I painted my 2 story cedar clapboard house with a 4" roller about 5 years ago. If you have ever done this sort of thing before, you know that it takes a certain amount of physical effort to get a full coat of paint up into the horizontal corners of each clapboard. My back, painting arm, and shoulder were very sore by the time that I was done so I vowed to find an easier way.

I considered a Wagner cup sprayer but the Amazon reviews were average to very poor. I considered a Graco cup sprayer which had much better reviews. I actually checked one out in person at a big box store but it was relatively heavy even when it was not filled with paint. I did not want to trade a sore arm with a brush for a sore arm with a cup sprayer.

The Graco X5 is an entry level airless sprayer that produces the results of a higher end sprayer. A few observations for other novice painters:

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:

1. The sprayer is very well made and durable despite its light weight. I imagine that a full cup sprayer probably would have weighed 5 or 6 pounds. The X5 spray gun probably weighs a half pound or less.
2. DO NOT SKIP THE OWNERS MANUAL. You will need to invest some time in learning how to operate this machine. The manual is very easy to understand and it goes through each step with helpful illustrations. The DVD is even more useful. I watched the DVD with the equipment spread out in the front of me on the living room floor.
3. Set-up takes a lot longer than brush or roller painting. As long as your surface is clean, you can start painting with a brush or a roller right away. Sprayers require you to cover any and everything that you do not want to get overspray on. I actually bought a very lightweight aluminum shield (36") at a big box store for less than $18. This was very helpful. I recommend getting the smaller version as well. The large one was too big to fit the corners of smaller windows. This can save you set-up time if you do not mind razoring off any small amounts of overspray once it dries.
4. Once you are properly set-up, the actual spraying goes VERY QUICKLY! I painted a 12' x 20' shed in less than 30 minutes. I did what I think is a very good job even though I never used a sprayer before in my life. Given how rough and "thirsty" the siding was, I believe that it would have taken an entire day with a brush or roller.
5. You will use more paint than you are used to. I suspect that expert users can minimize paint loss more easily than I can but I feel like I used 50% more paint than I was expecting.
6. The online picture does not look like it but this sprayer will accept the more cost effective 5 gallon buckets of paint. This prevents you from having to frequently change smaller cans and it prevents paint loss from leaving all the smidges of unused paint behind. (I saved the cans for touch-up jobs that can be handled with a quick brush.)
7. Since I was painting outside, I placed both the sprayer and the paint can on a 2' x 4' piece of plywood. This provided a more stable platform for the sprayer and minimized chances of the can getting kicked, falling over, etc.

PROS:

1. Great value for the money from a respected name in the industry. I paid $280 for this unit with free shipping and obviously no taxes. I saw the same unit at a big box store for $299.
2. Sturdy and durable with easy to understand features. Will withstand all respectful wear and tear.
3. Paint gun is extremely lightweight and easy to use. This said, it is made completely from metal so it is very, very durable.
4. Produces great results with minimal effort.
5. Like all sprayers, it does a great job of reaching areas that are not readily accessible with brushes or rollers. Gutters were an absolute SNAP with superior results to boot!
6. If you are using a heavy paint like exterior latex then make sure that you water down the paint. If it is too thick then the sprayer will not be able to draw the paint and it will lose suction. A LITTLE WATER GOES A LONG WAY. Add a few ounces to a gallon of paint to begin with. That worked for me. It is easy to learn as you go but always start with less water than you think you need and work your way up.

CONS:

1. Sprayer loses suction when you draw down to about 2" of paint remaining in the can. I have to wonder out loud if a stronger motor would have been able to draw down further prior to losing suction. I got around this by moving on to the next can and then pouring the balance of the previous can into the can currently in use (once there was enough room). Keep this in mind if your job hovers around needing a full gallon. You will need to manage your paint supply in order to ensure that you will be able to draw adequate suction until your job is done. (So maybe you could buy an extra quart or a full gallon can if you think that you will be able to use it in the future.)
2. As with any sprayer, set-up and clean-up take longer than brush, roller, or cup sprayer. Even so, I still saved days in completing my house and saved physical wear and tear on my body as well.
3. The sprayer is light and easy to move around. Even so, I think that I might have appreciated a higher end Graco with wheels. Not a big concern but something to consider if you are thinking about spending a little extra.

All in all, this is one of the best purchases that I have made in a while. I am pleased and proud to give this tool 5 stars. Please let me know if you have any questions.

They shouldn't sell these to the public LOL… You should've seen the mess I made the first time I use this! It was a heck of a lot of fun though :) in all seriousness, Graco makes the best paint sprayers in the world with just a little bit of practice you can be painting like the professionals in a day. I strongly suggest if you're new to spraying that you watch their videos and learn the techniques before you actually try and spray your house or fence. I have some knowledge of the use of sprayers so aside from learning the mechanics I needed to familiarize myself with the features of this unit. I was very impressed with the self priming feature and most importantly the cleaning feature. Believe me, if you buy a unit that does not have a flushing feature you will regret it. Think about this for a moment, you have 75 feet of hose and a pump full of paint. How do you clean that? Before the self flushing units were invented you had to get a 5 gallon bucket of clean water and run it through the system and just keep doing that until it came out clean. After that you would put some pump lubricant in the system and you are good to go. This could take upwards of 30 to 45 minutes, the same thing is now accomplished in about five.

This machine sprays a very consistent output which is incredibly important when it comes to spraying. If you buy a cheap unit you wind up with light spots and runs which make the entire job inexpensive mess. I was rehabbing my fiancé's house and agreed to do all the paint work prior to sale. Initially I used it to seal the walls in the basement using a thick primer on cinderblock. The sprayer worked perfectly. Next, I did the side of her house which was made of aluminum siding and let it dry. The results were amazing, it looked like we hired a professional. I did the rest of the house and now the neighbors complement her on how nice her house looks. I'm sure you've heard the expression "you need the tools for the job", by this unit and if you don't like it the manufacture stands behind the product. You can always return it. I love mine and take care of it like a baby. Good luck with your painting project, I hope this review helped.

I painted my 22'x24' horse barn in 2hrs using 3 1/2 gal of paint on OSB board with good coverage. Yes, the over spray is an issue. I used tape, or piece of cardboard but it's a horse barn so I wasn't upset. I would however, buy an extension wand sprayer if I was doing the house or trim. This is an excellent product for the home owner.

Solid enough. Learned that paint that has primer in it is too thick to run through this machine though....Behr Premium Plus will clog it like a roll of toilet paper in the toilet bowl.