Wagner Wide Shot Power Painter Backpack Paint Sprayer

by Wagner

Product Details

• ASIN: B000KKOKT2
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #351,664 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great product, but you need to know how to use it!, April 15, 2008

By 

Frederick Chapman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wagner Wide Shot Power Painter Backpack Paint Sprayer (Misc.)

I felt the need to post a review about the Wagner Power Painter, because I've read many poor reviews about it and had many of the same frustrations with the product, initially. The fact is that this product is not for every project, but it is a huge time saver for projects that have a large coverage area (houses, decks, fences, large rooms, ceilings).

First off, you cannot just pour paint into the thing and start painting. Take it apart, and make sure everything is properly lubricated with the provided oil. Next, if you're using latex-based paint, THIN the paint using FLOETROL (this is a MUST). Using Floetrol helps the issue that some people have with the unit seizing. Refer to the back of the Floetrol bottle for "airless sprayers" to know how much to put in the paint. I would not recommend thinning the paint with water, or the unit may gum up. Cover/tape adjacent surfaces well, as the excess spray can reach several feet away, and the wind doesn't help!

Get a large piece of cardboard or scrap wood and play with the pressure settings until you find a good coverage pattern. This took me less than 5 minutes. After that, you just need to be confident with using a paint sprayer, which will come with practice.

The unit will start to spit when the bottle is getting low. I habitually refill after one pass of a 10' X 10' area, just to avoid this. Keep a brush or small roller handy to clean up spots where this might occur. Clean up time should be less than 20 minutes. I clean brushes and rollers longer than that, usually.

I was ready to return this product after using it once. It spat and dripped and seized up. After doing some reading, I realized I just wasn't using it properly. If you follow the steps above, you should have very good results. This is a really great product, once you get used to it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works really great for latex!, February 22, 2009

By 

M. Taylor "been around" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wagner Wide Shot Power Painter Backpack Paint Sprayer (Misc.)

I've used this one, and my older Wagner Power Painter, with latex paints and latex solid stains for several years now with no problems at all.

1. I lubricated with a brief stream (not a few drops)of household oil before and after cleaning with EVERY use.

2. Use the viscosity stick gauge as per the directions to thin latex before attempting to spray it. Never, ever, try spraying unthinned latex. In that case you're just begging for piston seizure! I always thin latex with water-it's cheap and the only drawback is that doing that does dilute your latex (this is stated in the manual), and you might need to spray a second coat-big deal.

3. When I've finished painting, I clean with only water (remember, I've only used this with latex so far), and then a second brief stream of oil.

I bought my first Wagner Power Painter in 1993, and it's still working great!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars decent sprayer, September 1, 2008

By 

David Smith "Do the Job Right" (Central Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wagner Wide Shot Power Painter Backpack Paint Sprayer (Misc.)

I found that this sprayer works good if you read and follow the directions in the owner's manual. Also, I have few tips of my own. I recently sprayed my entire house with a wide shot sprayer. After you assemble the sprayer put a few drops of oil in the intake. Make sure the tip holder is screwed in tight and check it while you spray. If you use the hose intake I found that it easier to drill 1/2" holes in the lid and shove the hoses into the bucket. That way you won't spill all the paint if the bucket tips over. If you use the cup, fill it often and make sure it never goes below half full. That way you reduce the chance of sucking air into the intake which tends to cause the gun to "spatter". If you do get spatters, just smooth them out with brush, and respray lightly over. Be aware that this unit can push out a lot of paint so you need to fill your pail or cup often. For cleanup, disassemble and rinse everything with water and place the parts in mineral spirits. I use mineral spirits for cleanup on all my spray equipment. It will dissolve most paint materials and it does have lubricating qualitiies. For spraying heavy latex or acrylic paints, there really isn't anything like the wide shot.