Earlex vs Harbor Freight

[Michael Cole]

I am thinking about an hvlp spray gun to finish some projects. I know by the price these are totally different machines. The Earlex costs nearly 3 times the amount. For the hobby woodworker that would like to spray some finishes, is the Earlex worth 2 1/2 times as much? If so, let me know. I have no problem spending money on quality things, but if I can do with less expensive, so much the better, especially for the wife! If there are other units I should consider, please let me know.

[glenn bradley]

I practiced with water quite a bit and then used the HF once. I needed a tip that would supply a lot less finish. The pattern is nice and even but, even with the lightest setting/touch you have to move so fast to keep from overloading your surface that it was impractical for me. I'm sure there are all sorts of thinning ratios and so forth that would help that out. By the time I got a gun/tip that seemed promising, I was into a new machine and so fell back to hand applied (which I actually enjoy but, it takes time) . I may take another run at spraying if I get a slow period down the line. Someone who currently sprays as a regular method of application will get you better info.

[lowell holmes]

I have the Harbor Freight gun. I've had expensive guns. The Harbor Freight gun does a good job.

The heaviness of the spray can be adjusted with one of the three tips that came with the sprayer.

I'm satisfied with the gun. I was able to match the quality of paint job in a daughter's kitchen. I modified very high quality painted cabinets. You can't tell what is old and what is new. The latex enamel glassed out.

[Prashun Patel]

I agree with Lowell and Glen.
I had the Woodcraft version of the same unit. Mine only came with 2 tips and I lost the fine one. So, I just used the 'fat' one for a while. It deposited shellac, Deft Lacquer and dye just fine.

I recently upgraded to a Fuji Semipro. I was considering the Earlex, but decided to go one level higher.

FWIW, I didn't sell my cheap unit. Oddly, I like using it for some things like spraying dye.

[lowell holmes]

[QUOTE=Prashun Patel;2445863]I agree with Lowell and Glen.
I had the Woodcraft version of the same unit. Mine only came with 2 tips and I lost the fine one. So, I just used the 'fat' one for a while. It deposited shellac, Deft Lacquer and dye just fine.

Maybe mine just came with two tips. I probably remembered wrong. I bought it about five or six years ago.

[Jerome Stanek]

One nice thing about HF is that if you don't like it they will take it back

[Mike Schuch]

I am very happy with my HarborFreight HVLP sprayer system. Some of their tools are junk... the HVLP works quite well for me!

[Mike Ontko]

I recently (Tuesday, 7/21) purchased the Earlex HV5500 and am quite content with its performance (with lots of growth opportunity for my own). I've burned myself too many times going for the less expensive equipment option just so I could have one tool or another. I know it's not always the case, but more often than not the old adage holds true that, "you get what you pay for." I would really like to have gotten the Fuji or Apollo systems, based on their construction, features, reputation, etc. But having read recent reviews of comparable HVLP systems in either FWW or PWW, the Earlex fit into my mantra of starting out with the best quality mid-range product I can afford or justify and move up from there based on experience or necessity.