Looking to possibly buy an air spray gun to paint some things.
Not a whole car, but maybe under hood parts, ets....
Is there a decent one that’s reasonable to get for someone who’s never used one?
Any tips or advice or should I stick to rattle cans??

Thanks all!,

Wally.

People will laugh but Harbor Freight "HVLP" guns work well and are dirt cheap....I'm talking around $20 on sale, which is quite often. I have used them for years.

Devillbis Finish Line is a good gun to start out with

The best advice I can give is buy a gun buy some cheap paint and reducer and practice on some old doors or fenders, that's the best way to get the feel for what you're doing. I've learned alot on how to blend paint, setup the gun etc. from YouTube also..

Glad you mentioned this, was just getting ready to buy 1.
Same as OP, just want to paint small items and was wondering if the HF model was better than a rattle can.
I figure the worst that can happen is I throw it away after a couple of uses and it's still cheaper than having a single custom color rattle can made.

Any tips on using the HF spayer?
I'd get the electric model so no compressor is needed.

it just takes a little practice.as said you tube is your freind.if you want ANY spray gun to last, clean up is VERY important,do it as soon as your done.

I have an expensive Iwata and a couple harbor freight. At least one harbor freight I bought would not spray but for $15 I threw it in the trash. The other 2 spray surprisingly good and I use them occasionally, especially for primer.

Devillbis Finish Line is pretty good, Harbor freight for the money is decent, I have both and they work dood for what I do. Best advice is you need to know how to properly clean them and set them so they spray right.

I have used the Harbor Freight HVLP spray gun that are frequently on sale for $10. Have used it to spray epoxy primers and chassis coatings. They don't hold up well compared to the name brands but for $10 you can just toss them.

, you can't hurt an expensive by learning with it, unless you do not clean it well.
I think a better question here, is an expensive gun worth the cost for its benefits, others have already touched on that. Eventually owning two price range of guns makes sense.

I have the large and small Harbor Freight guns. For parts such as you've mentioned I shoot with single stage. The results can be awesome but you need to get in a little practice using and adjusting the guns. You will need to adjust spray patterns on the fly with small parts so learn and practice what those knobs do. I run a large regulator at one end of the hose and a small regulator at the gun. I use a dedicated hose for painting and I run the air through a cheapo drier before going through the hose and another small drier at the gun. I run 35 pounds of air at the gun.

Please tell me HF makes something I don't know about and that you aren't talking about the 20 dollar house paint sprayer!

I you are only doing small jobs, a HF 21 gallon compressor (@150 bucks plus hoses and driers) is worth the investment and should put out enough for small jobs through and HVLP gun.

If you are seriously talking a rattle can job here and there a better option would be Preval sprayers which are about 5 bucks a peice and you fill them yourself. Preval Sprayer

I just need to paint a new trunk lid.
If I don't spray it, it's roll on.......
Why wouldn't this work?

https://m.harborfreight.com/5-gph-electric-paint-spray-gun-60446.html

Well I guess if your considering rolling on paint... I'm pretty sure the house paint sprayers aren't meant for the thinner reduced automotive paints. The one time I used one it oversprayed most of the yard, with thinned paint I imagine it would have worked more like a fog machine. Instructions for the one you posted included adding lubricant to the nozzle which I would think would lead to wicked orange peel or fish eye in the paint. If you are aren't up for buying a compressor at least consider this option before grabbing the paint roller. HF all in one HVLP sprayer.

Prevail sprayers suck, not worth it. The spraying changes from a new canister of propellant to a partially used. Just like changing the air pressure as you spray.

Get a cheapie HF gun and learn. As said clean it up right away and it will last a long time. Your finished product will be much better with 2 stage paints over the bomb cans.

Well why waste 20 bucks ... borrow your mother's vacuum cleaner with the spray paint attachment and use that

or this ...

The decent HF gun.

https://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-high-volume-low-pressure-gravity-feed-spray-gun-47016.html

The HF guns are great for the price. Be sure to pull them apart and clean all the packing preservative out before shooting. A good pressure regulator helps the gun spray well.

Practice getting the spray pattern right and you will be amazed how easy they are to work with compare to a siphon gun.

i agree 100%
i have used a LOT of cheep HF spray guns for priming in the body shop where i work.
CLEAN the gun very good before use. the guns have a LOT of preservative on them to prevent rusting while they are shipped from china.