Magnum X7

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.

Ok so I'm a professional painter, who is just starting out on his own. I bought one of these because there's just no way around not having a sprayer. I figured this should last a year or two and then if I'm doing well I can always upgrade to a professional grade sprayer. Not that this sprayer isn't great, it's just not rated for pro use. So it turns out that this sprayer is actually really good. It sprays latex real nice and heavy, and then of course 9 times out of 10 you go back and roll over it. There is no need for thinning down paints, I use sherwin williams for almost everything I do, though I have been known to use Conco brand paint from menards on cheap rental jobs where they literally just want you to slap paint down. They will not pay for good paint or even good work so you really just have to give them what they want at a reasonable price, but I digress. The only thing I dislike about this sprayer, is that the hook for the 5 gallon bucket, doesn't hold the bucket all the time. When the sprayer is just sitting flat and the bucket is there the handle on the bucket is too high to sit in the hook and so the bucket just sits on the ground. I imagine this is a design decision so that there isn't constantly 75lbs (or however much a 5 gal bucket of paint weighs) hanging from the sprayer at all times. But it's frustrating because that means any time you want to move you have to bend over and tilt the sprayer back and make sure the hook catches the bucket handle, then tilt it back more to pick up the bucket. It's just a pain. I'd much rather the bucket hung nonstop. Besides that little frustration, as well as the pain it is to clean up afterwards, this sprayer is fantastic. The cleanup isn't an issue with the sprayer either, it's just the normal 'ton' of paint everywhere that you have to clean. Overspray isn't as bad as I thought it would be to be honest. Though it will get anywhere, in the immediate spray area that isn't securely masked. You really have to make sure when you mask that your tape is on really well and that if you have paper or plastic that it isn't loose. This sprayer has some force so it will fling plastic and paper all over the place and rip it right off if the tape job wasn't done well. Besides that I guess the only other thing I would have asked for would have been a 50 foot hose instead of the 25ft that came with it. It's just not enough for exterior projects where you are two stories up on a ladder. I will just have to purchase a 50ft hose later, which isn't a big deal besides it being $50 for the hose. Lol, that's where they get you. As for my experience with this sprayer, I waited until I really put it through it's paces before giving this review. I've painted a few interiors and I'm on my third or fourth exterior with it now. Still with the same tip that came with the sprayer, same hose, etc. I tend to be anal about cleaning it, though you just cannot keep paint off of the hoses. It's just not possible. But cleaning everything as well as a I can I think this sprayer should last another year or so hopefully. I'm guessing I'll need a new tip or gun at some point and I will get the 50 ft hose in the next day or two because I'm painting a huge house right now so I just need it, but I hope this helps somebody.

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

I originally was going to buy the X5 but splurged on the X7 for the cart, which carries a pretty big caveat that I'll explain but also comes with a bigger more capable motor. I used this sprayer to stain both sides of 150+ feet of 8F BoB cedar fence I built. 2 x 5 gallon buckets is all it took for 2 coats so there is definitely efficiency you gain with an airless sprayer. I did buy a 22" extension wand, which is cheaper at Lowes vs Amazon, and very glad I did because I would have been completely covered otherwise. Respirator with proper filters for paint goes without saying! Initial setup involves flushing either water or mineral spirits through to clean the hoses and motor via the prime function, 2 buckets (1 intake, 1 waste) and a LOT of mineral spirits if using oil based. Dunk the intake hose into the 5 gal stain bucket after stirring, prime and you're good to go. The machine is deceptively quiet while in spray mode which I didn't expect and thought something was wrong at first. Only when you're pulling the trigger does the machine make any noise (unless priming) and it's more of a stirring sound. I had no issues with clogging but the reversible nozzle makes it very easy to flush a blockage if it happens. Ok so the caveat on the cart... This cart only works to make your life easier rolling your sprayer + 5 gal bucket around your worksite IF your bucket is half full or less, otherwise it will make a mess spilling everywhere. Get too low and your intake tube will suck air and you'll have to prime again before you can resume spraying. I found it easier to just pick up the bucket with one hand and the sprayer cart with the other to move locations, pretty much defeating the purpose of the rolling cart. It does make for storing the hose and power cord easier but didn't quite provide the convenience I was expecting. The other thing to note is that the intake tube is very long and will touch the ground if not in a bucket. It looks like the X5 tucks the hoses better to avoid that. Clean up is messy but wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Hose everything down with water, flush the system out and run 2oz of Pump Armor through, which they provide with the sprayer BTW! No need to buy a separate bottle of the stuff, at first anyway. All in all very pleased with the results in lieu of the cart not really helping much. Very even spray that yielded a nice result for my project. I have a few hundred more feet of fence to stain and know it will be a good result. Pros: -Bigger higher throughput motor vs X5 -Nice even spray -Quiet operation -The materials feel premium and well made -Setup and cleanup are relatively easy Cons: -The cart will only roll your 5 gal bucket cleanly if half full, 1 gal should be fine -Intake tube is very long and will touch the ground if not in a bucket -

