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Best Paint for old tractors

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alabamafrog

05-07-2008 08:29:33




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What is the best paint to use when restoring old tractors like a styled A or 60?

I used Mystic brand paint I bought from a local parts store to do my MT, it went on great and looks good but I’m not positive if it is exactly the right color and don’t know how it will stand up over time.

Is the paint sold at the John Deere place good? They want like $58 a gallon for it.

I want something that will look right and last for many years without fading.

Is it necessary to use primer? I didn’t on the MT

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alabamafrog

05-09-2008 15:17:00




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
Thanks a lot for all the help,

So far yall have convinced me that the cheap enamel isn’t the way I should go and I should use good primer and do a little more prep work.

Now I got to decide between PPG base/clear and urethane.

Do I use the same primer with either? I would like to get the primer on next week.

What are the pros and cons of the two approaches?

I’ve done base/clear before and it was relatively easy and looked great, don’t think I’ve sprayed urethane before.

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alabamafrog

05-08-2008 08:37:50




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
I stopped at my local JD dealer the other day, the new green was about $38 a gallon and the classic green was about $58 a gallon. I don't remember the price of the thinner and hardener but it was fairly high.



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Mike M

05-08-2008 10:01:22




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-08-2008 08:37:50  
I like the looks of the cheaper brighter reg. green better anyhow. I use thinner from NAPA and I don't like hardener as it is rougher on your health and chips too easy. At $38 a gallon it's the best value around.



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Mike M

05-08-2008 08:10:35




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
I have always used paint right from JD and have had fine results with it. Cost used to be really reasonable too. I haven't bought any for years though.



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alabamafrog

05-08-2008 07:53:59




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
Wow, this is all great help to me, I’m definitely going to print all of this out and study it some more.

If I may beg for more info;

What should I use to spray the phosphoric acid?

Will the acid hurt any of the parts I plan to leave on the tractor like hoses, wires, tires, etc?

I also noticed I didn’t see any sanding until after the first coat of primer. Does this mean all of the paint is removed in the previous steps or should there be some original paint left on before priming?



I still gotta think about the costs too, looks like this method is about $200 for paint and another $300 for the other stuff. When I did the MT it was about $20 for 20 can of oven cleaner and about $100 for all of the paint, thinner, hardener, and stuff. So decent original old style paint job is about $120 per tractor and nice shinny show style paint job is about $500 per tractor.

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James Chantry

05-08-2008 14:08:18




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-08-2008 07:53:59  
What should I use to spray the phosphoric acid? - pickup up a $2 hand pump sprayer from walmart - holds about a quart

Will the acid hurt any of the parts I plan to leave on the tractor like hoses, wires, tires, etc? - I usually remove all these parts before using acid - I don't know what it would do to these parts- probably won't hurt rubber tires.


I also noticed I didn’t see any sanding until after the first coat of primer. Does this mean all of the paint is removed in the previous steps or should there be some original paint left on before priming? - by the time I use the acid, all the paint is gone. The oven cleaner gets most of it, wirebrushing/sandblasting the remainder. If you leave old paint, there maybe rust under it that the acid will not react. Rust under old paint will bubble and work it's way through the new paint. I do not sand cast parts or the epoxy primer. Only sanding I do is on sheet metal after surfacer and smooth metal parts like the oil filter, oil pan, tubing, etc. I treat the air cleaner (fill pits, sand, etc) like the hood, grill, and other sheet metal because it is so visible.

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James Chantry

05-07-2008 16:09:42




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
I agree with the previous posts that you can do better than JD paint.

My sequence for painting a tractor:
Pressure wash and degrease
Spray on cheap oven cleaner
Pressure wash again
Power Wire brush or sandblast (I dont sandblast moving parts (engine, transmission, etc)
Clean with wax/oil cleaner or brake parts cleaner (my favorite) to remove residual oil.
Spray with phosphoric acid (from home depot)to treat residual rust
lightly wire brush after acid dry (24hrs)
Epoxy primer (PPG MP-170)
If sheetmetal spray with urethane surfacer and sand
Color coat with PPG Omni acrylic enamel #46180 for green and #82009 for yellow. Best to use hardener but must use forced air breathing.

