Do-it-all paint gun: iWata w-400 or devil bliss tekna pro lite

Orange cap is made to spray basecoat only.

Silver cap is an all around, sort of works for everything. The purple cap is made for hard to spray light metallics and pearls.

W400 is a badass clear gun, you have to use higher pressure than the LPH400 and it makes more over spray. I've never used my W400 for basecoat or epoxy.
 
You say the silver cap does it all. Does that include pearls too? Again, I plan on doing a balloon white color which is a pearl. I'd like to wrap this up and buy some guns today online so I have them for the long Easter weekend next week. I'll at least need to get the vaper 2.2mm, which as I posted a link to, is actually the vaper 2.3mm now. Would I be better suited getting the vaper 2.0 or 2.3 for the high build stuff?


EDIT/update: just bought the vaper 2.3mm from amazon (it's still coming from northern tool). Also picked up a 3m respirator with replaceable filters and the works. Mine is very old and way past due to be tossed out.

I have some time to study the paint guns, but I'll pry just go with the iWata you guys recommend with a do it all 1.4mm tip. I'm sure I could study which gun to buy for months alone otherwise.
 
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i have not used the w400 but have heard only good about it on here. you can always turn down a big gun but it will be a fast gun .
 
Well guys I've done some talking to people today and I think I'm just going to go with the cheap I do-it-all devilbiss finishline with the 1.3, 1.4, and 1.8 tips. I see that they offer the gun in a waterborne and a solvent variation. I was thinking of going with the waterborne. What is the difference between the two? I am using all SPI products up to my basecoat. That will be the ppg tricoat; ballon white. It's a pearl coat. Solvent or waterborne gun?

Edit: I also have an unrelated question. Is the SPI solvent cleaner 710-1 needed or can I get by with just the waterborne? I know what the epoxy yeh sheet says and it seems like everyone has their own opinion too. I just did some blasting and am gearing up to shoot some of this primer in Easter weekend. Of course I wanna make sure I have my surfaces prepared well.
 
Why would you buy a waterborne gun to shoot solvent based paint? You need a heated booth etc for water base paint.

You should have gone with the Iwata LPH400. It is the ideal gun for novice painters IMHO.

Don
 
Actually I haven't bought anything yet. I don't understand the differences between the waterborne and solvent based guns. What's different?is the only difference that the waterborne guns have stainless internals? If that's the case, why wouldn't I just get a waterborne so it can handle all types of paint?

I'd like to think I can just get by with the devilbiss finishline.
 
Ugh!!! No one makes this easy!!! So many choices.

Ok, so sounds like everyone is on board with the iwata lph400, but I'm gonna post this one more time.

Option 1: iwata lph400 with 1.4 tip. This is the exact ebay auction I will buy if I pick this up. I'll get this along with the vaper 2.3. Is this the EXACT option ' ed gun you guys see recommending.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171407601226

Option 2: gti pro with 1.4 tip and which air cap for a do-it-all setup? I still keep looking at this because it's a bit cheaper and I've seen and lot of good thing on the internet about it on the internet.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/152179972043

Will my 6.5HP 60galccompressor be able to feed this gun fast enough?

Are both of these suitable for waterborne and solvent based paints?

And why do these high dollar guns cheap out on giving you a cup? I'm gonna pick up some of these if I get the iwata: http://www.ebay.com/itm/322474751026
 
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The GTI PRO LITE should come with a couple different tips and caps but one needle. The TE20 cap is the all around cap. The TE10 is for hotter conditions since it puts out larger droplets and the TE30 is the HVLP and puts out small drops.
 
Yea but those paint cups are like $40-$60. That's ridiculous. I'm just gonna get the gun from em. Working on counter offers now. I'm wrapping this gun stuff up today spent all weekend on it and it seems like everyone has their own opinion and experiences. 1 of the rabbit holes I'm just not going to go any further down . I'm not a pro so I won't notice minute differences. I'm using the vaper 2.3 for primer and picking up the silver capped 1.4mm tipped lph400 for evrrything else. TODAY! paint cups I'm getting off ebay and if i need a steel one harboe freight has one that fits for $15 instead of $60.
 
