# Titan Flexspray handheld



## dale rex (Jun 10, 2012)

Bought one the other day for doing small spray jobs that I don't want to break out my Graco 395. Tried it on some sample boards and not sure if I like it. Sprays exactly like my 4 stage HVLP but with maybe a tiny bit more output. I guess I expected the output to be more like a small airless sprayer. I don't want to use it much more and not be able to return it if its full of overspray. Anybody else have one and use it a lot? Been thinking about possibly returning it and updating my old airless gun, hose and tips instead. I know my Graco 395 has always sprayed flawlessly, but the cleanup is always a pain, but maybe it makes more sense to use it instead of trying to get accustomed to a convenience tool like the Titan Flexspray is.


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## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

I too have a Flexspray. It was bough for spraying interior dental molding in a house a couple of years ago. It worked fine for what I needed it to do, my experience is all airless and no HVLP. 

I have found that the paint has to be thinned to get a decent finish, for thinning latex I use Latex Extender. I would NOT consider using it on something like kitchen cabinets as the finish just is not good enough. 

All in all I don't use it that much, from time to time a small project comes along that it is suitable for where i dont want the issues of overspray. I have used it on things like lattice under porches, small sections of fence etc. 

It claims to spray full thickness latex paint but it can not atomize it enough so the finish ends up looking crap. 

So all in all, it is ok for occasional use where you only need to spray a quart or two of paint. My 390 gets alot of use on small spraying projects. If I am spraying doors or shutters laying flat in my shop then it is only the airless with a fine finish tip. 

As for cleaning the airless, yea it can be a pain but I really like the Grayco Contractor series guns, they can be disassembled by hand for easy cleaning. Another item that would make the airless more suitable for small projects would be a 25' hose, do they make one? Also if i know I will be spraying again within 24 hours or so I do not clean out the hose or gun, I just circulate water through the pump and leave it, hose and guns only get cleaned at the end of the job or color change. Its never been an issue.

So all in all I guess i am saying if you have small spraying jobs where over spray will be an issue and quality of finish is less of a concern then the Flexspray could be more efficient than your 395. If i was spraying interior quality trim work etc then I would lean towards the best hvlp i could afford. 
If your small projects can be done with your 395 and it is only an issue of cleaning and convenience rather than over spray etc. then maybe upgrading guns and tips would be a better investment.


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## dale rex (Jun 10, 2012)

That was my initial thinking when I bought the Flexspray, to use it for small 1 or 2 quart projects. Not sure now if its worth the $400 or not for the convenience. I tried my test spray with some Muralo exterior low luster acrylic and the Flex spray had the power to spray it, but had a fairly slow output (which I expected) and a spatter like finish similar to what my HVLP would do with un-thinned acrylic. I kind of figured that the paint needed to be thinned, but didn't want to play with it anymore. I am thinking that by the time you dial in the thinning ratio of the paint, and the air/material ratio settings on the Flexspray gun, I can setup my airless with a Fine Finish tip and start spraying right out of the can. Also as you had mentioned in your post I am going to look for a 25 foot hose for smaller jobs to help minimize the cleanup and fill up of the system, as it usually takes about 1 quart of paint to fill up my Graco 395 with a 50 foot hose. I really like the new Titan XP Pro gun, tried it in the store and its very comfortable with the grip and the 2 finger pull, and supposes to be compatible with Graco RAC 5 and Rac X tips


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

I haver a Graco cordless hand held. Works well for me.

Take a look at the GX19.

http://www.graco.com/us/en/products/contractor/finishpro-gx19.html

Tom


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## Mordekyle (May 20, 2014)

I have the graco PS 2.

I shot maybe a total of 3 gallons through it.

Now it won't prime......


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Mordekyle said:


> I have the graco PS 2.
> 
> I shot maybe a total of 3 gallons through it.
> 
> ...


You most likely did not clean and flush it properly. 

After you flush the gun you have to remove the pick up and inject Pump Armor into the head. You should have got a bottle with a plunger on it with the kit. Save the bottle and plunger, refill as needed.

Try this to repair the gun (the inlet check is most likely stuck to the housing)-remove the pick up, insert a dowel into the housing boss, gently press on the dowel, this should free the valve. Once free you'll feel it move and seat against spring pressure. If the valve feels really stuck pour a little denatured alcohol into the boss. let it sit few minutes, try loosening the valve again. If none of the above works, disassemble the gun and clean the head. 

Make sure you flush the gun every time it will be unused for more than a day.

Tom


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## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

I have a Proshot also and never use it. The valve that sticks preventing prime is an easy fix. Pull off pick up tube and use a socket to remove the plastic piece that looks like a hex nut, you will then see the stuck valve.


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## dale rex (Jun 10, 2012)

Returned the Flexspray for refund and upgraded the spray gun for my Graco 395. Got a new Titan red series Rx-Pro and a couple new tips and hoses. Ordered a 25 foot hose for indoor or shop work so I don't have to use as much paint to fill the system initially and hopefully the cleanup might be a few minutes faster. Havent used the new gun yet by I really like the 2 finger pull action compared to my Graco contractor gun with a 4 finger pull. Next week will be my first test for the new Titan gun......I have a suspended ceiling to recondition. Going to pull out the old tiles, then clean and spray the metal grids white, then replace the tiles with new ones. Would have been a nice place to use a handheld spray unit(Flexspray or Pro Shot):blink:


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## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

I think aiming up the Flexspray to spray grids would have caused you frustration, even with rotating the pick up tube. I like the idea of the 25' hose, I must get one.
The two finger guns are night and day better than the four finger guns. 
We recently did some grids and frankly we found it easier to just roll them, but the area was not too big. 
I think you have made the right choice. I do not like my pro **** at all and no longer recommend them, seemed like a great idea when they came out but they are pretty crude in my opinion.


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## dale rex (Jun 10, 2012)

was considering rolling them also but decided that spraying would give a smoother finish and hopefully be alot faster.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

I wonder if you could just connect a 12 and a 6 foot whip for shop work. Skinner hose and shorter length. This is always my dilemma when needing to shoot small stuff. You need a gallon to just get things primed and working, before you even get any where.


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## stelzerpainting (Feb 27, 2014)

*Dead-band determines minimum hose length.*



VinylHanger said:


> I wonder if you could just connect a 12 and a 6 foot whip for shop work. Skinner hose and shorter length. This is always my dilemma when needing to shoot small stuff. You need a gallon to just get things primed and working, before you even get any where.


25' is usually the minimum hose length I'm comfortable with. Any lower and you can experience a pulsating effect in the spray pattern. Of course, electronic pressure control, (like Graco's SmartControl), will lessen the deadband effect substantially.


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## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

Handheld airless sprayers are handy. Personally, I don't use one for doing serious work. I keep my old Wagner hand held around, but don't use it much for anything, except for certain situations after a job is completed.

For example: Where you need to spray a bunch of replaced rusted foundation vent screens that were replaced after the paint job was competed (afterthought by the owner). 

It's kinda nice having a handheld airless to do that, and not have to drag out your big sprayer, or brush all those vents screens by hand.

However, I draw the line at using handheld airless units to do much else. Why? Because all handheld airless units require thinning the paint to a degree. This may not be an issue when using off white colors. However, when thinning dark colors or high gloss paints in order to "spray" them properly, there's going to be a color or gloss change, compared to the non-thinned big rig airless applied paint of the same color or gloss. Hand held airless sprayers, as they are now, are still a "gadget" to me. A useful gadget, but only for certain circumstances. They're improving them.


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