Are you looking for a paint sprayer that has some perks but is not going to put a dent in your wallet? Today we are reviewing the Graco Truecoat 360 DS so that we can give you an idea of the pros and the cons associated with this particular model. We’ll discuss it’s features, pros and cons, and comment on its ease of use for those of you sprayers. Are you ready to hear more? Let’s get started!
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So what is with the 360 term in Graco Truecoat’s name?
One of the perks of the Truecoat 360 is that it can spray a full 360 degree without any leaks or other issues to worry about. Pretty cool, huh? Beyond that, it has a number of notable features that we can bring to your attention.
Graco 17A466 TrueCoat 360 DS Features
The Graco Truecoat is a great tool for painting and staining. It comes with a number of features, such as:
- On-Board Tip Storage – In order the house the 4 narrow and the 12 wide tips that come with the unit, Graco has conveniently incorporated storage in the unit for easy switching.
- Dual Speed Control – Use the lower speed setting for more precision and when you want to get things done quickly uou can switch to the high setting.
- Reverse-A-Clean Spray Tip – A reversible precision spray tip for cleaning out the occasional clog.
- FlexLiner Paint Bag System – Completely reusable(as well as recyclable), cleanup with this system is a breeze.
- A Stainless Steel Piston Pump – Utilizes high pressure, allowing you to spray un-thinned paints if you like.
- VacuValve Technology -Let’s you spray air in any direction(upside-down included).
Sounds nice, so what are the pros and cons of this device?
Well, first lets go into the good stuff. Here are some thoughts on what the unit is like that we found most favorable.
The Pros!
- Cleanup is truly easy with the Flex cups – While you can fill it faster than you can clean it, cleanup is not too bad with his model.
- Online help for beginners – Are you new to painting with a Graco or even ANY sprayer? Well, you are in luck. Graco has online videos that can help you get to know your model and soon you will be using it like a pro. It’s a nice touch.
- No need to thin your paint – Do you hate that portion of painting? With this model you can just fill it and go. Depending on the type of job that you are doing and the coverage required, thinning may still be a good idea, but if you don’t want to, you don’t have to and that’s nice.
- Nice and even coat – The Graco 360 provides a nice and even coat when you are painting, which doesn’t sound like much but if you have used some other sprayers in your time then you know what we are talking about. It does what it is supposed to and that is a huge plus in this day and age.
- Seldom clogs – Any sprayer can clog but in inferior models ‘can’ often becomes ‘will clog every 10 minutes’, making you want to hurl it at whatever you are painting. The Graco sprayer, refreshingly, hardly ever clogs. When it DOES(and you won’t see this much), unclogging is easy with the Reverse-a-Clean feature. Reverse the spray tip, employ the airflow, and you are good to go.
- The cost – Retailing at around $179.00 this unit is a powerful little addition to your DIY toolbox that won’t abuse your wallet. Always a plus, in our books!
Now that we have discussed the goodies, let’s go into what we didn’t like about this unit. We realize that nobody is perfect. While we like this unit a lot, there are
“The Graco sprayer, refreshingly, hardly ever clogs.”
some downsides. We’ve compiled a list of them so that you can see if they will be a deal breaker or not even a mild irritation for the projects you have in mind for it.
The Cons
- Takes a little setup for the 360 -The vacuum seal is nice but it can take a little more time than just filling and priming. Not a huge amount, but with the next entry on our list it can be mildly irritating.
- Paint cups could be larger – For larger projects you may find yourself having to refill your Graco handheld sprayer a number of times. They have addressed this issue in another model, the 360VSP, but if you aren’t using it for large projects then you should be okay.
- Power cord could be longer – At about 18 inches, you are going to need an extension cord. That said, most of us DIY’ers have miles of it.
- A little bit noisy – This little workhorse could run a little more quietly so we are citing that as well.
- Better suited for smaller projects – Can you paint a house with it? Sure. You may find yourself refilling a lot. It can handle larger projects but you may want to use the low setting and opt for precision rather than the fast spray in such cases. This will help to ensure that you don’t get frustrated on those larger jobs.
Ease of use
This model is actually quite easy to use. Read the directions or check out the videos and you will be using it like a pro in no time!
The bottom line
The Graco 17A466 is a good value for the money. It is reliable, has nice features, it’s easy to use, and with the money you save by selecting the Graco you can get more materials for even more projects. If you need a good sprayer for your DIY work(and if you hate having to thin and mix your paint) then the Graco 17A466 TrueCoat 360ds might just be the one for you!