I want to buy a paint gun to paint some valve covers but I don't know anything about them. I guess I want one of those top container/gravity feed type since everybody I see that knows how to paint uses that kind. I don't want a Harbor Freight gun but I'm not painting the Mona Lisa either. Tell me what I need because I don't know anything. Thanks.

For just one small project it may be easier to just pay someone to spray them for you? Clean paint booth setting, disposal of the leftovers, and someone who already knows how to set the gun up are all important....

I'm sure your local body shop supplier can set you up with a decent low cost paint gun that is plenty capable of working on small projects. FWIW I've seen do it yourself types on Youtube do some nice looking paint work with cheap HF paint guns as well. I'm not a big fan of HF in general, but they do have some stuff that is fairly well made for the money.

But bad Chad says a cheap 20-dollar gun is all the same! ;b

https://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-hvlp-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-62300.html
It's 15.99 at Harbor Freight. I have a body shop guy that would do it for free I just hate asking people.

I pay double that for some rattle cans I order.

They offer nicer ones for more money. https://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools-compressors/air-spray-guns.html

Or buy your painter guy a nice lunch for doing your valve covers for you?

The $15.99 one is prettier than the $179 one, cause I like purple I guess.

He would gladly do it for free. I just think I should be able to do a simple task like this.

If you're not familiar with spray guns or painting, and especially if you haven't bought the materials yet:

Offer your painter buddy lunch/dinner/favorite 6-pack of beer, or use rattle cans.

I have a couple of HF guns - gravity and touch-up - and they've been fine.
Technique, cleanliness, & materials are more important than the gun, for most people or small jobs.

Get them powder coated.

i am a PPG certified painter with 40 years of experience.
there is a light year difference between the $16 HF gun and the $180 one.

i used to use the $16 HF gun for PRIMER for years it works OK for that. i have used it for regular painting a couple of times. i didn't care for it. it doesn't atomize the paint to my liking.. now the shop has a 3M changeable end primer gun they want used. it's and much easier and cheaper to clean.

i haven't used the HF black widow gun. i have talked to another painter at a PPG training certification class about it. he liked how it worked.
i HAVE used the next level down gun for painting a couple of times. it worked pretty good. in a pinch i would used it again. i still prefer my DeVillbis TEKNA gun over the HF one. especially for the clear coat. i spray the newer ultra high solids clears used today with a 1.2 tip. this in not available with the HF guns. i use the 1.3 tip when painting the water base coat.

THIS! You won't have to worry about the paint peeling if you get gas on them.

Gasoline won't peel acrylic urethane and powdercoat may not be a good color match.

Since I don't know anything, there are 2 Black Widows, I don't know if I'm supposed to buy a HTE or a HVLP. (I assume that means high pressure low volume?) I'll just be painting auto parts for the times I can't get a rattle can that color.

EDIT: I mean high volume low pressure

Powdercoating is great also, and you can get some really good colors from Prismatic Powders ect. In this area it has gotten pretty pricey to where there is little difference in cost between it and high end paint materials.

Also if your wanting a color they don't use often they will charge you a fee to order it. I would about guarantee if I went looking for Hemi Orange powdercoat here nobody would have it in stock.

Yes, and you know their Hemi Orange engine paint wouldn't match. Mopar's own didn't come close for the last 20 years. It was terrible.

Agree, and Mopar orange paint wasn't even the same color can to can. Assuming you could get the cans to spray properly half the time...

He says thet are 15 bucks. And uses plenty of them.
He is am idiot.
CHAD shot over 3 gallons of Slick Sand on a car with a small tip air turned up crazy. He needed so much since was rough. So top was wasted. Instead of one nice smooth coat, flashing off. Followed Second coat block done, seal paint. It was coat, coat, coat. Sand with DA ( he calls that bocked) was so rough the dog said Ruff-Ruff. Spend a dollar to save a dime. And he says he saves time But waste it!
Like when you use hockey tape and rock gaurd I. Spray bombs.
A real gun with bed liner would have taken fraction of the time, and cost half and done a good job. Now talking about needed in insulation for sound. Idiot.
I still use my Sharpe Platinum HVLP. Yes I have never guns but nothing wrong with my old Sharpe gun.
I got a gun for 140 ish from TCP Gobal (Master Series) but wanted a 2.5mm high build primer gun. I also grabbed a 1.4mm head, cap and needle so could be used as sealer, single stage, base and clear gun as back up if need be.
It is nice. I used Master Air brushes in the past plenty so figured the guns had to be good low-mid level guns.
Buying a good gun that last gets you to start shooting more things instead of spray bombs

Makes perfect sense. Plus you can use it for spraying things around the house/shop/etc.
Gun with stainless parts will allow you to spray water-based paints/stains/etc.

the HVLP is high volume low pressure. the HTE is high transfer efficiency .....most shops use the HVLP.
i use a SATA 5000 digital HVLP for base coat and sealer. i have 3 of them. 1 used for sealer and 2 for base coat.
i actually use the HTE type DeVillbis TECKNA spray gun for clear coat with a 1.2 tip on my job, i think it's referred as HE by DeVillbis. it has the same air pressure at the tip as a HVLP, uses less total air volume than the HVLP and IMO seems to atomize the paint a little better. yet it's still clean air emissions legal. i spray at 19psi at the air cap, this is the same as a HVLP gun. anything at 19psi and under is compliant. this gun is sold with a digital regulator, i set it at 19psi and paint.

If you just want to toss paint on Valve covers anything will do ok.

The better the paint gun the better the finish but that isn't always what you need. My first gun was a Craftsman and it did fine but eventually I got a Devilbiss traditional gun (cup under the gun) and it is great. I can shoot great finish coats with it. My lesser guns have been relegated to primers. Like someone said if you get a good gun you may get brave and shoot fancier stuff. It can be fun.

Back to the valve covers. The nice guns require you to take nice care of them. I will spend more time cleaning my gun than I do shooting some panels/parts.

So if you just want to toss paint on without a lot of headache or fear of spending hundreds of dollars on guns. I see 2 choices.

Preval fillable paint sprayer.
https://store.preval.com/collections/preval-sprayer

I used these to paint the undercarriage on my convertible over 30 years ago and it is still ok. Not show quality paint but it does a good job, no real cleanup and you load the paint you want in it so you pick the color.

A small cheap touch up gun can do the job a little better.
Like this one.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/NuMax-P...-with-125-cc-Plastic-Cup-SPS08/308910132

Nearly everyone sells something similar, Lowes, Ace Hardware, HF, Tractor Supply, etc. etc. It isn't hard to find one under $30 and they can be cleaned and used again.


They won't give you show quality body paint but if you are looking for decent looking smooth paint these will do the job.

There are some really good qualified paint guys on here that can tell you air pressures, nozzle tips and such, if you tell them the type and brand of paint they can give you great information.



I would consider getting a good gun and try to do some work with it. You might find that you enjoy it. But for me these work well for small parts and stuff.