GracoMagnum 262805 X7 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer, Gray

Item one - this is the first airless sprayer I have used (or owned)Item two - I had a week to paint the inside and outside of a house. (mission accomplished)Overall: This did the job with relative ease. The prep work is key (painted a few floors by accident until I taped everything down). Do watch the video if you are a new user. It does a great job of explaining how to set up and use this machine. I sprayed both interior latex and a stucco paint with little to no issues. I mixed the paints but did not run them through a strainer and rarely encountered any issues (which are easily fixed by reversing the spray tip and blowing it out). Generally clean up is easy if you have buckets and a garden hose. The machine itself is not that heavy so I didn't mind carrying it outside. And if you spray the discharge into the a bucket it doesn't make a big mess.Lessons Learned:**When spraying latex paint there is significant pressure (wind) that blows light drop cloths away from the area they are protecting. I found using the blue masking tape to fix edges prevented this from happening.**Between coats I had a handy bucket of water and dropped the spray head to submerge it in the water. Pick it up, let it drip for a few seconds. Reverse the tip and blow out any residue and I was ready to go for round two. I also did this for some overnights when I was spraying the same color over a lot of rooms.**There are times when the sprayer was the best way to go and others when a roller and brush were better suited for the job. Basically the two areas where the sprayer excelled was in covering a large room that is well masked and the second was painting the outside stucco were it met the grass/garden beds (a roller or brush just picks up dirt and it's all over). So for the big rooms I spent a couple of hours masking them and painting them in minutes. The smaller areas I could put down a few drop cloths and go paint.**This unit is ideal for 5 gallon paint buckets. I'd buy the paint and have them put it in the shaker. I'd take it home and open the little cap, drop in the strainer hose, and get painting. In the evening I could put some clear wrap around the hoses and mouth of the paint and leave it overnight (with the spray head in a bucket of water).**I had a bunch of plastic shopping bags. When I had to move the machine after painting (to a new room or for clean up) I'd put the strainer and primer tubes into a bag and loop the handles over the primer valve. This catches any drips during the move.**Get an old toothbrush for clean up. It really helps clean the small parts and screens.**Not so much as a tip but a confirmation. When I ordered the machine I considered getting more hose but I choose not to based on a review. I can confirm that the hose that comes with the machine reaches pretty far. Unless you're painting a three story high foyer, the hose will reach an entire room (18 ft x 12 ft with 9 foot ceilings) with ease when set up in the center. Sure I had to move it to paint the house, but I figured out a way to move the sprayer and a five gallon bucket (with the strainer hose in the paint) around the house.Conclusion: I was spraying heavy latex paints. Thus to get a good pattern I had the pressure setting up pretty high. The created a lot of over spray so if it wasn't masked, it got paint on it. (FYI there is a product that comes in a "wipes" form that does a good job removing dried paint). I like this sprayer and I think it was a good investment for me as I can share it with my brother for his house. It would be overkill unless you are intending to cover a lot of area. I also cannot offer any perspective on durability as I will only use this every few years or so. I don't know how it would hold up to regular use. A contractor friend of mine has a few of the pro models and he speaks very highly of them. Overall it is a great machine for my use. It really got easier to use with each additional room. I highly recommend it for a homeowner with a lot of area to paint.

What a gem. I am a technical director for a theater, so painting big things is frequent. We have a couple handheld sprayers that work OK but refilling the cups all the time is a mess, and they just don't move much paint. Normally, painting this behemoth of a set piece would mean getting about 4 volunteers, a bunch of brushes and rollers, and about half a day trying to get all those nooks and crannies painted black. Instead, we fired up this sprayer and one elderly man finished the project in 20 minutes. Cleanup took less time than cleaning 4 rollers and brushes. Overspray was minimal, and it dried before it even hit the floor so I just mopped it up. 4 stars for value/money since the X5 will likely do just as well for me at a much lower price point, but I wanted the option for easy portability. The hook on the front of the X7's cart makes moving the sprayer a 10-second job for one person. I say get the X5 if you don't have to move stuff (like if you're doing one room or one exterior wall) but treating yourself to the X7 will be a perfectly fine choice. Keep a toothbrush or a fine-bristle brass brush around for cleanup. I do wish Graco would splurge on a softer hose. I realize it has to hold 3000 psi, but there have to be more pliable options. Still, a minor inconvenience.You'll hear people talk about frequent clogs, but I've had none so far with the 5-6 gallons of latex paint I've put through it. I didn't strain the paint. I opened an old 5-gallon bucket of partially-used paint, stuffed the hose in it, and sprayed. I'm very happy. Happy enough to write a glowing review. Very nice sprayer with easy controls. None of us had used one before and we were all laying down great coats with the first spray.I also bought some disposable face shields and head socks. They made a nice addition to keep overspray off skin, glasses and hair. I didn't notice that my volunteer's clothing had any paint overspray on it, but some coveralls wouldn't hurt.

Before I start about the graco x7 sprayer a word of advise.NEVER connect the garden hose to you'll sprayer without the connection valve.never ask someone to turn off the water for you or as you can see in my puc,this could happen to you lol.ok the sprayer I've never owned a airless sprayer or used one before.i have to say this thing is simply amazing.i painted my deck in about 45 min.ive looked it over for runs or shallow spots and I found none.at first I was sure if I wanted one or not cleanup seemed like a long prosses.im very happy with the clean up and easy way it works.primming was so simple even a kid can do it.im not for reviews to be honest I don't trust them all especially when people get something for free to try out.but as a home owner I'm telling you this mechine is great.i used was less paint as well.a roller would use alot more and at $69 a gal,that means alot.i used water base paint with sealer and primer it sprayed amazing.in tn,it gets hot and that day got hot,I was done before the heat hit.just a great paint sprayer.as for clean up don't let anyone help you like I did.loosened the line think my wife had the water off to remover the gun and yep,blasted lol.i love my wife but I fired her now I work alone.50ft of hose will also keep your paint sprayer far enough away so it don't get over spray and keeps it looking new