05 Sep

Graco Magnum X7 Airless Paint Sprayer Review

There are many jobs around the home that we habitually put off doing as they are either tedious or time-consuming. Painting is one such. Well, if you had a Graco Magnum X7 airless paint sprayer sat in the garage, you would perhaps think differently.

You could, of course, get professionals decorators in and you would be guaranteed a great result, but it will cost you a lot, and you’ll also have to get them back when you need further work done. That’s where airless paint sprayers come in, as we know that one of these clever and easy to use machines will make your life a lot easier.

The model we are going to talk about here, the Graco Magnum Pro X7, it’s from one of the leading brands in the world of quality paint spraying equipment, so let’s have a look at it in a little more detail, and give you an idea of what it is all about. There are many Graco X7 reviews out there, but we hope to provide the most detailed and actionable guide to date.

Introducing the Graco X7 airless paint sprayer

The Graco Magnum X7 is one of many different excellent sprayers from the Graco range, and this one is a particularly impressive model for both homeowners and professional decorators. This paint spray machine comes on a well-constructed frame and stand with wheels attached, making it easy to move from place to place (if you need something super portable, check out this handheld paint sprayer by Graco), and is ideal for smaller to medium jobs that require a fast, flawless finish.

Nevertheless, this one comes with the very clever Graco ‘airless’ technology – about more of which later – and is very much recommended by any number of satisfied users. The stand also allows for the hose to be tucked away nice and neatly when not in use, so the while machine can be stored without taking up too much space.

These Graco Magnum X7 airless paint sprayers are made from high-quality materials for a longer life and is designed not only to be easy to use and adjust but also easy to clean and maintain, and although not the cheapest on the market, is sensibly priced for a model of this quality and from such a highly regarded maker. Let’s have a look at some of the potential uses for this machine, so we can advise who it may be useful for.

Who is this airless paint sprayer best for?

This model is primarily targetted towards homeowners, semi-professionals or odd job decorators that may use it a handful of times a month or less. If you fall into any of the below categories then this could be the best paint sprayer for you:

• Homeowners looking to decorate a handful of rooms every 6-12 months
• Homeowners looking to spray the entire exterior of their house
• Tradesmen that require an airless paint sprayer in storage in case the need arises
• ‘Odd job’ men that may spray a couple of small rooms a month

Who this machine isn’t really suited for:

• Professional decorators looking to buy a paint sprayer to use heavily daily/weekly
• Industrial sectors looking for a heavy duty sprayer for the work site
• Manufacturing lines or factories that require a permanent spray solution

That said, there’s no reason why a professional decorator or contractor couldn’t use the Graco Pro X7 to great effect, it’s robust and extremely fast, but it’s just not built to withstand constant heavy usage and will most likely break after a few big jobs. There are bigger, more powerful commercial paint sprayers on the market that will probably be better suited to larger, more regular jobs that require a professional grade machine that can be repaired, customized and serviced.

So, what can you use this airless paint sprayer for?

Let’s say you have a few rooms you would like to redecorate around the home, perhaps because they are becoming tired, have heavy usage and the walls get dirty quickly (kids bedrooms for example!) or your wife simply wants new color schemes every 12 months.

If any of these sound familiar, then the Graco X7 is an ideal machine to buy as it will provide you with plenty hours of constant, reliable performance and will allow you to cover large areas without any effort at all. You will get professional results with just a little practice, and it will be far easier than painting with the rush and roller method.

However don’t be put off if you are looking for a sprayer to use for other jobs around the home, garden or in commercial premises, as the Graco X7 could still be an excellent choice. Here are some of the jobs that a Graco airless paint sprayer can help you save a lot of precious time and money.

• Painting all internal rooms, walls, and ceilings
• Protecting the exterior of your home with specialist waterproofing masonry paint
• Painting outdoor fencing and decking (it’ll paint it 30x faster than you can with a brush!)
• Painting outhouses, barns and garages

Watch it in action

 

As you can see, whether you have a length of fence you need to paint or a whole house the decorate, the Graco X7 will handle most jobs without much of a fight, and it’s more than capable of painting sheds, other garden buildings, exterior doors and any other large surface area you can think of. (P.s – when used outdoors, you’ll be extremely thankful for the wheels on this model)

Design Features of the Graco Magnum X7

If you’ve got this far in our Graco X7 review, I think it’s safe to assume that you’ve probably agreed with most of the points made in the sections above about who this airless paint sprayer is best suited for and the jobs it can undertake (if you’ve decided this isn’t the model for you, we have more reviews of the best airless paint sprayers you can buy).

Okay, so now you know this sprayer is a good fit for the work you need to do to let’s run through the main standout features and function that make the Graco Magnum 262805 X7 an excellent contender for some space in your home.

It uses Airless paint spraying technology

Airless technology is one of the newer technologies to hit the mass market and whilst the term ‘airless’ may sound confusing at first, it will make complete sense in a moment. Put simply, airless technology works by using powerful compression, instead of large external air compressors or turbines to drive the paint through the hoses.

When spraying with an airless paint sprayer, a piston rapidly fires up and down similar to a car (powered by an electric motor) which causes huge pressure build up inside the machine, then when you pull the trigger the paint is allowed to escape via the nozzle and the pressure in the machine will drop, at which point the motor kicks back in to build the pressure back up.

The biggest benefit of airless paint sprayers is they’re easy to use and are completely self-contained, meaning you don’t need air hoses, pressure gauges and all the other complicated fittings that go with more traditional paint spraying methods.

