The Best Electric Paint Sprayer — Buyers Guide, Review, and Comparison

What Are Electric Sprayers?

Generally speaking, the electric spraying niche covers every power-coating machine that isn’t pneumatic.

These units are distinctive in that with one purchase, you have everything you need straight-outta-the-box to crack on with your painting projects. This separates these tools from pneumatic sprayers, which in addition to the gun, require ownership of an air hose, couplings, regulators, and a compressor.

Typically running from a mains power supply — although there are some cordless examples such as the Neu Master — these machines propel paint via an electrically driven turbine or hydraulic pump.

Admittedly, there are some exceptions — such as the gasoline-fueled Graco GH230 — but even these commercial-grade units allow you to switch from gas to electric at the flick of a switch.

Furthermore, there are manual paint sprayers — like the Chapin — that propel paint via a hand pump. However, as they’re the same price as many budget electric machines, they’re strictly for technophobes, retrophiles, and masochists — or members of the Amish community.

Types Of Electric Spraying Machines

While the electric power-painting category encompasses a vast array of models to suit different experience levels and applications, there are still only two main electric formats — HVLP and airless.

For an in-depth comparison, check out my HVLP vs Airless article. But, if you just want a brief overview, I have outlined the differences below.

HVLP Electric Sprayers

These machines utilize a high volume of air delivered at a low pressure to propel the coating medium — hence HVLP. Requiring 10 PSI or less, compared to the 50-90 PSI of a standard pneumatic (not electric) gun, they’re seriously efficient — with a minimum overspray meaning less wastage and mess.

An electrical power source drives a fan (the turbine) or a series of fans to push the paint into the nozzle tip, where it is atomized into a fine mist and then propelled onto your target surface. The higher number of fans (or ‘stages’ for the initiated), the more brawny the power output — permitting the machine to drive higher density mediums.

These units are the most popular electric sprayers for the home DIYer due to their fuss-free operation, affordability, and low project-preparation requirements. They’re particularly suited to small to medium-scale jobs, such as revitalizing tired furniture, painting doors and ceilings, and staining shelving.

The HVLP electric category includes compact and portable handheld units as well as large externally-driven turbine machines.

Airless Electric Sprayers

Electricity powers an internal motor, which in turn, pressures the paint inside the hydraulic system — which then pumps the coating medium into the spray gun. This highly-efficient system creates seriously hefty internal loads — typically around 3000 PSI.

This mighty output permits airless electric units to both propel the most viscous of liquids and provide rapid coverage — the speediest in the entire power-painting category.

Hence, these sprayers are typically used for large-scale projects — permitting the DIYer or trade-user to finish their work in a timely manner. Furthermore, their ability to drive dense paints makes them ideal for the most common wall and fence mediums such as latex and chalk.

While there are a few handheld electric airless sprayers — such as the Graco 17M363 — these machines typically feature an external hydraulic pump system, that is usually stand or cart-mounted.

I know what you’re thinking — if there are only two types of electric spray painters, why is this article longer than a George R. R. Martin novel?

This is because manufacturers have developed machines to suit a plethora of applications, projects, and user-requirements. This can make selecting your ideal electric sprayer somewhat challenging — an issue I will address in the next section.

How to Choose the Perfect Electric Spray Painting Machine?

While not exhaustive, here are the key factors you should consider when picking out the ultimate electric power painter.

HVLP or Airless

Handheld or Externally Driven

The downsides are they lack the power of externally-driven turbine and hydraulic units — making them less suited for rapid coverage and propelling thicker paints. Furthermore, the external-powerhouse sprayers allow for fatigue-free operation — since there’s no paint container nor engine in the gun itself, making it remarkably lightweight to wield.

Cordless or Corded

Both airless and HVLP electric sprayers exist in handheld cordless formats. Driven by hefty lithium-ion cells, these machines increase working freedom — permitting you to operate away from mains power sources. Furthermore, by ditching the cord and additional extension cables — they reduce the likelihood of snagging, trips, and strangulation.

However, there are some disadvantages to these battery-fueled sprayers. The main issue is that they carry substantial weight, with the gun housing the turbine or pump, paint container, and the cell itself — making them less than ideal for extended projects where hand stamina may be problematic.

Additionally, you’re restricted by the running time of the battery — meaning frequent breaks for recharging — unless you invest in an army of back-up power packs.

Paint Cup or Direct Draw

Naturally, this does bring with it the downside of weight — the larger the volume of the container, the more paint it holds and therefore the greater the mass you have to wield with one hand.

External hydraulic units, however, feature no cup in the gun. Instead, paint is drawn into the shooter via a suction hose that attaches to the original painting medium container. This makes for significant weight reduction, allowing you to crack on with larger jobs without suffering fatigue.

That said, always ensure the suction tube is secured tightly onto the paint can — wandering or jumping hoses are the enemy of the electric airless sprayer, which can lead to Jackson Pollock-esque artwork on your walls, floors, or carpets.

Pro, DIY, or Budget Grade Machine

Although all my top picks below include only the best electric paint sprayers for sale in the market — there are some differences in standards.

Budget electric sprayers allow an easy-on-the-pocket entry into the power-painting tool category. Ideal for casual use, they’re particularly suited to infrequent home DIYers who will be switching on their machine just a few times per year.

While the coat provided by these affordable electric sprayers will be more than satisfactory — they lack the ultra-atomization required for fine-finishing work. However, they are highly versatile, with units such as the Tacklife SGP15AC advanced electric spray gun coming complete with four interchangeable tips to suit thin and thick mediums.

DIY electric sprayers provide a greater level of durability than their budget counterparts, typically boast additional features that permit extensive tailorability, and usually offer a higher power output than lower-end units — allowing for more speedy coverage.

For example, the DIY-centric Magnum X5 promises a mighty 3000 PSI, comes complete with a pro-grade SG2 gun, and permits user-adjustment of spray pattern, size, and PSI delivery. Furthermore, DIY units such as these are suitable for once-a-week use — ideal for you to crack on with your project at the weekend.

Professional electric sprayers are the ultimate power-painting tools. These hardcore units target the extreme DIYer or trade contractor — rated for daily use, they can withstand serious abuse and extensive throughput.

Most of these machines permit enhanced user-tailorability, upgradeability, and access to a vast array of spare components — the downside being these behemoths of the electric spraying world come at a premium price point.