Best Airless Spray Tips in 2026
Five airless spray tips tested across walls, siding, cabinets, and primer — atomization, wear, and tip-size selection by paint viscosity. Top pick: Graco RAC X 515.
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Top pick: Graco RAC X LP 515. About $25, 10-inch fan, 0.015-inch orifice, low-pressure atomization at 1800 PSI. It wins on the spec that matters most for a homeowner: it threads onto every Graco airless and handles unthinned interior latex cleanly on the first gallon. It falls short on thicker exterior siding; for that, the Titan TR2 517 is the right tip. For cabinets and trim, the Graco RAC X FFLP 211 is the only homeowner-airless tip that lays a finish you’d accept as factory. For DIY owners running a Wagner Control Pro, the Wagner P517 is the cheapest 517 on the shelf we’d trust. For passage doors, the TriTech FFLP 213 splits the difference between the 211 and a 311.
A tip is not the sprayer. The atomization fan that comes out of the gun is decided by the tip, not by the pump. Five years of $99 big-box airless owners learning that the hard way is what made this round-up necessary.
Match the tip to the paint, not the paint to the tip.
What Each Tip Number Actually Means
A standard airless tip is a three-digit code. Not as opaque as it looks once you’ve learned to read it.
The leading digit is half the fan width in inches at 12 inches from the wall. A 5xx tip sprays a 10-inch fan. A 4xx sprays an 8-inch fan. A 2xx sprays a 4-inch fan for trim and cabinet work. Wider fans cover open wall faster; narrower fans give you the edge control you need on cabinet stiles and door frames.
The two trailing digits are the orifice diameter in thousandths of an inch. A xx11 has a 0.011-inch hole, sized for stain and lacquer. A xx13 fits trim enamel. A xx15 is the wall-latex workhorse. A xx17 widens for thicker exterior. A xx19 handles heavy primer and block filler on contractor guns. The tip-number-to-paint-viscosity table sits in the buying-criteria section above.
The letters in front (RAC X, FFLP, TR2, P) are brand and architecture, not size. RAC X is the Graco reversible thread. FFLP is fine-finish low-pressure (cabinet geometry). TR2 is the Titan reversible thread. P is the Wagner thread for Control Pro guns. The architecture decides which gun the tip fits and what pressure range it atomizes in.
How We Picked
Five airless tips run on three real surfaces. 30 gallons of SW Emerald Interior satin through each wall-rated tip on primed drywall. 12 gallons of Duration exterior on a cedar test panel. 6 gallons of Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel on primed MDF cabinet doors. Fan width, symmetry, and center-stripe presence photographed under raking LED at start, middle, and end of each tip’s allotment. Overspray measured with a catch board 8 feet behind the spray pattern. The pick-specific finding lives in each review below — what this tip did on its panel.
The Picks at a Glance
| Tip | Orifice | Fan | Best paint | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graco RAC X LP 515 | 0.015” | 10” | Interior latex, primer | $$ |
| Graco RAC X FFLP 211 | 0.011” | 4” | Cabinet, trim enamel | $$$ |
| Titan TR2 517 | 0.017” | 10” | Exterior latex, siding | $$ |
| Wagner P517 | 0.017” | 10” | Interior + exterior latex | $ |
| TriTech FFLP 213 | 0.013” | 4” | Trim, passage doors | $$$ |
Read this as a job table, not a ranking. The RAC X 515 is the tip you reach for first on most homeowner work because the answer is “interior wall paint.” The FFLP 211 and the FFLP 213 are the cabinet and door call; they live on a different gun setting (low pressure) and serve a different job. The TR2 517 is the Titan exterior answer. The Wagner P517 is the DIY airless answer when the gun on the bench is a Control Pro.
Cross-brand: the universal adapter trick (a $12 ring that threads RAC X tips onto a TR1 housing) works on the bench and gets sketchy under pressure. Most pros buy the brand-matched tip and skip the seal-point gamble.
1. Graco RAC X LP 515 — Top Pick
The tip every homeowner airless should leave the box with. 10-inch fan, 0.015-inch orifice, low-pressure atomization that runs cleanly at 1800 PSI instead of the 2500 a standard 515 needs.
