Spraying - conversion gun vs dedicated HVLP system

Hi. Like most Aussie woodworkers who spray lacquer, I use HVLP and LVLP guns attached to a compressor. I understand this setup is called 'conversion gun'. After a year or two of learning curve, I'm pretty happy with the finish I get which I believe is as close to mirror finish as I'll ever get from a spray unit. There are things I don't like about this type of setup though - like cost, maintenance, bulk, noise and lack of portability. So I'm wondering how those integrated turbo-driven HVLP systems compare. These are very popular in the US.

like this one:
Graco FinishPro HVLP Sprayers

or ones like this, which is probably beyond what I would pay:
Apollo Sprayer 1050VR 7500GT 5 Stage HVLP Turbine System Gravity Paint Spray GUN | eBay

or even cheapies like this one:
Electric HVLP Air Spray Paint Gun System Tools | eBay

So can anyone who has had experience with both compressor/conversion gun and turbo-driven systems comment on how they compare. My main concern by far is quality of finish - though I'd like to hear about other points of difference too.

I should also point out that I've owned airless spray systems like top-end Wagner systems and I know they don't compare - unless you're spraying garden fences.

cheers
Arron

I' been using a simple high pressure gun for 30 years never had a problem

No-one used a turbine-driven sytem at all ??

I use an Earlex turbine system. Even though I have binks spray guns, Iwata w400 gun and several other good guns my Earlex is my go to gun . In saying that my main issue is that my compressor is under size. The Earlex is very simple to use and I get excellent results spraying acid cat and nitro. A lot less over spray than conventional spray guns. Little bit more temperamental in relation to fluid viscosity but once you find the sweet spot it operates brilliantly. My only complaint is the gun itself is a bit heavy and by the time you have put in a litre of fluid it can be hard on the arm spraying a larger item but unless you go to a pressure feed or airless system you are stuck with that either way.
The only adjustment you have with the Earlex is material adjustment and three spray patterns of horizontal , vertical and tight circle. Having only these adjustment makes it very user friendly especially for beginners/intermediate users. I am looking at updating to a Graco airless system but I will keep using the turbine unit for smaller spray jobs

Thanks Mark. Which Earlex system is it, how much did you pay for it and whre did you buy it.
Cheers
Arron

My Earlex is the HV5500. I bought it from Red tool box on Ebay. They are in England but it was much cheaper than anyone in Australia by over a hundred dollars, it arrived within about 5 days and all I had to do was chop off the European plug and put on a Oz plug. Don't buy one from the US as the voltage is wrong. Other than the price saving I purchased my unit OS due to the fact I could not even find anyone in Australia that sells tips. I purchased a 1mm tip, and 1.5mm from another Ebay seller. By memory it came with a 2mm. Anyway I have all 3 so you need to budget for that as they are not cheap and I have not even used the 2mm yet as most of my spraying is with the 1.5mm for sealer coats and 1mm tops. Price for unit was under $400 delivered and tips were around $40 I think. Mark

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arron

Thanks Mark. Which Earlex system is it, how much did you pay for it and whre did you buy it.
Cheers
Arron

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And would you say that you get a really nice finish - like mirror smooth or as close to at as a spray gun can deliver? I'm suspecting the answer is yes because your other guns are very high quality so you should be getting good results with them.

What hp is your compressor ? I'M just asking because it helps me to put it into perspective and understand why you didnt just upgrade the compressor and keep on using the Iwata.

I guess what I'm asking is - is it really suitable for fine furniture work or is more the type of thing a contractor or trim carpenter would use?

Thanks for your input
Cheers
Arron

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arron

And would you say that you get a really nice finish - like mirror smooth or as close to at as a spray gun can deliver? I'm suspecting the answer is yes because your other guns are very high quality so you should be getting good results with them.

What hp is your compressor ? I'M just asking because it helps me to put it into perspective and understand why you didnt just upgrade the compressor and keep on using the Iwata.

I guess what I'm asking is - is it really suitable for fine furniture work or is more the type of thing a contractor or trim carpenter would use?

Thanks for your input
Cheers
Arron

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Yes I get a very good finish on the Earlex but it is only a mid range type of spray system. With my Iwata and binks gun I can get a better finish but there is so many variables like compressor, air pressure adjustments, air moisture etc where as the Earlex is plug and spray basically. I make high quality furniture and this is my full time job so the quality is very good but I have found the quality of the lacquer is very important too. If you use a low quality lacquer in the Earlex you would be disapointed in it. To me its not the perfect spray but it is the most consistent. If I went out and spent $2000 on a better compressor with a good quality air filter system I would get a better result but more headaches. I have seen the airless Graco system in action and if I was going to spend $2k I would be putting it towards one of them.
My compressor is rated at 8cfm but after testing it it was even less than that. I would need a 12+cfm so it doesn't drop down to low in pressure when spraying something larger. There is lots of info on the net about testing your copressor for free air cfm.

Mark

I've used the Titan Capspray 105 system owned by a friend. It works well if and only if you have the viscosity of your paint adjusted to suit what the sprayer wants - exactly. I have done some cabinet work with acrylic latex. I found the Capspray to be extremely sensitive to the fluidity of the spray mix. Too thick and the gun tended to choke on the paint and too thin caused easy running. When it was right it worked great. The hose and handle of the spray gun became pretty hot too, to the point of being uncomfortable, which also caused spitting with some paint. The turbine is extremely noisy with a very high pitched scream, rather like a small jet engine. When everything is perfect however you can really lay down the paint. It is not good for large flat areas such as walls but it is good for complex structures if you don't have an air compressor.
I also have a smaller HVLP compressor gun, a SATA minijet. For jobs smaller than a full size cabinet it is the best painting tool I have ever used - very tolerant of a variety of paints and stains. Mine is set up with a 1.2 mm needle/orifice.
Given a choice I would only buy a turbine system if I was doing work away from a compressor. For less money than the 105 you can buy several SATA or Iwata HVLP guns and probably get more done with a given amount of effort.
If you want something to work with thick stuff I suggest the SATA 1000RP with the pressurized cup. I haven't used one but everything I have read and heard about it is good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by West OZ Mark

My Earlex is the HV5500. I bought it from Red tool box on Ebay. They are in England but it was much cheaper than anyone in Australia by over a hundred dollars, it arrived within about 5 days and all I had to do was chop off the European plug and put on a Oz plug. Don't buy one from the US as the voltage is wrong. Other than the price saving I purchased my unit OS due to the fact I could not even find anyone in Australia that sells tips. I purchased a 1mm tip, and 1.5mm from another Ebay seller. By memory it came with a 2mm. Anyway I have all 3 so you need to budget for that as they are not cheap and I have not even used the 2mm yet as most of my spraying is with the 1.5mm for sealer coats and 1mm tops. Price for unit was under $400 delivered and tips were around $40 I think. Mark

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Hi Mark,

I'm currently trying to get an Earlex HV5500 for a decent price. Unfortunately, I can't see any on eBay from the UK and as you have pointed out, the prices for buying it locally are outrageous. I've spoken with some retailers in the UK who are happy to ship to Oz, however their shipping quotes are rather high - especially when compared to shipping items to Oz from the US.

Do you know if the power supply on the turbine is switchmode or if it is transformer based? It wouldn't surprise me if it were switchmode in which case I could buy a unit from the US as the majority of sm power supplies are designed to cope with main voltages in the range 90-250V.

Any light you could shed on this would be really appreciated! I really don't want to pay $640 to the store beginning with a big 'C'.

Cheers,

Nic.