As an auto body teacher I have probably painted and graded over 1,000 different cars painted with a variety of spray guns. When asked about what the best automotive spray gun is the answer depends on what the person’s needs are. For the guide below I have divided it into two parts. Part 1 will educate the reader on what to look for before purchasing a paint gun and Part 2 will cover my choice for 3 auto spray guns that I recommend depending on the person’s particular needs.
If you are an individual and don’t know much about spraying your car, we can make it easy on you. Here is a list of our favorite picks for automotive paint guns for 2017 and their current prices.
| Current Prices | Sprayer | Best Uses | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check Prices | Devilbiss Finishline 4 | Best for Personal Use (some experience) |  |
| Check Prices | Eastwood Concours HVLP Paint Gun | Best for a Beginner (students/ novices) |  |
| Check Prices | Iwata Supernova Spray Gun | Best for a Business (commercial painters) |  |
Finding the Best Automotive Spray Gun- What to Look For?
Doing your own research it a wise decision before purchasing a paint gun for your car. Here are the top things to look at before making an investment in purchasing an paint gun for your vehicle.
Students researching various paint guns
Quality
One of the first factors that you will want to consider is the quality of the paint gun. You don’t want the gun that you purchase to be made with low quality standards, because if it is you will likely have a low quality paint job. This is why you should shop from some of the most trusted names when it comes to a new automotive spray gun. When it comes to auto paint guns, companies such as Devilbiss & Iwata are among the favorites for auto professionals.
Type
Next, you need to consider the type of automotive spray gun you will use. There are three basic types, and they include conventional, airless and HVLP. The conventional sprayers will actually use an air compressor to power and push out the paint. An airless sprayer uses electrical or battery power, and the HVLP uses low pressure and low air. They each have their advantages and disadvantages, so it may be a good idea for you to research it first.
Cost
One big factor that comes into play when you are shopping for an automotive spray gun is the cost. This is where it gets somewhat sticky.
Auto shops may want to invest more money into paint guns
Some of the least expensive paint guns will actually not be able to provide you the quality coat you are looking for, and some of the more expensive guns may not really seem worth it to you if you are only going to be painting one car. If you are getting it to start a vehicle painting business, that is one thing- but if you are looking to just paint your car once, it may not be cost effective. Some of the lower end models will range from around $100 and up, and the higher end models can start out around $500 and go up from there. It just depends on how much you are willing to put into it.
Needs
When choosing any type of paint gun, whether you are painting a car or painting your house, there are plenty of good choices. When giving car paint spray gun reviews I tend to break choices up in how often the person needs to use the gun and the budget of the person. We will look more into this later in the article.
Choosing Just One
With many different models on the market, it can seem impossible to choose just one. So, what do you do when you really want to get the best one out there, but they all seem to be the same? It is a good idea for you to take a look at them side by side. Compare various factors, including the specifications, features, price, and consumer likability. When you do this, it can help to make your decision a whole lot easier. Just remember, quality should come before cost. You may find that you have to pay a bit more for a high quality automotive spray gun for your vehicle.
Finding the Best Automotive Spray Gun- 3 Picks
While many of my previous posts I have used reader’s suggestions on their choice for best paint sprayer/gun I chose to write this post on finding the best automotive spray gun myself. As an auto body teacher with over 15 years of painting a variety of cars on a regular basis I feel that I am an expert in picking a good paint gun. I often get asked the question by students and my co-workers on “What type of paint spray gun to paint a car?” My reply is usually “it depends”. With that being said, here are three auto paint spray guns I have confidence in endorsing, depending on your needs and wants.
Disclaimer: We recommend taking a class or speaking to an expert in auto body painting before attempting to paint your primary car. I suggest practicing painting on a junker car or one that you can afford to have problems with first.
