"Graco" Good Engineering

I have rebuilt guns, pumps and replaced hoses over the years on Graco sprayers and that has been the extent of work required on the fluid system. They are easy to do and don't take much time. I just had a prime valve go out on a LLIII 3900 and I can't believe how easy and "non-messy" it was to replace. This was on a machine we use for alkyd and thus was not cleaned. The old valve just screwed out and the new one screwed back in - all with paint in the machine. There was not one drop of paint to deal with - no mess - no fuss. Clean, easy and quick. Thanks Graco for a great design!! By the way, the valve needed to be repalced because paint started coming out of the valve stem - - normal wear and tear in my opinion.

Randy, You are a great friend and one of the sharper pencils in this box. But, your appreciation for "good engineering" may apply to your standard operating procedures but not ours. I very much dislike the "all the way on" or "all the way off valve". Makes for dangerous kick back splashes even with the diffuser. Also, on Gracos it is impossible to let the pump mix your paint with the return connected to the suction. For some reason Graco decided to permanently connect the return pipe to the suction pipe. The end of the retun is located right next to the suction causing the same paint to loop not mix with the rest of the paint..... We use our machines for mixing by putting the return at the top of the paint in the bucket and the suction at the bottom while driving the LL's back to the work areas. Being that the valve is a ball type screw valve, you can relieve pressure a little at a time making maintenance work easier and allows for less paint wasted if you are still a "clean-up" after each job person. Graco had good intentions but I wouldn't refer to their bypass system as good engineering.

Those valves will last much longer if you relieve the pressure through the gun before turning it back to "PRIME"

Ken - back when I had SpeeFlo machines, I remember replacing the bypass valve several times. The ball and seat would get eroded and let paint by. The trouble with valves that open gradually is that the pressure pushes paint through them at high velocity and causes the erosion. The snap opening Graco valve is designed to minimize the time when the valve is partially open. I know I should relive the pressure with the gun and not the bypass valve, but I usually don't. I have only replaced a couple of Graco bypass valves in the past two or three years.

I'm with Robert on this one. I've only bought 3 pressure relief valves in EIGHT years(all on different machines) and I NEVER relieve the pressure at the gun, unless I'm in the process of cleaning a machine(which is rare in itself) . Also with a little experience you can achieve a gradual increase/decrease in pressure. Ken. I don't know what type of Gracos you own, but last time I checked my suction and return hoses were seperate. I use the machine to mix in toluene to thin paint in colder temps all the time. Heck even my LL3000 has seperate hoses.

Bob You are right about the Speeflo relief valves going bad. I've bought two and had one contributed to me by Titan for a total of three gone bad on 8 Speeflos since 98. I've had 2 3000's and 3 3900's in the last 2 years and replaced 2 valves. Sold one of the 3000's and one of the 3900's. One of the remaining 3900's has a locked-up pump and the other has a loose gear drive (but still paints). They both need to go back in the shop. The two used Speeflos I bought from Chip ~3 ago haven't missed a stroke and have done ablsolutely nada in repairs. They have had thousands of gallons of paint thru them. I was using one if the 3900's and a 3000 for blue stencils till the other 3900 locked up. I bet it hasn't had 50 gallons of paint thru it since Wendy got it up and running last summer. I must say I haven't had any trouble lately with the 3000. It has been reliable for the last 3 months. No longer loses prime.

Ken, I'd have been disapointed if you were not the first to respond and would have been more disaponited if you agreed with me. Just like a Ford Parson and a Chevy person - - both good trucks but I like Chevy. Let's see, since 98 when I started painting, I have replaced exactly ONE (1) prime valve on a Graco. I NEVER release the pressure at the gun unless I am cleaning a machine set up with latex. All my discharge tubes are separate from the suction tube and I have only had the discharge tube jump out of the pail 3 or 4 times. With almost a dozen pumps inservice, I would attribute only having to replace one valve to good engineering. So I stand by my ATTABOY to Graco Let the games resume . . . . .

