Wagner Spraytech Control Spray Max Electric Corded HVLP Paint Sprayer

I bought this quite awhile back (a little over a year ago), so I have used this item a lot. I now have a more expensive (10X the cost) HVLP rig, but I have found that this little Wagner gun is so MUCH more VERSATILE and EASIER to use, that I use this one more often than the expensive one. I can spray oil-based paints and primers, as well as water-based products, with hardly any effort. Cleaning up is fast and easy, too. You CAN get a 100% perfect, professional finish IF you take your time, read and re-read the manual, and you practice with it, first. Do not expect to pull it out of the box, fill it, spray with it, and have perfect results. I suggest that you gather lots of cardboard and buy a can (quart or gallon) of cheap paint (the same type as your first project requires (water- or oil-based)). Then, buy the appropriate diluent (read the paint can), the compatible additive (i.e., Penetrol for oil-based paints and Floetrol for water-based paints). While you're at the paint store (or you are on Amazon.com) pick up some medium size (pertaining to particle filtration size, not overall size) disposable paint filters. My two spray painting mantras are, "Practice does make perfect!" and "Paint additives can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD between a professional-looking paint job, and just an awful looking paint job!" That's it in a nutshell, but I've written at length about the first time I used this sprayer. If what I learned can help you get great results on your first project, it may be worth the time it takes to read: My first project was not the smartest one to choose as a first project to paint with a spray gun. It was the wainscoting and trim in my dining room. But, it came out so perfect, that even after a year, the glassy, smooth, sprayed surfaces still impresses me so much, I cannot believe I did them! But, back then, I didn't know any better, so I thought I would just start right in with the painting, buying the exact same paint and color (Sherwin Williams Alkyd) the installers had used. I lightly sanded all of the wainscoting and trim, as best I could, to scuff up the surfaces. I also used a liquid deglosser, since sanding detailed trim is thankless, tedious work. But, most of all, I spent a lot of time caulking (using PAINTABLE caulk) areas that had pulled apart from "settling," or that were not properly caulked by the installers in the first place. I let the caulk dry thoroughly. Actually, it was all the cracks and crevices in the joined edges of the woodwork caused by improper (or complete lack of) caulking, and some due to settling, that had caused the need to paint the trim and wainscotting. Next, I started in with the viscosity tests. I used paint thinner first, but then I read up on additives. So, I switched to using a combination of paint thinner and Penetrol (by Flood, purchased at Lowes). I can't recall the exact ratio of paint thinner to Penetrol I ended up using, but I think it would be safe to say about half and half. Of course, paint thinner was what my product called for as a thinning agent. Paint additives, like Floetrol and Penetrol, help produce a smooth, glassy finish. The additives can help make up for a multitude of sins! For example, if you did not properly adjust your air/paint flow, you could end up with a painted surface that has an orange peel texture (a common problem). If it's not too bad, the additives themselves can make that problem completely disappear! But, that's not too surprising, because one of their purposes is to reduce, or eliminate, brush marks! Once I had all of my paint thinner and Penetrol added in order to achieve an acceptable viscosity test, I was alarmed at how much I had diluted the paint! I had definitely diluted it beyond what the manufacturer had recommended (as stated on the can). Thankfully, I was worried enough that I decided to practice on some cardboard, rather than on the dining room walls, first, as I had planned on doing after reading all of the positive reviews here, thinking I could just spray the walls and get great results! And, although it didn't take long before I was able to get a nice, smooth coating on the cardboard, I am really thankful I did! I would have been scraping and sanding walls, for sure! I also stood the cardboard up vertically, like the surface I would be spraying (vertical surfaces are much harder to spray without getting drips and runs), so I could get a feel for how much paint I could apply before getting runs. It wasn't very much! I had to keep the gun moving relatively quickly. But, by then, I had to send my husband back to Sherwin-Williams for another can of paint, just to be sure I would have enough paint! Before getting to the viscosity tests, though, I had basically turned my dining room into a giant spray booth, but without an explosion-proof fan mounted in the window! I covered the windows, ceiling, and upper