Car Paint Spray Gun Reviews
- Best Spray Gun for Personal Use
- Best Spray Gun for Newbie’s
- Best Spray Gun for Businesses
# 1 Best Automotive Spray Gun for Personal Use – Devilbiss Finishline 4 HVLP Gravity Feed Paint Gun
If you have ever worked in an auto body shop, most likely you have seen a Devilbiss auto paint gun somewhere. While not traditionally used to paint a house or interior walls, this gun is made specifically for painting cars. Here are some of the awesome features of this gun.
The Devilbiss Finishline 4 in action at our school
- Price– Unlike some auto spray guns that might cost you several hundred dollars, the Devilbiss can be found for just around $200. With this price you get everything you should need to paint your car outside of a few cleanup items.
- Little Overspray– Because it is a HVLP model (High Volume Low Pressure) there is very little overspray when spraying a car. Higher end airless sprayers tend to have much more overspray than HVLP sprayers.
- Great Reputation– Devilbiss has been a very popular choice for auto body technicians for years, great customer service and beats that knock off brands
- Lightweight– At just about 2 lbs this is easy to handle and is easy to operate for an extended amount of time.
#2 Best Auto Spray Gun for Newbie’s– Eastwood Concours HVLP Paint Gun
At a little lower price than the Devilbiss, the Eastwood Concours HVLP Paint Gun is also a popular choice for those looking to paint a vehicle. While I would choose the Devilbiss as a better choice for a shop or someone that is painting cars regularly, the Eastwood would be an excellent choice for someone painting their own car or who paints cars as a hobby. Let’s take a look at some of the best features
Student using the Eastwood Concours
- Price– At about $50 less than the Devilbiss, the Eastwood is light on the wallet. Many of my students will buy the Eastwood as their 1rst automotive paint gun when they enter my class as they can generally find this model for under $150 online.
- Good Car Paint Spray Gun Reviews– Like the Devilbiss, Eastwood gets excellent views from those in the know. Check out what Hotrod magazine has to say about this product in their review section.
- Easy to Use– From a teacher standpoint, I think that the Eastwood Concours HVLP auto gun is great for students and other “newbie’s” that are just learning how to paint a car. It has a little more overspray than the Devilbiss, but it is gentle and lightweight, two things that are great for those just learning.
#3 Best Auto Spray Gun for Businesses– Iwata Supernova Spray Gun
While this is the probably the best automotive spray gun overall, the price tag on the Iwata Supernova is something that makes it only useful for those with a lot of extra money or who are buying a paint gun for a business. The Iwata is stocked with great features, here is just a few.
Iwata Supernova Paint Gun ready to paint
- The Head Honcho– While not for everyone, the Iwata Supernova auto paint gun is easily the best overall auto paint spray gun. I like to compare this for those who are laptop shopping as they can spend up to $2,000 on an awesome laptop with everything, but can easily get an excellent laptop for $500.
- The Business Model– If you are opening a shop or already own an auto body shop, I would highly recommend at least owning one of these spray guns. While I rarely use this in my auto body class, I do own one at home and will use it if I am doing any private paint jobs on the side. If running my own shop I would own 1 or 2 Iwata’s and probably 4-5 Devilbiss and/or Eastwood Concours HVLP paint guns.
- Hardly any Overspray– Overspray and missed spots are few and far between with the Iwata Supernova Spray Gun. While the Devilbiss is similar when it comes to painting, this paint gun is easily the best car paint spray gun when it comes to cleanup and no overspray.
- Speed– The speed at which a professional can paint a car is probably cut down 15-25% when using the Iwata Supernova, so if you are a business you will easily make back your $600-700 investment in the first few weeks of using this paint gun.
Overall Analysis on Finding the Best Auto Paint Gun
All three spray guns I mentioned would be a great choice if you are painting your own car or doing a project or two. Like any paint gun, it is wise to pick the best automotive spray gun to fit your own needs. If you are a full-time business you can go wrong with the Iwata Supernova. If you paint regularly and are looking for a cheaper option, the Devilbiss is something that I strongly encourage. If you are new to painting or just needing an automotive paint sprayer for a project or two, the Eastwood Concours HVLP is something that I highly recommend.