Schroeder, you hit the nail on the head. There are a lot of choices. It's your money so I can't tell you how to spend it. I'm neither a pro, experienced amateur or even knowledgeable to give advice. I can tell you this much: if you take the advice of the real pros on this site, you can't go wrong.

Before finding this site I sprayed with with siphon feed and pressure pot-fed guns. To save money I bought a set of Devilbiss Finishline guns and gave them a try. They work as well as the siphon guns and a good painter can make them work. I took the advice from the experts on this site and bought an Iwata LPH400 with a 1.4 tip. It didn't make me a better painter but it atomizes the paint so much better than the Finishline that there is no comparison.

I wasn't sure exactly why the Iwata was so much better but one feature stood out. The tulip on the nozzle, where the air and fluid mix, is a plain machined cylinder on the Finishline (tip on the right) and a very intricate wave shape on the Iwata LPH400.
Nozzles_zpsmercuvpb.jpg


I have no experience with the GTI Pro but if it's a bit cheaper and if that appeals to you, go for it and let us know how you like it.

Your compressor sounds like it can do the job but you don't mention CFM or pressure ratings. In addition, do you have a dryer and filter system able to handle the load and remove the moisture, dirt and oil that can contaminate your paint job? How big are your hoses? A 50-foot 1/4" hose won't flow enough air. What kind of fittings? Are you using big-box store 1/4" Miton M-style couplers and plugs? Those are marginal as well (consider upgrading to V-Style). Two popular sizes, the big T-Style on the left and M-Style on the right, flow 40CFM. The V-Style in the middle flows 74CFM. That higher CFM is what your HVLP gun wants.
Coupler%20Comparison_zpss3dzzfnq.jpg
 
Schroeder said:
Yea but those paint cups are like $40-$60. That's ridiculous. I'm just gonna get the gun from em. Working on counter offers now. I'm wrapping this gun stuff up today spent all weekend on it and it seems like everyone has their own opinion and experiences. 1 of the rabbit holes I'm just not going to go any further down . I'm not a pro so I won't notice minute differences. I'm using the vaper 2.3 for primer and picking up the silver capped 1.4mm tipped lph400 for evrrything else. TODAY! paint cups I'm getting off ebay and if i need a steel one harboe freight has one that fits for $15 instead of $60.
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I bought the cup from Harbor Freight and it fits but the cap is so loose it falls off way too easy. You may want to invest in a disposable cup system. I use the Devilbiss DeKups system but others use the EZ Liners and 3M systems. With an adapter for the Iwata and another for the Vaper, I don't have to fool with the metal cups. The sealed cups make rocker panel and frame painting a whole lot easier.
 
Can you post links to the 3m cup system?i found the devilbiss one. I'll look into them maybe. I have used the HF guns and I always thought the cups were ok. Guns aren't the best, but the cup was fine.

I will look into the v fittings for my compressor lines.no, I don't have a good dryer set up except for little inline filters I bought today off amazon. I was gonna get some inline dryer stuff from HF
 
Is it worth getting he purple and orange end for he gun? From what I understand the purple end is good for Metallica and pearls. I will be doing a pearl white paint job, so do I need this air nozzle? Will this nozzle shoot base and clear as well as the silver? Should I just get he gun with the purple end as opposed to the silver? Will this eventually come to me needing the silver AND purple ends? Again, pear white tie coat paint is what I have in store for he firebird.
 
Silver cap should be fine for a novice painter. Doubtful you need orange and purple caps, especially since you are on a budget....

Don
 
dhutton01 said:
Silver cap should be fine for a novice painter. Doubtful you need orange and purple caps, especially since you are on a budget....

Don
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Will I be able to get the desired pearl results with the silver cap by altering my technique a little from how the base and clear are put on??
 
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