walls with plastic, masking off all of the edges. I also taped plastic over the two doorways, masking around all of the edges of EVERYTHING. I used thick plastic drop cloths on the floor, but I goofed by not taping them down as securely as I should have. So, I had to stop and do some clean-up and remedial taping when I saw that the air coming out of the nozzle was blowing up the edges of the plastic! Naturally, I used a respirator, and was covered head-to-toe in disposable painting attire. The air was thick with paint mist when I did paint. But, I expected that in the enclosed space. I put on a total of four coats, as I thought with all of the diluting, they would be thin coats. They were, but I wouldn't say that was a bad thing! I don't own a mill gauge (something I just recently learned about!), so I couldn't tell you how thick each coat was, but they were thick enough to cover bare wood without being transparent enough to see the wood grain show through, but not so thick that it would cause runs or drips. I always sprayed a small piece of cardboard, leaving it in the dining room, but near the opening, so I could easily check when the paint was dry enough to recoat, without touching the trim or walls themselves. It dried much quicker than I had anticipated, given all of the dilution. I did get a couple of runs, but I just sanded them off when the paint had dried enough to produce a powder when sanded, and not rub or rip. Of course, I sprayed these areas again. Even with the massive amount of prep work required (most of it would have still been required if I was brushing-on the paint, such as all of the caulking), the amount of time It took to spray, clean-up, dry, spray, clean-up, etc., was only a fraction of that time that would have been required for me to brush on all of the coats! The results were, as I said, spectacular. Today, the wainscoting and trim still look as fantastic as they did the day II had finished painting them. I was worried the dilution of the paint would have affected the wear or appearance of the surfaces, but it did not. So, I would never be afraid to dilute paint more than stated by the manufacturer on the can. Not being a paint professional, I do not know how they arrive at those figures, but for myself, I would always dilute the product according to what is recommended in the sprayer manual (using viscosity cup and timing the flow), and not what is stated on the can. But, I always read the can of the product I am using, because it tells me what to use in order to thin the product (the diluent). For oil-based PRIMERS, I use only the recommended diluent or solvent, and I omit the additive (Penetrol). To date, I have not used water-based PRIMERS, but I would probably only use distilled water for the diluent (unless the can stated to use another type of diluent, that isn't water). A shellac-based PRIMER would probably call for denatured alcohol as the diluent. Again, always defer to the can/manufacturer for the diluent to use, but defer to the sprayer manual for the proper dilution rate (using the viscosity cup). For water-based paints, I use a mixture of one part distilled water and one part Floetrol (50-50) to dilute the paint. I also use a medium filter for all paints and primers, and it is the last thing I do before I spray paint. Disposable filters are cheap, so I use a fresh, new filter when I fill or refill my sprayer cup. If I fill the cup three times during a project, I've used three filters. I always gather some cardboard to use to warm-up on, and, most importantly, to help me fine-tune the settings on the sprayer, so that I achieve the best finish possible. If your paint is properly diluted, and your spray is properly adjusted, I just don't think you will be ever be unhappy with the results. Thoroughly cleaning up your equipment as soon as you are finished painting is also extremely important. If you have a tiny, dried, speck of paint in the nozzle, you will not get good results. I have found those really thick pipe cleaners (oh, excuse me, I mean CHENILLE STEMS) are invaluable as an aid to cleaning out the inside of the slanted plastic tube that is inserted into the paint cup. Some other tips I've learned include spray painting early in the morning, when there is less likely to be a breeze, if I am painting something outside. Avoid spraying in direct sunlight, too. Finally, if there is a result that is not to your liking, Google it to find a solution to the problem. I have learned so much from doing this, and watching Youtube videos, too. If all else fails, call the manufacturer because there is always a small chance you could have a defective part that needs to be replaced. Dilute and practice with your cheap practice paint. If you can achieve a great finish on your cardboard (make sure the cardboard has a smooth surface to begin with, too!) using your cheap paint, you will surely be able to get an amazing finish with your higher quality paints and finishes.

