Customer Rating: - Like a big airbrush
This spray gun works just like a large version of an inexpensive air brush. The airstream blows over the top of a tube immersed in your finishing liquid (paint, varnish, etc.). The air flow over the tube causes a drop in air pressure at the top of the tube, drawing the liquid up the tube and into the airstream. I have used it for varnish and lacquer. It works. It will spray paint, etc. right out of the box, but creating an optimal spray pattern requires some adjustments. My observation is that it takes a lot of trial and error to get the right combination of air pressure (set by the compressor and regulator) and liquid flow (sort of adjusted by twisting the threaded brass nozzle at the top of the tube to place the orifice higher into the airstream). A third adjustment of the process available to Critter users is viscosity of the spray liquid, which can be altered by adding appropriate thinner. I am satisfied that it is easy to maintain and clean. I have the impression that there is a lot of spray "bounce" but I am comparing the transfer of the spray material to a professional Kremlin gun, which costs thousands of dollars. I had to replace the sealing ring between the mason jar and the spray head almost immediately, but I cut one out of synthetic rubber very easily and it works fine.

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Customer Rating: - Great little surprise! Cheap, effective and easy to use and clean
I read all the raving reviews, and figured how wrong could it be? I already have a pancake compressor so the only expense would be the $40.00 from Amazon. The Critter is great. After playing a little bit with diluting some latex based primer with water, I sprayed away on various wood trim I was replacing outside on the house (mostly looking for an excuse to try it). Smooth, even painting after just a few minutes of fiddling with the pressure and the nozzle thing on the spray gun. Very well focused delivery and virtually no over spray. Cleaned up in no time, and then followed with the actual paint over the primed pieces. Also latex, also eye-balled dilution with some water. Only problem was the nozzle clogged up a little bit. Had to keep an eye on it for build up. (It was fairly warm that day, but I worked in the shade). Great piece of inexpensive highly functional equipment! Air usage must be very low because the 6 gallon pancake compressor didn't cycle on/off very much at all.

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Customer Rating: - Fine Mist for Detailed Work
This is a wonderful sprayer. I've used it to paint doors, an armoire, a dresser and a couple of tables. It puts on a smooth finish using latex paints if you thin the paint first. I cut mine by 25% with water. Keep a wet rag handy to wipe off any dried paint buildup from the paint supply tube tip. Build-up will reduce the amount of paint flow. I had my compressor set to 40 psi. Splattering is reduced by starting the spray away from the piece to be painted and then moving onto the painting surface. It doesn't splatter much if you thin the paint first. Splatter are clumps of paint sprayed out of the sprayer usually upon first pulling of the trigger. That's why you should first aim away from the work piece and then move onto it. I keep a small fine nap roller nearby to roll out the splatter if any should occur. Cleanup is a breeze. You can store paint in the jar. Just put a little layer of water on the top of the paint in the jar to keep it fresh, then put a lid on the jar. You can also put it in the refridgerator to store it for a little while. The one gasket that comes with it will eventually wear out. You can make another one easily out of cardboad, thick paper, or thin rubber. Don't expect to production paint or do really large jobs, but for small jobs it's great.

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Customer Rating: - Awesome
Best gun on the market for small to medium jobs. I use it for furniture and produces professional results. Better and cleaner than using brushes or rags.