# Graco Rac X FF Low Pressure Tips, just released



## stelzerpaintinginc.

Since there hasn't been any mention of it here on PT, Graco just released their new fine finish low pressure tips. They're supposed to allow you to spray at about half the pressure of the the regular fine finish tips. It's been quite a while since I've been excited about a new product, but these will be a game changer. 

Pretty sure Titan has just put their version out too. Although they're not available in any of my local stores that I've seen, I ordered a bunch. Here's a link to those who're interested. Ask your local vendors for more details.

http://www.graco.com/us/en/products/contractor/rac-x-fflp-switchtips.html


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## DeanV

This sounds interesting. Hmmm. Maybe this would solve the build up problem on the old Graco FinishPro 395? The problem I was told "no one else has" yet version two addressed....


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## Rbriggs82

DeanV said:


> This sounds interesting. Hmmm. Maybe this would solve the build up problem on the old Graco FinishPro 395? The problem I was told "no one else has" yet version two addressed....


It's still an issue. Not terrible but I have to use tooth brush with Krud Kutter to clean the tip while spraying. The flat tips are supposed to be better but I've yet to try them. I'm hoping these new FFLP tips are the ticket. :yes:


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## DeanV

I put a ca tech flat tip aaa gun on mine. Solved the problem, but flat tips are hard to clean if they get clogged. I had those metal cleaning needles snap off in a few tips.


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## DeanV

One of my local stores had a few 310 fflp tips in stock today. I guess they are a replacement for the old FF tips, so as stores order new in, they will be the FFLP tips.


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## PNW Painter

Here's an article from Topcoat Review about the new low pressure tips. I still haven't seen them at the local paint stores yet.

http://topcoatreview.com/2017/01/new-fine-finish-low-pressure-tips-by-graco/


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## RH

Both of my local suppliers (Miller and SW) are getting them in early this coming week.


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## Rbriggs82

I'm excited to get my hands on these tips. :yes:

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## SemiproJohn

I've been wondering if pushing unthinned paint through these tips at a lower pressure will present any problems. I will have to try one before I know the answer.


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## DeanV

I bought a gx19 and will put the 310fflp in it this coming week to test out. 

Trying to see if I want to go back to airless in the shop. Getting sick of all the hoses and cords. Plus the gx19 will be on a counter out of the way.


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## slinger58

SemiproJohn said:


> I've been wondering if pushing unthinned paint through these tips at a lower pressure will present any problems. I will have to try one before I know the answer.




I'm curious about the less overspray claim. 

I hope whoever tries one first will post their opinion here.


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## RH

slinger58 said:


> I'm curious about the less overspray claim.
> 
> I hope whoever tries one first will post their opinion here.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I am hopeful that will be true. If so, should make it nicer to try and do smaller items such as trim. However, I don't think it's going to make a huge difference in terms of paint usage; still going to take near to an entire gallon to charge up the unit and hose.


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## DeanV

RH said:


> I am hopeful that will be true. If so, should make it nicer to try and do smaller items such as trim. However, I don't think it's going to make a huge difference in terms of paint usage; still going to take near to an entire gallon to charge up the unit and hose.


One reason I am trying a gx19 is with the hopper, 3/16th 25' hose, hopefully less paint waste.


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## Gracobucks

PPG paint rep just gave us a few tips to try out. I'll let you guys know what I think of them when I use them.


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## woodcoyote

Interested to see what people come back with. Haven't seen these in stores yet. Probably pick some up soon or at the up coming ProSho next month.

Edit:
I'm curious what happens when you have more viscous products that require higher pressures. To see if they can be effectively sprayed at lower pressures would be interesting. Might end up using the AAA more if that's the case.


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## DeanV

CabinetCoat is being sprayed right now at 1200 psi with a 310 fflp tip. Gx19 sprayed. Usually cabinet coat is about midway up on a 395. 

It is slower, but I am intentionally spraying on almost the lowest setting. No fingers on the spray pattern.


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## PNW Painter

How is the atomization of the LP tip when running at the lowest pressure setting? 


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## DeanV

Atomization seems good so far. I think I am putting it on a bit thinner than normal. I should break out a mil gauge and see how wet of a coat I am laying down.


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

DeanV said:


> Atomization seems good so far. I think I am putting it on a bit thinner than normal. I should break out a mil gauge and see how wet of a coat I am laying down.