Great spray gun for fence staining. And the hose is very durable. I’m in a wheelchair and I ran over that hose a dozen times. The gun sprayed with no problems. I’ve used it three different times, easy to clean and hardly no mess. I’ve had a bad experience with spray gums in the past but this was so easy, and really quick. Only thing I wish it had was a lid for the bottles. It would be nice to just put a lid over the left over paint and clean the gun itself so you can put a second coat on later.

I bought this HVLP sprayer because I wanted to be able to spray finish on furniture, walls, decks, driveways, etc. instead of the old roll-on method. Based on advice from sources I trust, this seemed like a good entry-sprayer for a homeowner/DIYer/hobbist like myself. For the price, it was worth a shot. So far, I've sprayed stains, paints, lacquer and sealer with this product. I'm no professional yet, but the results are definitely worthwhile. The spray-head design is much like the more-expensive professional sprayers, except it's made of plastic, as is the entire handle/nozzle set. Features that let you fine tune your max spray amount and blower speed are simple, but effective. Cleanup is relatively easy since the entire handle/nozzle/cup assembly breaks down into a few pieces that have relatively few nooks and crannies your gloved fingers and get to. I won't give advice on how to operate this particular model or review its longevity since other reviews can fill you in there and I haven't had it long enough to where parts need replacing (ie. filters). So far I'm enjoying having this tool. It's allowing me to tackle finishing projects I've put off and one's I previously would never even consider doing in the first place. While there's a little over-spray to deal with the fact that it's a HVLP sprayer instead of a spray kit with a compressor tank leads to much less material loss and more control. My only complaints have been that the spray head assembly is all-plastic, so when I need to use oil-based solvents, I noticed some of the material corroded when it sat too long. As I understand it, the step up to all-metal and better air filtration is a couple hundred dollars, so I guess you get what you pay for. A longer hose or shoulder straps for wearing the blower would have been nice for when I was sealing my driveway and deck, but I was able to get by without too much hassle. A larger cup would have been nice to have for these larger projects, but they only required a few refills, and I imagine the sprayer assembly would have been much more fatiguing with the additional weight. At least they give you a larger cup for times like these. For those who aren't going to spray day-in and day-out or someone just trying it out, I can definitely recommend this product. It has control features you're not going to find with compressed air or aerosol can methods and comes in at a reasonable price. If you have finish work with irregular, non-flat surfaces, this type of sprayer can cut down on your time and do a better job applying an even coat than a brush or roller ever could. Cleanup is no-worse-than if not easier-than that for brushes or rollers.

The wife and I bought a 2,000 square feet "fixer-upper" and had all new eaves and cedar siding installed. After getting the quote for staining the siding and eaves ($10k) I decided to save some money and stain the siding myself. How hard can it be, right? After scrubbing the siding with a little wood brightener (a must-do for cedar siding), and taping off the windows and trim, I started applying stain with a brush. Ten hours later, I had completed about 15% of my siding. Wow, only 85% more to go. Looks like I'm not going anywhere on vacation this summer. In addition to the time, my arms and shoulders were fatigued and I certainly didn't relish the thought of doing the same thing the next day. I immediately went inside, started researching sprayers, and settled on this unit. The unit is very easy to set up. It takes less than a minute and requires no tools. I can't speak to how the unit works with latex paint, but it works like a dream with stain. You have to spend a little more time taping and masking EVERYTHING that will be near the sprayer. The overspray is pretty well constrained by the unit but you will definitely get a little spray that misses your target area. Taping and masking is a must! Don't expect to just put a 2" piece of painters tape on the edge of the trim closest to the siding. You will have to cover the entire window AND seal the edges with tape. If you have any prize-winning azaleas in front of your house, cover those too. That being said, once your done taping/masking, the actual spraying takes about 1/5 to 1/10 of the time that a brush takes. And it is sooooo much more fun than using a brush. AND SOOOOO much less fatiguing than using a brush. There's no pushing stain into corners or going over the same spot 3 times with a brush. The sprayer just lays down the stain. You WILL have to back brush a little. This means that you will spray on the stain to saturation and smooth the stain into wood with brush. It fixes the inevitable drips, puddling, sags, etc. It sound like you're doing twice the work but trust me, you're not. SMOOTHING out stain with a brush takes about 1/10 of the effort and time as APPLYING stain with a brush. The paint/stain container used on the sprayer seems small when you look at it and it does empty out fairly quickly. The reason it empties out quickly is because you coat so much of your project so fast that OF COURSE its going to empty out quickly. The reason a gallon of paint/stain seems to last longer when you're using a brush is because you aren't moving fast enough to use much. My only (very minor) complaint is that the hose did pop out a few times. No big deal, it pops right back in and doesn't hurt anything in the process. In my opinion, clean up takes the same time as using a brush. Unless you're using disposable brushes and just throwing them away at the end of the day, you have to clean your brush just like you have to clean this sprayer. For the oil-based stain I was using, I simply saturated a paper towel in mineral spirits and wiped down the machine. After that I emptied the remaining stain from the sprayer's container back into the can and filled the container about 1/3 full with mineral spirits. After vigorously swishing the container, I turned on the sprayer until the spray ran clear. Finally, I took apart the spray head (by hand, no tools necessary, takes about 10 seconds) and put them in some more mineral spirits. After wiping down the parts, I put humpty-dumpty back together and shoved him in his box. One last thing (and remember, I can only speak to using stain with this sprayer), no thinning was required. I just poured the stain directly into the container, attached it to the unit, and away I went. I HIGHLY recommend this machine!

