Finally ditched my 20-year-old spray gun for a cheap HVLP, night and day difference

I used the same siphon feed Devilbiss since 2004, thought it was fine because I knew its quirks. Last month I borrowed a buddy's $120 HVLP gun from Harbor Freight just to try it on a fender. Same clear coat, same reducer, and it laid down so smooth I thought I messed up the mix. Turns out my old gun was spitting a dry edge I was constantly fixing with wet sanding. Sold the old one for $40 on Craigslist and I'm practicing with the new setup now. Has anyone else had a cheap tool kill a brand name standby?

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1 Comment

kevin_martin1mo ago

Honestly that's the oldest trick in the book, the expensive stuff just makes you feel like you have to defend it. I did the same thing with a $400 sprayer I babied for years, and a $90 knockoff from Amazon outdid it on the very first pass. My wallet's still mad but my paint jobs look better, so I'm calling that a win.