There are several reasons why hobbyists and DIYers choose a paint sprayer over a brush or a roller? Paint sprayers are faster, more efficient, and designed to handle various interior and exterior coatings.
If you want to apply oil-based paint on your pieces of furniture, metals, cars, you need the best paint sprayer for oil-based paint.
However, one can become easily confused on the type of paint sprayer to choose, especially if he’s a novice. Tons of paint sprayers are available in the market, and if not careful, you can end up buying the wrong product and wasting your money.
All at a Glance
Why Do You Need the Best Paint Sprayer for Oil Based Paint?
Paint sprayers provide an even application and make your painting project quicker. Compared to brushes and rollers, using a paint sprayer can minimize the amount of paint used while providing good coverage.
Choose from our Top 3 Picks
Last update on 2024-10-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Reviews of the Best Paint Sprayer for Oil Based Paint
1. Graco Magnum 262805 X7 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer – Best Airless Paint Sprayer
Graco Magnum 262805 X7 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer is the sprayer that will quickly paint your house, fence, and other projects. This sprayer is not only the best airless sprayer on this list but possesses the power to deliver the best professional finish.
This paint sprayer comes with fully adjustable pressure to control the sprayer’s amount of paint. Thanks to the RAC IV switch tip, you can reserve the tip when it’s clogged to continue spraying. Additionally, it has a flexible suction tube that allows you to spray at your convenience.
The sprayer features a stainless steel piston pump that allows you to spray paint at high pressure. The quality of paint discharged is unthinned, and you can handle more than a project at a time. Although the pump allows you to spray at high pressure, it doesn’t matter overspray due to the TrueAirless Spray
- CONTROL PAINT FLOW: Fully adjustable pressure to give you ultimate control of paint flow for any project size; RAC IV SwitchTip allows you to reverse the tip when clogged to keep you spraying
- SPRAY PAINT UNTHINNED: Stainless Steel Piston Pump allows you to spray paint unthinned at high pressure
- SPRAY DIRECTLY FROM PAINT BUCKET: Flexible suction tube allows you to spray directly from a 1 or 5 gallon paint bucket
- SPRAY MORE PROJECTS EACH YEAR: Annual use recommendation is up to 125 gallons per year
- FAST AND EASY CLEAN-UP: PowerFlush Adapter connects to a garden hose for fast and easy cleaning
Last update on 2024-10-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Tip with SoftSpray Technology.
Since the sprayer is easy to use, you’ll finish painting your project faster than a traditional brush or roller. And if you need to spray at different places, the sprayer features a convenient cart that allows you to move the sprayer while painting easily.
Pros
- Doesn’t get clogged easily
- Reversible spray tip
- Easy to move
- Controls overspray and paint flow
- Fast and delivers a quality finish
- Covers a large area
- Long hose
Cons
- The tip can get clogged if not handled properly.
Verdict
Graco Magnum 262805 X7 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer will transform the look of your project and provide a fast way of creating the finish that you want.
2. Neu Master 600 Watt High Power HVLP Home Electric Paint Spray Gun – Best HVLP Spray Gun
Neu Master Spray Gun is a high-power HVLP spray gun that guarantees a superior finish. This spray gun is equipped with a 600W motor and powerful turbofans that create an even and smooth painting.
The impressive thing about this spray gun is that it’s still powerful enough to handle various painting projects while it’s light to carry. It has a long hose and power cord for distance painting that make it super easy for you to paint.
You can adjust the spray gun in three different ways – horizontal, vertical, and circular. The spray options enable you to paint conveniently and adjust the paint flow. You can also change the flow by adjusting the control knob.
- ▶【High Power & Superior Finish】-- Paint gun is equipped with a powerful turbofan and Max. 600W motor to support smooth and superior painting results. It will be your best assistant for furniture, ceiling, fence, cabinet, wall, home interior and exterior, etc.
- ▶【Lighter Usage & Wider Areas】-- Special separated structure allows holding spray unit (1lb) for painting, which greatly reduces the holding fatigue compared to hand-held one. And this stationary paint sprayer with 6Ft hose & 6.6Ft UL-Certified cord supports large work areas.
- ▶【Easy To Use & Clean】-- The electric spray gun is designed with ON/OFF power switch to prevent accidental triggering and paint messing. And its disassemblable design makes cleaning the spraying unit easier and more efficient. Great Ideal for beginners.
- ▶【3 Spray Patterns & Adjustable Flow Control】-- The electric spray gun can choose within 3 spray patterns(horizontal, vertical, circular) and3 size nozzles(2.0/2.5/3.0mm) freely. And its Adjustable flow control knob is a better way to control the airflow material in case of waste.
- ▶【Friendly Customer Service】If you have any questions, please contact with us and our technical team and after-sales team are always behind you.
