to produce a good result. I even have a $90 hvlp gun from home depot for other painting, and I wouldn't necessarily use that on the Z. Adjustments are terrible, spray pattern is never even, and very splotchy/unpredictable (poor tip size and crap for adjustments). I have a binks that wasn't very expensive, all things considered - and it sprays circles around the other gun. Borrowing, renting, or even buying a nicer gun is worth it. You can always re-sell a nice gun afterwards. There's always a market.