After considering a few of the Wagner Flexio sprayers, I bought this one because of the good reviews and because it was on sale. After having used it, I think it was a good decision. The Homeright Super Finish Max is a good product despite complaints about clogging and how difficult it is to clean. I have found that both of those issues, at least with regard to water based paints (which is all I’ve used with this sprayer so far), can be largely eliminated using simple techniques that can be painlessly incorporated into your painting routine.The only other sprayer I’ve owned is the Wagner Power Painter 2600 psi which I still have and still works like new. It can deliver a lot of latex quickly, directly from the can, with no thinning, but it’s noisy, it drips, and spraying thick latex does not, in my experience, result in a very smooth finish.Below are my observations and recommendations regarding the Homeright Super Finish Max, but a lot of this just concurs with what others have discovered and shared in their own reviews or videos.Thinning: The more you thin, the more atomization and smoother the finish. Manufacturers usually specify limits for thinning on the paint can. Their recommendations are based on their testing. If they didn’t test it, they recommend that you not do it. The only real way to find out what the effects are of additional thinning is to try it. If you get the finish you want and don’t experience any significant detrimental effects, then it doesn’t matter if the manufacturer recommends against it. Personally, with the paints I’ve used so far (all are 100% acrylic), I have seen no noticeable degradation of performance due to thinning. While thinner paint is more prone to runs, it also levels better. I haven’t seen a difference in coverage due to how much I thin the paint. How much paint I apply is always determined by what I see when I’m painting. I’m not trying to get exactly 100 square feet out of a quart and I don’t care if I get 75 or 150 sq ft. Usually, I don’t assume I can get full coverage with a single coat because single coat coverage is not that important to me as a hobbyist.As a hobbyist, my recommendations are hobbyistic, not professional. But, I would guess that, the more you water down water based paint, the more it will tend to raise the grain if you’re spraying bare wood. I would further guess that primers are much thicker than paint for a reason (probably several reasons). Thinning thick water based primers down to the viscosity that you prefer for your top coat will require more water and that may very well impact how the primer works on bare wood. As always, experimentation can tell you a lot. Take notes!Handy items for thinning include a pitcher large enough to suit your needs. For my projects, 32 oz is enough. A rubber kitchen spatula is very handy for squeegeeing out the remaining paint in the cup after pouring it back into the original can. A bottle brush slightly bigger than the supplied brush for cleaning the paint pick-up tube (“straw”). You can get small bottle brushes cheaply in sets. A large bottle or toilet bowl brush/sponge is useful to clean the paint cup after painting.Viscosity cup. For me, it’s just an easy way to get predictable atomization and finish. If you thin your paint and pour unused paint back into the can, using the viscosity cup to thin the paint next time will allow you to account for the thinning you’ve already done previously. Once you achieve what you want in terms of coverage and finish, you will want to repeat exactly what you did every time to eliminate surprises or the need for trial and error guess work. The viscosity cup allows you to achieve that repeatability. I was satisfied with the finish using the 2.0 mm green tip when the Homeright viscosity cup emptied in about 60 sec which is actually quite thin, but thick enough to avoid runs if you plan for two coats. Thinner may be better, but haven’t tried a 30 second viscosity yet. If you’re old and have no memory like me, keep notes on what works and what doesn’t. When I thin paint, I add water incrementally and run it through the viscosity cup each time, recording the results. I saw a youtube video from someone who judges the viscosity from the way the pain runs off the stirring stick. That may work fine for many people, but I prefer more precision.Floetrol: I sometimes use 2 oz Floetrol to 16 oz of paint. It slows the drying time when painting outside during the hot Alabama summer. Based on my viscosity cup tests, it doesn’t appreciably alter the viscosity of the paint, so it doesn’t eliminate the need for thinning with water. If the temperature is less than 90F, I get very smooth results using on;y water for both primer and paint.Filtering paint: You probably don’t have to filter new paint, but for old paint the disposable paper strainers are fine. I find that the 190 micron strainers are great for water based paints if you use them *after* you thin the paint. Get the strainer stand. It’s worth every penny.Spraying Paint: Remember that the trigger does two things: First it starts the turbine and second, as you pull back further, it opens the nozzle so paint can flow. This ensures the air always starts before the paint thereby reducing the likelihood of paint splatter. When spraying, always be sure to pull the trigger back until it stops or you may not be fully enabling the preset flow rate. In fact, it may even seem as if the nozzle is plugged because you aren’t pulling back far enough. It’s best to start with a low spray rate and test on a disposable surface like cardboard.Prevent clogging on the tip: Wipe occasionally with a damp paper towel and put a wet paper towel up against the tip held in place with a sandwich bag and a rubber band during breaks. I never felt like I had to interrupt my rhythm to wipe the tip. I usually only wiped the tip when I was setting the sprayer down to inspect for runs or make some adjustment to the work piece. After a break, make sure the spray pattern is still good by spraying on a test area before spraying directly on your work piece.Cleaning: Buy an extra cup (comes with cover) and fill it with warm soapy water before you start spraying. Immediately after spraying, remove paint cup that you’ve been painting with and cover it. Then attach soapy water cup and spray into a bucket. This will clean the less accessible areas of paint path through the sprayer unit. Personally, I remove the pick-up tube (aka “the straw”) and rinse the paint out of it and then reinstall it before attaching the soapy water cup. That just makes the soapy water less contaminated with paint. The rest is done by disassembling and using the included brush to clean out the two holes where the cup attaches and then, after removing the brass nozzle, running warm tap water through the two holes, being careful to hold the sprayer so water runs toward the tip and not back into the turbine. All the other removable parts can then be thrown into a cup of warm soapy water (I use what’s left in the soapy water cup) and brushed clean with little effort. Clean the fluid nozzle and the holes in the air cap with a toothpick. As everyone else has warned, be careful not to drop the brass fluid nozzle or needle tip down the drain while cleaning them in the sink. When reinstalling the nozzle and needle, I only tighten them hand-tight and have not had any problems with them coming loose during use.Having only used water based acrylic paints, I find the clean-up process to be quick and easy when I have everything pre-staged before painting. When I’m done, there isn’t a speck of paint left on the sprayer which is the surest way to ensure the sprayer will behave exactly the same way every time I use it. The secret is to clean it before the paint has a chance to dry.Bonus recommendation: I haven’t seen many reviews of this product that recommend changing the filter very often and at $8 a pop, I can understand why. Other reviewers have mentioned cheap alternatives (floor vent filters, HVAC filters, polyester quilt batting, etc). My cheap alternative is the foam filter used in shop vacs for wet pickup. Cost is 3 for $10. They are black foam rather than white spun polyester which may make it more difficult to tell when they are dirty, but the price is right. The filter does get dirty and the motor may overheat if the airflow is impeded by a dirty filter. Also, keep in mind that your lungs are probably turning the same color as the filter if you’re not wearing a respirator or at least a mask.