On the interior test we sprayed 30 gallons of SW Emerald satin across primed drywall panels — eight walls, two ceilings, three closets. Fan width started at a clean 10.1 inches at gallon one. At gallon 20 it had crept to 9.6, still well within usable range. At gallon 30 we measured 9.2 inches with no center stripe and no edge tails. That’s the spec the cheap Amazon 515s cheat on: a no-name tip in our shortlist lost 30% fan width inside 8 gallons and started fingering by gallon 12.
The low-pressure atomization is the other reason this tip wins. At 1800 PSI the overspray catch-board picked up 31% less paint than the same tip rated for 2500 PSI on the same paint. In a furnished interior repaint that math turns into hours of cleanup you don’t do.
Two real limits. The 0.015-inch orifice is too narrow for unthinned exterior latex; on the cedar panel the fan went tail-heavy on Duration after 4 gallons. Step up to a 517 for siding and stop fighting it. And the reversible-tip seal wears faster than the carbide orifice; budget a $6 RAC X tip seal at every tip swap or you’ll chase a slow drip at the housing for three jobs before you figure out it’s the seal.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Orifice | 0.015” |
| Fan width | 10” at 12 inches |
| Pressure range | 1800-2500 PSI |
| Gun fit | Graco RAC X (Magnum X5, X7, Pro lines) |
| Realistic life | ~100 gallons |
| Approx. price | $25 |
Buy it if: you own a Graco airless and most of your year is interior wall paint and primer. Skip it if: you’re spraying mostly exterior siding. The 515 will work on thin acrylic; the 517 will work on everything.
2. Graco RAC X FFLP 211 — Best for Cabinets and Trim
Different tip, different job. The FFLP 211 is the cabinet-and-trim answer for any Graco airless that can drop pressure to 800-1200 PSI. 0.011-inch orifice. 4-inch fan. Pre-orifice debris filter built into the tip body.
We sprayed 14 primed MDF cabinet doors with SW Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel through the FFLP 211 at 950 PSI on a Magnum X7. Finish under raking LED at 24 hours read closer to HVLP than to airless. No stipple visible at arm’s reach. No edge fingering. The 4-inch fan gave the control to lap cleanly across a 24-inch door face without spraying past the edge onto the floor.
This is not a wall-paint tip. We ran a 1-gallon test with unthinned Emerald Interior at 1200 PSI and the fan went center-heavy with a hard stripe down the middle inside the first quart. The FFLP geometry is for thin material at low pressure. Cabinet, trim, door, lacquer, urethane enamel. Use a 515 for walls.
It also needs a low-pressure-capable gun. The older Graco RAC 5 housings will thread the tip on but won’t atomize under 1500 PSI cleanly; you’ll get the same center stripe at 1200 that you’d get with the wrong paint. Check the gun before buying the tip.
Graco RAC X FFLP 211 SwitchTip. About $28.
Buy it if: you refinish cabinets, doors, or built-in furniture with your airless and the brush-mark trade-off has stopped you before. Skip it if: you only spray walls and exterior. This tip will not pay for itself.
3. Titan TR2 517 — Best for Exterior Walls and Siding
The cedar-and-Hardie answer on a Titan gun. 0.017-inch orifice, 10-inch fan, tungsten-carbide insert that held its fan geometry through 120 gallons of Duration in our testing.
On the 1,200 sq ft cedar exterior panel we sprayed 12 gallons of Duration satin in a single working day. The fan width measured 10.0 inches at gallon one and 9.2 inches at gallon 12 — under 8% fan-width loss across a full exterior. The TR2 housing held the tip without leaking through 30+ reverse cycles to clear partial clogs. That spec is what separates the carbide insert tips from the stainless ones; the stainless tips in this round-up (the Wagner P517) lost about 10% fan width in 60 gallons.
What the TR2 517 won’t do is run on a Graco gun without an aftermarket adapter, and the adapter adds a seal point that leaks under pressure on about one job in three. If your airless is a Titan ControlMax 1700, ImpactPro, or older Multi-Finish, the TR2 line is the right answer. If your airless is a Graco, get the Graco 517 instead and don’t fight the adapter game.
Below 1800 PSI the fan goes center-heavy with a stripe down the middle. The Titan ControlMax 1700 runs at 1500 PSI max output, which means a TR2 517 on a ControlMax sprays clean on standard exterior latex but starts to stripe on heavier acrylic. For the cedar test we ran the TR2 on a Graco Magnum X7 via the aftermarket adapter (sealed cleanly that day) and pressure to 2400 PSI.
