Customer Reviews

Wagner Power Products 2600 2,600 6 PSI Softspray High Volume Low Pressure Sprayer

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After checking out several models of HVLP sprayers I chose to go with the Wagner, I was not disapointed. The unit is not as loud as I thought it might be. The spraygun seems very well made and adjusts easly. The hose is light and easy to manage. The only disapointment is the manual. It tells you all the adjustments but not how to use them. No examples of what you should adj for which problems. Had the manual been better I would have given it a 5 star rating.

If you are looking for more information about HVLP sprayers, the July 2003 issue of American Woodworker has a product review of these tools. The bottom line? They rated the Wagner 2600 as the "Best Buy" of the 22 HVLP sprayers they looked at. See the article for details about why.

The same issue of AW also has an article on HVLP spray techniques. So when you find the owner's manual for the Wagner to be a little lacking on which gun adjustments to change for a particular spray problem, you can turn to this article for answers.

I've never used the HVLP system before but absolutely love the finish. The quality is smooth and easy w/any material I've used so far, mostly latex paint and shellac. I'm furious that it only comes w/one spray gun and a second costs almost as much as the entire unit. Otherwise I would have given the system 5 stars. It would be very handy to have a second cup so that you can at least run water through the gun to clean it w/out emptying the one cup that came w/it. Plus, it's very difficult (if not impossible) to find a gun from another company to fit the Wagner specs.

I purchashed the 2600 from Amazon to use in my custom entertainment center cabinet business. Most of my finishes are of stained maple using stain and poyyurethane top coat. Out of the box this unit performed great for the first couple of times. I sprayed the stain with perfect control and blended the color perfectly. The poly finish coats went on smooth as silk. Over spry was a little more that I expected, but much less that the conventional syphon spray rig used previously.

I was very disappointed with the check valve which was difficult to clean and being small and delicate was easy to loose, which I did after about the forth cleaning. I installed a new tube and used it without the check valve for several weeks, but had to be careful not to tip the gun or overfill the cup or I got gobs of spray on the project.

I tried to get a replacement for the check valve, but all the listed parts dealers were mostly small lawn mower shops, and when I call them they said they no longer support the Wagner Product.

Last week I had a major failure with the turbine compressor and the motor burned up. I called the factory for support and they informed my they do not have any factory support, no longer make this unit and I had to call someone on the warranty list for help. Everyone on the list I called no longer support the product. Looks like I am "up the creek"

My advice is to pay a little more money and get a product that will perform, but can get support for the product. These things do weare and get damaged through normal use and product support is essential. I am experienced at spray applications, and although the product did perform extremly well for the price, without support it is worthless. Don't waste your money!

I should have purchased a sprayer years ago! I used to dread painting-especially intricate things like picket fences or railings. But this sprayer is convenient to use and easy to clean. I can now paint a 6-panel door in under 5 minutes when it used to take me 15-20 minutes with a brush. And I can clean up the sprayer faster than I could clean a roller or brush! Since it is an HVLP sprayer, overspray is very minimal compared to high pressure sprayers-minimal paint cloud. Plus it is quieter than my compressor. Wagner makes some smaller and cheaper HVLP sprayers that would probably be adequate for spraying stains and laquers, but for spraying latex paint I would get this model (paint still should be thinned). My only complaint is that the power cord is too short-only 6 ft. 10-12 feet would be much better for reaching outlets higher up on a wall. If you can afford it, get this machine-it makes painting easy, fast, and enjoyable when you see the smooth results.

I have been using the 2600 for a bunk bed project and have been extremely satisfied. It is very easy to use, adjust and clean. I have been using a water-based top coat and have not had to thin. The 2600 cleans up very quickly and reassembles easily (my 8 year son can put it back together). I have been getting a great finish. Doing four head boards by hand would have taken forever but this product has has made the project go much faster and easier. I am very happy with this product.

I have been very happy with my Soft Spray 2600. I use it in a small custome furniture shop and it works as advertized. However when I went to the Wagner Web Site to order repair parts my experience was unacceptable. I ordered two packings which each about the size of a half cigarette filter and weigh less. The Wagner Store On line charged me $9.95 for shipping. After one month they have finally arrived destroyed because the were not properly packed. When I contacted Wagner they said they are not responsible because the "Wagner On Line Store " which is reached via there web site, uses their name and logo, and is identical in appearence to the Wagner web site is a different company. Enough said, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a duck to the consumer. Beware of Wagner support.

