Today we compare the green Wagner HEA nozzle to the standard yellow Wagner TradeTip 3 nozzle.
Anti-overspray HEA nozzles have been available on the market for some time, and the manufacturer Wagner promises that they spray with less pressure and overspray. To verify this claim, we conducted a pressure test to determine how much pressure interior paint can be sprayed with these two Wagner nozzles.
We also took a closer look at the spray pattern and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both nozzle systems.
Wagner TradeTip 3 nozzle
The yellow Wagner TradeTip 3 nozzle has long been the standard Wagner nozzle. The nozzle is available in a very wide range of sizes. The range extends from small paint nozzles in bore size 107 to large coating nozzles in size 655.
Numerous nozzle sizes are also available for dispersion paint, silicate paint, glue, roof coating and all other applications.
Wagner TradeTip 3 nozzle
Wagner HEA nozzle
The HEA nozzles from Wagner are available in bore sizes from 211 to 621 and thus cover mainly the work in the field of wall painting.
Thanks to the HEA technology, it is possible to spray with less pressure. This results in advantages such as less paint mist formation and less effort for masking work. In addition, the entire airless technology is less stressed.
Wagner HEA ProTip nozzle
Comparison test of the optimal pressure setting and spray pattern
In order to compare the two Wagner nozzles, we carried out a pressure test to find out at which pressure setting the Wagner HEA nozzle and the Wagner TradeTip 3 nozzle can be sprayed optimally.
We tested with a high quality interior paint of covering power class 1 and wet abrasion class 1. We used the Wagner SF 33 Plus diaphragm pump with nozzle size 517.
With this equipment, we sprayed a strip on masking paper at 80, 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 bar. We did the top row with the green Wagner HEA nozzle, then in the bottom row with the yellow TradeTip 3 standard nozzle.
Spray Pattern Comparison of Wagner TradeTip and HEA Nozzles
With the green HEA nozzle, at 80 bar there was still an uneven distribution of paint as well as more paint applied to the edges, commonly known as airless stripes and tails.
At 100 bar, the spray pattern improved, but was still not perfect. The next step, at 120 bar, resulted in an even spray pattern. A slightly lower pressure should also suffice, i.e. at 110 bar. Even when increasing the pressure to 140, 160 and 180 bar, the HEA nozzle was able to achieve a good spray pattern. But it would be counter-effective to increase the pressure unnecessarily!
Pressure adjustment on the Wagner SF 33 Plus pump
We performed the same test with the standard yellow nozzle. In the lower pressure range, there was, as expected, an uneven distribution of the paint as well as a higher material application on the edges.
Even at 120, 140 and 160 bar, it was not possible to achieve an even spray pattern. At 180 bar we were still not satisfied, so in this case we extended the test to 200 bar, which gave us a satisfactory spray pattern.
The Wagner SF 33 Plus sprayer in our test
In total, there is a difference of about 90 bar, since the green HEA nozzle was able to provide good working results at about 110 bar. With the yellow TradeTip 3 nozzle, about 200 bar was required.
So it makes sense to use the green HEA nozzle to work with less pressure. This results in less mist, less masking work and less masking material and tape consumption. In addition, the spraying technique is significantly less stressed at 110 bar than at 200 bar, so less wear and tear on the parts should be expected.
Test with the Wagner HEA green nozzle
The differences between the standard nozzle and the HEA nozzle are also visible in the spray pattern. The HEA nozzle sprays smoother, i.e. the edge area is smoother in the transitions compared to the yellow TradeTip nozzle.
This has advantages for overlapping work. In this case, the spray strips are applied to the wall with a 50% overlap. Due to the soft edge area in the spray pattern, the spray bands blend into each other more easily and evenly. This makes it easier for even beginners in the field of airless technology to achieve a uniform surface.
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