Is It Safe to Mix and Match Air-Assisted Airless Guns and Pumps?
Guns and pumps for an AAA setup don't have to come from the same vendor. February 21, 2011
Question
Is it possible to use a pump from one company and fit it with a gun from another company? What might the implications of this be if it is possible?
Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor C:
It shouldn’t be a problem. I know several people who use Graco pumps and Kremlin guns.
From contributor W:
I run a Graco Monark pump with a Binks AA1500 gun without any problems.
From the original questioner:
Logic was suggesting to me that the pump just pushes the fluid down the line and would have little impact on the gun but I wanted to be sure. I can get a good deal on a Lemmer pump but I have never liked any of their guns so was looking at a Kremlin or CAT gun to go with it. This will be my first kick at AAA so if anyone thinks of something that I need to be aware of mixing and matching like this I would appreciate hearing it.
From contributor C:
I use a Graco setup only because I've used their spray equipment for 20 years and have had good service and a good rep. I'm a fairly recent convert to AAA, mostly due to this forum, and even though I'm a one man shop that does a lot of specialty coating on metal. I wish I would have bought the AAA for my cabinet contract work way sooner! As far as guns, the Kremlin seems to have the best following with Cat, Binks, and Graco making up the rest. You should expect good service out of any of those choices.
From the original questioner:
Two reasons for considering mixing parts: one is I'm basically cheap and I can get a better price on a Lemmer pump and second I had one of the techs at a coating company suggest that a 30:1 pump seemed to atomize waterborne finishes better. Shops that they were supplying were having problems getting good results with 10:1 and such pumps but that when they brought the finish back to their shop they had no problem with their 30:1. The Lemmer pump is the only 30:1 that I can find locally. That being said I haven't had a chance to ask him about 20:1 as they are readily available.
