Choosing the right paint sprayer really can be a minefield.! Which brand is best, which size do I need, how much will it cost etc etc.. There are a lot of different factors that go into choosing which sprayer is right for you so we decided to put together a list of as many if not all (they change quite a bit) of the sprayers in the market from the major players to give you an easy way to compare the machines.
The key question: what work you are doing at the moment is helpful to put you into the right bracket i.e budget, entry level, contractor or heavy duty?.
Once we have worked out what kind of work you do and the size and scale we also want to know what areas you want to spray. Most people want to build up to be able to spray everything from exteriors to carpentry but thats not always the case.
BUT! Then we want to know what you would like to be spraying in 6-12months.. This is because once you get the hang of the sprayer and start to push your business further then your referrals will increase as you promote the business as clients can see the benefits of the higher level of finish and speed.
Now the original sprayer we would have suggested may not be quite big enough for you and you find yourself out growing it far to quickly.. So beware of short term investment unless you really don’t have any other option!
This leads us onto your budget price!! So be honest; are you being realistic with this answer as a sprayer is a large outlay in one hit and you really don’t want to get it wrong. However we well know that you might have to start with a budget or entry level machine and then upgrade once you become more experienced and the business profits grow.
Airless Discounter did a great blog a few months ago with 4 top tips for buying an airless paint sprayer which is a good read and gives some good tips for things to consider: https://www.airless-discounter.de/news/4-tips-buying-an-airless-sprayer/ Have a look at the video they put together below too.
Machines are generally broken into 4 main categories but they do overlap so we might recommend one or two from another bracket as an option due to your future requirements.
1. Budget Machine
These are small machines with the intention of slowly moving into spraying. They are also great for small domestic projects but you will find that you will try and push them a little too far which will cause problems and frustration. We feel that these budget machines could cause you to “loose the Faith”, put the sprayer away and revert back to what you know best so just beware that when you expect too much we did advise you of this issue.
2. Entry level
We feel that this is where you should really start if your budget will allow. These machines are a lot more versatile with regards to products, pressures & accessories. They will deliver on every part of a domestic job, from large ceilings to furniture. They will need servicing and maintaining regularly but no different to your van.
Below is just a snippet of machines available
3. Contractor
This is the perfect machine! These machines are all about specification and the choice available is great. You will be able to take on any size and style of project with these machines plus they are so versatile. Most have wheels & carts for helping transport them around bigger jobs but by adding longer hoses and extensions you gain more freedom. These are the main workforce of your business and any previous machines will become backups and prep machines.
4. Heavy duty
It’s quite clear what these machines are. Two gun set ups, spray plaster and industrial coatings. Massive hose length for loads of access. We like these machines on bigger jobs when two people are spraying at the same time and a labourer can just keeps the paint topped. You can get through huge areas and hundreds of litres of paint with ease.
You need to consider the kind of work that you do and what do you want to spray?
Is your work predominantly smaller residential projects? Or do you do larger new build properties? Do you want to spray walls and ceilings only or do you think that you will progress quickly onto woodwork and furniture? These are all considerations for the kind of paint sprayer you need to be thinking about.
Whats most important to you?
Your main drive is the need to perfect spraying to increase your skills, speed and finish, each of these will have a massive impact on your referral rate. we have found that when you adopt a good spraying approach to your projects you will quickly perfect emulsions for both walls & ceilings which has a massive saving on your time and increase in profits.
You will need a machine that will be able to handle emulsions over a fair sized area yet constant reliable flow to achieve a good finish on the woodwork. When you want to start spraying the rest of your project i.e.the woodwork which consists of the hardest and slowest part of our job you will be amazed at how quick it can be but the added bonus is that it looks amazing and you will be told on a constant basis that they have never seen anything like it. thats when your referral rate will start to increase due to your new approach to the business.
We really hope that this helps you to make the right choices for you – sometimes a machine just has to come down to budget whilst you get started with spraying but if you do have a bit of breathing space then get a machine that will last you the longer haul. We have built the number of machines we have over time, adding to them rather than selling them and re investing. The machines make their money back ten fold and we have back up machines should something go wrong!
If you need any more help then just let us know.
If you want to have a look at the WHAT SPRAYER SURVEY that we put together then click on the link HERE. We will then send you out by email information that will help you to decide which spray machine is best for you.
If you want add spraying to your business and get on one of our spray training courses then have a look at the course we offer here.
