high fine finish standard, I will take a good HVLP all day long.
If you also go out in the field (like me), and spray spindle rail systems on decks, bulkheads, garage doors and everything else that you don't want to spend time brushing, then a cordless is worth its weight in gold, and will beat an HVLP across the board at every turn.
The cordless handhelds are convenience tools. A good HVLP, like the Apollo or the Graco 9.5, is a more sophisticated "bread winner" tool.
Sorry to be circuitous in my answer, but if you tell me what type of finishing you do most often, I can answer more specifically about the choice between the two technologies.
Very good questions.
Edit: just noticed the part of your question about general wall finishes, etc. Neither is particularly adroit in that realm, because both are limited to quart cup capacity, which is impractical on any large scale, like walls. The exception is that we do occasionally use a Proshot to cut in corners on new drywall. Way faster than brushing.
Also, in the very low viscosity range, a good HVLP will be more efficient than an airless handheld. The handhelds are more like generalists that are capable across a broad range, while the HVLP is more like a specialist in that bottom end range of viscosity. I know, Bader or someone is going to remind me that I do spray unthinned latex primer and paint in 5 stage HVLP's. But if that was the sole discipline, I would sooner grab a ProShot. It would get done faster.
