Need sum advice on a good basecoat gun and what size nozzle to get. Been leaning towards the Iwata lph400lvb with the purple cap but don't no what size nozzle would be the best. I have read in other forums that people have used the 1.3 but end up with dry spots until they switched to the 1.4 and that cured the problem. I also read thar PPG & Dupont recommends the 1.3 nozzle. I have a Satajet 4000 brp digital with a 1.3 nozzle I am going to use for clear coats. Money is no object and I have painting cars and motorcycles for about 10 years but haven't done any painting for the last 8. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I would also consider any other brands for basecoat to.

first post here as I just registered and I am far from even being a novice. I have only used SATA guns through my local community college so that is what I will buy soon. The teacher there was a SATA guy and that is what we learned with. We sprayed Glasurit 90 line which is waterborne and used a HVLP 1.3 gun and an RP 1.4 for clear and it turned out nice.

this way right after the clear was put on. It is cut and buffed now hanging on the wall.

Starstick -
What type of environment are you painting in? If it's a really dry environment (winter, desert SW, etc.), then a 1.3 may go on too dry with many of the paints. The Iwata atomizes into a large fan, and it tends to lay down a little better if the droplet size is a little larger. Go with the 1.4, and adjust your distance/speed.
My $0.02 worth.

I used a Graco Sharpe FX-3000 with a 1.4 mm tip to spray both mica and metallic base coats. It worked beautifully. It's an inexpensive gun, but what the heck. Why spend $500 when $117 will do the job.

Why do you want such an OLD model? the Super Nova is the Best

http://www.iwatausa.com/products/supernova.cfm

- SUPERNOVA
LS400 HVLP, LS400H Hybrid, HVLP-Full-sized, HVLP-Compact, HVLP-Miniature,HVLP-Primer, HVLP-Specialty,W400-LV Compliant Spray Gun, etc.


Lays clear out Like Glass a friend of mine has two of them uses them All day long wanna get your hand cut off just try to touch one of them he is very partial to them.

I love these topics. Its always whats better a harbor freight gun or a high line $500.00 + gun.

For me I would have to say theres a top 3 pick in my book.

BASE COAT GUNS
1) Devilbiss Tekna Pro Lite
2)Anest Iwata LPH 400 (Purple & Orange Capped)
3) Sata RP 3000

CLEAR COAT GUNS

1)SATA RP 3000
2)Anest Iwata Super Nova & LPH 400 Silver capp
3)Tekna Prolite TE20 CAP

For beginners theres a lot of other guns out there like the ones from EASTWOOD are nice as well. True HVLP guns are also great. I find that conventional guns have way high pressure needs then your LVLP & other pro guns. As I have always said its not the gun that makes the painter but the painter that uses it.

He said money was no object?

I am curious and superized you put the Sata RP over the Iwata supernova but not mention the Devilbiss Plus? I been told that the 3000RP and Plus are basically the same gun.

My Plus is all the clear gun Im ever gonna need

get on you tube and search for spray gun reviews, you will get a few, I always watch "the gunman", he is pretty good and gives honest reviews, at the end of the day, even if money is no object, why waste more than you have to??
what i paid for my devilbiss gtiprolite at $460 with a dig regulator delivered to my door (Australian $$) and what the gunman says in 1 of his reviews, i got twice the gun for half the money of what i would have paid for a sata (cant think of the model) and also a iwata (again, cant think of the exact model),
he is not biased, infact, all 3 manufacturers sent him guns to use as his channel was getting lots of hits, and he puts his honest foot forward!!
it all depends on your choice, your either ford or holden (chev in your part of the world), piston or rotary, sata or devilbiss, i think it comes down to preference.
i also think that the spraygun was invented by dr devilbiss (correct me if im wrong)!!
krem

Krem -
I looked it up, and you are correct in your historical knowledge of spray guns! http://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/about-us.aspx
I commented earlier, but I was under the impression that the OP already had (or was set on getting) an Iwata.
I am an unabashed DeVilbiss user. I love my ProLite. As I've said in other threads, the cost vs. Sata and Iwata makes the choice pretty easy. I get the same quality of atomization at almost half the price of the others.
As for tip size, it will likely depend on what you are spraying, the environment you are spraying in, and the technique (speed, distance) that you use.

Any of the top line guns will do the job and very well. I think your spraying style comes into play when selecting the gun that works best for you.
These are my observations with guns I own or have owned:

SATA (NR-2000) is generally the choice of production shops because they put out a lot of product and you need to be moving right along. I like them but cannot afford to keep up with the constant upgrading to have the latest and greatest.

IWATA (LPH-400) is generally a softer spray (less cloud) and requires more of a slow deliberate application. This I believe is why the Silver Cap LPH400 held the title of a go to Clear Coat gun for a number of years. This gun lays clear like glass but you have to slow down to get there.

DeVilbiss (Tekna Copper EA7) this gun, in my opinion, fills the gap between the fast moving SATA and the slow moving IWATA. I find I reach for this gun more and more often for base and clear. It has a nice size fan, very responsive controls and produces a nice finely atomized spray. You have to move slightly faster than the IWATA but not as fast as the SATA.

I am no expert and have not used as many guns as some have but my thinking is that all the top line guns will get the job done, so the market is geared to finding the one that "fits" you.