PSA: That cheap paint sprayer from Harbor Freight nearly ruined my kitchen cabinets

I was out in my garage in Austin last Saturday, thinking I'd save some cash spraying my oak cabinets with that $40 Earthwise sprayer. First pass looked okay, but after about 10 minutes the thing started spitting chunks of what I think was dried paint from a previous coat. Then the nozzle clogged completely twice, and when I unclogged it the second time the whole cup assembly popped off and dumped a pint of thinned latex all over my drop cloth and shoes. Ended up spending 4 hours sanding out drips and orange peel texture from the first two doors I shot. I literally just finished hand brushing the rest of the cabinets using a $12 Wooster brush from Lowe's, and it looks way better honestly. Has anyone else had good luck with a specific budget sprayer under $100, or is it all just a trap?

4 comments

4 Comments

aaronroberts2d ago

That cheap sprayer probably saw you coming from a mile away and was like "hold my beer." Your milage may vary but I've seen more money wasted on budget sprayers than on fancy dinners that ended up a disaster. Sounds like you found the real trick which is just accepting that sometimes a good brush beats any sprayer under a hundred bucks.

margaretc422d ago

Wonder how many people @the_rose tried to warn before the warning sticker idea finally came up. Guess "garbage in garbage out" applies to sprayers too.

morganl712d ago

@aaronroberts is right on the money honestly. That Earthwise special is basically a toy with a nozzle attached. The REAL question here is how much thinning did you do to the latex before you shot it? I found with that exact sprayer the paint needs to be the consistency of milk basically or it'll clog every time. But even then you're fighting a losing battle against the shitty atomization.

the_rose2d ago

Yeah, you're not wrong at all. That thing really should come with a warning sticker instead of a "user guide." It's almost like they design them to make you feel like you're the problem when really the tool is just not up to the job.