I’m a professional decorator who’s been spraying for the past 10 years. I’ve got three main sprayers; A Titan 460, a smaller Q-Tech and Fuji Mini-Mite HVLP. The cheapest of my three sprayers was around £700, so I was a little bit sceptical about the Tilswall HVLP as this bit of kit is only £60!!! They are available online by clicking here.
The Question is, can you spend so little on a sprayer and expect it to work? Can you achieve a good finish with it?
Tilswall HVLP Sprayer Review
OK, let’s start talking about the Tilswall HVLP. Well for a start, it is dead easy to put together. No exaggeration, it takes less than 2 minutes to set it up. You plug the compressor into the power, connect the gun to the compressor via the air hose, put some paint in the reservoir, then screw it to the spray gun. Anyone can do it!!
Not only is the Tilswall easy to setup, but it’s also easy to use!! I still can’t get over just how easy this sprayer is to operate. You can control the fan by turning a nob where the paint comes on. Then, providing you keep your hand moving when you pull the trigger, you can’t go wrong!!
HVLP sprayers are normally used for woodwork. Providing you’re spraying a water-based product, I can’t see anyone having an issue with the Tilswall HVLP. Some products spray better than others. WRX satinwood sprays particularly well. Tikkurila Helmi is another great option.
This sprayer is responsive too!! Meaning when you release the trigger, the paint stops flowing instantly. This makes control easy and it’s an attribute you don’t always see in some more expensive spray machines. I’m so impressed with this little sprayer!!
I do have on little gripe, and that’s the noise. It is loud when you’re using it, but that’s only a minor drawback, with what is otherwise a surprisingly good sprayer.
I can’t speak on longevity. Normally, the cheaper sprayers only have 50 or 60 hours in them, which would still equate to great value! Saying that, this Tilswall HVLP has been so surprising in terms of quality. I wouldn’t bet against this sprayer going strong after years of service.
Anyway, if you want to buy one, you can pick them up on Amazon for around £60 by clicking here.
Review Summary
Tilswall HVLP Sprayer Review - Decorator's forum UK
A floor based HVLP sprayer used to apply paint to any surface.
Product Brand: Tiswall
3.9
Pros
- Very easy to use.
- Very cheap.
- Atomises the paint surprisingly well.
- Nice big reservoir.
- Easy to adjust the fan width.
- Great value for money.
Cons
- Very loud.
- I can’t speak to the longevity of the product.
- It’s easy to find a better HVLP sprayer, but the point of this machine is it is very cheap and does the job surprisingly well.
FAQs
What type of paint is best for an HVLP sprayer?
Avoid using traditional oil-based paints through a HVLP sprayer. Water-based paints like emulsion, quick dry satinwood, and quick dry gloss are perfect. Professional Decorators use HVLP sprayers to apply 2K paints, but I’d advise against this unless you’ve had proper training.
Do you have to thin paint for a HVLP sprayer?
Yes, thinning paint will mean smoother application and the paint will be better atomised. This cuts down on orange peel.
Can you use a HVLP spray gun for house paint?
You certainly can. A HVLP spray gun is perfect for cornice, skirting boards, doors, spindles, and other trim around the house. Just use normal water-based paints and you’ll be fine.
How do you reduce orange peel in HVLP?
Try diluting the paint a little bit more and applying thinner coats. If you’re still having trouble, then try a different paint product. Some paints are a lot easier to spray than others. Tikkurila Helmi is fantastic, as is WRX Satin.
Interesting article. I bought a cheap Earlex HVLP sprayer around 8 years ago when I first wanted to try spraying trim, cupboards, doors etc. I literally only chucked it on the skip 6 months ago. It was an absolute warrior! I rarely cleaned it thoroughly, changed or cleaned the filters and I don’t know how many coats of paint were caked on the turbine itself but it was alot!
I’ve since moved on to Apollo and only really use it in a temporary spray booth for furniture and the odd kitchen repaint. I find HVLP just kicks up too much dust when painting and this can be really frustrating when you’ve laid down the final coat and you find a dust nib in it but it’s still preferable to hand-balling everything and the finish is of course alot better.