Paint Sprayer

[bmich]

I have a huge fence and a large deck to stain.   The fence is a 6' privacy fence that goes around an acre and a quarter lot.  I moved into the house about 3 years ago and it needs a new coat of stain.  I have been looking at the Graco Magnum X5.  Does anyone have any experience with them?  Anything I should look out for?  Or purchase a different model? Any help would be appreciated.

Ben

[Wild Turkey]

I bought one from a pawn shop years ago and have wore it out. Simple, reliable, FAST.

Used a piece of pipe to make an extension so it would sit on top of a 5-gallon bucket and draw through the hole in the top.

Stained my house twice, painted the basement walls twice when we fixed/remodeled it, couple of barns, etc.

Easy to take apart to clean/repair.

Retired it last year when I got a great deal on a bigger one.

Get the right nozzle and go for it!

Note: I have never found a reason to brush the paint/stain after spraying unless I missed a spot. Gets in cracks, etc. if you angle the gun up or down a little so the spray can get in the opening.

A little practice on the back corner of the fence should teach you what you need to know!

[BloomingtonMike]

I sprayed more than 1400 32"X48" sheets of plywood with an older Graco 190 HiBoy that has the older ss pump and intake setup (like the expensive graco versions now) not the current plastic. AMAZING. Its rebuildable but not easily like the proconnect ones. Id not spend the cash on one that cannot be rebuilt. The X5 is cheap consumer  version. If ever needed you will be out money fixing it.
I got real good at meticulous cleaning mine. Make sure you do that and reclaim your product while doing so.
If doing a deck by a house Id use a less pressure setup like a pump weed sprayer. The air less is pretty crazy pressure wise.
If you go airless consider renting one from a paint store so you have support and they can teach you what you need to know about cleaning it.

[ajkoontz]

I have a huge fence and a large deck to stain.   The fence is a 6' privacy fence that goes around an acre and a quarter lot.  I moved into the house about 3 years ago and it needs a new coat of stain.  I have been looking at the Graco Magnum X5.  Does anyone have any experience with them?  Anything I should look out for?  Or purchase a different model? Any help would be appreciated.

Ben

Can't speak to that particular model, but I have a Graco TruCoat airless sprayer and it is the bees knees. I would normally recommend the TruCoat, but for something as large as you are doing I think you'd be better served with the model you picked. I think the entry level Graco is the sweet spot between serious DIY vs one job DIY (Wagner) vs Pro (Titan).

[bmich]

Great thanks all, I didn't think about buying it from a paint store, but that is a good idea. I was either going with HD or Menards. Maybe I'll go talk to the sherwin people tomorrow and see what they have to say.

[fixtureman]

If you only need it for those jobs ask about renting from them with the purchase of the paint.

[MstrCarpenter]

I use the X7. The wheel kit (even if it's extra$) is a big plus. It also has a hook for the handle of 5 gal. buckets to move paint and sprayer with one hand. the filter in the handle of the gun is easy to get to and clean. I dont't even use one on the pick up. It's simple to prime using the bypass valve and the adjustable pressure is a bonus too. To clean I just circulate clean water thru the system from a 5 gal. bucket, use a toilet brusn to scrub the paint off the pick-up hose(s) and gun, then pull, clean and replace the filter. My final step is to flush the system with windshield washer fluid. This helps keep the internals clean , and it doesn't freeze.

[doobes]

I got mine from these folks: https://www.cjspray.com/graco-magnum-sprayer/

Got an X7 for the price of the X5. As mentioned above, the ability to just put a bucket on the stand and go is priceless.

[bmich]

I bought the X5 from HD for 251.00. Brought it home and decided that I should just use a roller to stain the fence. Returned the sprayer and bought some rollers. After a bit of trial and error, a 3" roller with 3/4" or larger nap is the best.

[bmich]

I talked to some people in the store shopping for the same stuff and they mentioned that I would have to back brush the fence after spraying it. With back brushing it and the over spray, rolling it seems like the best option.