Seeking Airless Sprayer (and Paint) Advice

Phred

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
93
I'd like to buy an electric airless sprayer for repainting the exterior of my house.  It's not a huge house (2,700 sq. ft.) but it has lots of different surfaces (not at all a square box).  I'll most likely be using latex (the last job was done by a professional painter who used PPG Manor Hall Exterior Flat Latex).

I'm leaning towards the Graco 300 or 400 series and wonder if anyone has real world advice about the relative merits of:
1)  High boy vs. stand models (I'm leaning towards high boy since it looks easier to use with 5 gallon containers)
2)  The slightly older Graco Ultra 395 model (local close-out price = $899 for stand model or $1099 for high boy, both with 50' hose, gun, and tip), versus
3)  Graco Ultra Max II 495 PC Pro (priced at $1,599 with same extras).

The sprayer won't get regular heavy use, so I'm not sure how much difference the brushless motor and upgraded control panel on the 495 PC Pro will make for me.  I'll probably need 100' of hose and also don't know if that makes a difference in load on the motor.  Overall, I'd rather buy once for the longer-term with minimum equipment hassles (if there's a difference in robustness that favors the 495).  I've monitored the local Craigslist for lightly used equipment but haven't found any real bargains.

Any words of advice would be much appreciated (including on alternative brands of paint that will hold up well in a fairly dry and sunny environment where temperatures range from -10 to 90 degrees fahrenheit over the course of a year, and often vary by 40 degrees within a few hours during the summer).

At the end of the day, I'm hoping to be able to do a better, more regular job of maintenance while spending less than the $20K that the last update cost me!  This group was a huge help when I went down the same path with my hardwood floors and then my deck, so I'm hoping for similar guidance as I tackle yet another "learning experience".

Thanks in advance,
Phred
 
I've got the ultramax II 490 and its a workhorse, pretty much the standard for priming in the industry and that's all I use it for, spraying ceilings with thick primer on ceilings before I texture them. The 395 should be fine for what you are doing though it's still a pro sprayer and has plenty of jam.
I'd stick with the 50' hose though you would be cursing the 100' as they aren't very flexible and there's a bit of a trick to coiling them up, also priming the sprayer will take longer with that much hose as well as cleaning it out.
I have the lo-boy and they are still designed for 5 gallon pails, you will probably be happier with it as it takes up less space.
Just be sure to spray on a calm day and that there aren't any cars near by as the overspray can really travel and all the money you saved doing it yourself will go to cleaning your neighbors cars.
Make sure to run ALOT of water through it when cleaning it, I run a full 5 gallon pail through, and if it's not going to be used for a while run the pump armor through it to preserve it. Do that and you should never need to get it serviced.
 
Saskataper--thanks for the excellent feedback and suggestions.  I'm looking into the 490 lo-boy more seriously now based on your input and other reviews I've seen on some painters' forums.  It seems a bit more robust and splits the difference in pricing.  Thanks again for taking the time to respond!
Phred
 
I have a 395, it will outlive you with the usage you are anticipating. That unit is the basis for the 395 Fine Finish and the pump is used for the Graco Merkur AAA - one of the best.
 
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