Today we take a look at the harbor freight Spectrum Spray gun (hvlp) we are going to look at the machining quality, spray pattern, defects and overall performance of the spray gun. Enjoy :)
HV means high volume. That is to be expected. Results were awesome for the price. Paint is supposed to go on as heavy as possible without runs so the gun worked as it should.
Some kinds of plastic will start to dissolve in acetone like PVC and polystyrene. I've had better results using lacquer thinner. But, whatever type of cleaner you use, plastic parts should not be soaked for an extended period of time in a cleaner. It's best to brush clean plastic parts and let them air dry...
My signature trademark in all my paint is at least 1 German shepherd hair🤣 I have an old dog and even when I put the Tyvek suit on I still manage somehow someway.
I’ll be honest with you tho, this gun keeps up with my 300 Devilbiss plus, but the only difference is the Devilbiss will last 10 plus years where the harbor freight might fall on its face few years from now, and the Devilbiss comes with a bunch of different sizes where the hf guns don’t , parts are available for the devil, hf not so much. But as far as the finish you get, you can’t argue with that!!
1.3 is better for base coat. it would be better to get the 1.3 HTE version of this gun for both base and clear. 1.7 would be good for primer, but the purple gun $8 /w coupon would be fine since primer needs to be sanded anyways
Thanks.....I was just thinking about getting one of these, but don't know the difference between this gun and the HTE, so now I'm going to watch that vid and find out.
Curt Brennan I would say depending on what you are going to use it for, if your looking for base/clear get the hte, for thicker stuff like primer I would go with the hvlp. Hope that helped
@@Mechaniclyfe I use mostly single stage paints. I use an acrylic enamel primer sealer (like NAPA's PIP 101 epoxy primer). I also use a lacquer sandable primer over body filler and exposed feathered edges as a type of "filler".
I am still spraying with A sata jet NR95. It has been a great old gun but it needs a rebuild after all these years. It's starting to spread a little wonky and I think some of the Plastics has dried out. I bought one of these spectrum's with a 1.3 tip. I have a paint job coming up next week and I'm scared to use it LOL. I am painting a Mack truck cab and I do not want to water sand and buff! Has anybody laid down clear with the 1.3 Spectrum?
My cabinet builder friends would never think of using cheap HF carpentry tools. Yet those who decide to finish their own work do not have a problem with these cheap, disposable guns, inadequate compressors, and makeshift shop facilities. And they just can't figure out why the quality isn't there. Years of experience and the investment in quality tools actually matters - who knew?
I have a 30 gallon compressor , but paint smaller jobs in the garage , mostly parts for smaller projects it’ll be fine, if I was painting an entire car that would be a different story
30-35 psi, fish eyes are caused by contamination , either contaminated air supply like maybe your air compressor doesn’t have a filteration system which will have water and oil in there, or contamination on the panel it’s self, like wax or oil or a type of silcone product ,
Overspray do you know any other brand tips and nozzles that’ll interchange? Eastwood’s look the same not sure about the thread sizes. Also looks like it’s a direct copy of a Sata so wonder if it shares the same thread sizes as a Sata?
Sprayed a Rust-Oleum latex primer with this gun today, although not over a large area. It worked well for me and came out quite smooth over birch veneer plywood. I have a Husky gun with a 1.8 tip and that seems to leave more orange peel with latex paint. The higher volume of the Spectrum seems to help atomize the paint better.
This would be a great gun but it's just a throw away gun with a higher price this is no different from the purple guns because of the lack of back up parts this is were they failed to get into the game.
A cheap Harbor Freight gun is still a complete waste of time. Cheap tools represent the single biggest mistake DIYers make when approaching these types of projects. Also, never look at tools as an expense ~ they are an investment that you can sell once the job is done, and in the end it will cost less than renting. Best budget HVLP Systems: 1st choice: Fuji 2202 Semi-PRO 2 & 2nd choice: Earlex HV5500.
Most diyers don’t paint for a living so a low cost alternative is always going to be considered first. This and the hte spray gun are some pretty good guns for the money especially for coming from overseas. The results speak for themselves , but I will agree with you that spray guns are an investment for those that do this professionally , for those that don’t this is a great alternative . Thanks for commenting
John Grimsley Fuji makes good products no doubt, but I think we are comparing apples to oranges , in a sense . Fuji’s system is 400-600 dollars the spectrum is 100-130. Most diyers aren’t going to spend that kind of cash, but as stated earlier for a professional you are right! I’m not saying the spectrum is the best option, but the best option in its price range.
@@Mechaniclyfe Remember with the Harbor you still need hoses, compressor, filters, etc, and unlike the Harbor, the Fugi will hold it's value and can be sold for 85-90% of it's cost which actually makes it CHEAPER than anything else. Also, the 2202 Semi-PRO 2 is not their professional model and the WHOLE SYSTEM only sells for $439. TheT70 or T75 are the pro versions.
