Customer Reviews

Critter Spray Products 22032 118SG Siphon Gun

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As a woodworker, I have been using the Critter Spray Gun for a few months now. It does a great job on small to medium sized projects- smooth finish, very easy cleanup.

As with most every spray gun, even professional guns, the media being sprayed will usually need to be thinned to some degree; this gun is not any different. I have not used it for spraying latex paint, but I would expect it to do a fine job after diluting the paint with water.

Two things are very important to me as a craftsman: after working for weeks on a project, I need to apply a smooth even finish. With a little practice, the Criiter will provide this. The second desired feature, is to have an easy cleanup, so that I don't hesitate because of fear (laziness)to use the tool. Again, this sprayer is the easiest cleanup of any sprayer that I have used. The ability to store, and have ready, my finishes is a big bonus.

This is not the type of spray gun that someone would use to paint a room, but for a door, railings, and furniture, it will do what you expect it should do.

The Critter gun is a superb choice for most small to medium jobs that would ordinarily require a spray can or brush. This gun works great for spraying finishes on woodwork, patio furniture, etc. Easy to use and clean up. I highly recommend it.

That said, now for my gripes. There is one design flaw that is particularly annoying. In their infinite wisdom, the folks at Critter decided to paint the frame of the gun. Rule number 1: paint does not adhere to base metal alloys. The awful bluish paint on the zinc-alloy gun flakes off and gets everywhere. Its adhesion is so poor you can literally scratch it off with your fingernail. It contaminates your paint no matter how careful you are. My white enamel became a nice off-blue pastel color thanks to this. When you wipe down the gun with any petroleum-based solvent, the paint will smear. My advice: before using, soak the gun in a water-based paint stripper to remove the paint. Paint guns should not be painted. I shouldn't have to tell them that, but here I am anyway.

Another nit to pick is that with a jar attached, the gun tends to tip over, especially when the jar is nearly empty. The gun could have been balanced better. Fortunately the gun has a hook to hang it from when you are not using it.

One other thing (though not the fault of Critter) - if you plan to shoot any solvent-based finish, be sure to get the Mason jars with the cork or fiber gaskets. The ones with the rubber seals will dissolve, leaving you with a sticky mess and contaminated finish.

Nevertheless, the gun works so well, I still gave it 4 stars. You just have to be aware of its flaws.

Happy spraying.

I have used this for all finishes from oil based interior and exterior primers, and interior and exterior latex. Thinning is required but the finish is superb. The cost, quick color changes, and ease of cleanup are great. It is a hassle working with the small jars but I mix enough for 2-3 jars. Then I'm good for 30 min of spraying. The other review about clogging was all wrong. The problem was in the paint not the Critter. When it clogs it means the paint needs thinning or straining. Old unstrained paint clogs any sprayer!

After many failed attempts, and hours of cleaning parts for my HVLP cup gun (which will make a lovely planter) I purchased the Critter Siphon Gun. I was encouraged by other reviews, but was blown away on the day I used it for the first time!

My target was a pine amoire, that was to become satin black. I thinned the inexpensive black latex with the proper amount of flowing agent (Floetrol, available at Home Depot), and adjusted for final viscosity with clean water.

I set the compressor at 35 psi, screwed on the simple to fill mason jar reservoir and went at it. The unit sprays a round pattern, which took a bit of getting used to. The trick is to apply a number of thin coats holding the gun 12-14 inches from the surface.

The results were amazing. No orange peel. Very little overspray. I do encourage users to wear a particle mask, approved for spraying latex paint. 3M makes a disposable for about $5. A more elaborate version with charcoal filters (replaceable) is available for about $30.

This little gun was amazing and cleaned up in about 4 minutes.

A friend had one of these - we used it to paint some trim and molding pieces for a room in the house and I was blown away with its simplicity and quality. So, I bought one! It works great using my cheap little pancake compressor.

Some tips:

- when using latex paint be sure to use some Floetrol (available at Home Depot) to condition the paint. This makes for a glass-smooth surface.

- fiddle with the air pressure before painting. Lower pressures work best for me on most materials.

- strain the latex paint first to avoid clogs and "boogers" that mar your surface.

- strongly consider buying the maintenance kit, including the short tube. We spent hours trying to find a substitute spring after it went down the drain while cleaning. The short tube works well in the smaller Mason jars.

- buy some spare CORK gaskets at a hardware store or canning supply store. They will not tear easily like the paper gasket included, and will not melt like the rubber gaskets do.

I bought this spray gun a while back hoping it would be a good alternative to hvlp conversion guns that usually require an expensive and large air compressor. Fortunately it has fulfilled my expectations and has been a very worthwhile purchase.

At first I thought it would give me a very bad orange peel finish, but after using it mostly with latex house paint properly thinned out, I have yet to see an awful finish from this sprayer. Although I personally haven't used it spray solvent based liquid with it, I'm sure that it would be able to achieve an even greater finish than with the thick latex house paint used.

