Harbor Freight 2K Primer Gun Recommendation needed.

[SouthernIllinois]

Just getting back into bodywork (as a hobby) after 35+ years.
Which one of these HF guns would be well suited as a 2K primer gun?
Budget is a factor.

The last time I used primer it was Dupont Fill & Sand and a Binks #7.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dnschmidt]

Neither, for high build primer you need a 1.8mm tip and both of these, I believe, are only offered in 1.4mm for the purple gun and 1.3mm for the Spectrum.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Neither, for high build primer you need a 1.8mm tip and both of these, I believe, are only offered in 1.4mm for the purple gun and 1.3mm for the Spectrum.

Gotcha - if the HF website lists the tip size, I can't find it.
Nearest HF is an hour away but I am headed that way anyway for a doctor appointment - I guess I'll just have to look at them in person.

 

[kaymccampbell]

I shoot everything with the $17 purple guns. No complaints.

 

[Steve_P]

I've used an old purple gun for primer for 10+ years. I just enlarged the ID of the nozzle by hand with a small bit and a pin vise. Yes, I know not proper GJ procedure, you can't do that as it'll disrupt the flow and you need a $$$ gun, but it works just fine to spray primer.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

I've used an old purple gun for primer for 10+ years. I just enlarged the ID of the nozzle by hand with a small bit and a pin vise. Yes, I know not proper GJ procedure, you can't do that as it'll disrupt the flow and you need a $$$ gun, but it works just fine to spray primer.

In a former life, I did bodywork for a living. Worked in a high end shop. All our primer guns there were "bored out" Binks #7s. Used a drill bit to enlarge to tip. We didn't even use a pin vise...lol

 

[Steve_P]

In a former life, I did bodywork for a living. Worked in a high end shop. All our primer guns there were "bored out" Binks #7s. Used a drill bit to enlarge to tip. We didn't even use a pin vise...lol

Thinking about it, I did mine 20+ years ago. I can't remember, and am not going to check, but I ordered some spare parts from HF via phone; I think I did one nozzle for epoxy primer and one for high build. And/or maybe one was for latex paint??? All I remember was buying a bunch of spare parts and they shipped from China, were cheap, but probably took a month to get, which was fine. You may not be able to order parts today, but the guns are cheap enough that it doesn't matter; they probably cost the same today as 20-30 years ago, not even adjusting for inflation.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

I ended up buying a Iwata 9236 with a 1.8 tip based on a friend who owns a shop's recommendation.
Gun and regulator for $200

 

[Tynee]

...You may not be able to order parts today...

Just found HF's parts website the other day, if anybody is inerested:

https://www.harborfreight.com/parts

 

[mike93lx]

I ended up buying a Iwata 9236 with a 1.8 tip based on a friend who owns a shop's recommendation.
Gun and regulator for $200

Lol. $10 to $200 for a "budget matters" purchase.

You fit in well here.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Just found HF's parts website the other day, if anybody is inerested:

https://www.harborfreight.com/parts

Thanks - bookmarked that for future reference

 

[dnschmidt]

I ended up buying a Iwata 9236 with a 1.8 tip based on a friend who owns a shop's recommendation.
Gun and regulator for $200

A good choice. I have the same gun with an even bigger tip that I use for polyester surfacer (Evercoat Slick Sand). Simple and works well.

 

[American Locomotive]

I had the same issue when looking for a gun to spray 2k primer - the tip and nozzle were too small. We ended up finding out that the Husky composite spray gun from HD came with multiple needles and caps. A smaller tip suitable for the epoxy primer and a larger one suitable for 2k (can't recall exact sizes off the top of my head). It seems to work well enough for my novice self, although I'm sure a professional wouldn't like it.