Wagner Flexio paint sprayer is an affordable paint sprayer that can save you countless hours if you can get the hang of it. It is not complicated or hard to use but if you have no experience using a paint sprayer there is a little bit of a learning curve.
Not only do paint sprayers paint faster but getting into all the little nooks or groves of a cabinet, trim, furniture, doors, spindles, railing, or pretty much any paint project is much easier with a paint sprayer.
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Projects the Wagner Flexio Paint Sprayer Works Well For
This paint sprayer works great for small to medium projects. Some projects that work well with the paint sprayer are:
- Kitchen cabinets
- Kitchen island
- Outdoor furniture
- Indoor furniture
- Walls
- Decks
- Fences
- Trim – Preferably paint the trim before it is on the walls else taping everything off is time-consuming.
For anything more than one room or a small portion of exterior painting and I would recommend a better quality paint sprayer. You could do large projects with this paint sprayer but there are a few drawbacks that would make the large projects frustrating.
Pros of the Wagner Flexio
- It will work with thick latex paint – I have never thinned a paint yet while using this sprayer
- Handles indoor and outdoor projects well
- Easy to take apart and put together
- Easy to transport
- Can get a great even finish
- Time saver
- Can buy replacement parts
- Gets into places that are awkward for a brush or roller
- It is pretty quiet
Cons of the Wagner Flexio paint sprayer
For how much I like this paint sprayer for certain projects there are some pretty significant cons to it too.
- There is a bit of a learning curve
- It can clog up with thick paint
- The end of the nozzle can accumulate paint and needs wiped off often
- Filled with paint it gets heavy and can be pretty tiring
- There will be overspray – when using inside cover everything, especially if painting a higher surface. Everything will be covered with a fine speckling of paint when you are finished else… Including hair… Make sure to have at least a mask and goggles.
- When using outside make sure there aren’t close-by objects that are in danger of paint speckles.
- When using for longer periods of time my sprayer gets warm. This seems to cause the paint to clog it up faster. This is one reason I only use it for smaller jobs.
- The cord is short and can limit movement
- It needs to be refilled pretty often – also annoying if doing a large project.
Tips for using the Wagner flexio paint sprayer
If you are having problems or can’t seem to get the hang of the paint sprayer here are a few tips that helped me.
- Have a cloth or something to wipe the nozzle of the gun off with often. I find if I wipe the tip off frequently it stops paint from accumulating and I get more of an even spray
- Strain the paint. You can get special paint strainers or simply use some cheesecloth. This will get out debris and clumps that would clog up the sprayer
- Make sure to point the inner tube in the right direction. If you are painting a ceiling make sure to point the innertube back where the paint will pool. If painting something where the gun is pointed forward point the inner tube forward.
- Use a mask, goggles, and if painting a ceiling you will want to cover your hair.
- Have the sprayer in motion before pulling the trigger. Don’t ever stop moving with it else there will be random thick spots that run and drip.
- Don’t be afraid to adjust the settings. Crank up the airflow with thick paints. I usually max out the airflow for thick paints and adjust the paint flow until I get to the coverage I want. I use some cardboard and practice until I get what I want.
- If you can’t find settings that work, you may need to thin the paint.
- There is an O right that needs to be lubed up. After each cleaning put petroleum jelly on the O ring to keep everything working in good condition.
- There is an air filter on the side that needs to be replaced occasionally. Don’t forget to check this before starting a project.
Cleaning the Wagner Flexio Paint Sprayer
Some find it hard to clean but it rarely takes me more than 10-15 mins. When working on a small project it takes me longer to clean the sprayer than to paint which is annoying but painting with a brush and roller would still be longer.
I could be destroying my sprayer but I am not patient. I clean it by dumping any unused paint back in the can then rinsing out the paint cup. I then fill the paint cup with soapy water and run it through the gun.
Run one or two containers full of soapy water through the sprayer and one of just water. This is how I have cleaned the sprayer after several projects and it continues to run.
I have only used an oil-based primer with the sprayer once. Even with mineral spirits, I had a hard time cleaning the sprayer so now I avoid oil-based products with this sprayer. This sprayer can do the oil-based paints easily I just hate the clean-up of it. I plan to invest in a different sprayer for some of my future projects.
Take the sprayer apart and put the parts in soapy water. There is an O ring that I always make sure to pop out and clean. Make sure to put lube on it before putting back together. My sprayer came with some petroleum jelly to use for this. Don’t forget this step! It helps your sprayer be air-tight and work better.