Graco 1999 3500 2 pump repacks,1 connecting rod bearing, 2 cables 2001 3900 II 2 pump repacks 2003 3900 III 2 total pumps,6 repacks mostly warranty work 1999 to 2006 2 gun rebuilds

I say whatever works best for you is the machine for you..I have graco's and have sprayed years of paint Thur them and have had to just tighten up a few bolts, always strain paint and I clean my machine every time I use it so clean you can eat off it..I know the cleanup cost is way up there but never have blowouts and no machine breakdowns . On the other hand I have had a airlessco and can't it to paint over two or three lots without breaking down. Same paint same type lots just have never got a airlessco machine to work. I have never painted with a speedflow so don't know about them.

You wouldn't like Speeflos. The Gracos are much more user friendly, stripe a lot easier and straighter. Bottom line is they don't take the abuse we give machines. Sorry about venting. I get really short tempered when equipment doesn't work regardless of the reasons.

Ken, I think part of your problem is buying "used" machines. I'll admit that I've had more problems with the used machines (seriesIII), that I bought in Nov 2005 than the series II machines I bought new in 98-99. It's buyer beware. Maybe you should bite the bullet and pay a liscensed Graco tech to fix them correctly. Since you place such a high dollar value on "your" time, the trade off would be well worth it, by your standard operating procedures. Also, it might help if you quit abusing your machines.

With 100% write off on taxes for new equipment we replace pumps every three years with new. I also agree on having my local s.w.store doing repairs.If it is in our busy season I drop off in morning and pick up the next morning.In winter we do more in house repairs.Their labor rate is reasonable when we are working 14 hr. days,when we slow down we do it our selfs. I do not like someone elses cast -offs.

Reminds me of the old Tareyton commercials.... "I'd Rather Fight Than Switch" I guess the response would be: "I'd rather push a Graco than drive a Titan" LOL

Hello everyone , I had a few questions about striping football and soccer fields. 1) What is the dilution rate for the latex paint? 2) Should I price it by the linear foot like with parking lots? Lower ? Higher? 3) Does anyone have a preference in field marking paint? 4) Could I just use a cheap white latex paint and dilute it 1:1? Thanks in advance for all replies! Ace

Ace Striper wrote on Jul 30, 2006:Go to #14

Hello everyone , I had a few questions about striping football and soccer fields. 1) What is the dilution rate for the latex paint? 2) Should I price it by the linear foot like with parking lots? Lower ? Higher? 3) Does anyone have a preference in field marking paint? 4) Could I just use a cheap white latex paint and dilute it 1:1? Thanks in advance for all replies! Ace

1.) each paint company has their own mix ratio. I use Devoe Paints, they recommend 1:1 2.) I charge by the LF, but I don't do parking lots, so I don't know how the price compares. Charge what the market can sustain. 3.) See #1. it is economical to buy, lasts a week with rain, longer w/o rain. 4.) Done that too.

I'd rather push a titan too vs pushing a Graco that doesn't work. I'll keep buying used Titans but learned my lesson on used Gracos.

I have and would use acrylic paint for marking fields. It has a shine to it that the regular striping paint doesn't have and I mixed it 1:1 ratio. You could get 15 gallons out of 5 if you needed to. It took us about 15 gallons to mark a field including numbers and hash marks. We did not mark the individual hash yard lines. The length of time for us here in the North Texas area is about two weeks depending on how much water and growth the grass gets. They usually cut the grass the morning before we paint so they can get two weeks out of the job. We recently painted a band practice field on an old parking lot that ran from 10 to 10 (yard line), numbers on one side, and hash marks (not yardage hash's). We charged 360 should have been 400 because of the cleaning. Hope this helps.

I hate to say it Ken, but I think dbarnettt is right - you are too hard on your machines. I have only bought 3 new Gracos. All others were cast offs - some kinda new and some needing complete rebuild. After getting them up to "new operating condition", not one has let me down on the job. But then, you have seen how much I fuss about cleanliness and securing them from 3 points in the trailer so they don't get banged around

You just made my case.

Thanks for your input guys. I think the market here in south louisiana will allow me to charge about $500.00 for a football field new layout.