ForConstructionPros.com

Buying a walk-behind striper takes a good amount of thought. Not only do you have to consider the types of jobs you presently take on, but you also have to plan ahead to ensure that the machine you buy will support any future plans you may have to expand your striping operations.

One or two guns

One of the first questions a contractor should ask when deciding on a walk-behind striper is whether he needs a one-gun or two-gun set-up. Many contractors use a one-gun machine for simple parking lot work, but if you take on jobs beyond the parking lot, or plan to, you should consider a two-gun unit.

"If they're going to be doing parking lots but want to get the business that surrounds the parking lot, like the access roads, they may want to get two guns," says Jon Knutson, worldwide product marketing manager for Graco Inc. "If they're doing anything on airports, two guns are pretty much a requirement, and if they're going to be doing cross walks and stop bars, two guns are a great asset as opposed to taking multiple, narrow-width passes to complete that application."

Within the parking lot, a two-gun unit is beneficial when painting double-line parking stalls and curbs.

"Curb work is easier with a two-gun machine because you can point one gun straight down on the curb, hitting the top of the curb, and have the other gun point in, hitting the face of the curb," Knutson says.