Last update on 2024-09-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Thanks to its user-friendly design, you can disassemble the gun to wash the spray gun easily. The design makes it straightforward for beginners to work with it more efficiently.
Pros
- User-friendly design
- Easy to wash and use
- Adjustable spray pattern
- Light to carry
- Sprays from a distance
- Great for painting various projects
- Creates smooth finishes
- Good product for the money
Cons
- Only suitable for small jobs
Verdict
If you have lots of small jobs, and you need a sprayer for that, we recommend that you get this. It’s light, easy to use, and will deliver a professional-looking finish with zero problems.
3. Graco Magnum 262800 X5 Stand Airless Paint Sprayer – Best Versatile Airless Paint Sprayer
If you want an efficient sprayer to give your various projects, whether small or large, the perfect and accurate finish, you can try this sprayer.
The paint sprayer features a stainless steel piston pump that enables you to spray thin and thick paints at relatively high pressure. This steel pump atomizes paint particles for the perfect finish. Also, this paint sprayer has an adjustable paint flow control that allows you to paint your projects according to your needs.
This paint sprayer doesn’t come with a container. Rather, it comes with a long suction tube that enables you to draw paint directly from the paint bucket. Since this sprayer allows you to spray directly from the paint bucket, the chances of refilling are minimized.
- Just right for DIY Homeowners and Remodelers looking for more power and mobility when tackling larger projects
- Ideal for projects up to 10 gallons in size, allowing you tackle multiple projects every year
- Fully adjustable pressure control to give you ultimate control to spray paints or stains unthinned at any pressure
- Flexible Suction Tube allows you to spray directly from a 1 or 5-gallon paint bucket
- Supports up to 75 ft of paint hose to reach peaks or second stories without diminishing performance
Last update on 2024-10-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Graco Magnum airless paint sprayer is not difficult to clean. With its power flush adapter, you can connect the sprayer to a garden hose to eliminate clogs and get rid of the remaining paint stuck in the sprayer.
Pros
- Quick and easy to clean up
- Sprays directly from the bucket
- Features a long hose for easier reach
- Adjustable paint flow
- Sprays all kinds of paint materials
- Produce great finish
Cons
- Slightly heavy
Verdict
Graco makes some of the best sprayers, and the Magnum 262800 X5 is incredibly great. It is a powerful sprayer that can handle large projects seamlessly and quickly.
4. Graco 17A466 TrueCoat 360 DS Paint Sprayer – Best for Adjustability
Whether you want to paint vertically, horizontally, or round, this Graco 17A466 will create fantastic finishes on your cabinet.
This spray gun comes with a dual-speed adjustment that allows you to control how fast you want the spraying. You can set the spray gun to low speed for small projects or high speed for larger projects.
The airless paint sprayer is suitable for both outdoor and indoor projects. It’s easy to spray, and the coverage is pretty impressive. The spray gun can extend to hard-to-reach areas.
- ADJUSTABLE SPEEDS: Dual speed adjustment gives you 2 speeds to spray; low speed for small detail work and high speed to larger projects to complete faster
- SPRAY PAINT UNTHINNED: Stainless Steel Piston Pump allows you to spray paint unthinned at high pressure; Operating temperature range changes in paint viscosity at very low or high temperatures can affect sprayer performance -40 degree to 90 degree F
- SPRAY IN ANY DIRECTION: VacuValve technology creates an air tight system allowing you to spray in any direction, even upside down
- RECOMMENDED USE: Annual use recommendation is up to 25 gallons per year; Duty Cycle: 50%
- IDEAL FOR MULTI COLOR PROJECTS: FlexLiner Bag replaces traditional material cups, reuse or recycle when you’re done
Last update on 2024-10-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Thanks to the reversible spray tip, you can continue spraying even if the nozzle gets clogged. All you need is to rotate the tip.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Offers maximum control
- Suitable for both interior and exterior use
- Paints quickly and efficiently
Cons
- It’s not durable, as the nozzle is prone to breakage.
- Some parts of the spray gun are plastic.
Verdict
Graco TrueCoat is a fantastic spray gun, but not without its downsides. Considering the price, I’d say that this product is a good bargain.
Types of Paint Sprayers
Although there are different types, paint sprayers are of two major types – Airless Sprayers and HVLP (High-pressure, Low Volume) sprayers.
Airless sprayers are quick and cover a large area. You can apply lots of paint in a short time. However, they produce more overspray, leading to waste in paint products. A large percentage of the paints end up in the air.
HVLP sprayers, on the other hand, takes longer to cover an area, and they tend to clog up more easily. Additionally, they are incompatible with latex paints and thick formulas like lacquer. The good thing about them is that they conserve paints, thanks to their low-pressure level.
