# Benjamin Moore vs. Sherwin Williams Review



## believebraves (Jan 10, 2011)

Ok, I would first like to state that I am not employed, nor have ever been employed by either one of these 2 companies. I just wanted to share my thoughts on these to paints and help someone who might be looking to compare different premium paints.

*Sherwin Williams PRO CLASSIC (Oil) Satin vs. Benjamin Moore Aura (Latex) Satin.*

In making my comparision both paints were painted with Premium Purdy Brushes, in the same shop, with the same tempature. The only difference was the paint can and the songs on the radio. 

Recently I had two jobs that needed bookshelves to be painted pure white. I read blogs and blogs and blogs, and when I got tired I read more blogs to find the best white paint. I ended up going with SW Pro Classic White Oil base for durability. Every person I talk to said, "oh it will cover without primer two coats easy." So I said lets give it a whirl. Spent $56.00 a can on it, only to find out that 2 coats is not enough... Therefore making me spend $56.00 more dollars on anoher gallon (only needed half.). The paint itself has set up very hard and probably will last a good long while on the bookshelf, however as a weekend warrior, painting with oil base took double the time because I had to wait 24 hours between coats, and 72 hours to move the furniture when complete... So the finishing of this bookshelf slowed me up by almost 2 weeks. 

I started my next job the following weekend, and when I got to the finishing portion of this job, I decided I was not going to use SW but rather try the BM Aura that I have heard so much about. I know this paint is LATEX and the first paint was Oil base, but compared to SW paint, BM was like a good pair of blue jeans. It just fits. Easily got by with 2 coats. Paint went on MUCH smoother, and the coverage is incrediably better. Also, painting both by hand, latex shows way less brush strokes. The bookshelves were the exact same size and the BM covered the entire shelf twice with 3/4 of a gallon. Oh ya, and BM was only $52.00/gal.

I cannot testify for durablity at the moment, however it will be intresting to see these pieces both in a couple years and which one has held its color and has the least wear and tear.

I know that I am comparing oil base and latex paints, and some will say apples to oranges, but I do not want an argument on which is better, I just simply wanted to share my .02 with using the products within the last month. 

*My conclusion: *Sherwin Williams was a fine paint, and a very good product, but for me, from now on, I will only be a BM Aura painter due to the capabilty of being a true 2 coat paint!! :smile:


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## chriskoww (Jun 6, 2011)

I'm a construction manager (project engineer really) and both products are usually specd on my projects. 

I think BM is better paint, but more expensive. You get what you pay for right?


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## believebraves (Jan 10, 2011)

:thumbsup:


chriskoww said:


> I'm a construction manager (project engineer really) and both products are usually specd on my projects.
> 
> I think BM is better paint, but more expensive. You get what you pay for right?


 
Well in my local market BM was actually $4/gal cheaper then SW Pro Classic. 

But yes, I am a huge believer in you get what you pay for... That's why I buy Powermatic. :icon_smile:


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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

as you said apples to oranges, but i feel a way better and more useful comparison would have been the waterborne pro classic. sorta like a 1973 ford pinto vs. a Prius.

I can tell you that in a spray application, the BM arua is more difficult to get to atomize properly. of course this was back when it was a new product and i was promo'd it by BM to see how it compared. Hopefully they have corrected that issue. As it cures out, the BM material should increase in hardness over the next few weeks, as these products are designed to have the traits of oil while being more user friendly.

I have brushed the Pro Classic waterborne many times, and there was no issue with brush marks, but of course this is a completely different animal than the old school oil.


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## chriskoww (Jun 6, 2011)

believebraves said:


> :thumbsup:
> 
> Well in my local market BM was actually $4/gal cheaper then SW Pro Classic.
> 
> But yes, I am a huge believer in you get what you pay for... That's why I buy Powermatic. :icon_smile:


That's surprising. 

I just got a jet pro shop. Beats the hell out of my old ryobi


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## believebraves (Jan 10, 2011)

troyd1976 said:


> as you said apples to oranges, but i feel a way better and more useful comparison would have been the waterborne pro classic. sorta like a 1973 ford pinto vs. a Prius.
> 
> I can tell you that in a spray application, the BM arua is more difficult to get to atomize properly. of course this was back when it was a new product and i was promo'd it by BM to see how it compared. Hopefully they have corrected that issue. As it cures out, the BM material should increase in hardness over the next few weeks, as these products are designed to have the traits of oil while being more user friendly.
> 
> I have brushed the Pro Classic waterborne many times, and there was no issue with brush marks, but of course this is a completely different animal than the old school oil.


 
I agree 100%... I was so set on the SW Latex until I walked into the store and I let the 18 year old "know it all" Convince me of using oil...


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## RJweb (Feb 25, 2011)

Being in the business, paperhanger and painter, i use them both, as per what the decorator wants, 40 years ago we all used oil, now a days I try not to use oil, takes to long to dry and in time the white will not stay white. the oil gets a yellow cast to it in a about a year. evertime they raise the oil and gas prices our paint goes up too, then passed on to the poor consumer again.


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## Cliff (Feb 5, 2012)

I prefer Moore paints. 
My BIL painted his house with Glidden. He bought it on a cost over quality basis, because he's a cheap fu(hush yo mouf Shaft). He put one coat of that stuff on and about 15 years later it's still on.


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## samhamory (Dec 8, 2011)

I've never tested to see which is better paint, but I am sure I get better service at Bejamin Moore! For me that makes a huge difference.


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