The Grayco X7 was easy to set up and prime. Like all pieces of equipment read the manual. I also found it helpful to watch a few video's on operation. Especially be sure to get the correct "rhythm" down, moving gun, engaging trigger, make your pass on object being painted, disengaging trigger while keeping gun moving finishing your pass. If you don't follow this procedure you will get globs and runs of paint. Once you get the procedure mastered on some cardboard you can paint very quickly. The only downside is cleanup. You MUST be thorough or paint will be left in pump, gun or hose, possibly ruining the sprayers operation. However you can sit during clean up and enjoy your favorite beverage while cleaning. I would buy this sprayer again in a heartbeat! My son sprayed our cabin with solid color stain. We probably spent more time moving and adjusting ladders and taping windows/door than spraying. Twenty years ago I used a friends sprayer, which was not a Grayco, to spray same cabin and I was amazed at how fast I could spray. This Grayco works much better with less overspray.

I am not a painter by profession, but I am a seasoned do it yourself painter that has experience in auto painting, and house and deck painting. I have owned several air compressor and non air compressor powered spray guns. I painted my previous home, inside and outside as well as trim and doors with a Wagner Power sprayer. Needless to say I have dealt with clogging, pump failure paint spitting and runs from flawed spray guns. With that said I must say that the Graco 262805 is THE BEST spray gun I have ever used. At first I was intimidated with the priming steps and the high tech components. But these component's and steps ensure that the gun is thoroughly purged and cleaned of material. And the reversible spary tip is ingenious. Because at some point no matter what you are spraying, the material will begin the dry and gum up the tip and you get clogs and sputters on your walls. By reversing the tip it purges the tip of gum ups. And I also recommend that when spraying latex based materials keep a bucket of high concentrated dish soap and a hard bristle brush. Because you can remove the tip from the spray gun and clean the spray tip for those jobs that take longer where the tip will begin to gum up even after reversing the tip. What happens is that you find yourself having to reverse the tip more frequently. Also I just finished a three day priming paint job where I didn't clean the gun after a day. By taking the siphon tubes out of the paint and cleaning them off, removing the spray tip form the gun and placing the tubes the tip and the spray gun in a bucket of soap water, I was able to come back the next day and put the siphon tubes in the paint, screwing the tip back on, priming the gun and started right back up with no issues. No clogs at all. Also there is a wide selection of spray tips to choose from that allow the user to spray various volumes and patterns. The hosepipe cleaning attachment and the pump armor ensure the gun is thoroughly purged. The only thing that annoys me about the gun is the cumbersome plastic hose. Its very stiff and rigid and it seems to get caught on EVERYTHING when you are moving about. Not to mention its hard to get the gun pointed in the right position when you are trying to spray from odd angles and positions due to the rigidity of the hose.

I painted my garage using this sprayer. It wasn’t difficult to use and saved me some time and effort. I bought a 10” extension which in my opinion is a must have. Clean up wasn’t too bad...a little tedious but no more so than cleaning anything else after painting. The only struggle I had was in figuring out the proper pressure for my spray pattern. I had a tendency to put it on a bit thick, which caused some running. I got better at it after the first wall. Update: I’ve been using this for a couple of months painting my house, gutters, and such when I have time. So I’ve probably used it about 15-20 different times. It continues to work well for me and I’ve really not had any issues. I’ve developed some skill using it so really don’t have any problems with applying paint. Clean up is still tedious but not too bad . Definitely good enough for painting a detached garage, large complex house, gutters, and everything else. Would buy again.