How to Spray Oil-based Paint
Before you start to spray oil-based paint, you need to do certain things. Oil-based paints combine oils, chemicals, and solvents. Most times, this complex mixture can be too thick for a paint sprayer. Therefore, you need to thin it out.
The dense nature of oil-based paints demands that you thin it out to reduce the viscosity level before you can use it in your spray gun. Doing this will avoid clogging the sprayer nozzle.
However, it would help if you kept in mind that you can thin not all oil-based paints, and not all of them are thick for spray guns. When shopping, check to ensure that you purchase the right one that you use directly in the spray gun or thinned for spray gun use.
Oil-based paints from different brands differ in viscosity and consistency. You have to ensure that you read up the label of each paint to understand the steps you’re taking.
To thin oil-based paints, you need to identify the thinner to be used. The instructions on the paint can provide an answer to that. Most oil-based paints use either turpentine or mineral spirits.
You need the following to spray oil-based paints;
- Buckets
- Stirring sticks
- Paint filters (optional)
- Gloves
- A funnel
- Oil-based paint
Steps
Get a bucket and pour the paint into it through the strainer. This will catch any clumps of paint. If you don’t have a strainer, search through the paint and throughout any clump you find.
Use the right paint-to-thinner ratio for the spray gun. For every three parts of oil-based paint, add one part thinner. The paint must be higher than the thinner to get the perfect color shade.
Stir the thinner and the paint thoroughly using a clean wood stir stick. If this will slow you down, opt for a paint stirrer. This is a good option, especially if you have so much oil-based paint to mix.
To ensure that the paint is thinned enough for spray gun use, put the paint in the funnel. If it flows easily, you’ll have no issue using it in your paint sprayer. If it doesn’t, add one more part thinner until it flows.
Pour the required quantity into the spray gun. Keep in mind that the paint will appear lighter in color, so you’ll need to apply more coats than usual to get the protective finish that you want.
If you’re spraying indoors, especially on latex paint, you need to use a primer. If spraying on a cabinet, you might need to strip the old paint off by sanding. As you sand in between coats, spray sufficiently but don’t overspray.
Allow drying each time you spray. Thinned oil-based paints take a longer time to dry, so ensure that you give yourself extra time. Remember to paint in a ventilated areas, as this speeds up the drying time.
How to Thin Oil based Paint Without Paint Thinner
This is one question that most DIYers and professionals ask. It’s common knowledge that you must thin oil-based paints with turpentine or mineral spirits for spray gun use, but can you thin oil-based paints without paint thinner? The answer is yes!
Popular paint thinners like turpentine are toxic and can cause skin reactions. Additionally, using too much of it will reduce the sheen level of the paint. As a result, opting for milder options is probably the next best thing to do.
So what can you use to thin oil-based paints? You can use an oil (mixture of linseed and lemon), kerosene, or mineral spirits. As long as you use the right paint-to-thinner ratio and work in a ventilated area, the result will be perfect.
To thin oil-based paint with an oil thinner, you need the following tools;
- Lemon and linseed oil
- Mixing bucket
- Stirring stick
- Oil-based paint
Steps;
Mix ¼ cup lemon oil and a cup linseed oil into a mixing bucket. Stir the oils thoroughly with the stirring stick. Pour the mixture into the paint slowly, stirring the paint with a stick as you continue pouring.
After pouring the mixture into the paint and stirring it, allow the paint to settle before applying it.
Can You Spray Oil Based Paint with an Airless Sprayer?
Yes, you can spray oil-based paint with an airless sprayer. Airless sprayers pump paints at about 3,000 PSI through a tiny hole in the gun’s tip. The tip on the spray gun breaks up the paint evenly into a different pattern of tiny droplets.
If you have big paint projects to complete quickly, paint with an airless sprayer is the best solution. It sprays paint twice as fast as using a roller, brush, or am HVLP sprayer. Also, it guarantees a smooth finish on doors, cabinets, etc.
What Can I Use Instead of Turpentine for Oil Painting?
Turpentine is volatile and quite odorous, even though they are effective. You can use kerosene, lemon and linseed oil, walnut oil as a substitute for turpentine in oil painting.
You can use any clear oil in place of turpentine. These solvents will reduce the viscosity of the paint, thereby facilitating a faster drying process.
How to Thin Oil Paint without Turpentine?
To thin oil paint without turpentine, you need the following;
- Kerosene, lemon, linseed oil, or any other clear oil.
- Oil paint
- Stirrer
- Strainer
- Mixing paint
Steps;
Pour the paint into the bucket through the strainer to catch any clumps of paint. If you don’t have a strainer, search through the paint and take out any clump you find.
For every three parts of oil-based paint, add ½ cup kerosene to thin it. Stir the solvent and the paint thoroughly using a clean wood stir stick. If you have so much oil-based paint to mix, use a paint stirrer.
