Spray Gun Prices and Why They Vary

Spray Gun Prices

Spray Guns vary in Price greatly from $20 dollars up to $400 dollars for High End Spray Guns by Binks, Devilbiss, and others. With prices varying greatly it is important to consider why prices can vary so much and whether a cheap spray gun is better for you than an expensive one. After all if you can achieve the same finish quality with a $20.00 throw away gun why would you ever buy a higher priced gun? In this article we will discuss the price differences between different spray guns, why they exist, and how to better choose one for your needs.

Why Prices are Different

1.  Engineering design – One primary difference between high end Spray Guns and lower cost Spray Guns are engineering design. High end spray guns are designed and tested in simulation programs that provide detailed reports of the capabilities of the gun. The simulations run pre determine atomization capabilities, air requirements, and component durability. These design considerations in high end spray guns result in a more repeatable finish, better atomization capabilities, and higher efficiency use of air.
2. Component Construction – High end spray guns are made of components designed to be highly durable. They are designed to provide the same finish over a long period of time without changing any of the guns components. Conversely lower priced spray guns can also provide a consistent finish but for a shorter time period. If you are in an area with high production lower cost guns will wear rapidly and cause excess cost both on replacement and lost production time. If however you will rarely spray and only for a short period considering a budget priced spray gun is something to definitely consider. It can also often make sense to buy a budget priced spray gun if you are evaluating spraying as a secondary income source or hobby.  If this is your scenario and you will spray infrequently a lower budget spray gun may make the most sense.
3. Machining tolerances – High end Spray Guns are manufactured with strict tolerances on parts.  The end result of this is that they will be the most repeatable and consistent in how they spray.
4. Setup Variety – A High end Spray Gun comes loaded with a ton of options of fluid nozzles, air caps, and even needles. What this allows for is customization of how the spray gun will perform. By altering setups of air caps and fluid nozzles you can tailor the finish you achieve. You can control production volume, atomization ability, and pattern size. On the other hand with a budget spray gun you are limited typically to a small number of setup choices. If you will be spraying a variety of materials a higher end spray gun can often make sense as it will allow you to spray about any coating, you wish.
5. Repairable or Throw Away – Low priced Spray Guns will have minimal replacement parts. Your options when the Gun starts experiencing performance issues will be mostly to throw away the gun. However, with a high quality gun you should never replace the entire gun unless it is no longer supported by the factory.  Rather you will be able to completely rebuild every part of the spray gun to bring its performance back to its original ability.
6. Support – The best Spray Gun Companies will partner with companies to train them on their products, how to best match them for spraying applications, and how to support you as questions arise. The knowledge and expertise of a quality carrier of your desired spray gun is tremendously valuable. They can help with performance related problems to isolate the issue and make sure it is not coating rather than equipment related.  They should also have a significant availability of important repair parts so that wait time is minimal.