I ate my words about the used paint booth filters, now I buy them

For years I refused to buy used paint booth filters from this guy in Kansas City who strips and cleans them. I figured once a filter catches overspray, it's done, period. Last winter my boss cut our supply budget and I had no choice but to try a batch of his. After installing 12 used ones in our booth, I checked the airflow meter and it read almost identical to new. We ran a full week of heavy production, two fenders and a roof panel every day, and the finish quality stayed clean. The guy told me he uses a special solvent bath and then tests each one with a pressure gauge, so they pass before they ship. Now I order from him every quarter and it saves the shop about $400 a month. Has anyone else tried reclaimed filters from a reputable source, or is this still a hard no in your shop?

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kim_west14d ago

Used is a hard no for me and always will be. Paint booth filters are cheap compared to a bad paint job, and once you eat the cost of a redo you lost way more than you saved. Filters are supposed to be the one thing you don't cut corners on since they're literally the only thing between your paint and dirt. Maybe this guy does a good job, maybe his solvent bath is legit, but I can't trust a filter that already caught someone else's overspray. If your airflow read the same, fine, but airflow isn't the whole story. The resin in a clogged filter can still flake off and land in your clear coat weeks later. Saving $400 a month sounds great until one fender comes back.

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