If you want to opt for lemon, linseed oil, mix ¼ cup lemon oil and a cup linseed oil into a mixing bucket. Stir the oils thoroughly with the stirring stick and pour into the paint.
To ensure that the paint is thinned enough for spray gun use, put the paint in the funnel. If it flows easily, you’ll have no issue using it in your paint sprayer. If it doesn’t, add another ½ cup kerosene or the lemon mixture to the paint until it flows.
How to Use Linseed Oil and Turpentine in Oil Painting?
If the oil paint is too thick to create the desired finish, you need some painting medium like linseed oil and turpentine to mix with the paint.
Typically, oil paints consist of the pigment (color) and the medium, which is the clear oil. However, some paints have different mediums and pigments that don’t allow them to mix easily.
Using an extra medium like linseed oil and turpentine will even out the painting and create the color blend you can apply to the canvas.
Linseed oil is a popular oil medium that slows down the drying time of the paint. This is why it’s mostly used for layer paintings, especially after the first paint layer or base coat.
Turpentine, on the other hand, speeds up the drying time when mixed with the oil paint. It dilutes the paint and evaporates off it. It’s mostly used as the base coat or first layer.
To use linseed oil and turpentine while painting;
Mix one part linseed oil with two parts turpentine. Put the mixture into a glass container with a tight cap and let it sit for a few days. Linseed oil is thick and won’t combine easily with turpentine. This is why you need to wait for a few days.
If you don’t wait longer than usual, you can substitute linseed oil with poppy seed oil or walnut oil. These oils have a faster drying time but tend to yellow over time.
During the waiting period, turn the container on its side and on its top every six hours to help the linseed and turpentine mix well faster.
Once it’s mixed properly, you can either pour a small amount into the paint and start painting with a quality paintbrush or dip your brush into the mixture while you paint.
The benefit of using the mediums is to make the paint more durable, foster consistency and drying time, achieve various sheens, and create smooth finishes. Remember, you can choose to use the mediums separately or paint from the mixture.
How to Clean a Paint Sprayer After Using Oil Based Paint
After painting, the next thing to do is to clean the paint sprayer. You must clean the paint sprayer properly after use to prolong the lifespan of the sprayer and prevent the nozzles from being clogged.
Before you can begin cleaning the paint sprayer, you need to do the following;
- Turn the power off.
- Adjust the sprayer’s pressure to the lowest possible setting.
- Press down the trigger on the paint sprayer to be sure that the pressure in the gun has been relieved.
- Set the prime valve into the open position
- Remove the filter and the tips.
After doing this, the next thing is to clean the spray gun. Below is how to start;
Mix water and paint thinner to clean the particles of paint in and around the sprayer. You can also use mild detergent and water to wash the sprayer. You can soak the tips and the filter in the water while you clean the other parts. Ensures that each piece is cleaned properly.
If you use the water and paint thinner mixture or mineral spirits to clean the tips and filters, ensure you rinse them with plain water to remove any residue.
Air-dry the tips and filter while you continue to wash the rest of the sprayer. After drying the tips and filter, it’s time to clean the siphon tube. Remove the tube and flush out the paint inside.
While flushing the paint, use mineral spirits and water to dissolve stubborn paints. Flush the paint with the mineral spirit, and then follow up with soap and water to flush the mineral spirit.
Rinse the tube with clean water.
Now that you have flushed the paint away from the tube, you need to clean the entire system out. Soak the siphon tube in a cleaning solution.
Turn the power on and activate the trigger. Keep it pressed down until the cleaning fluid begins to flow out of the spray gun.
Continue to pump the cleaning solution through the spray gun until the fluid is completely removed from the gun. Turn the power off and reassemble the sprayer.
What is the best paint sprayer for oil-based paint?
The best paint sprayer for oil-based paint is Graco Magnum 262805 X7 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer. This powerful airless sprayer possesses the features to deliver a superb painting finish most simplistically.
Can you use oil-based paint in a sprayer?
Yes, you can use oil-based paint in a sprayer. Paint sprayers are more effective than rollers and brushes and conserve paint to a large extent. Spraying oil-based paint will create a professional-looking.
Are paint sprayers worth the money?
Paint sprayers are worth the money, although it’s not a practical replacement for brush or roller. If you have a large paint project to do and want to conserve paint, you should consider using a paint sprayer.
Conclusion
If you intend to work with oil-based paint, you need a powerful paint sprayer to deliver a great finish. Rollers and brushes are great, but won’t suffice, especially if the painting project is large. With this review on the best paint sprayer for oil-based paint, you can choose an affordable sprayer that will not only deliver a professional-looking finish but will last on the job, make painting quicker and more straightforward.
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