Picked a cheap paint sprayer over renting a pro one for my fence

My backyard fence was looking rough, so I had to choose between renting a Graco Magnum for a weekend or just buying a $90 Wagner from the hardware store. I went cheap to save cash, thinking how hard could it be. It took me two full days, the thing clogged every twenty minutes, and the finish is super uneven. Anyone have a better method for a big wood stain job that doesn't cost a fortune?

3 comments

3 Comments

nora_dixon1mo ago

Heard using a cheap roller and brush is actually faster for fences, is that true?

oscar_ellis1mo ago

Oh man, @nora_dixon, that sounds like a total nightmare. A cheap roller just DRIPS everywhere and you'll spend more time cleaning up splatter than actually painting. Those brushes shed bristles like a dog in summer, and you'll be picking them out of your wet paint all day. For a fence, you really want a solid sprayer or a good thick roller made for rough surfaces. Trying to save ten bucks on tools will cost you HOURS of extra work, trust me.

the_joseph1mo ago

Ugh, my last cheap roller left more paint on the ground than the wall.