# Titan Speeflo vs Graco GH230 / 5900



## Induspray

Does anyone have any experience with the Titan Speeflo line of spray machines. We have had exclusively Graco machines for the past 20 years mainly 5900 convertible machines and a couple GH230 machines. Over the past 5 years we have been seeing a drop in reliability of the Gracos with the same maintenance and care. We have been hearing that Speeflo is a very reliable pump for large volume type work. One of the main benefits we are being told is the long slow stroke of the hydraulic cylinder vs the short fast stroke of the Graco's gives the Speeflo a longer cycle between scheduled maintenance.

We normally tend to run 2 guys on a machine with 150ft of hose per gun when spraying dryfall or other low solid materials. Spraying approximately 120 Gallongs per day per machine x 5 days per week x 50 weeks per year (approx)

Any comments on personal experience would be helpful


----------



## SWGuy

For what you are doing I would really try a Speeflo. With the longer stroke, the wear and tear is really lessened. When dealing with smaller airlesses, I really feel that Graco is the way to go, but when doing the type of work you do, I would give one a try. Contact your local rep, I would bet that they would bring one out to a jobsite and let you use it for awhile to give it a try. 
They offer the same fluid section deal as Graco. When you purchase the pump, for anouther $250 you con get a spare complete fluid section. I am amazed at the nuber of contractors out there that don't take advantage of this deal from the manufactures.


----------



## Wolfgang

The Speeflo is a heckuva machine....darn near bullet-proof. Anytime a manufacturer gives a deal on spare fluid sections is something everyone should take advantage of.


----------



## bikerboy

We have a speeflo. It's 20 years old and a great machine. Think you would be pleased with one.


----------



## ewingpainting.net

I've had Graco and speedflos. I was die hard Speeflo until the Graco rep sold me on the fluid section and speeflo was having issues, due to some of their tech guys trying to make their own pump, which failed (acuspray). It's cool how you can replace the whole fluid section in 30 mins on the Graco. When I started my own business Speeflo was haveing a GREAT sale so I bought one. I LOVE it now, glad they got their chit together because Graco pump never realy compaired to speefoo's.


----------



## ewingpainting.net

If you do that much volume, you could probably get them to demo you one for about a week. Ask, it wouldn't hurt.


----------



## [email protected]

My speed flow is the pump of choose for big jobs. It never been in the repair shop. Never had the big graco just the 1500 and 1595. Both have been stolen over the years. When the last 1595 was stolen I down sized the pump when I replaced it. On the other hand I don't run them nearly as hard as you do.


----------



## ewingpainting.net

Dam! Do you know who stole them? Where did they get stolen from?


----------



## [email protected]

The one time a neighbor watch them tow my job trailer away from my side yard at 3 O'Clock in the morning. Yes she is blond. She claimed she though that they where taking it to a job site. Even video tape it. Even though I have been the only one to pull it. The other time about 3 miles away on a main road, trailer locks where broke off both times. All was covered by insurance. So new machines :whistling2: Yes I got the trailer back empty of most tools. like ladders and pumps. Thank god they left the small tools. I would have hate to list them. The crazy thing is it has only been broke into fairly close to the house. 
David


----------



## Induspray

[email protected] said:


> My speed flow is the pump of choose for big jobs. It never been in the repair shop. Never had the big graco just the 1500 and 1595. Both have been stolen over the years. When the last 1595 was stolen I down sized the pump when I replaced it. On the other hand I don't run them nearly as hard as you do.


I had a guy who worked for me for 16 years rip off $25k of equipment this summer. He found another job and wouldn't call us back about returning our equipment. 4 weeks later after threats of theft charges he left a message on the office voice mail after hours claiming he brought all our equipment back to our shop 3 weeks earlier and some one else must have gone in after him and taken it. Stange how there were 20 other spray pumps, 2 honda generators, a dozen pressure washers, suspended stages, drills etc that the theives seemed to have missed, only took the stuff he returned. The police filed a report and called him to ask him his side of the story but unless someone else could refute his story (ie they saw him with the equipment after he said he retuned it) there was nothing they could do (they couldnt even tell him to open his garage for them to look into). We had to file a claim which I hate to do as the insurance companies look for any excuse to raise the rates.

Worst example of theft was at a warehouse job we were painting the interior. There were roofing contractors on the roof drilling some holes, using a generator in the back of their pickup truck. Some thieves drove in, unplugged their extension cord and drove away with the generator. the roofers were screaming and the owner of the building who was just pulling in to the lot in his Ferrari spun around and gave chase, calling the police on his cell phone. The scoundrels were apprehended but the roofers didn’t get their generator back right away as it was evidence.

Best advice I could offer to anyone with equipment is write down your serial numbers and take pictures of what you have, makes getting your claim processed a lot easier.


----------



## spraymonster

yes a digrunteld employee can be a nightmare.and it is always the one you get out of jail for owing child support.buy lunches daily.and have to let go because he stops showing up on time.or wants to leave early ie 10:30 am to hit the bar.then gets angry with you because he made himself unemployable.good labor really is hard to find.not much work ethic with people


----------



## Induspray

*Keeping good workers*



spraymonster said:


> yes a digrunteld employee can be a nightmare.and it is always the one you get out of jail for owing child support.buy lunches daily.and have to let go because he stops showing up on time.or wants to leave early ie 10:30 am to hit the bar.then gets angry with you because he made himself unemployable.good labor really is hard to find.not much work ethic with people


Your answer sort of segways into the realm of another post about low bidding. I can understand how some painting contractors might price a job at cost just to keep some high quality guys busy. My experience is if it is slow and you dont find work for the good workers to do, they will easily be picked up by another contractor. It is the low quality workers that are always easy to find and always available. I know when we go through hiring cycles during the year we can put adds in the paper that draw 300 responses or more. When we get back to them all and see their qualifications (even though the add was extreemly specific) we find that maybe only 20 or 30 seem to know the basics. Of those we may do a more indepth interview and arrange to have around 10 either come to one of our offices or meet us at a job site. Usually only half of them actually show up. Of those we arrange to try them on a job for a day to to check out if their walk matches their talk. Again usually only half of them actually show up to the job and maybe we might find 1 or 2 that really measure up. So after a couple thousand in newspaper adds, untold hours of sorting through and interviewing we might find one person.


----------



## premierpainter

We have lots of SpeeFlo's go with the 12000 direct immersion you just can't kill it.


----------

