For hobbyist woodworkers interested in stepping up to the big leagues of HVLP finishing, the sheer cost of a system has always served as a major stumbling block. At well under a thousand dollars however, Apollo’s new ECO-Series is aimed squarely at the amateur/small-shop-pro marketplace.

Available in 3, 4, and 5 stage turbine models, the best bet for most hobbyiest woodworkers is going to be the 3-stage offering, which will easily handle solvent finishes as well as most waterborne finishes, which are thicker-and at $649, it’s a heck of a lot easier to justify the expense to a wary spouse! For those in search of a unit that will handle any waterborne finish, a step up to the 4-stage model ($749) might be in order.

Despite its small size and more affordable price point, Apollo claims the ECO-Series offers 12-22% more atomizing pressure thanks to a new fan design for the units’ turbine. This results in spray rigs that offer more PSI than other similarly sized HVLP brands.

• Apollo ECO-Series 3 Stage: 7 PSI as opposed to 5 PSI in comparable brands

• Apollo ECO-Series 4 Stage: 9 PSI as opposed to 6-7 PSI in comparable brands

Where are the Compromises?

At these prices, most folks are likely to worry about compromises in engineering and construction-but the unit we looked at still offered a durable metal casing, the same turbine motor as its higher-priced brethren, and even the same hose. Apollo’s higher-priced models offered a four-foot flexible “whip” on their hose ends and slightly more durable guns with gravity feed pots.

It’s important to note that these cost-conscious rigs aren’t designed for production shops where turbines are likely to be run 6-8 hours a day spraying cabinet after cabinet. Rather, Apollo’s ECO-Series is meant for the home hobbyist operating these units for an hour or two at a time. You can be sure we’ll be pulling an ECO-Series HVLP rig into the Fine Woodworking workshop in the very near future for further review.

Launch Gallery