# General Paint - Titan XT - what?



## BC_Painter (Feb 14, 2010)

So a couple months ago I noticed an odd site at my local General paint dealer, a Titan pump. For years I'd only ever seen Graco except for the local Cloverdale dealers.

I assumed hey, no problem, nothing wrong with a little variety and competition within a paint store right?

Well I walked in a couple days ago and saw a Titan XT 250, and 290 with packing slip in the GP and was in shock. These are the machines that I see at HOME DEPOT. Not only that but these are the lower end versions of the Home depot titan line.

I admit my VERY first sprayer was a titan xt 330, I couldn't afford a sprayer, but figuring rental costs, if it lasted 2 jobs, it's paid for itself. It's still going to this day, though never really gets used anymore since I upgraded to the real sprayers, but was amazed that I saw these DIY lines at my local pro paint shop.

They must be trying hard to target a larger market with their homeowner crowd in this slower economy.


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

BC_Painter said:


> So a couple months ago I noticed an odd site at my local General paint dealer, a Titan pump. For years I'd only ever seen Graco except for the local Cloverdale dealers.
> 
> I assumed hey, no problem, nothing wrong with a little variety and competition within a paint store right?
> 
> ...


So for the DIYer who has the best deal, the local paint store or Home Depot? How much difference was your price with your pro discount than the price at Home Depot?


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Some of the SW stores here do the same thing....carry a HO line of sprayer. I have a little Graco 210ES that I bought off of a guy that used it once. It came from HD. Set it up as an in-shop lacquer pump and thought if I got a year out of it, I'd be satisfied. It's sprayed hundreds of gals of lacquer without a hiccup.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Sometimes those little sprayers do more than your think. My fist sprayer was a Mustang 3800 (same as a graco 190es). I got it like 5 years ago and it had its first repair: New fan blade, $50. Still no repack. I use it to spray all my trim primer and paint. The only think it does not do anymore is prime drywall (have a larger 4100 airlessco for that now). Granted, I do not spray everyday, but I still find that impressive.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

I sell the little zip sprays from ASM like crazy. Guys just don't have/want to spend the money on the big rigs unless absolutely necessary. Plus not having the volume of work, these little pumps fit the bill. 

I've also done more repairs on pumps in this last year than I have in the previous two years combined.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

DeanV said:


> Sometimes those little sprayers do more than your think. My fist sprayer was a Mustang 3800 (same as a graco 190es). I got it like 5 years ago and it had its first repair: New fan blade, $50. Still no repack. I use it to spray all my trim primer and paint. The only think it does not do anymore is prime drywall (have a larger 4100 airlessco for that now). Granted, I do not spray everyday, but I still find that impressive.


Out of all the makes of sprayers, I like the Airlessco line the best. My maintenance costs and shop repair costs for them was almost non-existant as compared to the Gracos and Titans over the past 4 years.


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## jack pauhl (Nov 10, 2008)

NCPaint1 said:


> I sell the little zip sprays from ASM like crazy. Guys just don't have/want to spend the money on the big rigs unless absolutely necessary. Plus not having the volume of work, these little pumps fit the bill.
> 
> I've also done more repairs on pumps in this last year than I have in the previous two years combined.


You hit the nail on the head! Besides, its no secret who the target audience is for paint and such... have you watched TV lately? Its all DIY.

I agree tho, there is a need for an inexpensive lightweight portable spraying solution even for the contractors. I have quite a bit of spraying experience with the graco tradeworks 150 found at sw which is damn near the same pump sold at hd called the magnum x5 and it produces fine finishes just like my bigger pumps. 

Today, it would be foolish not to cater to the DIY market afterall TV home shows is driving that market.


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## AztecPainting (Jan 28, 2010)

BC_Painter said:


> So a couple months ago I noticed an odd site at my local General paint dealer, a Titan pump. For years I'd only ever seen Graco except for the local Cloverdale dealers.
> 
> I assumed hey, no problem, nothing wrong with a little variety and competition within a paint store right?
> 
> ...


I noticed that too, they were trying to sell me a titan 460 ix they had instead of a graco 395, but I also noticed this week they had like 3 very small sprayers I thing it was a magnum graco for $380 or something like that. I went into the store this morning and 2 of those rigs were gone but funny thing, one was on hold with a paper for one municipality (government) I thought it was funny, government buying such a small thing.

My first sprayer was a titan xt330 as well (bought it used from a HO that painted his own house years ago, I used it on a 20 condo units (primer, ceilings etc, plus the exterior) Man, I have never change anything and the only thing I have ever cleaned is the filter in the gun and... it is still running just perfect and I let the rookies use it and of course I can imagine it's not being treated very well, I'm sure it doesn't have as much power as a real one but for exterior repaints is just a perfect money maker. The day it die I will be devastated thats for sure.


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## BC_Painter (Feb 14, 2010)

Yeah I noticed some time ago that they had started carrying a few titan machines, particularly noticed the 440 impact on the counter.

Today when I walked in I saw the xt 250, the LOWEST on the homeowner line unpacked and on display right beside the graco's!

Ah well, hopefully a few H/O will buy one try it out, have limited success and realize they should hire the pro's for the next bigger job


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## Capt-sheetrock (Feb 10, 2008)

Theres another way to look at this. I have an ancient campbell-hausefed ? diaphram sprayer, that I use for my power roller. Its over 20 years old and only been re-built once. I have a spray-tech I bought from Blowes in 2004. Had it rebuilt this year. I have a Graco mark IV, that I paid 3200.00 for and it sits in the shop cause its to big and heavy to drag up and down stairs.

Some of us use these smaller ones cause they are cheap and light. I don't see where my Graco sprays any better than my spray-tech.

Its not ALL about cheap homeowners. Some of it has to do with us cheap painters too.:thumbup:


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## hammerheart14 (May 29, 2010)

Titan pumps are so much better than Graco or ASM. Spraytech are pretty good though.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

hammerheart14 said:


> Titan pumps are so much better than Graco or ASM. Spraytech are pretty good though.


They're easier to work on, I don't think they're better. If you like the sound of a jet taking off, then I guess a Titan is for you.


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