This sprayer produces a beautiful finish on wood. There will be overspray - I couldn't imagine using this in a living space, I spray in an enclosed garage. But there is far less overspray than the old high pressure gun I used.

I spray relatively thick polyurethane and have never had any trouble making it work. You can get a cheap viscosity checker (I have one which I used when the system was new), but I haven't found this critical - the system works just fine with most finishes right out of the can. I have never tried to spray latex paint or any auto lacquer, can't say how it would work there. Works really well with a 2 pound cut of shellac.

It's very nice to have a non-bleeder system like this one. Relatively few HVLP systems work this way - the bleeder system may be better for the pros, but for an amateur you want to be able to move about without spraying air all over the place including on your just-carefully-sprayed project. I wouldn't consider a bleeder gun.

The gun has a lot of aluminum parts, the high end guns are all stainless steel where they touch the wet stuff. The gun works well, in my opinion, but I suspect that a higher end gun might give you more options for tips, cleaning, etc. If the system had a higher end gun I'd give it 5 stars, I'm considering replacing my gun with a Fuji, but I've sprayed a lot of finish with this one.

I've had this system for 8 years, I use it once or twice a month, usually on furniture projects that are fairly large. I use 3-5 gallons of water based poly each year. Get a very fast drying water-based finish else you'll spend your entire life cleaning the gun.

If you take care of the gun and turbine filters, you will really like this system and it will last a long time. I highly recommend it.

Some bits of advice, for this or any other HVLP spray system:

Don't even think of putting anything in the spray gun can without filtering it. Really. I use a re-usable Binks Strain-it.

Clean the gun every day. Don't forget this even once. I can get two coats of good water based finish on in an evening, 3-4 if I have the entire day and the project isn't too hard to sand (between coats). I clean the gun after the last coat of the day, it's OK to leave the finish in the gun during the day.

Clean everything on the gun. Don't just spray a little solvent or water and call it good. Take the needle out, remove the check valve and disassemble it. Take off the cap, tip and front spring. Flush everything really well. I don't unscrew the inner tip housing every time, but I can't leave it all that long between cleanings.

I usually use water base finishes since I don't want me or my family to breathe all the great chemicals in other finishes, so I can clean it with water. This makes it a lot easier to do a great cleaning job.

Clean the filters on the side of the turbine relatively frequently, not every day but every project. I have had no issues with the turbine, but if the intake filters clog it wouldn't be good. In my one-car closed garage I have to use hearing protection, but you may have a different opinion there.


Some advice on water based finishes for wood:

Right now I'm using Diamond Vogel Old Master Waterborne Polyurethane, seems to work well.

Fine Woodworking doesn't like Minwax or Varathane, the easily purchased ones from HD or Lowes. Hydrocote Resisthane is reasonably priced but it doesn't like some stains, base coats or colors. Cabot is prone to fish-eye, in my experience. General Finishes HP is liked by Fine Woodworking but at twice the price of everything else it costs more than the wood.

This is a reasonably nice product with abysmal documentation. I've used it with several different materials with success.

However, I'm preparing to spray some waterborne lacquer and the product manufacturer suggested a 1mm tip diameter. So I went looking for one.

I spent a half hour searching the documentation and Wagner's multiple web sites for replacement tips. The standard tip is a #3, so a reasonable person would think there must be a #1 and #2, but noooo, #3 is it. Not only that, a replacement #3 tip is $32 and the air cap is $59! Not surprising I suppose when they charge $1.99 for a 5-cent lock washer.

I'm retired from aerospace and a $600 toilet seat is looking like a real bargain.

If it weren't for the aforementioned problems, I would probably give this unit 4 or 5 stars.

I've had the unit for about a month. Several cabinet spray jobs were very nice.

Can't speak, as of yet, to the longevity of the unit, however it does appear and feel to be substantial in quality for the range of price.

Found a source for additional air cap kits, cups, misc parts well below those "aerospace toilet seat" prices ;)

The unit shipped without the wire cup holder, Wagner support suggested I go back to Amazon to "get it right"..... which Amazon did very nicely.

Manual, as mentioned, lacks "how-to/what-if" instructions, but most of the tools I buy have similar manuals... I just wish the Wagner website offered more.

I consider this sprayer a good addition to my stable of other solutions.

Only four stars for now... unit is still too new to rate endurance, the missing part...goes to Wagner's packing mishap, Amazon.... I'll give five stars on customer support.