I was taught not to judge a book by its cover, but I broke that rule when the CommandMax HVLP sprayer arrived. This small, lightweight unit didn’t look very promising. But after using it for a couple of weeks with a variety of finishes, I was pleasantly surprised by its performance.

I first sprayed a waterborne finish and then shellac. The waterborne finish required a little thinning, but the shellac (SealCoat) needed none at all. Both materials laid down very nicely.

The aircap has positive stops when rotated from horizontal to vertical to conical patterns, a feature common on more expensive sprayers. Although the fan pattern is small, only about 3 in. to 4 in., I was able to spray a small table and chair. Overspray was easy to reduce by adjusting the fluid control.

Make no mistake: This is not the tool to spray dining-room tables with. However, for smaller projects you’ll be impressed with its balance, performance, and versatility. Plus, you can’t beat the price.

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