REVIEW – I’ve been putting off a few painting jobs around the house. A couple of years ago, I built a farmhouse-style TV stand, and the finish didn’t turn out as I had hoped. I’ve needed to redo it, and I’ve been avoiding it. I am also renovating our home office; the closet is the first step. Lots of wood, and French cleats that are very tedious to paint with a brush. The Tilswall 800W HVLP Paint Sprayer seemed to be just the solution. How did it do?
What is it?
The Tilswall 800W HVLP Paint Sprayer Electric Spray Gun is a split-design paint sprayer system. Many lower-cost spray guns have the air compressor and the paint gun in the same unit. Several companies make spray systems in this configuration. What sets the Tilswall sprayer apart is the split design. The air compressor is in a separate unit from the actual sprayer. This makes the part you hold much lighter, and you should be able to use it for extended periods without hand and arm fatigue.
What’s in the box
The box contains the following:
- Tilswall 800W HVLP Paint Sprayer Electric Spray Gun
- 800W air compressor
- Shoulder strap
- Air hose
- Paint viscosity funnel
- Paint container and lid
- 3 nozzles
- 3 large gaskets
- 3 small gaskets
- Cleaning needle
- Cleaning brush
- User manual
Hardware specs
- 800 watt air compressor
- 1.4 liter detachable paint container
- Max 1.1 liters/min flow rate
- 3 nozzles: 1.0mm, 1.8mm, and 2.6mm
- Spray patterns: horizontal, vertical, and circular
- 9.8 ft/3 m power cable
- 8.2 ft/2.5 m air hose
- Blue & black plastic construction
- 6 lbs/2.7 kg
Setup
After removing everything from the box, and a quick read of the setup instructions, it took all of about 5 minutes to get it ready to use. After uncurling the 8.2 ft/2.5 m air hose, and connecting the appropriate ends to the air compressor and the spray gun, you are ready to go.
The middle-sized nozzle (1.8 mm) was already attached to the Tilswall 800W HVLP Paint Sprayer Electric Spray Gun. I did attach the shoulder strap to the air compressor, but it’s not necessary (more on that below).
The instructions call for testing the material you want to spray before actually spraying. Tilswall supplied a viscosity funnel, and some guidelines as to how to use it. You fill the funnel with paint and measure the time it takes to completely drain the funnel. I wanted to use primer for my closet project, and the paint was way too thick. I thinned the primer according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and I was ready to go.
Design and features
While most paint sprayers tend to have an all-in-one design, the Tilswall 800W HVLP Paint Sprayer Electric Spray Gun has a unique split design with the spray gun and air compressor that are separate and yet connected with a very long, sturdy air hose. This unique design is easier on your hand and arm and allows you to use it for longer periods without fatigue.
The airflow on the Tilswall is very robust, and it should be able to handle most liquids that you fill it up with. The sprayer can distribute paint (oil and water-based), solvents, stains, disinfectants, water, and virtually anything that is a liquid and not too thick.
For the Tilswall sprayer to handle almost any kind of liquid, the air compressor had to be very strong. The 800 watt motor moves the air with ease. With that being said, the air compressor is very loud. It was like having a vacuum cleaner hanging at your side. Also, one thing about the split design is as long as the air compressor was turned on, there was air coming out of the spray gun. A lot of air. The paint doesn’t get sprayed unless you pull the trigger, but the airflow is continuous and loud.
The spray gun has a flow rate adjustment knob as part of the trigger. The location of the knob is very well-placed and easy to use while you are spraying. I was able to adjust the flow rate as I sprayed, which was very convenient.
I tested the different flow rates on a scrap piece of wood before tackling the office closet I needed to paint. I did this by setting the flow rate adjustment knob to the “no flow” setting and adding a little more flow with each pass.
Once I got a flow I was happy with, I proceeded into the office closet to tackle that project. I was pleasantly surprised at the speed at which I could paint the closet with primer. I am building a French cleat system in the closet, which requires many “cleats” that have a lot of surface area. Doing this with a roller would be impossible and trying to use a brush would have been frustrating. I completed applying the primer in the closet with the Tilswall sprayer in about 45 minutes. I can’t wait until my wife picks the color of the paint for the closer so I can put this project to rest.
Next was the TV stand. The TV stand has many surfaces as you can see, and required I twist and move the sprayer more than I had to for the closet. As long as I had plenty of paint in the container, the Tilswall kept up and evenly distributed the paint. I was very happy with the results. Again, the key was to make sure the paint wasn’t too thick. I think that is the mistake I made when I originally painted the TV stand a few years ago with a different sprayer.
One thing that was frustrating while using the sprayer was the air compressor’s shoulder strap. It is not quite long enough and slid off my shoulder every few minutes. The air compressor has a handle that makes it easy to hold it and move around, or you can set the air compressor on the floor. However, the heavy hose tended to knock it over. I’m not sure if that was bad for the motor, but it happened.
Cleaning
As with any paint sprayer, one of the keys to having great results is cleaning the sprayer thoroughly after each use. After I was done with the closet, and the TV stand, I followed the instructions to clean all the parts that touched the paint. This process takes about 40 minutes and has to be done every time you use the sprayer. The cleaning process is straightforward and the instructions walk you through what to clean and how to do it.
What I like
- Split design
- Sprays evenly
- Adjustment knob placement
- Spray gun disassembly for cleaning
- Cleaning tools are adequate
What I’d change
- Very loud
- Have the trigger start/stop the airflow
- The shoulder strap is practically useless
Final Thoughts
Using a paint sprayer is a must for larger projects when paint needs to be applied quickly and without paint strokes. The Tilswall 800W Paint Sprayer is a great addition to your DIY arsenal. You can’t beat the price for the convenience it gives you. Paint brushes better watch out, for their days are numbered.
Price: $60.99
Where to buy: Tilswall website
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Tilswall.
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Was there overspray and how bad. I amthinking about paiting the trim in our house and i dontwant to take it down.
The overspray can be a mess, but if you choose the correct flow rate, and hold it close enough to the trim, you might be able to use the Tiswall to paint it. Let me know if you have any other questions.