I got this yesterday and immediately went to work! I refinish furniture for a living and have been hand painting. I'd been eyeballing a sprayer for a while and wanted to make sure I got one specifically for latex paint. I tested it on cardboard as recommended. I thinned the paint as recommended by manufacturer and felt while testing that the max settings on both the turbine and handle worked best for me. The spray was pretty even but not super fine. However, after a second sweep it evened it up. After testing it out I got to work on two large jobs, three large dressers, a desk, and a mirror for one of the dressers. It cut paint time a minimum of a 1/3 of the time. What would have taken nine hours only took six. I went to check on it all this morning and the finish looks great. It almost feels like cheating now. I love this and will use it for every project that requires latex paint. I'm actually walking around our property looking for things to spray it's so much fun! I told my husband I could paint our detached garage! This is a great sprayer for newbies. I've never touched a spray gun in my life. The closest I'd come was a can of spray paint. This was fool proof. I definitely would recommend this. I think I'll come back after a few more jobs to update. Edit: August 6th, 2013 - I used this with a paint + primer that said to not thin and it still worked great. The spray was thinner since it had to work harder I'm sure but after two or three sweeps it still covers nicely. I'm still in love with this thing. I'll be using it to spray polycrylic soon so I'll come back and let you know how that goes! Edit: August 9th, 2013 - I used it today to spray a few pieces of furniture with polycrylic. Wow! What can't this thing spray. I wondered how well it would work because it's not supposed to be shaken but it sprayed on a perfectly smooth finish. I can't believe how much time this thing has saved me and the paint and finish always look perfect. It has already paid for itself twice over! Also, I failed to mention how easy this thing is to clean. There are no brushes to rinse! No paint pans to rinse, you just rinse the tube and gun and swirl some water in the cup. It is SO much easier to clean that I don't even mind. Before I've ruined so many brushes because it just takes forever to rinse all the paint off of them. I will only be using brushes for detailed work from now on. I will buy this again if this one dies and I would without a doubt recommend this to ANYONE! My three year old niece could probably work this thing!

I have never used a paint sprayer before. I have used spray paint in the past but never had good luck with it because I always ended up with uneven results that had runs. I installed some new baseboard over carpet and wanted to paint it after it was installed. This would be an extremely difficult task using paint brushes, hence my desire to purchase a paint sprayer. Wagner makes several paint sprayers with mixed reviews, although the vast majority of people liked this sprayer including myself. I got some masking paper and used a drywall taping knife to carefully tuck the paper between the carpet and baseboard. I then got ready to spray a very thick primer which had the consistency of pancake batter. I added the equivalent of 16 ounces per gallon of distilled water (no conditioner). It was still very thick but this unit had no problems spraying it. I completed over 60 feet of 6 inch baseboard in less than 30 minutes. I had no issues with runs and it was very easy to apply the primer evenly. During the painting, the hose came off the hand unit a couple of times causing a small stream of paint to land on the ground (not the baseboard fortunately). It would be nice if the manufacturer could make the connection tighter. The one issue I did have that I was not aware of was with a particular type of over spray. I always thought over spray was when the paint overshoots the target area and paints the adjacent area. With respect to this type of over spray, there was very little of it as the over spray was less than 6 inches on either side (I used a wide spray pattern). There is a second type of over spray that occurred. There were fine paint particles that did not adhere to anything and dried in the air. When I completed the project, there was a fine film of dry paint dust throughout the room. The dust was heavy and settled quickly and did not spread to other areas of the home. The dust was easy to vacuum (I used a HEPA vacuum to avoid re-spreading it), although I had to re-wash my bed spread and pillow covers. This was totally unexpected but then again I have never used a paint sprayer before. Therefore, goggles and a dust mask are a must as well as covering all furniture and belongings that can't easily be removed. Cleanup was extremely easy. After priming, I applied a coat of paint and diluted it to the equivalent of 8 ounces of distilled water per gallon per the paint manufacturer specifications. I also strained the paint. The paint was still thick but I had no problems spraying it. The finish result was nice but not as good as the results a professional painter can get using a high power airless sprayer and oil based paint; however this machine is very inexpensive for what it can do. I also would never rent a high power airless sprayer because they are dangerous and can cause injection injuries. The latex paint had a mild spray texture to it (not like the orange peel texture described by another reviewer) which is fine for baseboards but probably not as ideal for crown molding which are much more visible. For the crown molding, I want the finish to be as smooth as glass. I will likely use the sprayer to apply the primer and the first coat of paint (as the sprayer works much faster than I can hand paint) and will possibly do a finish coat using my Purdy paint brushes and latex paint with paint conditioners added to slow the drying time to get that final smooth finish. Per the manufacturer Q&A, this machine can be used indoors with latex paint even though the sticker on the unit states it is for outdoor use only.