Another great thing about this sprayer is that it doesn't take alot of air to run it. Even a pancake compressor could run it if needed.

Although it is a nice sprayer, it does have a couple negatives. First, the paper gasket will eventually fall apart with use, but I tighten the lid real tight and it hasn't leaked yet with the paint I use (You can probably find a nitrile gasket that wont degrade like rubber at your local hardware store). Secondly, the balance of the sprayer causes it to fall to its side when not full of the material ( a minor nuisance but should be fixed). I recommend this product for spraying finishes on items such as furniture, doors, and windows; but definately not to paint a house because of its small spray pattern and paint cup capacity.

For those of you who wish to use this item for spraying latex remember to:

1. Use a latex thinning product such as floetrol as to not adversely affect the durability of the paint. If paint is neededed to be further thinned out, follow the paint manufaturers directions on using water to further thin.

2. Use a paint strainer to strain all paint and paint additives in order not to clog the sprayer and have an artifact free finish (Good practice with any sprayer).

3. Play with the air pressure on compressor (not to exceed 75 psi)and air nozzle on sprayer until you get a smooth finish.

Highly recommended product!

I have used many many spayers. All the way from Wagner cheapo's to VERY expensive systems.

This beats them all. No you are not going to paint a house with the critter. But if you want an excellent finish Urethanes etc and desire a clean-up time that is faster than any brush. This is the system for you.

From an: Avid Woodworker

This is my first spray gun of any kind. I haven't used any kind of finish spay system since highschool shop class so I'm not going to be the best judge of comparative ease of use and quality through extensive personal knowledge. However, I have a critical eye and don't tolerate sloppy finish jobs.

That said, I am very pleased with this gun. I read reviews from everywhere about various spray guns and this one stacked up pretty well in other peoples' estimation so I decided to give it a go -- not much of a gamble dollarwise. I can pretty much buy any tool I need (want?) and was looking at some $900 HVLP systems. My wife was ready to support whatever I decided to buy.

It seemed like the more expensive HVLP systems would work great but might require a bit more maintenance, care, and storage space. This siphon gun has very little to clean and if you have plenty of gaskets, and keep it clean, you have nothing to worry about.

As for performance, I am very happy with the results. I have been a roller/mini roller guy when it comes to paint applications over the years. I have been building cabinets for home and hobby for over 20 years and while I typically prefer a natural wood finish, I decided this most recent project would be painted. I really love the results the Critter gave me. It took a bit of fiddling to set the spray nozzle and the compressor pressure for the best results but that's true of any tool with moving parts.

I used basic Glidden latex highgloss paint, mixed at Home Depot. I have not used any other type of finish yet, and may not in the foreseeable future as I am on a roll with paintgrade built-ins and am not likely to stop in the next year or so.

TIPS:

For paint: Buy Flowtrol and use medium paint strainers. The only problem I had was initially I neglected to strain the paint and eneded up with some paint chunks clogging things up. It was an easy fix -- but easily avoided if you strain beforehand.

Compressor: I used my 6 gal PorterCable pancake compressor I got with a finish nailer a few years back. Make sure you drain the water from the tank on your compressor before you start.

Stand: I read a lot of reviews saying the gun keeps tipping over. It has a hook on top if you have a place to hang it. I don't have such a place. I built a little box that fits the jar faily well and then attached the box to the center of a larger piece of 3/4 plywood (12"x12"). This allows me a place to put the gun down for a minute without it turning over.

Gaskets: Buy extra gaskets. They're made of paper and you may use a few "learning" about how to deal with this tool.

I bought my critter based on the advice of others, doubting that a simple siphon-type gun could perform as well as the more complex spray guns. Surprise- it does. I haven't tried spraying latex paint, but I've had good luck spraying various varnishes and thin coats of shellac. The use of small Mason jars is one of the best features of the Critter; you can swap finshes, and keep a couple jars full of solvent for quick cleaning. A great addition for any woodworker's or boatbuilder's shop.

First things first. This little marvel will not teach you how use a sprayer, you must learn for yourself. This IS THE SPRAYER TO START WITH though. The critter has to be the biggest secret on the market. I bought this a few months ago thinking "well I can always return it", but it is everything the Amazon review says.You can't stand on your head and paint or do other wierd things and get good results with any sprayer. If you follow good spraying procedures this sprayer will save you ALOT of time and money. I had considered the pain of selling my carpentry compressor to buy a larger model that could run a "professional" spray gun (meaning expensive),plus buying the spray gun. The critter probably saved me about $800.00! I use this sprayer for furniture refinishing and I now believe you could paint a car with it. It would take no more time or effort than rattle cans and its cheaper. Just remember you have to play with it first on scrap material and learn the feel for the adjustment and don't think you can paint in just any position. I find that keeping the gun level to the ground works best.