Graco patented Autoprime feature

Priming an airless paint sprayer is the process of removing all air from inside the paint sprayer and filling it up with paint. It’s normally performed before you start spraying and can take 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the paint and powerfulness of the machine.

Autoprime is a function that is very welcome indeed, and one that makes the Graco X7 stand out amongst many of its rivals in this class. This feature is designed to ensure that priming is done quickly and efficiently, so that you can get on with the job at hand as easily and effectively as possible.

Stainless Steel parts

The use of quality materials, such as highly durable stainless steel, in the construction of the Graco Magnum X7 makes it as strong and dependable as any such machine can get, and this also guarantees a longer life for your paint sprayer, no matter how much you use it. Many cheaper airless paint sprayers, such as the ones found on eBay are built with poor quality metals which warp, sheer and literally start to fall apart.

As with all good power tools, the quality of the materials used either makes or breaks a product. Airless paint sprayers work under very high pressures and therefore require strong, well-made materials to perform well. As the saying goes, buy right or buy twice.

Handy stand and cart/wheel system

The clever design of the stand for the Graco Magnum X7 which doubles as a cart so it can be moved around very easily is a welcome bonus, and also includes provisions for the hoses and cables to be tucked away neatly and efficiently, so it will not take up too much room when it is put away in your garage or shed.

Whilst not a standout feature, airless paint sprayers are not light to move around all day so if you’re spraying around a large house or fencing outdoors, trust me when I say you’ll be thankful for the wheels.

Paint pail hook

This may seem like a small touch, but it has some pretty big implications. With most normal airless paint sprayers, your paint pail sits on the floor and the suction hose from the sprayer will sit in it. This is great until you need to move the machine 10 meters to the left. You now have to try and move the sprayer and the paint pail at the same time to avoid dripping paint from the suction hose all over the floor on the way.

What this paint pail does is a) holds the paint buckets handle to ensure the suction hose can reach the bottom and use all the paint, but more importantly, it lifts and carries the heavy paint pot with you wherever you move the machine!! If you’re spraying a long fence that requires you to move often, this ingenious design touch will save you a hell of a lot of stress when moving around.

These are just a few of the features that make the Graco Magnum X7 a contender when looking for an airless paint sprayer in this class and level of budget, but we’d like to go into a little more detail about some of the other pros and cons, so that you understand fully the benefits you are getting from the research and development that has gone into the Graco range.

Benefits of the Graco X7

• No Paint Container Restrictions – the Graco X7 draws paint straight out of the paint pot, so you’re not restricted to a small pot built into the machine.
• Piston Pump – The Graco X7 airless paint sprayer comes with a durable, stainless-steel piston pump provides a strong and constant spray of paint over a uniform area, resulting in easy use and an excellent result that is second to none.
• Adjustable Pressure – the ability to easily control the pressure means you can modify the flow of paint to how you need it to be, so resulting in thinner of thicker coatings and more efficient use of paint.
• Power Flush – the Graco Magnum X7 comes with a clever adapter for ease of cleaning; simply connect your machine via the Power Flush to a garden hose, turn it on, and you flush the machine clean in no time at all. Cleaning of the rest of the machine is also very simple, and maintenance is kept to a minimum.
• Filters – clever systems within the machine are intended to minimise overspray, which can be a very large problem with lesser-quality machines, so again you get greater effectiveness and efficiency with the Graco.

The machine also has several other clever touches – including a plug that glows when in the socket so you can see when it is on – and is notably easy to use, so let’s sum up with a quick look at why this could be the paint sprayer of choice for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most common questions not featured in our review of the Graco X7 model, hopefully it answers any final questions you may have.

Can I use the Graco Magnum X7 with both oil and water based paints?

Yes absolutely. Nearly all airless paint sprayers can be used with both oil and water based paints and the X7 is no exception.

How messy is an airless paint sprayer?

As with all airless paint sprayers, they can be quite messy and do require quite a bit of room preparation before you can start spraying. This will include covering all windows, fittings, floors, and doors. It’s worth knowing that you can reduce the amount of ‘overspray’ by using smaller, more controlable spray tips which can be purchased online separately (pictured below).

How do I control the size of the paint spray?

You can vary the width of the spray pattern by purchasing different airless spray tips with set widths. These can be bought on Amazon or from many local retailers.

Can I spray trim work such as window frames with the Graco X7?

It is possible, however it’s not easy. Because of the speed of an airless paint sprayer, it’s extremely difficult to do more delicate work without getting paint build ups and drips. Again you can purchase smaller spray tips which are much more suited towards gloss paint and spraying trimwork but you’ll certainly need to have some good practise behind you before you can get a perfect finish on more detailed work.

Graco X7 Review Conclusion

The Graco Magnum X7 comes from a leading maker that has put many years of experience into designing and perfecting paint sprayers, and that shines through not just in clever and advantageous touches such as the airless technology, but also in the overall quality of the machine.

This is a very well built paint sprayer that will be perfect for smaller jobs around the home or even bigger tasks that would usually need a more expensive device, and it could easily be used by a professional to great effect.

If used correctly, and to the manufacturer’s instructions, and cleaned after every use – which is easy thanks to the Power Flush function – the Graco Magnum X7 will undoubtedly provide the home user of contractor with many years of reliable usage and excellent results, and while not the cheapest on the market, it’s is a very good value machine when compared to other paint sprayers in this class.

If you do purchase one this great machine and stumble across any issues such as ‘Graco X7 won’t prime’ then there’s a great video on Graco X7 troubleshooting that you can find here. They also provide an easy to read Graco Magnum X7 manual just in case you lose yours.