# Airless sprayer deadband's effect on final finishes?



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Regarding airless sprayers for trim, doors, and other finer finish work (finER not fine), does a pump's deadband have a real world impact on the final finish. 


I'm looking at 1/2 GPM pumps 
Specifically, for example, the difference between the graco 390,395,490. More so the difference between say their smart control 1 vs 2.5. Im strictly speaking about pressure control at the moment nothing more.

Is this all marketing hype? I'm talking ff tips, lower pressures and possibly lower viscosities. 

A lot of guys like the Titan 440 but many say it has almost a 500psi deadband. 

Any input would be helpful.


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## ParamountPaint (Aug 25, 2016)

Sometimes...if you have a finicky coating, Breakthrough, for example. If you dial in the sweet spot right past the point where you are getting trails, a wide dead-band will knock it back to garbage. I have not used an AAA, but I imagine that is supposed to solve the problem.

I have airlessco sprayers and they rarely deviate 100psi or so. My titan 440i is a little more wild. 

I'd say, if you are looking for consistent, repeatable results in an airless with fine finish tips, you're gonna want less deadband...or move to air assisted airless?


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## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

As you can tell I have never used an airless personally. 
:whistling2:

I do know extensions will cause spits with an airless. Does a stock contractor gun with no extension still spit?
If so and you have to start off target all the time anyways I'm thinking it might not be worth the extra cash to get something with less deadband.

Unless of course the deadband applies not just to the initial trigger squeeze/pressure drop but to the pump maintaining pressure throughout continuous use.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

sayn3ver said:


> As you can tell I have never used an airless personally.
> :whistling2:
> 
> I do know extensions will cause spits with an airless. Does a stock contractor gun with no extension still spit?
> ...


Not unless it's a worn out gun in need of rebuilding. There is such a thing as "over-thinking" a subject. Tip extensions are prone to "spit" as a matter of logic. A decent pump, gun and tip will do finish work with no problem.


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## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

I've been told once or twice about being too smart for construction work.... Ha


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## DJohnston (Sep 3, 2016)

I think a Titan 440 is a great for fine finish for the price. 
I own three 440s
The big key is pressure and tip size.
The 510 fine finish for doors. 
The 310 fine finish for trim.
Cup guns work good for really small projects. 
For cup guns I like Graco FX2000 finex


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

There are a few other options beyond airless sprayers that might make sense for fine finish applications.
- Air Assist Airless 
- Pressure pot with 2.5 or 5 gal pot
- Titan ED655 diaphragm pump

Each option has pros and cons depending on the specific application. 


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## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

The ed655 is an airless diaphram sprayer as stated in the other thread a few spots down. Essentially it's a small airless. From reading it seems the diaphragms have simpler, more durable and possibly better pressure control then the electronic sensors and boards on the new piston airless. Easy to fix and trouble shoot but they need to be serviced after not that many gallons. 

However they can't pump fluids as thick or as far a piston airless correct?



If I could do it over Id probably pony up the extra couple hundred and get an AAA over my hvlp. My initial consideration for hvlp over aaa was material waste and cleanup of an airless/aaa. It's not practical to load up an airless or AAA for a single front door or a single builtin etc which was my initial intended use. 

I've also considered adding a 2.5g pressure pot to my current capspray turbine. I'm already in need of purchasing a job site compressor for other tasks. However I don't think it would improve my situation enough or at all to warrant the expense. It's also not a neat packaged setup like a turbine hvlp, airless and or AAA.


If I'm going to hang onto the 6 stage capspray since id take a bath on the resell...my thinking was to add an airless as it may accomplish my larger fine finishing tasks and open up other kinds of work opportunities.


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## paintmonger (Sep 18, 2016)

In regards to the deadband, personally I would purchase a pump with the 2.5 control. Zero deadband. When spraying enamel like the waterborne hybrids in cabinets or ornate trim with multiple overlaps a fade in spray pattern or burst on trigger pull can depending on technique, cause excess material which the hybrids are prone to run.
I use mostly hybrid paint on trim and this matters to me. Not to mention if you are spraying something that is set on horses or laying horizontally. Pressure control sensitivity also makes a big difference for me when adding significant lengths of hosing. Considering the pump will inevidably make you the money back it stands to reason it is worth the extra couple hundred bucks.


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## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks for the feedback. It just seems like most use whatever they got and are happy with the results.


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

sayn3ver said:


> If I'm going to hang onto the 6 stage capspray since id take a bath on the resell...my thinking was to add an airless as it may accomplish my larger fine finishing tasks and open up other kinds of work opportunities.



I think you hit the nail on the head here. Although an airless isn't always best tool, it's certainly one of the most versatile pumps you can buy. You can also purchase an AAA gun and a small compressor to hack together an AAA rig if you ever felt the need.

The Titan 640 I bought 3 years ago easily has the greatest ROI of all the large painting equipment I've bought. 



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## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

I'm going to look at a Titan aircoat tomorrow.it's less than a 1/3 of the going new price. It definitely looks used but the seller says it's been maintained by the local Sherwin Williams spray store. 

There is another listing locally for an airlessco lp540 that from the photos looks to be in incredible shape. 

Both are roughly the same price. 

For my immediate needs I think the aircoat would be more useful. 

I feel the lp540 would be the smarter buy for overall utility. The lp540 was quoted to have roughly a 100psi deadband from the tech on the phone. (Well the newer lp400,500,600) so it's probably respectable for trim and doors as well. 

I was looking at a graco 490 new and honestly I could get both of these used units for the price of a new unit. Not sure what I'm gonna do.


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