# best paint sprayer to prime 2000 sw ft of drywall 5 days a week?



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

Hi all,

I am 5 years deep in my ceiling texture company now.
I prime on average 2000 sq ft a day 5 days a week prior to texturing.

I have always used a home depot titan 330, I abuse it and dont clean it once and for $600 I get a year out of it and throw it in the trash.

I figure it is worth the $600 a year to never have to clean just cap it off and throw it in the van.

Down side is i have to bring it onto every job site.

I now want to run something more powerful that i can run 150 feet of hose from, leave it in the van always, and I am willing to give it a good clean once a week when it will sit for two days.

Paint store has a new graco 395 ultra pc ( the latest version with the easy out pump).

My question is: will the 395 meet my needs or should i be looking higher like the 490 or up? cash is not a huge deal but I only use it to prime drywall and dont want more than i really need.

I would prefer just graco. by the way the graco 395 will cost me $1194 and I will probably buy it some time this week unless I get told i need better.

Thank you all. I am new here

Texture King - jason


----------



## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

Uh...you NEED to go to Sherwin-Williams. I can get a graco 390 nova for $700 all day long. 

The 395 isn't worth the cost on upgrading from the 390 nova.

The real question for you is gpm. The higher the better. Aim for 1 gallon per minute. That's the sweet spot. 

Also, try a highboy style sprayer. Once you do, you will never go back. Rolling a sprayer around versus carrying one is a game changer.


----------



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

I hate the high boy, like the skid way better. I bet you could get a couple years out a 395 if you cleaned the filters once a week.


----------



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

I did burn up my 390 running 100 foot hose. My rep suggested bigger for 100 or more feet. 150 is asking a lot of the pump, you should go big.


----------



## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

:thumbsup:


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

thanks for the responses, ya thats $1189 canadian. not sure if this site is american?

The stand or skid version would fit better in my van where i plan to leave it for 90 percent of jobs. just roll up to the house and pull out 150 feet of hose.

i was told the 390 was not enough

That 695 would be nice but out of my price range for now i think.

probly snag the 395 this week and upgrade in a year or two if need be.

Seriously considering the 490 though I think the gpm is about the same as the 395. I will have to double check that when not heading to work.


----------



## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

If you're priming every day, you'll save a lot of time in a year with a bigger pump spraying those ceilings with a big tip. Time is money.


----------



## mnld (Jun 4, 2013)

I wouldn't bother with the 490. 395 is a bullet proof sprayer, I've got two of them. If you need bigger I would definitely find a way to get the 695. You can run 150' hose on that easily. If you're spraying every day, figure it into the jobs:thumbup:


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

walked in to sherwin williams today.

they did not have a 395 in stock. they had an old model 490 on sale for under a thousand. and a new model 695 for $2500. too much $ for right now

490 was tempting but not sure how old model differs from new model. and parts in the future.

Will most likely buy the 395 but hoping the 395's .54 gpm vs the 490's .70 gpm is something that I will not be missing out on and wasting time.

any thoughts on old model vs new? 
only difference I can really see is the easy out pump.

If I had more cash I would probly just get the 695 and spray like a champion all day


----------



## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

If your looking for just a few years, get that 490. Always go for bang for your buck. 

Last year I was comparing spec's doing homework. Seems to me that the 395,490,&590 are "transitional" sprayers. The specs just don't jump enough to justify the HUGE price increase. 

Seems to me it would be the 390/395 or the 690. Unless of course you can get a great deal on the 490/590 series.

I ultimately went with the airlesco lp540. I can pick one up used at home depot for $500, and repack it for 80. I just repacked it last week, changed purge valve, replaced pressure sensor all for $250. 

Now I have a brand new machine ($1800 new) and I only spent $750 so far. The spec's are just nuts on the machine.


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

guy in sherwin williams today(different location) says a 395 will last me ten years if I clean it every day. And I can run 200 feet of hose.

Guy in dulux paint says I should buy the 695 for $3000 if I want to run 150 feet of hose

I am going to buy a sprayer 2 days from now because my machine is about to crap out. not sure which one but def not the 695

Still confused on the issue so will probably just buy the 395 from what I have heard in this thread and from you all. 
And maybe upgrade in a year if business stays this good throughout the year.

Still contemplating that old model 490 but have no idea if the old model is highly inferior or hard to get parts for compared to these new pc models.

Driftweed. I think $1000 for the old model 490 is a deal. should I scoop that one up instead of the new model 395 for $1200?


