# Life Span of Packing kit



## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

So how many gallons of paint on average do spray before you have to replace your packing kit/needle.
I know different paints may vary, sometimes it seems like I only get a couple hundred gallons using the new contractor gun.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

I get about a year out of a new gun, I don't spray my walls though, except in closets. Mainly trim paint and ceiling paint.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Rob said:


> So how many gallons of paint on average do spray before you have to replace your packing kit/needle.
> I know different paints may vary, sometimes it seems like I only get a couple hundred gallons using the new contractor gun.


With SW exterior gritty paint not that long, interior will last much longer, and also depends on how you paint. If you finger the trigger a lot, that will cut down the life span.One little trick I found is to rotate ball spring ever so often. If you will notice that the spring behind the ball pushes the ball at a little bit of an angle, this causes the seat to ware on one side more than the other.Another thing is to make sure the spring area is clean. One little small piece of hard paint will make it leak.


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## Romanski (May 4, 2008)

I replace when hitting the front of the pump with a hammer is not good enough to keep it going.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Romanski said:


> I replace when hitting the front of the pump with a hammer is not good enough to keep it going.


I do too to the pump, but he was asking about a gun rebuild/pack.


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## MNpainter (Jul 17, 2008)

Romanski said:


> I replace when hitting the front of the pump with a hammer is not good enough to keep it going.


ROTFLMAO:thumbup:


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

I'm a real pr*** when it comes to clean guns and pumps. Keeping the guns cleaned and lubed can save you alot of $$$ over the life-span of the gun. Exterior guns usually get rebuilt twice a year, interior/finish guns once.

My recent hire with 20 years experience brought back the 695 with paint caked on the pickup/prime tubes, didnt clean the manifold filter, and overspray all over the unit. I'm sorry, but you dont take a 2+ grand peice of equipment that I own and treat it like that. I guess one of the other guys told him to clean it up or I was gonna be po'd. He chose not to do it. I spent an hour cleaning the thing myself. Few days later he wanted to sign the pump out so I explained my policy on pumps and guns. He pouted and I sent him home to pout on his time. I decided tomorrow would be his last day. I dont care how good of a painter anyone is, if you cant clean and maintain the equipment, I cant afford you.


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

johnpaint said:


> One little trick I found is to rotate ball spring ever so often.


:thumbsup:

I found hitting the ball with Simichrome and a dremel with a polishing wheel will remove marks and pits. It brings it back to life. What got me doing it was I supertune all my baitcasters using a similar method of polishing.



Wolfgang said:


> I'm a real pr*** when it comes to clean guns and pumps.


You and me both. I have found that my father was correct in saying "you will learn to take care of things when you start paying for them"


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Rob says thanks! He is also very anal about taking care of equipment.
He will spend a whole afternoon teaching the guys how to break down and clean equipment. I told him making the guys reassemble the guns while blindfolded was a bit too much!


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

I just cleaned/fixed a 390 yesterday for a teacher/painter friend of mine. His guys don't clean it out after they use it and are suprised when it doesn't work  I repacked my gun 1 time (still on repack) with all my repaints for apartments I did ( > 500 for 2yrs) and we'll say 4000ish gallons. I always clean my stuff out. I have a contractor II gun.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

RCP said:


> Rob says thanks! He is also very anal about taking care of equipment.
> He will spend a whole afternoon teaching the guys how to break down and clean equipment. I told him making the guys reassemble the guns while blindfolded was a bit too much!


Now there's an idea!:thumbup:


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## mr.fixit (Aug 16, 2009)

since the inception of the new voc laws paint manufacturers are putting more clay in their paints. The clay which most of them refer to as particulates are raising hell with pistons,cylinders and gun needle and diffusers. some paint is worse than others especially paint found in hardware stores. the other needle killers are blockfillers,bin and kilz. if you can put a new gun kit in your own gun it is worth it to repair but if you rely on a spray shop to repack your guns you may just want to replace them as gun repair kits and labor are almost as much as a new gun. shop around


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

mr.fixit said:


> since the inception of the new voc laws paint manufacturers are putting more clay in their paints. The clay which most of them refer to as particulates are raising hell with pistons,cylinders and gun needle and diffusers. some paint is worse than others especially paint found in hardware stores. the other needle killers are blockfillers,bin and kilz. if you can put a new gun kit in your own gun it is worth it to repair but if you rely on a spray shop to repack your guns you may just want to replace them as gun repair kits and labor are almost as much as a new gun. shop around


Your right: Do it yourself and save money! Plus you will learn something.


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

I repack them myself, always keep a spare kit. Thanks


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Rob said:


> I repack them myself, always keep a spare kit. Thanks


Hey Rob: You got like 16 whole post now. How does it feel?


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

Like a prisoner who gets out in the yard one hour a day!


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Rob said:


> Like a prisoner who gets out in the yard one hour a day!


:laughing: that is one way to look at it.


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## alpinecrick (May 11, 2007)

Rob said:


> So how many gallons of paint on average do spray before you have to replace your packing kit/needle.
> I know different paints may vary, sometimes it seems like I only get a couple hundred gallons using the new contractor gun.


 
Latex flat is fairly abrasive, gloss less so, the other sheens are somewhere in-between.

Oil enamels will allow the needle/seat to last a long time--it's easy on yhe pump packings too.

I shoot a lot of exterior/exterior enamels and epoxies--the real viscous materials can be harder on a gun than flat paint.

The less expensive after-market kits last only about half as long as the Graco needle/seat kits.......


Casey


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