Graco TrueCoat Pro Cordless Airless Sprayer

For its price, the Graco TrueCoat Pro offers near-pro quality for a reasonable price. Buy only if you absolutely need to sever the cord. Otherwise, Graco's corded models such as the TrueCoat or TrueCoat Plus will do a great job, too.

With the latest wave of amazing lithium-ion batteries on the market, it seems like everything is going cordless. I've seen all sorts of cordless items cross my transom, and now here is the Graco TrueCoat Pro Airless Sprayer--cordless, as well. It promises to liberate you not just from the brush and the roller, but from the cord, too.

If you've never used a paint sprayer before, be prepared for sudden overdrive. That bedroom wall that takes 20 minutes with the roller now gets polished off in 5 minutes. More importantly, all of those weird cracks, crevices, crenelations, knotholes, ornate profiles, and everything else non-flat--well, let's just say that paint sprayers were made for these types of irregular surfaces.

The Graco TrueCoat Pro sets up fast. I had the sprayer up and running within fifteen minutes of opening the box (the battery even came charged). Its operation is intuitive--only a few buttons and levers to figure out before you can start painting.

I ran water through the paint sprayer to test out its coverage and handling. Water is considerably lighter than paint or stain, so I did make allowances for this. The Graco TrueCoat Pro boasted wide and fast coverage, and I was able to "paint" one side of my shed (about 8' x 6') in one minute. With latex paint? I estimate five minutes, if that.

Handling was my main worry with this Graco cordless paint sprayer. You're hefting a considerable amount of weight: sprayer and tank and paint and battery. All in one hand. I found it a bit too much to handle, and I could easily see my wrist straining by Minute 5 of the shed-painting project (I wish this paint sprayer had a secondary handle, like some drills do). Yet I had a member of the fairer sex test out the handling for a few minutes, and she said it felt comfortable enough for her. So it all depends on the user.

Why would the average homeowner need to cut the cord on a paint sprayer? Most paint projects are either in the house or on the house, both of which offer nearby electrical receptacles. Still, if you can't stand to deal with cords or if you're painting out-buildings and staining your fence, this Graco TrueCoat Pro will be just what you need.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.