Fuji vs Earlex - HVLP Spray System

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tri4sale

Daniel
Corporate Member
I've started looking into buying a HVLP Spray Gun system, and have narrowed it down to either Fuji or Earlex. Still working on narrowing down which of each brand I'm going to consider, all depends on budget (but will not be buying the entry sub-$200 systems), but would like to hear feedback from anyone on the two brands.

Also, any thoughts on Gravity Fed versus Bottom Feed cups for the paint holder?
 

chris_goris

Chris
Senior User
I recently bought the Fuji Mini mite 4 with the quart cup gun. I only bought the quart cup gun because I was spraying lots of paint on a complete set of kitchen cabinets. In hindsight, I probably couldve gotten by with the smaller gravity fed gun. The downside for me was the sheer size of the cup. It was difficult to maneuver in certain situations. The large cup/gun combo from Fuji does have some sealing issues though that is inherent in their design, but manageable. I also did have an issue with the gun that Fuji readily resolved as fast as they could, so I would rate their customer sevice as second to none.
 

ehpoole

Administrator
Ethan
As a rule, gravity fed guns are much simpler to clean up after the fact as they have a very simple finish patch. Literally empty the cup, wipe it out as best you can with a paper towel, then add a few ounces of solvent (whatever solvent is appropriate for the finish), swish it around the cup and then feed the solvent through the gun to clear everything, wipe the cup one last time. And when you are completely done with the job (not between every coat) you may consider breaking down the gun just to verify that everything is clean (most of the time it will be, but the after-job break down makes it easy to ensure that no finish ever accumulates, especially for thicker finishes).

If you do not want to spray the solvent through the gun under power, then you can simply fill the cup with solvent and allow it to run through the spray gun under gravity alone (that is, with no compressed air). Some will use dirty solvent for the initial full cup rinse, then follow up with another pass of much cleaner solvent to finish the cleaning. You can save the finish to reuse a multiple times until it gets too contaminated. Use whichever cleaning style works best for you.

Beyond that I can not comment on the turbine systems themselves as I use an air compressor driven HVLP spray gun.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
I have the older model Earlex 5000 that's performed well for me as a novice to spray finishing. I've used it for solvent based finishes like Waterlox or shellac in DNA, but haven't tried a water-borne finish.

Check out the newer model Earlex 5500.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lehXSNzqlpE

Complete disassembly and thorough cleaning after each use is not an issue for me. The solvents for cleaning are expendable and overall they're small $.
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
I have a older Fuji "Q3" system and 2 guns 1 quart cup & 1 touch up cup. A top feed cup seems very awkward with the weight up top. I like my system it has performed well. At one time I sold the original Earlex system. It was trouble pron and we had lots of returns. I am not up on new better made Earlex

Pop
 

ehpoole

Administrator
Ethan
I have a older Fuji "Q3" system and 2 guns 1 quart cup & 1 touch up cup. A top feed cup seems very awkward with the weight up top. I like my system it has performed well. At one time I sold the original Earlex system. It was trouble pron and we had lots of returns. I am not up on new better made Earlex

Pop

To be honest I have never really found gravity fed guns to feel awkward, probably because the added weight of the cup gets largely balanced out by the weight of the air hose below, so it is usually a rather balanced feeling, especially with the quart sized and smaller cups. The liter/half gallon cups can be a bit more top heavy, but you would only normally notice it if spraying a flat horizontal surface, but, then, how often do we need to lay down nearly a half gallon of finish in a single pass (such is certainly rare for me)? The only catch with gravity fed is that you can not hold the gun at greater downward angle (towards you) than level without the risk of spilling finish through the breather hole, but there is rarely a need for such extremes (and if you need that level of flexibility a remote pot is likely better suited for the sake of maneuverability).

But what ultimately matters is that we each buy and use what works for us, so these are my experiences.
 

drw

Donn
Corporate Member
I recently bought an Earlex 5500 (on sale at Klingspor) and used it for the first time this weekend to spray both a primer coat and latex enamel on face frames for the bathroom vanity in the master bath. Until this weekend, I had never used a sprayer on any of my projects. That said, I was very pleased with the Earlex and with the results. I was a littler awkward with the primer coat, but the learning curve is relatively quick. By the time I finished the third coat of the enamel, I felt confident with what I was doing. I can't offer any comparisons with the Fuji System, but I am very pleased with the Earlex 5500.
 

garymuto

New User
Gary
Fine Woodworking just did a review on HVLP Sprayers. the Fuji came out as best Value and one of Best Overall as I recall. It was the lowest price sprayer in the top tier of performance. It was Sept/Oct 2014. Here is a link to the article but it is for members only.

If you PM me I can give you details. I would rather not distribute copyrighted materials.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/tool-guide/article/tool-test-turbine-hvlp-spray-systems.aspx

The Earlex HV5500 came in as a best value and two Apollo sprayers tied with the Fuji Mini-Mite 3 T series. The conclusion was the Mini-Mite was a better choice for Pros but the earlex did well. The Earlex was not as ergonomic and I've heard not as durable. Great for Hobby work though.

BTW, I have the Fuji but no experience with Earlex. I'm very happy.
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I also have the Fuji Mini-Mite 3 and am very happy with it. I've noticed there is a Mini-Mite 2 (2 stage) but I don't know how it compares. I mainly spray water based finishes, mostly Resisthane. I had to learn to set the guy correctly, the Fuji gun will put out a WIDE pattern and drain the cup very quickly (I have a 1 guart bottom cup). It can be dialed down to a very small pattern too, however. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the resulting finish. When I do my part, it will be nearly glass smooth. I have an extra cup I keep filled with water. When I am done with a quote, I spray water for a bout 30 seconds, then a second cup of clean water and finally another clean cup with water. I keep the finish in the other cup for the next coat. This cleaning technique is pretty painless.
 
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