I can't answer your question, however I've seen two paint jobs done with the Harbor Freight HVLP systems and they looked pretty good to me. I guess that's not saying much.
I've been looking into the the HF HVLP and most people I've talked to like them. The only people that had negative things to say about it have never actually used one. (Go Figure)
Here's the reponse that I got from a guy that shoots with it all the time.
I first thought "how good can it be?" but when we took over a distributor in Milpitas CA, I got to use one of their Turbinaire HVLP Turbine style guns. Worked great shooting heavy industrial paints, so I tried some lacquer and some urethane and it was just as easy as using my old Binks 77 or Iwata W series gun (probably two of the finest conventional guns one could ever use!)
What took some getting used to was the ammount of paint you can lay on quickly. It transfers MUCH more than normal guns, so you have to paint and move much quicker. I would say I have to move shooting thick urethanes like I used to shoot acrylic lacquer with a conventional gun.
Going on what I like about the Harbor Freight HVLP is that it's self-contained and I dont; need to clear out the garage to shoot something (not that I have a garage, mind you---but I don't have to clear out the area between the sheds)...
My ONLY complaint is that I would like a longer hose so I could mount the thing to a wall, and shoot without moving the unit. Not that its a big deal, but the Turbineair unit had a longer hose. Of course it costs $1500, and not under $100, so I think that's a reasonable tradeoff.
Using it only entails running an extension cord out to the driveway, and after watering down for dust, I shoot away.
Now, their conventional gun they sell for like $19 or $29 works as well and is a knock-off of my Binks 77. But then you need a 5hp compressor, dessicant system, water filters, blah blah blah. I mean I HAVE all that stuff since I'm in compressed air as a business, but this thing is so much easier to set up and shoot---ESPECIALLY for top coats. I usually have the air hose out for body work, so I usually shoot primer with my old guns, and then go to the turbine unit for topcoat (especially since I can paint a car with about HALF as much paint as I used with conventional guns.
Such is HVLP.