Airless sprayers hit the market more than 60 years ago and almost immediately revolutionized new construction painting. They are massively productive. However, because of their long and inflexible hoses, their use of extension cords, their siphon tubes stuck into open paint cans, their large physical footprints, and maybe worst of all, their copious amounts of overspray, airless sprayers really are not suitable for residential and commercial repaints. That is, until now. Graco recently introduced the Graco Ultra Cordless sprayer and it is truly revolutionary.

The Graco Ultra solves all these problems and has only a few real negatives. So, before dealing with how the new Graco cordless sprayer solves all the problems which made airless sprayers completely incompatible with residential and commercial repaints, let’s deal with the few negatives. First, these puppies are expensive to buy, at $550 each. Second, they are expensive to maintain. The pumps and motors only last about 100-200 gallons each and replacement pumps are about $150, while replacement motors are a little less, at around $50. At Remark, we give one of these to every paint crew and use them extensively. We put aside $5 for each gallon we run through the sprayers and just resign ourselves to spending whatever is necessary to keep them going. The last negative? Each of the Graco Ultra cordless sprayer comes with two DeWalt batteries (no complaints about the batteries themselves, they are excellent, providing ample power), but you’ll likely need a few more than the two provided.

The Graco Ultra solves all these problems and has only a few real negatives.

Mark Fuqua Founder, Remark Painting

So, now for the good parts. First, as you might surmise from the pictures above, the Graco Ultra, which is a true airless rig, capable of spraying any paint at up to 3000 p.s.i., is handheld. This is revolutionary. Some folks can be forgiven for comparing this truly revolutionary sprayer to the old, totally junk Wagner sprayer they used to advertise on TV, but there is no comparison, other than both being handheld. The old Wagner, which is still being sold, is closer to a paint spitter than a paint sprayer and it was not cordless. This is the first handheld sprayer that is an airless sprayer, and it is truly amazing.

Secondly, the Ultra is cordless as well, powered by DeWalt batteries. So, no cords, which not only means no extension cords stretched across the jobsite, but also no problem with locating power for exterior jobs and little trouble hanging from a toolbelt while climbing up a ladder.

"This tip produces a spray pattern so consistent; it is actually degraded by back rolling."

Finally, Graco has also developed what they call the FF tip. FF stands for ‘fine finish’ and it was developed with the Ultra handheld in mind. It gives a finish that is better than any other normal airless tip, hands down. This tip produces a spray pattern so consistent; it is actually degraded by back rolling. Plus, it atomizes at a much lower pressure, producing 55% less overspray.

All things considered, the Graco Ultra cordless sprayer is probably the best investment a professional painter can make. It is the first sprayer to solve all the problems of traditional airless sprayers that made them more trouble than they were worth for use in residential and commercial repaints. With this sprayer, there is no hose, no cord to drag around, no open bucket of paint and no footprint, large or otherwise. Plus, it produces an unrivaled finish and is extremely productive. Of course, there is a limitation regarding how much paint it can hold, and it is expensive to purchase and maintain, but that is a small price to pay for freedom and the ability to use this most excellent sprayer anywhere and on any job.