Has a lot less splatter and overspray

This is more or less a power washer for paint, it's also one of the most difficult reviews I've ever written. While not perfect, this guy can save you time if you invest the time in learning how to correctly use it. Read the manual from cover to cover. BEFORE YOU BUY IT (sorry I can't provide a link, Amazon does not allow links in reviews for good reasons).

The manual has extensive maintenance, usage, and troubleshooting tips. You may need different accessories depending on the type of paint, and mixture thereof. Almost every problem I had was the result of not following the operating instructions. The manual even recommends doing some test painting to become acquainted with the tool. DO THIS.

Painting is just plain difficult. If you do a lot of it, it's worth investing the time and the money.

I really like this sprayer. It's *way* above your typical Black and Decker homeowner level sprayer, and performs as such. It's able to handle indoor latex paint without being thinned, which is a big deal for me - I hate thinning paint for sprayers, since you end up having to go over the surface again, negating the reason for using a sprayer in the first place.

That said, I was going to use it to paint the outside of my house, but it's unlikely to be able to handle anything *that* thick. It doesn't really have challenges handling indoor latex, but you can kind of tell that's it's max, and you have to keep a rag around to wipe the nozzle every so often, or your spray pattern starts to deform a bit.

The only issue I have with this (and any other sprayer) is cleanup time. You need buckets to clean it out properly, and it takes about a half hour. However, if you've got a big job, it's definitely worth it.

My experience with paint sprayers is limited. I have used sprayers that do the job but were not this powerful. I never like to thin material before applying, but sometimes it's necessary. The Titan ControlMax 1700 Pro is no different. That's not a knock on this product, it's simply its capabilities. If you are going to apply very thick material (like an Elastomeric paint like we used on our home), you are going to have to get a much more powerful and expensive sprayer. (We needed to hire a professional painter for this part) But for a typical unthinned latex paint, stain, sealer or other materials that don't have to be thinned and still apply well, this was sufficient for us for those jobs.

I agree with another reviewer that would like to have seen the cart (for holding the materials container) better --for making it easier to transport. It's not that big a deal, but would be easier to handle a full 5 gallon bucket. I can't really speak to the claim of reducing over spray up to 55%. I would think that has a lot to do with the settings on the sprayer, material being applied and the tip.

The two year warranty is a plus. I don't understand why the specs are the same as the non-pro version, that is it listed, except for an extra 20' of maximum operating hose length? Did I miss something? That and the wheeled cart costs $100 more than the non-pro version? Unless there are more differences, I would probably get the non-pro version for basic at-home applications.

Last summer we spent a couple thousand dollars paying someone else to stain the East side of our log home along with our deck. The Control Max 1700 Pro High-Efficiency Airless Paint Sprayer helped me to do it myself this year. I got a much better job and got it done at a fraction of the time and the price. The nicest part is I did it myself.

The deck stain that we used didn't require thinning and didn't clog the unit in the slightest. I got a good, fairly even spray and was able to do an entire side of our log home in just a few hours. As with any paint sprayer of any type, there is an issue of overspray. Just be aware of it, cover all windows, doors and light fixtures you don't want to get splattered. Cleanup is fairly easy to do and if you are quick and thorough about it, there are no issues with that either.