Wagner Flexio paint sprayer versions
There are 3 different types of Wagner Flexio Paint sprayers. They function pretty similar but that a few differences.
Handheld – This includes the Flexio 590. These are easy to move around with. The unit and all accessories are small and easy to travel with and store. The drawback is these tend to be a little heavier and can get tiring for longer projects.
Stationery – Most of the weight for these units is on the ground not in your hand. This makes it easier for longer jobs and not tiring out as quickly. There is a little more to store and haul around with these units. But if you are worried about the weight of the unit this could be a good choice.
Direct feed – These units pull paint directly from the bucket for larger jobs. If you are considering a large job and looking for a direct feed paint sprayer I would avoid these cheaper products. Expect to pay more than a few hundred dollars for a good quality paint sprayer.
I have the Wagner Flexio 590 paint sprayer. I like this one best because of all the adjustable settings. Airflow, paint flow, and spray settings are all adjustable on the Flexio 590. I avoid the sprayers with only high and low airflow settings.
Summary
Wagner Flexio paint sprayer is a valuable time-saving tool for most DIYers. It can be frustrating at first to get the hang of it. But once you do it will knock out paint projects quickly.
Small projects can have a professional finish if done right.
I would not recommend it for large projects. I feel like it is meant for small to medium DIY projects and works great for just that. It could be used for larger projects but with how heavy it is, the short cord, tendency to clog up, and constant refills I don’t think this sprayer is worth it.
For a project like cabinets or rails with lots of angles and groves, nothing beats a paint sprayer. For painting plain walls it may not be worth it to get out the paint sprayer. You can always try this technique for painting faster without taping.
To see all of the Wagner Flexio options check out their website here.
If you have ever tried this paint sprayer or thought about getting one for projects let me know in the comments.
Thanks for the helpful review of the Wagner Flexio Paint Sprayer. I’m trying to figure out if my immediate job (and potential future jobs) would benefit from this paint sprayer or if another option would be better. I’ve definitely got kitchen cabinets to paint but could see this being useful in a room with vaulted ceilings too. Thanks for pointing out the places where this sprayer is going to excel and other things to keep in mind like overspray. I’m much closer to making an informed decision now.
I have used my Wagner Flexio 590 for cabinets several times. That is one project is it great for. If you do use it on a wall or ceiling just make sure to cover whatever you don’t want to be painted. I am glad the review was helpful for you. Best of luck with your projects.
Now this review has given me some food for thought! I have a number of DIY projects that have been slowly building up through the winter. And after the effects of a recent storm I will need to replace a fence panel or two. I may just add a Wagner Flexio 590 to my amazon basket to take a little pressure off of these tasks. I found this article extremely insightful and it is packed with useful tips.
I am glad the review helped. I use my Wagner Flexio for a number of outside projects. You can really knock out some of those dreaded tasks in no time with it.
Last fall I used mine to paint the outside of my detached garage. It is the largest project I have used it for. My arm was a little sore by the time I was done from holding the paint sprayer but it saved me hours.
The handheld Wagner Flexio Paint sprayer looks ideal for all these small projects that I have around the house. I like the fact that the sprayer gets into all those corners that would take an age to paint by hand. I need to do something about the inside of our kitchen cupboards as they definitely need a paint job.
You say the spray ends up everywhere, so if I were spraying inside a cupboard, would I still need to put newspaper down all around the cupboard on the outside, and wear a packet or shower cap over my hair?
It may depend on the paint you use and your settings. But from my experience, I would recommend putting something on the outside of the cupboard and the floor.
The overspray from the Wagner Flexio maybe contained some by the cupboard but some will end up coming out and you could have speckles of paint everywhere. Including your hair if not covered.
This would honestly save me a lot of time on smaller painting jobs, or to go finish up something that might have been missed on a bigger job for sure!
When using larger sprayers, the setup and cleanup take up more time than painting as you mentioned. Not only that but the bigger the sprayer, the more wasted paint.
That might not be a big deal for someone who paints for a larger company, but the clients I usually have are trying to save every penny they can.
That means I need to waste less, so for specific colors that are only being used on small things like trim or perhaps cabinets as you mentioned, this would be ideal to conserve material and still get the job done right!
You make such a great point. The larger sprayers do waste a lot more paint. I purchased a larger paint sprayer for big projects but it always requires more paint.
I still use my Wagner Flexio 590 for smaller projects. Thank you for pointing this out for everyone it’s another good thing to consider when purchasing a paint sprayer.