I'm anxious to see some test results, but still haven't received mine. Not volunteering you for this, but it'd be really cool to have some sort of measurable test..Using a sprayer with digital pressure readout:

-Video of pressure setting to spray the product with the original fine finish tips, also showing the spray pattern on cardboard or something, then switching to the new FFLP tips, showing the pressure setting and spray pattern. All in the same video with no cuts, using same sprayer, same product. I think Graco & Titan would do well to put out something like this so we can more easily quantify how much less pressure the FFLP tips spray at.


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## DeanV

The gx19 has a fluid pressure gauge so you can see the pressure. It is like an air compressor gauge.

I have been spraying using painters pyramids on pieces of plywood to keep over spray contained more (the stuff the goes past the sides of the doors). I get a little bounce back on the back of the doors around the pyramids with airless or HVLP. I am hoping that this may not bounce back as much.


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## DeanV

Note: I mentioned that it seems to spray a bit slower, but that is probably mainly because I am using them on a gx19 instead of a 395.


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## skim_i

Hi guys new to the forum I'm a plasterer to trade and started doing a lot of airless plaster. I bought some fflp tips last week to have a play with.








Sorry I have no picture of the spray patterns as I was just using old scraps of plasterboard. I'm very impressed 


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

....


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

What's the going rate at the Paint Stores for the new FF LP spray tips?

I'm seeing them for $36.99 Shipped on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Graco-RAC-X...hash=item237d96ff7e:m:mRXIP1mA_aUlCh6l6cks4vQ


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> What's the going rate at the Paint Stores for the new FF LP spray tips?
> 
> I'm seeing them for $36.99 Shipped on Ebay.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Graco-RAC-X...hash=item237d96ff7e:m:mRXIP1mA_aUlCh6l6cks4vQ


You know Sherwin and pricing, so it's all a negotiation. The new FFLP tips should be the same cost as what you were paying for the original FF tips, since I'm pretty sure the new FFLP tips will be replacing the original FF tips completely as soon as they've liquidated all old stock. 

That $36.99 price is ok if you're not making plans to go into a SW store anytime soon, but if you are, they should be able to beat it by a few bucks. I'll have to double-check my price sheet, but pretty sure I'm right at $31.99 for in-store purchase.


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> You know Sherwin and pricing, so it's all a negotiation. The new FFLP tips should be the same cost as what you were paying for the original FF tips, since I'm pretty sure the new FFLP tips will be replacing the original FF tips completely as soon as they've liquidated all old stock.
> 
> That $36.99 price is ok if you're not making plans to go into a SW store anytime soon, but if you are, they should be able to beat it by a few bucks. I'll have to double-check my price sheet, but pretty sure I'm right at $31.99 for in-store purchase.


I just called. Nothing in stock price on the $37ish. :sad:

So I think I'm gonna buy them from you. :wink:


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

EDD Project said:


> https://docs.google.com/a/tvsd.info...u3NE3suArmQDsMbL0s_h1e59sGgRTno/prefill?pli=1


What is this secret squirrel stuff? lain:


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## DeanV

I paid $42.75.


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

DeanV said:


> I paid $42.75.


I used to buy one every week or every 2 weeks from Ebay.

I don't spray a lot.


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## RH

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> What's the going rate at the Paint Stores for the new FF LP spray tips?
> 
> I'm seeing them for $36.99 Shipped on Ebay.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Graco-RAC-X...hash=item237d96ff7e:m:mRXIP1mA_aUlCh6l6cks4vQ


I had two on order, one from SW and one from my other main supplier, Miller. SW charged me $36 and Miller $55. When Miller hit me with that I told them they needed to reassess their price and they did. Got credited with the difference as a result. I think their regular price is now going to be $37.50(?).


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

RH said:


> I had two on order, one from SW and one from my other main supplier, Miller. SW charged me $36 and Miller $55. When Miller hit me with that I told them they needed to reassess their price and they did. Got credited with the difference as a result. I think their regular price is now going to be $37.50(?).


