Choosing an Airless Paint Sprayer
Airless paint Sprayers are the backbone of paint contractors and industrial painters work, they allow you to paint a high volume of product in a short time. They also often represent one of the larger expenses a contractor may make. With their critical role in your painting it is important to select an airless paint sprayer that will meet your needs at a proper price. What we will cover are the most important things to consider when choosing an airless paint sprayer.
Current as well as future production needs
Ideally your painting capacity need will increase as your business grows over time. This is why it is important to consider both your current production needs as well as the future needs. In particular how many Gallons of paint per minute do you want to be able to handle? If your primarily painting drywall in homes an electric airless most likely suits your needs, however if long term you move into large high rises you may need the option of increased production (a larger Gallon per minute ability). By thinking through your production needs in the present and future you can better prepare to ensure you have sufficient pump capacity to handle your painting needs. Typically we recommend oversizing your paint sprayer pump a minimum of 30% higher than your highest production would require. In fact, you can review an article I wrote previously on choosing a pump for an airless paint sprayer here to better understand the importance of a proper pump size for an airless sprayer.
Airless paint sprayer power source
Airless paint sprayers come with Gas, Air, or Electric Drives. Each is suitable for different purposes. Air driven airless sprayers offer the largest GPM capabilities typically but require compressed air to operate. Electric Airless provide the smallest Gallons per minute but are ideal where you are in an area that a gas engine would be inappropriate (like the interior of new construction). Gas driven airless units are portable and have a relatively high Gallon per minutes output, they are typically ideal where you need production and portability.
Airless Sprayer Pressure Requirements
Pressure in an airless paint sprayer provides two benefits. The first is the ability to atomize heavy bodied material. Airless paint sprayers utilize fluid pressure to atomize coating and therefore require a lot of pressure to atomize heavy materials like zine. The second reason pressure can be important is if material must be pumped over a long distance. If your material will be pumped a long distance before being sprayed you will need the higher pressure pump to be able to sustain a proper pressure over long lengths or heights of fluid line.
Local Support and Parts Availability
No matter who builds your airless paint sprayer there will be breakdown with use. Packings, ball checks, or other parts will wear over time and need replaced. The strength or weakness of local support can be important in evaluating airless paint sprayers. If a local company has the parts for repair on hand as well as the talent to rebuild your pump, you don’t have to wait to return to production as long then if you have to order parts online and then try to properly service the unit.
Company Choice
Airless Paint Sprayers are provided by a lot of companies but the most common include Graco, Wagner, and Titan. Each has a different focus with Graco and Titan focusing primarily on commerical and industrial accounts while Wagner tends to be focused more toward the consumer market (though this is a generalization and each company cross over into different markets).
By considering the factors mentioned above you can ensure you receive the best solution to help you with your airless paint spraying needs.
