Spray Systems for the Home Shop

The latest turbine HVLP spray systems are powerful, compact, and affordable. Here's professional advice on how to make the best choice.

By Teri Masaschi #242–Sep/Oct 2014 Issue

If you’ve considered setting up a spray system for your shop, turbine-powered HVLP systems are the way to go. They take up almost no floor space when you’re not using them, and they virtually eliminate setup compared with compressor-driven systems, providing great results right out of the box.

With a low threshold to getting started, you’ll get great professional results in a lot less time, letting you breeze through finishing and move on to the next woodworking project quickly. And if you’ve always shied away from spray systems because of the high prices, there are some new, affordable systems that will make you reconsider. In this tool test, we looked at 14 different HVLP spray systems available in the United States, with stationary turbines that connect to the spray gun with a hose. We required that the sprayers be compatible with both water- and solvent-based lacquer, and we tested them using both. Most important, we wanted to see if these spray systems deliver a professional-quality finish.

Models tested include: Apollo 835 Turbospray; Apollo ECO-3/E7000 gun; Campbell Hausfeld HV2002; Campbell Hausfeld HV2500; Campbell Hausfeld HV3000; Earlex SprayPort HV 6003; Earlex SprayStation HV 5500; Fuji Spray Mini-Mite 3 T-Series; Graco FinishPro 7.0; Lex-Aire LX-60C; Rockler HVLP Spray System; 3M 23K-Pro 1; Titan Capspray 75; Wagner Flexio 890.

From Fine Woodworking #242

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