Ebay it is for me then. :smile:


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## RH

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> You know Sherwin and pricing, so it's all a negotiation. The new FFLP tips should be the same cost as what you were paying for the original FF tips, since I'm pretty sure the new FFLP tips will be replacing the original FF tips completely as soon as they've liquidated all old stock.
> 
> That $36.99 price is ok if you're not making plans to go into a SW store anytime soon, but if you are, they should be able to beat it by a few bucks. I'll have to double-check my price sheet, but pretty sure I'm right at $31.99 for in-store purchase.


Let me know. If you're getting it for that we should be as well.


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## DeanV

I found them from a paint store 45 minutes away for $36.99. On Amazon of all places. Free shipping so ordered from amazon. 


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

DeanV said:


> I found them from a paint store 45 minutes away for $36.99. On Amazon of all places. Free shipping so ordered from amazon.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Link?

I only got a showerhead on Amazon. :sad:


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## RH

DeanV said:


> I found them from a paint store 45 minutes away for $36.99. On Amazon of all places. Free shipping so ordered from amazon.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I prefer to buy locally as most of you know by now. But if I can't purchase locally, most of my online shopping is from Amazon. Hard to beat, especially if you have their Prime service.

One of their VPs lives one block over from us. He commutes up to Seattle for four days a week in his own plane. And no, we don't live in a particularly fancy neighborhood, they just like the area and town.


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## DeanV

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> Link?
> 
> I only got a showerhead on Amazon. :sad:


https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Graco+low+pressure+tip

I went with a 518 this time. Curious how that would work for priming drywall. Might make the 395 better for drywall priming on smaller jobs since my big old airlessco needs a new prime valve and has been sitting idle for a few years now. I don't really want to fire up the old sprayer for a basement prime job.


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## Eagle Cap Painter

RH said:


> I had two on order, one from SW and one from my other main supplier, Miller. SW charged me $36 and Miller $55. When Miller hit me with that I told them they needed to reassess their price and they did. Got credited with the difference as a result. I think their regular price is now going to be $37.50(?).


Local paint store gouged us in the 50's too. Going to talk to him tomorrow.


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## RH

Eagle Cap Painter said:


> Local paint store gouged us in the 50's too. Going to talk to him tomorrow.


I don't think my local Miller store was actually trying to gouge me - we have too good of a relationship for that to happen. I just think my local SW decided to sell them for a lot less. In fact, a buddy of mine bought the first two our local SW had and they charged him $48 apiece, When the SW rep found out he told the manager to sell them lower because he figured everyone else would be. Does let you get an idea of how wonky and capricious the pricing of things can be.


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

Update: $35.99 is my price. $31.99 for regular Rac X Tips. Here I thought I was all special and stuff. Turns out I'm not.


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## RH

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> Update: $35.99 is my price. $31.99 for regular Rac X Tips. Here I thought I was all special and stuff. Turns out I'm not.


Well damn! Now all the work I put into that irate letter to SW corporate was all for naught.


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

DeanV said:


> https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Graco+low+pressure+tip
> 
> I went with a 518 this time. Curious how that would work for priming drywall. Might make the 395 better for drywall priming on smaller jobs since my big old airlessco needs a new prime valve and has been sitting idle for a few years now. I don't really want to fire up the old sprayer for a basement prime job.


Dean. It's the same seller on Amazon and Ebay. :biggrin:


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## Eagle Cap Painter

$59.99 is what our store charges, but he's got a reputation for over-the-top markups. He's the only BM/Miller retailer for a couple hundred miles, so he gets away with a lot of crap.


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## RH

Eagle Cap Painter said:


> $59.99 is what our store charges, but he's got a reputation for over-the-top markups. He's the only BM/Miller retailer for a couple hundred miles, so he gets away with a lot of crap.


That's when going online to purchase makes sense.


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

*Ko-inky-dink.*



stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> I'm anxious to see some test results, but still haven't received mine. Not volunteering you for this, but it'd be really cool to have some sort of measurable test..Using a sprayer with digital pressure readout:
> 
> -Video of pressure setting to spray the product with the original fine finish tips, also showing the spray pattern on cardboard or something, then switching to the new FFLP tips, showing the pressure setting and spray pattern. All in the same video with no cuts, using same sprayer, same product. I think Graco & Titan would do well to put out something like this so we can more easily quantify how much less pressure the FFLP tips spray at.


Kinda funny that Graco now has a new video showing the spray patterns of the new FFLP tips where they zoom into the pressure reading on the SmartControl as they spray, then show the difference in spray fan patterns of the new tips vs old. 