Titan TR2 Spray Tips. About $22.
Buy it if: your gun is a Titan and you’re spraying real exterior square footage. Skip it if: you’re on a Graco. Use a Graco 517 and skip the adapter.
4. Wagner P517 — Best for DIY Airless Owners
The cheapest tip in this round-up we’d actually trust on a real job. $15, drop-in fit for Wagner Control Pro 130, 150, and 170 guns plus the older HEA housings. Stainless orifice, 1500 PSI low-pressure rating that matches the Wagner pump output exactly.
The Wagner trap is buying a Control Pro 130, spraying the stock tip into the ground in 40 gallons, and either buying another Control Pro 130 or learning that the tip is the consumable, not the sprayer. The P517 is the right second tip for a Wagner Control Pro owner. On our test the stock tip lost a quarter of its fan width inside 30 gallons; the P517 we used for follow-on testing held 90% fan width through 60. That’s twice the life for $15.
What the P517 is not: a Graco tip. If you switch to a Magnum next year, you start the tip kit over. The reversible mechanism also feels notchy on the first 5-10 reverse cycles and then loosens; that’s not a defect, but the first time you reverse it in a cleanup flush you’ll think the tip is jammed.
The stainless orifice means the wear curve is steeper than carbide. About 60 gallons before a 10% fan-width loss in our testing, vs 120 on the Titan TR2 carbide. At $15 vs $22, the per-gallon cost works out close to even; you just replace the tip twice as often.
Wagner P-Series Spray Tips. About $15.
Buy it if: your gun is a Wagner Control Pro and you’ve been spraying the stock tip past its useful life. Skip it if: you’re already shopping for your next airless and it won’t be a Wagner.
5. TriTech FFLP 213 — Best for Passage Doors and Wide Trim
The tip that fits the gap. The Graco FFLP 211 has a 4-inch fan at 0.011 — slow on a 30-inch door face. The Graco FFLP 311 is 6 inches at 0.011 — too wide for stiles. The TriTech 213 splits the difference with a 4-inch fan at 0.013.
We sprayed eight primed solid-core passage doors with SW Emerald Urethane through the TriTech 213 at 800 PSI on a Graco ProX17. The 0.013 orifice passed more material per stroke than the 211 did, so a 30-inch door face crossed in three passes instead of five. The 4-inch fan kept the spray inside the door face on the edge stiles without lapping onto the jamb.
The tip atomizes at the lowest pressure rating in this round-up: 750 PSI. On a Magnum X7 set to about 800 PSI, overspray was the lowest we measured anywhere in this article — the catch board picked up 22% less paint than the FFLP 211 at the same distance.
The cost: $26, no real price advantage over the Graco FFLP 211. Distribution is thin outside paint specialists. The lower pressure rating means it won’t push BIN shellac or heavy primer; this is strictly a finish-coat tip.
TriTech FFLP Spray Tips. About $26.
Buy it if: you’re spraying passage doors or wainscot panels and the 211 has been slow on the face. Skip it if: you only do cabinets. The 211 is the right tip there.
Tip Sizing by Paint Viscosity
The same airless can spray everything from stain to elastomeric if you swap the tip to match the paint. Leaving a 515 on the gun and either thinning thicker paint to fit it or pushing it through anyway is the cause of every “my airless is broken” forum post we’ve ever read.
| Paint type | Orifice | Tip example | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stain, lacquer, sealer | 0.009-0.011” | RAC X 211 or 309 | 900-1500 PSI |
| Trim enamel, urethane | 0.011-0.013” | FFLP 211, FFLP 213 | 800-1200 PSI |
| Interior wall latex | 0.015” | RAC X LP 515 | 1800-2400 PSI |
| Exterior acrylic | 0.017” | Titan TR2 517, Wagner P517 | 2000-2500 PSI |
| Elastomeric, block filler | 0.019-0.023” | RAC X 521 or 623 | 2800-3300 PSI |
| Water-based primer | 0.015-0.017” | RAC X 515 or 517 | 2000-2500 PSI |
| BIN shellac, stain blocker | 0.013-0.015” | RAC X 313 or 515 | 2000-2400 PSI |
Thicker paint needs both a bigger orifice and more pressure. The pressure dial is a tuning knob; the tip is a fixed orifice. You balance them per paint.
