Hobby gun recommendation
 

I’ll probably never paint a car, mostly just smaller projects here and there. So a top tier gun isn’t needed.

I’ve considered the Devilbliss starting/finishline guns, the Harbor Freight Black Widow series, and a couple of other random ones. Seems like for every good review online you find another bad one so I wanted to come here and ask and see of any personal opinions.

Wasn’t sure if those Black Widow guns are actually decent or if I should invest my money into a company like Devilbliss that has been around for a while. Even though I’m sure there starting line series is equivalent to HF in terms of quality? Thanks

no expert but the HF stuff sprays pretty good. I do not like how the adjustments are so ''coarse" but cant complai about the price pretty much throw away after a couple uses and get a new one

I have the HF "Pro" set. It has gravity feed a standard and jam gun. They spray great for me. I'm not a pro however. A pro probably wouldn't agree. lol

I used a HF Black Widow recently to spray my T/A’s underbody and trunk. Using the disposable paint system and it worked great spraying upside down with no drip worries. At $200 the quality is a bit better than their base models and the adjustments are a little finer and less sloppy. It sprays really well and pretty easy to clean. Its nozzle size may be a little too large for something like epoxy primer but you can adjust to work sufficiently. They do have the HTE model with smaller tip (1.3 vs 1.7).

Maybe I’ll give one of these a try. I also wonder if you can just buy the tips, and then you could exchange. I like their cup system they have it setup to run with as well.

I’m not a huge fan of most Devilbiss guns but I have an SRi-Pro (purple body) in a 1.0 that I think is a great all-around gun. They were originally high $$$ but I often see them slip through on eBay in the $100 range. If you find one with the TRANS-TECH (TE) air cap it will run great on very low CFM (if compressor size is a concern for you).

The ANI R160 is also a great all-around gun. Italian made and top tier construction at a hobby level price. Solid backing through the dealer with ample additional or replacement parts if needed. The HPS air cap version needs less than 4.5 CFM but will shoot a 9” fan if you’re shooting bigger stuff like panels. The gun purchased from the UK (spraygunsdirect) with an additional repair/rebuild kit was around $160 shipped last time I checked. I’ve used this gun on loan several times along with the previous model R150. If I sold my SRi-W from above I’d instantly buy this to replace it.

If a low-dollar budget full size gun is required I’d probably go with the Astro EuroPro HE. It feels like a decent gun in the hand and probably exceeds HF quality/durability. You’re just going to need a decent compressor for it. Surprising gun for under $100. https://www.amazon.com/Astro-EUROHE1...0042KL6UC?th=1

If you’re mainly spraying smaller hobby stuff and want a top-tier finish, there’s always the Iwata LPH80. With the E4 cap it’ll spray a 5”+ fan all while running happily on even a portable air compressor. I use it more often than I ever imagined with metallics, base, and even clear on smaller stuff like valances and all my interior parts. Sometimes found under $200.

I enjoy shooting slower as opposed to going heavy so I always favor a 1.2 or maybe a 1.3 tip at most on a full size gun (which for me corresponds to a 1.0 on a mini or compact gun). I’ve also never been a fan of HVLP so I’ll always go for the HTE, RP, TE, HPS or whatever they want to call the higher transfer efficiency air caps. Sorry if I got too detailed on things.

Hobby gun recommendation
 

I use both the 3m accuspray and the iwata lph400.
I actually like the 3m gun the best. It uses pretty low cfm. You can dial it down to a very small pattern and buy different size tips if you need larger sizes for primer v clear etc. also clean up is simple.

The main issue is that the tips are disposable and a little pricey. I reuse them but they don’t last indefinitely. In the big scheme of things it is cheaper than having multiple guns.

The plastic cups and liners at harbor freight will fit the gun I have (1st gen accuspray).

I think the lph400 atomizes better, but the 3m gun has less overspray. That is another plus when you are just spraying without a booth

Most of the pros would laugh at a plastic gun, but I think it is a great gun for a guy spraying at home.


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Cant go wrong with the Iwata LPH400 with a couple of tips
Devilbis Tekna is good too

We use Iwata LPH 400 guns for base at my shop. Clear is sprayed with a few different guns. The rule for most painters is to have a dedicated clear gun that will never see color. Nothing quite like have a small piece of metallic in your clear when you spray over that white base coat.

The unfortunate “hobby gun” aspect of the LPH400 now is the price. It probably would be a top choice by many for the quality and capability of it, but it’s now in the $500+ category new.

I remember not long ago that gun was easily in the sub-$300 range. I’d simply blame inflation but to compare, I picked up my Iwata Supernova HD a few years ago for a steal but the regular price for the gun at that time was in the $700-800+ range. That same gun today off Amazon is $722.

Something really doesn’t match up with their current pricing.

I forgot about the 3M Accuspray Fairwayhit mentioned. A basic accuspray kit does give you the capability to do almost anything and still have a professional finish. eBay always seems to have somebody selling new tips in a lot for cheap… sometimes even full kits with the gun. You also don’t have to worry about fakes/clones as much like many other guns listed on that site.

Purchase the best gun you can afford (and matches your compressor). You can always sell it and recoup a good portion of your investment. A good gun will pay dividends in generating better results (assuming you get it dialed in properly).

The problem I see is you can’t buy different tips for the gun? Or am I missing something?

Ive painted a couple of cars, and a bunch of smaller project things with my Eastwood Concourse 2. Im a big fan of it for a medium price.

I have a HF detail gun that works okay. I watched Vice Grip garage get a bad HF gun once that dripped out of the nozzle, so Im of the opinion to spend just a touch more for hopefully a little better QC.

Bad Chad uses a cheap gun that he only uses once and basically disposes of, but I cant remember the model he likes. Might be worth a browse through one of his paint videos.

I think he uses a gun to paint the car once, then uses that gun for primer the next time, and then tosses it.

Reviews on the Eastwood gun seem pretty good. Maybe I'll give it a try. 2 year warranty is a little more appealing as well. Or their Concours pro seems like a good price range gun as well.