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

If you are talking about Lamborghini Balloon White (224.009), it's extremely high pearl and will be hard to spray evenly. A pearl white like Ford's White Platinum (UG) would be much more forgiving, imo, and you would not have to worry as much about gun selection. I would not want to spray a difficult color with the silver cap, even though the Iwata is a great gun.
 
crashtech said:
If you are talking about Lamborghini Balloon White (224.009), it's extremely high pearl and will be hard to spray evenly. A pearl white like Ford's White Platinum (UG) would be much more forgiving, imo, and you would not have to worry as much about gun selection. I would not want to spray a difficult color with the silver cap, even though the Iwata is a great gun.
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That's the color alright. I know I have an uphill battle. A lot of mistakes will probably be made along the way. Unfortunately some of them will probably be expensive. I learn through doing and making mistakes though. I'm not afraid of that. Anyway crash tech, I take it you're suggesting get the purple cap as recommended by iWata for these pearls- especially when doing a really pearly pearl like balloon white?

Yes dhutton, through research and your guys' opinions that's where I've gone. It should be a compliment to you guys that I took your advice. I very much appreciate it all! I really do.
 
I found after many years of using the purple cap that it just didn't work well for me. It has to be run at very low pressure, and the fan is very wide and very sensitive to gun adjustments. It needs to be used up close to the panel, and it doesn't like being anything but exactly 90° from the surface being painted at all. Now some guys look at that list and think it's no big deal, but for me it's just too picky. Where it got noticed most is on really wide horizontal panels (think truck hoods) where the center simply cannot be reached with the gun at 90°. I like the Tekna copper for base now, but it's a lousy clear gun, imo.

For me, there is no "do it all" paint gun.
 
crashtech said:
I found after many years of using the purple cap that it just didn't work well for me. It has to be run at very low pressure, and the fan is very wide and very sensitive to gun adjustments. It needs to be used up close to the panel, and it doesn't like being anything but exactly 90° from the surface being painted at all. Now some guys look at that list and think it's no big deal, but for me it's just too picky. Where it got noticed most is on really wide horizontal panels (think truck hoods) where the center simply cannot be reached with the gun at 90°. I like the Tekna copper for base now, but it's a lousy clear gun, imo.

For me, there is no "do it all" paint gun.
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Ain't that the truth!!! Sometimes having a dedicated basecoat gun makes your life much easier.

Devilbiss has a dedicated basecoat gun, SATA recently came out with the Sata Jet 1500 Solv for a lower price.

The Iwata Entech LS400 I've heard is a very good basecoat gun, although more expensive than the other two I mentioned.

I think Iwata is being left behind in the $450-500 price bracket for a nice basecoat gun.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. So crashtech, what's your recommendation? I take it you have some experience with ppg 224009? I had planned to use the lph400 with 1.4mm tip for base, pearl, and clear. Are you saying save my money on the purple tip and adjust my technique between the different coats to get them on right with the silver tip? Or are you suggesting to get some different gun for the pearl coat?
 
Get the Iwata and a small quantity of the paint you wish to use, then paint a hood with it and see if you can make it lay out nice. If so, you are home free and we are all overthinking this.
 
all my guns are a sata/iwata mix. my main clearcoat gun is a sata 3000rp. for base and ss I have lph400's. ive had them for prob 13 years. they spray clear equally nice as the sata. you cant go wrong with this gun for both base and clear. still use them everyday. just get the standard silver cap. you can do everything with that. the purple cap sux. orange you will be limited to base.
 
I use an lph400 orange cap in 1.3 for base, and an lph400 silver cap in 1.4 for clear. Works for me but I am far from an expert, so take it with a pinch of salt!
 
Jim C said:
all my guns are a sata/iwata mix. my main clearcoat gun is a sata 3000rp. for base and ss I have lph400's. ive had them for prob 13 years. they spray clear equally nice as the sata. you cant go wrong with this gun for both base and clear. still use them everyday. just get the standard silver cap. you can do everything with that. the purple cap sux. orange you will be limited to base.
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There you have it, @Schroeder , from possibly the best painter on this forum. Get the Iwata silver cap and don't look back!
 
All good points. My two pesos are that the orange cap has a slightly larger and wetter pattern than the silver. I've compared them back to back with same product and settings. I personally like the silver cap for epoxy sealer as it sprays finer which helps me with texture and less "fish eyes". I personally really like the orange cap for base and clear. The silver cap for clear is too slow for me. Everyone sprays differently and experimenting will be the only way to know what works best for you.

Also, a MAJOR factor is climate and shop conditions, especially air supply. That's not discussed and stressed enough.
 
I found a thread on hotrodders that showed a set up with a large tube franzinator desiccant filter. It was cheap and supposedly worked well. It didn't have a refrigeration unit and all that stuff. It looks like HF doesn't have the filter anymore though, AND I can't find the particular thread I was interested in. There are many with the HF filter. This is something I'm working on though.. probably gonna get a small radiator and after that run the air through a toilet paper style filter, little desiccant dryer and oil separator, another TP filter, through my hoses, and have one last inline filter at the gun when I paint. I'll call it good at that.
 
Jim C said:
all my guns are a sata/iwata mix. my main clearcoat gun is a sata 3000rp. for base and ss I have lph400's. ive had them for prob 13 years. they spray clear equally nice as the sata. you cant go wrong with this gun for both base and clear. still use them everyday. just get the standard silver cap. you can do everything with that. the purple cap sux. orange you will be limited to base.
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Dragging up this old post. @Jim C . Are you still recommending this gun in 2021? Thanks
 
I got rid of all my iwata guns and replaced them with sata. I still use my sata 3000rp for clear coat. That is still a bad ass gun. For base though i have a 4000hvlp with a 1.5. I use that gun for epoxy, base and you could do clear with it as well.
 
i dont really find it to be a hoser with a 1.5. it is an hvlp also not the rp. that gun shoots spi epoxy better than any gun i have ever used.
 
In my case, it would be a used Sata jet 4000, since they are $1000 new or a new Iwata for $350. I'd like my Corvette to be pretty slick and I'm always messin' around with something. What would suggest? Still the Sata? Sorry to be a pain.
 
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