This is the first paint sprayer I have purchased. Based on the previous reviews, and given the relatively low price, I set my expectations accordingly. I expected it might be difficult to get the right paint viscosity and expected clean-up to be difficult and time consuming. My initial project was to prime (INSL-X Prime Lock) and paint (Benjamin Moore Advance) 12 new cabinet doors and 8 new drawer fronts constructed from paint-grade maple. I chose the primer and paint based on advice from the BM dealer that these were less viscous than some of the alternatives, improving chances for success with an inexpensive sprayer. As expected, there was a learning curve on the first day. Straight from the can the primer was too viscous, resulting in droplets, even at maximum air volume and minimum paint stream. By trial and error I was able to thin the primer with mineral spirits and eventually found a consistency that sprayed uniformly and provided adequate coverage. I took my time, turning off the unit regularly between panels and when adding thinner. In all, I was able to complete the 20 panels in about 2 hours, using the sprayer about 50% of the time (typically on 5 minutes, off 5 minutes). I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the clean-up -- it was not as bad as I expected. Even though the primer was oil-based, requiring cleanup with mineral spirits, I was able to clean the parts as recommended in about 15 minutes using about one cup of spirits. After drying, I sanded the doors and drawers with 220 grit paper and they cleaned up well, even those early drawers that had a lot of droplets. The second day I was ready to apply the base coat of BM Advance. I had all 20 panels sanded and lined up in assembly line fashion. I thinned the paint with water to achieve a viscosity similar to the one that was successful with the primer. I filled the 1.5 quart plastic canister and was ready to "go into production". Things proceeded well through the 8 drawer fronts and the first 3 door panels. Then the unit entirely stopped. I confirmed that the outlet still had power, but the unit would not restart. Suspecting it had overheated, I unplugged it and took it inside. Unfortunately part of the cleanup procedure is to spray clean thinner or water through the valve, something that is not possible when the unit is dead. I called the tech service line, but it was Saturday and support is only available Monday through Friday. So there I was with a half-completed project, and messy sprayer, and a dead turbine. After about 45 minutes, the unit would run again, confirming that it was probably a case of overheating. I will "baby" it in the future -- elevate the turbine so it can cool on the bottom surface, have a fan blowing on it, and use it intermittently. It's disappointing that the unit doesn't seem capable of running more than about 20-30 minutes continuously, but I guess that's what you get with a $100 unit. P.S. I am no longer living in Qatar, but I haven't yet figured out how to change my profile in Amazon.