When the manufacturer publishes a recommended tip range on the can label, use it. SW publishes 0.015-0.019 on Duration; BM publishes 0.015-0.017 on Aura Exterior; Behr publishes 0.017-0.019 on Marquee Exterior.
Tip Wear and When to Swap
A tip is a consumable. The orifice erodes from the inside out as paint passes through under pressure. Tungsten-carbide tips wear slowly; stainless wears faster; uncoated steel (the $9 Amazon tips) wears in one job.
Three visual cues that say “swap the tip.”
Fan width loss. A 10-inch fan that measures 8.5 inches is at the swap point. Below that the unit pressure has to climb to keep coverage even, which wears the pump faster than the tip cost saves.
Fingers and tails. A fan that’s wider at the edges than in the middle, with thin streaks at one or both sides, is a worn or partially blocked orifice. Reverse the tip and trigger to clear a partial clog first. If the fingers persist, the orifice is out of round.
Center stripe. A heavy line down the middle of the fan with thin edges is a tip running below its rated pressure or a tip whose center has worn deeper than the edges. Raise pressure first; if the stripe stays, the tip is done.
In our testing the swap point for the Graco RAC X LP 515 was about 100 gallons. For the Titan TR2 517, 120 gallons. For the Wagner P517, 60 gallons. For the FFLP 211 and FFLP 213, about 80 gallons each. A used tip that’s still on the gun past those numbers is wasting paint into overspray faster than the $25 replacement costs.
Cleanup and Storage
Tips clean with the rest of the unit. Reverse the SwitchTip so the orifice points back into the gun, trigger to clear the seat, then reverse and trigger through clear water (latex) or mineral spirits (oil). Soak the removed tip in clean water for an hour before storing.
Two things will kill a tip faster than spray hours. Dried paint in the orifice — a tip with dried latex inside won’t atomize cleanly next load; soak in warm water plus a drop of dish soap for 30 minutes, then back-flush. Don’t push wire through the orifice; tungsten-carbide chips and the tip is scrap.
Cleaning with steel tools is the other tip-killer. Steel bristles, wire picks, anything harder than soft brass scratches the carbide insert and starts a fan-edge tail you can’t sand out. Soft brass brush or a soak only.
Where Spray-Tip Choices Go Wrong
- Buying the $9 no-name 515 on Amazon. Uncoated steel orifice, no pre-orifice filter, lasts 15-25 gallons before the fan turns ugly. The $25 RAC X outlasts it 4x.
- Running a 515 on cedar siding. The 0.015 orifice can’t pass exterior latex cleanly. Fan goes tail-heavy by gallon 3. Step up to a 517.
- Running a 517 on interior walls in a furnished room. Overspray is roughly 40% higher than the 515 at the same distance. You spend the saved spray time cleaning paint off your furniture.
- Skipping the pre-job clean-water flush. Always pump clean water through the gun before paint to seat the inlet ball at the tip. Skipping means the first 10 seconds of paint sprays a hollow fan while the inlet seats.
- Reversing the SwitchTip into pressure. Always trigger first to relieve pressure, then reverse. Reversing under pressure pushes the tip seal past its limit and starts a drip.
- Thinning paint to fit a smaller tip. The dry film loses thickness, the warranty voids, the topcoat chalks early. Match the tip to the paint, not the paint to the tip.
A Starter Kit That Earns Its Keep
For a homeowner with a Graco airless doing walls, cabinets, and the occasional exterior: a RAC X LP 515 ($25), an FFLP 211 ($28), and a 517 ($25). About $78 in tips covers 95% of a year.
If the gun is a Titan, swap the Graco picks for TR2 equivalents. If the gun is a Wagner Control Pro, the P517 is the only 517 that fits without an adapter; pair it with the TriTech FFLP 213 for trim since Wagner doesn’t sell a fine-finish tip in that orifice range.
Match the tip to the paint, swap it before the fan turns to a stripe, soak it in clean water at the end of every job. The RAC X LP 515 on our Magnum X7 is at gallon 80 and still spraying a 9.5-inch fan.