Painting is one of the easiest, fastest and most affordable ways to change the look of a home, office or piece of furniture. A fresh coat of paint can revive a tired kitchen, a bright trim can add fun and flair to a bathroom, and a newly painted front door can give the outside of your house the facelift it needs to look more appealing to potential buyers. Although painting is one of the few home improvements that even the least handy of handymen can tackle, there are still key steps and tools that need to be taken and used when painting to ensure a smooth and consistent finished product, including a high-quality paint mixer.
Paint is mixed at the store before being purchased and often comes with a wooden paint stick for mixing. But these sticks can quickly get covered in paint and attract dirt and dust, two things you don’t want to go into your new can of paint. Paint sticks also aren’t reusable, even though it’s necessary to continually mix your paint while painting to ensure the color remains consistent. That’s why we always use paint mixers, a fast and efficient way to keep paint mixed whether you’re spending the day painting a room or re-opening an old can of paint for touch-ups six months later.
Keeping your paint mixed is easy with these paint mixers. The tough part is picking which color to paint.
1. Edward Tools Paint and Mud Mixer
Mix paint easily with the Edward Tools Paint and Mud Mixer, which features a high-grade steel bit that attaches to any standard drill to deliver a speedy and powerful mixing motion that saves customers from having to manually mix their paint. The steel bit is rust-resistant thanks to its zinc coating, making it a product you’ll be able to use for years. The mixer is made with a ribbon blade that is designed for fast mixing, allowing you to quickly mix your paint and keep working. We also like that the mixer comes with a lifetime warranty from Edward Tools.
Pros: The mixer is a great multi-use tool to add to your collection and works with paint, mud, grout, epoxy, thinset and plaster.
Cons: The mixer is designed to be used with any standard drill, which must be purchased separately.
2. Badger Air-Brush Co. 121 Paint Mixer
If standard paint mixers are too large for your projects, we recommend the Badger Air-Brush Co. 121 Paint Mixer. The mini-mixer is designed to work with 0.75-ounce, 1-ounce, 3-ounce, and 4-ounce jars of paint, making it the ideal paint mixer for arts and crafters and model-building hobbyists. The Badger works with all types of paint and is effective in evenly distributing the pigment in the base of the paint throughout the jar to ensure a consistent viscosity. With a 5-inch shaft and a blade size of less than 0.5 inches, the Badger is designed to fit in even the smallest of paint jars.
Pros: The Badger runs on two AA batteries, which makes it easy to use the electric mixer even when customers are not close to an electrical outlet.
Cons: Batteries are not included with the purchase of the mixer. The Badger is also not big enough to be used with gallon paint cans.
3. Allway 1 Gallon Helix Paint Mixer
Mix paint with speed and smoothness using the Allway 1 Gallon Helix Paint Mixer. The mixer is made with a Polypropylene blade that easily moves through paint to significantly cut down on mixing time compared to manual mixers. Users can save their arms for painting thanks to the Allway’s attachment to any standard electric drill. The Allways is designed to be used specifically with paint, but is also suitable for use with epoxy as long as the drill is on a slow setting so as to not create bubbles.
Pros: The Allway is one of the easiest paint mixers to clean. Customers can either immerse the blade in warm, soapy water as soon as the mixer is done being used or wait for the paint to dry on the blade and then peel off the paint.
Cons: The Allway must be thoroughly cleaned between uses to ensure that no dried paint from previous jobs gets into a new paint can.
4. ABN Paint, Compound, Sealer, Cement Mixer
Mix paint with little effort using the ABN Paint, Compound, Sealer, Cement Mixer. The mixer attaches to any standard cordless or corded electrical drill to give customers a powerful and fast option for mixing paint without any added labor. The ABN is made from steel and high-quality welds, with the durable mixer backed by a one-year warranty. The mixer is finished with an electrostatic paint that resists rust and corrosion. The 16.5-inch mixer is long enough to provide ample clearance between the paint bucket and the user.
Pros: The ABN works with a variety of products including paint as well as compound, sealer, epoxy and cement.
Cons: The ABN is advertised as being able to handle cement but using the mixer with cement can cause the paint on the mixer to chip.
5. Mixing Mate Gallon Size Paint Can Lid
Mix your paint directly in the can with the Mixing Mate Gallon Size Paint Can Lid. No need to pour your paint into a bucket to mix, with the Mixing Mate providing a secure, tool-free cam clamp onto a standard one-gallon paint can. The Mixing Mate is easy to use and simply twists onto the top of an open paint can to create a secure seal, with the auger-style mixing paddle lifting the pigment from the bottom of the can and evenly dispersing it throughout. The spring-loaded spout reseals after each pour and can remain on top of the paint can until users are ready to add more paint to their rolling tray.
Pros: The Mixing Mate has an ergonomic pistol-grip handle that makes it easy for users to carry and pour the paint directly from the can.
Cons: If you’re using multiple paint colors at once it can be time-consuming to remove and clean the Mixing Mate each time you need to pour out more paint. The Mixing Mate is also the most expensive option on our list.
6. Red Devil Speed Demon 1 Gallon Paint Mixer
Mix a long list of viscous fluids with the newly improved Red Devil Speed Demon 1 Gallon Paint Mixer. The Red Devil can handle paint, coatings, adhesives and wall texture, making it a great item to have on hand for home renovations. Designed to connect to any 500-1500 rpm variable-speed drill, the Red Devil provides a fast and easy way to mix paint. Featuring a coated-steel construction for a durable finish, the Red Devil can stir paint, mud and more in 1 to 5-gallon cans.
Pros: The Red Devil is the most affordable mixer on our list.
Cons: The Red Devil is 12 inches long, making it shorter than the other drill-powered mixers on our list.