TriTech T5 Sprayer Review by James Wildish

An independent TriTech T5 Sprayer Review written by James Wildish of Citywide Painting Contractors

The first thing you notice with the TriTech range of airless sprayers, is the solid looking metal with no plastic in sight. They have a stylish and simple design, which for the first few jobs was cleaned on the outside, as well as inside at the end of every day. Now it’s lucky to be cleaned properly at all. My Tritech T5 is the floor standing model, which although is a beast of a machine, doesn’t take up too much space in the back of the van, and easy to manoeuvre around on the job.

Usage

The machine itself is fantastic, I have thoroughly abused it. I have left it with material in for the duration of jobs that have lasted a couple of weeks. I have sprayed water based as well as oil based through it. I have forgotten to top up with the TSL for days and days. No matter what is thrown at it and how long it is left, it is so simple to clean. The filters are all easily accessible, and every component is built with quality materials.

Products

I have sprayed thousands of litres of paint through the T5. I have sprayed various products from Leyland Super Leytex and Dulux Diamond Eggshell to Zoffany w/b eggshell, Tikkurila Optiva 5 and Caparol Hafprimer. I rarely thin any products (unless its a mist coat of course) and I’ve not had a single problem with any product, that couldn’t be rectified by adjusting pressure, filters or tip size. The pump keeps ticking over without ever struggling, no matter what pressure.

Guns

The standard gun that comes with the package is the TriTech T360. This uses the TriTech tip guards and tips, but is also the same thread size as the Graco RACX Tip guards so can be alternated if preferred. I tend to use my Graco Contractor Gun more as the 2-finger trigger is more controllable than the 4 finger, although I am told that TriTech now have a 2 finger trigger. The T360 is a quality gun, again simple and easy to use and clean. It also fits the standard white/yellow/red pencil filters, unlike the Graco gun.

It is worth mentioning that the guns from a Q-Tech, Graco, Titan and TriTech are fairly universal, in that you can use any of those brands of gun with any of those brands of airless sprayer. I have a friend who uses a Titan 460e (another machine worth looking at), but he dumped the Titan gun for a TriTech because it’s responsive and easier to control.

Spray Tips

My favourite part about the TriTech is the Ultra Finish Tips (Gold). The results on woodwork with these tips is unreal, even when spraying at low pressures. The spray fan is so soft and controllable for an airless. I have sprayed Tikkurila Helmi 30 neat through these tips in 210, 310 and 410 at pressures as low as 800psi with no blocking and flawless finishes on multiple surfaces.

To conclude I would say these are a top-quality piece of kit, and If you are looking at getting into airless spraying or you are experience but are after a new machine – these should be your first and last port of call. It is a bomb proof money maker without doubt. Easy to use, flawless finish, great pump and reliable. I can honestly say that my TriTech T5 is probably my best purchase as a decorator.

Where to Buy

This is the age of the internet, but there are two things to bear in mind when making a purchase of this size. The first one is price, have a shop around and look for a good deal. The other is aftercare!!

I have an account with Tikkurila and deal with them on a week-to-week basis as part of my job as a decorator. I’m not saying it isn’t worth shopping around, but it’s worth buying bigger bits of kit from whichever trade counter you buy most of your materials from as they will always bend over backwards to help resolve any future issues. Which is why I will carry on buying Tritech gear from Tikkurila.

FAQs

Where are TriTech sprayers made?

TriTech Sprayers are manufactured by ZP Enterprises, LLC in Union, New Jersey USA.

What is the warranty on the TriTech T5?

You get a full 2-year warranty with the TriTech T5, and a lifetime Motor & Drivetrain Warranty, which gives you an idea of the build quality.

Do you use less paint with a paint sprayer?

You use slightly more paint if you use a paint sprayer Vs brush and roller. This is because no matter how good you are, there will always be some overspray that gets wasted.