Spent $40 on a cheap paint gun from Harbor Freight. Huge mistake.

Last month I figured I'd save some cash on a spot repair. Bought their purple $40 HVLP gun. First pass looked okay. Then the clearcoat came out orange peel city. Tried adjusting the fluid knob. Didn't help. Turns out the internal parts are just too sloppy for a decent fan pattern. Washed it twice, still got spitting. Ended up borrowing my buddy's Devilbiss to finish the job. Wasted half a day and a quart of clear. Has anyone else had luck with those cheap guns or should I just stick with name brands from now on?

2 comments

2 Comments

kevin_bailey1mo ago

Yeah, orange peel usually means you need more air pressure not a different gun.

bell.taylor1mo ago

Well I'll be, you're spot on with that. I've fought with orange peel on more paint jobs than I care to count, and nine times out of ten it's the air pressure being too low. I usually run my HVLP gun around 28 to 30 PSI at the gun itself, not just what the compressor gauge says. A quick pressure check at the gun with a gauge on the gun handle will tell you real quick if you're starving the paint.