----------



## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

They are right about the 395 being basically bulletproof, & the 490 as well. 

On the used machine, it's almost a given you will be repacking it. It's not if but when. That usually costs around $80 & a half day labor. But once you do that, it's new again. 

It's tricky ya know. In your case, time is money because you are busy & probably can't afford a lost day. In that case go with a new machine (the 395).

I hate passing on a better machine, but like I said there's just no major improvement from the 395 to the 490.


----------



## stelzerpainting (Feb 27, 2014)

You might be capable of running 200' with the 395, but you're not gonna like how it performs if you're spraying walls & ceilings all day. I'm a huge fan of the 395's, but for production & performance reasons, I'll try to limit my hose length to 50' when spraying walls & ceilings if I'm using anything smaller than than my Airlessco LP540. Exterior is a different story. Much more time in between spraying, so long hose length isn't nearly as much of a factor.


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

stelz and drift:
I say old model 490 but it is brand new unused just not the new version with the easy out pump.

I only need 150 not that its that far off from 200 but if you say 395 would not be good for a long length that worries me a little.

Every paint rep at every different store gives me such different answers it is confusing. Would like to have them all in a room and let them argue it out. haha.

maybe I buy the 395 and try it out for a few jobs and try to return if not happy. Or maybe I just by the old model 490? Or maybe I spend a small fortune on the 695 and have more gpm and pressure than I will ever use. lol. this is a tough one.


----------



## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

I've ran 100 feet off a graco 390 many a time. 

I'm just weary of inheriting other people's problems vs having a warranty. 

It's a tough choice, that's for sure.


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

Driftweed said:


> I've ran 100 feet off a graco 390 many a time.
> 
> I'm just weary of inheriting other people's problems vs having a warranty.
> 
> It's a tough choice, that's for sure.


I would never buy a used paint machine until maybe I have experience repacking and fixing.

All paint machines I am considering are brand new.

That 490 aparently has .70 gpm vs the .54 of the 395 which is the only reason I havnt snapped up a 395. 
Tomorrow I will go and buy one. And still unsure which


----------



## stelzerpainting (Feb 27, 2014)

textureking said:


> I would never buy a used paint machine until maybe I have experience repacking and fixing.
> 
> All paint machines I am considering are brand new.
> 
> ...


Unless you're referring to some 490 that I don't know about, the 490 has the same exact output as the 395, (.54gpm). You'd have to jump up to the 595 to get .7gpm. Might wanna see documentation of the specs you've been quoted. 

There's a small jump in gpm from the 390 to 395, which is why I'd suggest the 395 if you're buying new and wanna stay around $1,000, but there is no difference in gpm output between the 395 and the 490


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

i assumed the new 490 had the same as the old 490 and gracos website shows the ultra max 2 490 pc pro has .7 gpm as shown in this pic...

but i will take your advice and most others and buy the 395 i believe.


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

ah yes I see the old model 490 only has .54 gpm. well that makes up my mind. the 395 it is!
Thank you for bringing that to my attention Stelzer


----------



## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

Your gonna run that 395 into the ground fairly fast with your workload. I bought a Graco 395 for its portability to bring into a house to spray stair railings or other smaller jobs. It's easier then lugging my bigger, clumsier Graco Ultra 595 to a job site. 

I would advise going bigger than the Graco 395. You'll be stressing it with your workload, leading to it degrading sooner rather then later. Think long term. The 395 is almost for small jobs and homeowners, not pros doing bulk spraying day in and day out. I'd rethink your choice and would advise you to consider buying a Graco 495 or 595 instead. Why? The Graco 395 just simply wasn't made for big production high volume work over a long period.


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

Caslon said:


> I would advise going bigger than the Graco 395.


just when I think I have it all figured out....

gonna see if i can find a deal or old model.


----------



## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

Driftweed said:


> Uh...you NEED to go to Sherwin-Williams. I can get a graco 390 nova for $700 all day long.
> 
> The 395 isn't worth the cost on upgrading from the 390 nova.
> 
> ...


A high boy unit is good if you always have a setup where you don't require portability. In other words, you work from a 100 ft. spray line from your base of operations. That's cool.

As for myself? I much prefer a Lo-Boy spray rig with the standard 50 ft. spray hose. I'd rather move my Lo-Boy 50 ft.hose unit around than coil up 100 ft. of spray line after each job. I suppose that's what helpers are for.


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

still have not bought a machine.

every rep is saying i should get at least the 490 495 but probly the 595


----------



## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

You'll get better resale value with the 595 too, if you keep it in good shape. I own an Ultra 595 Lo-boy, no regrets here.