I bought this sprayer for a specific project and I want to write about my experience with it. The Project: paint 6 sections of a cedar lattice fence with white, flat paint. Each section is about 8' long x 7' high and has an 'open' lattice section above a 'closed' lattice section. The fence is 8 years old. The paint was chipping and moss had formed on the lower part of the fence. The fence was power washed to remove the dirt/moss and most of the paint chips. I bought a Craftsman paint sprayer several years ago and resisted using it on this project because of my past experiences. It is one of those self-contained sprayers that was heavy, made lots of noise, was difficult to adjust and clean. I have never enjoyed using this sprayer. After researching sprayers, I decided to try the Wagner 518080 HVLP sprayer. (Thanks to the Amazon reviewer community for steering me towards this great product.) I am 63 and have had my share of painting projects. Although I enjoy painting, I was not looking forward to this project. I was hoping it would not stretch beyond a day's worth of time. With manual brushing, I knew it would be at least a two-day project, tax my patience, and my rotator cuff. A good sprayer could possibly save me a lot of time and grief. I used Behr Premium Plus Ultra (Paint + Primer), exterior flat white latex. The fence was ready to paint. Here's my experience: Filling the plastic spray bottle was easy and attaching the spray gun, hose, and spray unit was a no-brainer. Would I need to adjust the viscosity of the paint? According to Behr, I could add up to a pint of water per gallon of paint. However, I found that this was not at all necessary for this formulation. The paint sprayed at just about all settings with no problems. This was a relief, as I had feared that I would have to dilute the paint to get it to a sprayable viscosity, as I had done with my old Craftsman. I got a large piece of cardboard out so I could practice spraying and fine-tune the settings. Well, I found out this sprayer/paint combination is very forgiving. You can set the air pressure at just about any setting and get a nice spray pattern from the nozzle. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. This could actually end up being fun! The lattice work on this fence is challenging to paint. There are several surfaces at different angles. The spray gun lets you adjust the spray pattern into a horizontal, vertical, or circular pattern. This is easily accomplished by rotating a ring around the nozzle head....and you don't get paint all over your hands! I used the different spray patterns throughout this project; and it really saved me time and paint when I determined the best settings for each phase of the project. I kept a paint brush handy to tackle any hard to reach areas, drips, sags, etc. That brush was not used during the entire project, as the sprayer reached all the areas without paint sags or drips. After I 'perfected' my spraying technique, I timed myself as I painted one of the six fence sections. It took me between 40-45 minute to completely paint the fence section (not including the side facing the neighbor's yard). The whole fence was finished in 4.5 hours. Clean-up time was less than 30 minutes. Afterwards, I watched the Kentucky Derby with my wife, while I enjoyed a Scotch, and thought about the next project I would undertake with my new sprayer. Your experience with this sprayer may differ. But I can honestly say that this is a well-designed sprayer that can save you loads of time and give you near professional results. It is light-weight and applies the paint efficiently. I painted the whole fence (roughly 350sq ft) using 3/4 of a gallon of paint. The only problem I had was having the air hose pull out of the spray gun (numerous times) or the spray unit (once). I hope this doesn't indicate that the connection will loosen with further use. The build quality of the spray gun is okay, but it is made in China and lacks a feeling of quality. If I can get it to perform on a few more projects I have in mind, then I'll be happy, considering what I paid for this device.

A pleasant experience with seller. I do recommend the seller and the product. Thanks

Llegó a tiempo y en buen estado. Es un excelente producto, es muy fácil de usar y sobre todo de limpiar, no hace tanto ruido Lo recomiendo ampliamente deja un acabado muy fino una vez que ajustas el chorro. Me tarde más en preparar el cuarto que en pintar con está herramienta

Very happy with this sprayer! Im always painting something and alot of different things and this does the trick! Saving so much time now compared to using a brush or spray paint. Painted vinyl siding, wood funiture, metal garage doors! The long air hose makes moving around easy! Would recommend for anyone just starting or even painting fanatics that don’t want to pay alot of money for expensive airless sprayers.

A great machine for the money! Easy to use and gives a beautiful finish

I live in the UK and couldn't find this model of Wagner Sprayer for sale here. Went ahead and purchased one, but obviously it isn't designed for the UKDM. I have now had a chance to test it (after writing an answer to another potential buyers question) by using an American to UK travel adapter. It powers up, but not comfortably. The UK voltage rate is far too high and I don't want to risk damaging it. The thing is, though, I really don't want to have to send this back as it's the one that I want, so will look into getting a transformer to step the voltage down first. Hopefully then it won't run hot. Would I recommend getting a Wagner Sprayer? Yes, definitely. Would I recommend getting one not designed for the UK? Sadly, no.