Comparison of Graco Mark V & VII sprayers

You want to start spraying plaster, but you don’t know which machine to choose. You’re sure you want the (American) Graco brand, but which model will best suit your needs once you’re on site? Mark V, VII, X? Dutymax series, T-MAX series, etc.?

In today’s article, we’re going to focus on the differences between the 2 best-selling models used by our customers for spraying coatings, namely the Mark V and the Mark VII (the engine block being the same between the standard, procontractor and ironman versions; the version chosen will have no influence on the capabilities of the model selected).

So, do you need only the entry-level of coatings with the Mark V, or the versatility of a Mark VII?
Despite the price difference between the 2 models, it’s not always easy to know whether the Mark V will be enough.

So what questions should you ask yourself in order to choose the right Graco machine for you?

1. What materials will I be spraying?

The materials to be sprayed will be one of the most important factors in deciding which machine is best suited to the job.
In fact, if you need to spray products whose viscosity will require a nozzle greater than 0.037″ (537), you’ll know straight away that the Mark V won’t be powerful enough.

However, some products, such as fillers, sometimes have recommended nozzles of 533 or 535. In these cases, you might think that it will work on the Mark V. The problem remains, however, that fillers on the whole are thicker materials than finishing plasters and will mean that the Mark V will be more or less at maximum capacity.

When choosing an airless machine, it’s never a good idea to get one that can just spray the material you want. Many seasoned professionals will tell you that their Graco Mark V works with their filler, but seems to struggle to spray these products. (An airless machine that is often used to its maximum capacity will automatically require its parts to be serviced much more frequently – and therefore at a higher than normal annual cost).

Take Beissier’s very popular “Bagar Airliss G“, for example. This product is sprayed with an RAC X 535 nozzle, and the manufacturer recommends using a piston airless machine with a minimum flow rate of 5 l/min, which is not the case with the Mark V (4.3 l/min). But because of the recommended nozzle size, many people try this with their Mark V model.
The Graco machine that is most recommended in this case will be the Mark VII with its 6.0 l/min flow rate, which will prevent the machine from struggling to spray this Bagar G product.

Example of a finishing coat with “TX PULSAR” from Toupret. In this case, the Mark V will be perfectly suited.

 

So, generally speaking, if you’re only going to use “finishing” coatings, you can stick with the Mark V. On the other hand, if you want to be able to use a wide range of coatings available on the market, including filling coatings, we strongly advise you to go straight for a Graco Mark VII (Standard, ProContractor or IronMan, it doesn’t matter).

2. How big will my projects generally be?

In our experience, the difference in project size with these 2 machines is not very great. But if there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that as long as you only intend to work in flats, houses and villas, the Mark V will do the job.

We’d therefore recommend a Graco Mark VII if you have to work on these same surfaces, as well as entire buildings to be plastered, for example, or cellars, large and high facades, long roofs and warehouses. In all these cases, power will play a role, not only in terms of the material, but also in terms of working conditions (e.g. length of pipe (over 30m) or height (over 10m)).

What’s more, the Mark VII’s endurance will give the machine greater resistance and conservation of its mechanical parts over time.

3. How often will I be working with my machine?

This question is less important than the others when it comes to choosing the Mark machine, but it does need to be taken into account.

The difference in endurance between these models is not very great. But that’s enough to justify 2 scenarios:

1. You only need to use the machine 2 or 3 times a month, or more or less every week. In theory, the Graco Mark V will be sufficient for this.
2. If you need the machine every day or almost every day of the year, the Graco Mark VII is the right choice.

4. Which do the Pros think is the best?

The Graco Mark VII will continue to be the model to recommend as a priority, as its power (6 l/min) will enable you to respond to a wide variety of situations.
However, the Mark V could be an asset of choice if you want to start plastering at a lower cost, even if it means moving on to the Mark VII or Mark X at a later date.

Table of major differences

Modifier

Mark V	Mark VII
0.9m (1/4″) airless whip supplied	3.5m (3/8″) airless whip supplied
Flexible hose supplied DN10 – 3/8″ thick	Flexible hose supplied DN13 – 1/2″ thick
Flow: 4,3 l/min	Flow: 6,0 l/min
Max nozzle size: 0,037″	Max nozzle size: 0,047″
Engine power: 1.65 kW	Engine power: 1.90 kW
Weight: 64 kg	Weight: 67 kg
Small/Medium projects	Small/medium/large projects
Average frequency	High frequency
Fine plaster	Thin and thick plasters (547 max.)

 

Buy the Mark you need

_________________________________________________

Love our content? You can find more here:

Visit our Facebook page

Check out our Airless Discounter YouTube channel

Airless Discounter Instagram account

Questions or queries?

For any further questions or if you would like to get your hands on one of these products seen in this article, you can contact us on +49 (0) 30 220 15436, fill out our contact form or email us. If you wish to purchase one of the products mentioned above, you can check them out in our online store. You can also visit us at our service base during office hours.