Most journeymen painters I see start out with nothing less than a 595. 

A 495 will cost you a couple hundred less than the 595 and is the absolute minimum size I would recommend.

Here's a site listing each and their specs.
http://www.paintsprayerslv.com/Graco/umax%20ii%20small/Small%20UltraMax%20II.htm


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

thanks for the info. I would of loved to stay in the 395s price range but yes now I am being convinced to invest in the 595 and I think that is a good idea. Hopefully my crappy titan lasts long enough for me to save a few more bucks for the 595.


----------



## Quality_PTG (May 9, 2011)

textureking said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I am 5 years deep in my ceiling texture company now.
> I prime on average 2000 sq ft a day 5 days a week prior to texturing.
> ...


I didn't read one comment other than your post. A 395 can't pump 150 feet of line.

The smallest machine I'd get if I was you would be a graco 595. if your seriously in the market a 1000+ max is what you want it's big and powerful, can hold at least 200 feet of line maybe 300 max. This machine will spray anything except waterproof coatings.

I'll sell you one of mine if you'd like


----------



## cairnstone (Oct 26, 2008)

where are you located? in the great white north. I bought a titan 440 when i got into painting. Then I ended up doing a couple heavy bodied pant jobs the 440 was to small. Good old craigs list showed an almost new 740 ix for 500 bucks including 75 feet hose 5 new tips. The ix has a gallon flow meter on and shower the gallons of material that it had done. I think it was around 200 gallons.


----------



## Quality_PTG (May 9, 2011)

cairnstone said:


> where are you located? in the great white north. I bought a titan 440 when i got into painting. Then I ended up doing a couple heavy bodied pant jobs the 440 was to small. Good old craigs list showed an almost new 740 ix for 500 bucks including 75 feet hose 5 new tips. The ix has a gallon flow meter on and shower the gallons of material that it had done. I think it was around 200 gallons.


Langley. If I was a titan guy I'd try and make you an offer. 

I got both my 1000+ max machines and my Graco HVLP off craigslist. All for under $2000 over 9 years.


----------



## cairnstone (Oct 26, 2008)

there is an older graco 1000 on there now recently rebuilt at rs spray

http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/tls/5032318619.html


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

live in alberta canada.
Want to buy new to make sure no surprises. 
595 is almost out of my price range at the moment. but after this big job wraps up I will probly buy it. cant see myself paying anymore until maybe another 3 or 4 years in the biz


----------



## Quality_PTG (May 9, 2011)

cairnstone said:


> there is an older graco 1000 on there now recently rebuilt at rs spray
> 
> http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/tls/5032318619.html


I wouldn't pay more than $300 for those machines.


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

*Update*

3 years later and I have a mark iv and a rtx 2500 pi on the way to Sherwin williams.

company slowed down and i road that ****ty titan 330 .33 gpm as long as i could. 

Had a few level 5 requests and I figure Ill pump some of those primer/level 5 self leveling compounds and some other products through the mark iv and see what works best for me.
Then try and round up as much footage as possible.

When just texturing I'll run 150 feet of house from the van in the window.

Hoping to take on some big footage this summer and finally make some real money. 

This is my first real machine. And I am excited!


----------



## WBailey1041 (Jan 31, 2014)

textureking said:


> 3 years later and I have a mark iv and a rtx 2500 pi on the way to Sherwin williams.
> 
> company slowed down and i road that ****ty titan 330 .33 gpm as long as i could.
> 
> ...


 holy cow! I’m a sucker for good news! I’m loving a three year old updated thread. I Kid you not, made me smile. Good for you!


----------



## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

FYI, the difference between the 390 and 395 is that the 395 has an explosion proof motor so you can spray more volatile products through it vs the 390 which you can not as the motor is an ignition source.
I would think either the 390 PC or 395 PC would be a good choice. With your use a spare fluid section would be invaluable.

During heavy use I have no problem leaving paint in the hose and guns overnight but I do flush just the pump out daily.


----------



## textureking (May 3, 2015)

WBailey1041 said:


> holy cow! I’m a sucker for good news! I’m loving a three year old updated thread. I Kid you not, made me smile. Good for you!


Thank you! going to be a learning curve figuring out the mark iv, the air atomizer, and the rtx 2500. 

Also what to charge for level 5, sprayed on skim coat, and what ever else I can find to spray.

Changed my company slogan from "quality ceilings" to "quality coatings"


----------