They had the original video up for a while where they only showed some dudes spraying stuff, but just added the pressure reading on the pump & fan patterns to the vid. Saw it for the first time last night.



https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjv4uXfxabSAhVR7WMKHcymBfwQFgiZATAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graco.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Fproducts%2Fcontractor%2Frac-x-fflp-switchtips.html&usg=AFQjCNGwmXr-PeObt6VEfiPz828Xdvo3Ow&sig2=ITf5qTczvM4P73HIsO4yGA


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## AngieM

I don't know if anyone has experienced this with this tip yet but after awhile spraying, the gun will build up back pressure and hold the needle open so without warning you'll let go of the trigger but it's like you didn't. Yeah. Emergency ensues. 

It's not like when you have a worn needle where it pees out when you release the trigger. It's like a ghost is holding the trigger and won't let go. 

Wish I had that on video. It's funny... In hindsight. 

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk


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## Gracobucks

AngieM said:


> I don't know if anyone has experienced this with this tip yet but after awhile spraying, the gun will build up back pressure and hold the needle open so without warning you'll let go of the trigger but it's like you didn't. Yeah. Emergency ensues.
> 
> It's not like when you have a worn needle where it pees out when you release the trigger. It's like a ghost is holding the trigger and won't let go.
> 
> Wish I had that on video. It's funny... In hindsight.
> 
> Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk


The very first time we used a FFLP tip we had that problem. We just assumed the gun had dirt in it stopping the needle to seat. It stopped after 30 seconds or so and we haven't had that problem again. Maybe it was the tip, maybe dirt or maybe the same ghost.


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## Jmayspaint

AngieM said:


> I don't know if anyone has experienced this with this tip yet but after awhile spraying, the gun will build up back pressure and hold the needle open so without warning you'll let go of the trigger but it's like you didn't. Yeah. Emergency ensues.
> 
> It's not like when you have a worn needle where it pees out when you release the trigger. It's like a ghost is holding the trigger and won't let go.
> 
> Wish I had that on video. It's funny... In hindsight.
> 
> Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk




I've had that happen several times over the years with various tips and guns. I don't think it has much to do with the specific tip your using. 

The conclusion I came to as to the cause of the trigger sticking is incomplete triggering to start with. When your spraying something where your stopping and starting a lot, like trim or other fine finish work, there is a tendency to get lazy with triggering. You end up not depressing the trigger all the way each time you pull it. 

Most airless guns will release material even if the trigger isn't pulled all the way open. After spraying on and off for a while with the needle in this mostly open but still partially closed position, paint builds up in a place it shouldn't on the needle assembly. This can lead to the needle sticking half open when the trigger is released. 

This conclusion is only based on my personal experience of having had the trigger stick on me many times over the years. Since I made it a conscious effort to depress the trigger all the way every time, it hasn't happened. It's definitely a shocker when you release the trigger and paint is still coming out. 

Whether my assessment is correct or not, it's hard to imagine how the specific tip size could directly effect the trigger mechanism. Perhaps I'm missing something though. 

I haven't had the chance to try the FFLP tips yet. Have some on order from the local PPG, but it may take a while yet. 


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## RH

I haven't experienced anything like that so far, but then I haven't used the new tip much yet either. Plan on doing a bunch of doors in about two weeks so we'll see.

Also got my digital pressure guage for my 395. Will post more about that in my thread about retrofitting a gauge.


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## AngieM

I'm sure it's possible with other tips, I've just never had it happen before. I definitely had my pressure too high for this tip. I figured out that was the problem when I removed the guard, looked right down the barrel (so to speak) and blasted my face. Luckily most of the pressure was relieved but still. A reminder of basic safety protocol. 

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## AngieM

Besides that, I like the new tip. I highly recommend it. 

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## RH

AngieM said:


> I'm sure it's possible with other tips, I've just never had it happen before. I definitely had my pressure too high for this tip. I figured out that was the problem when I removed the guard, looked right down the barrel (so to speak) and blasted my face. Luckily most of the pressure was relieved but still. A reminder of basic safety protocol.
> 
> Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk


Please don't ever do that with a real gun.:surprise:


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## canopainting

Titan sells an easy to install inline pressure gage that sits between the manifold and spray line


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