I have been very happy with the results. I spend about $500 for a small (M, 40) tractor. The green is about $30/quart and yellow is $37/quart. You will need about 4 qts of green, 2 qts of yellow, 1 gallon of epoxy primer.

Good Luck

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Will P

05-07-2008 20:19:34




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to James Chantry, 05-07-2008 16:09:42  
Thanks for breaking it down. I just pulled my G in to do this. Was going to ask the same questions.


Will



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Dave M

05-07-2008 15:23:39




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
It took me one tractor but I now subscribe to the FIT theory.

one thing for usre the JD paint is antique.

I like the way PPG OMNI handles and looks - the single stage is fine for me. I am painting a ford now with the ppg and am still convinced. I know budgets sre budgets, but in comparison to the cost of the tractor the PPG is worth it to me.

No more synthetic enamel for this old codger. The JD label just maskes it as good as what is in the can. Kinda like the thinner that has the JD label.

JMHO also, you have to do what mkes you feel good. That is what counts.

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alabamafrog

05-07-2008 12:23:45




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
Okay so if I get this right for an original but lower quality and more fade prone finish I can use enamel like from the John Deere place. For a shinny and longer lasting finish a urethane paint. I’ve done base and clear before but it seems that the surface must be perfect for that to look right and it is expensive.

As for preparing the tractor, so far I have soaked it with oven cleaner and washed it and scraped it and done it all again. Next I planed to sand with my orbital palm sander and some 180 paper then paint it. Is that okay or should I do something different?

It sounds like urethane may be nicer, I just gotta figure out where to get it and what all I need with it. I have a gravity feed spray gun and respirator, I used the enamel paint and NAPTHA thinner and hardener on the last tractor from the local auto parts store.

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alabamafrog

05-07-2008 09:42:02




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
Here is how the MT with the mystic enamel paint turned out. I plan (hope) to do much better with the next ones that are laying behind it.

third party image



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alabamafrog

05-07-2008 09:35:58




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
I’d like to keep them close to original as I can. I’m a decent painter, not show quality cars but can lay it on without runs, most of the time.

These are family heirloom tractors bought by my great grandfather and grand father in the 1950’s. I want to restore and paint them for sentimental value and to protect them from further decay. They will be kept in a dusty barn or shed and occasionally cleaned up and taken to shows or do hay rides in the field, may even plant a garden.

We use the new tractors to farm, the 4010 and 4020 and International 856.

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garytomaszewski

05-07-2008 09:28:09




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
There is no such thing as the best paint that won't fade. How good of a painter are you ? Are you looking for a mirror finish, just want to make it green, working tractor or trailer queen ? The JD paint is a good durable paint that is the best match for original. Some of the hi-gloss urethanes are cute but chip easily and IMO aren't any where close to original.



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RobMD

05-07-2008 09:22:48




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
I like PPG



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jlong

05-07-2008 09:57:48




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to RobMD, 05-07-2008 09:22:48  
Single part urethane or bc/cc

How much does it typically run you?



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F-I-T

05-07-2008 10:14:36




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to jlong, 05-07-2008 09:57:48  
Amen on the urethane. And keep 'em out of the sun whenever you can, but the urethanes wear very nice. Other alternative is AE, wet color sand, then clearcoat works well, too. BC/CC can look kind of hinky on cast parts. This 70 is in AE with clearcoat, but it was done several years ago before the newer single part urethanes became readily available through most stores. The paint is aging on it because it I use this tractor for general work, but it is holding up pretty well. Someday it will get painted anew. Green is PPG DAR 46180 and the yellow is DuPont Ful-Cryl 263I. A good self-etching epoxy primer like DP-40/80 LF is a must. I just finished a 72" deck for my 855 in DuPont Ful-thane 263 (JD Yellow), and it is holding up really well. Darn near chip proof, good adhesion, bright shine, oil/grease/fuel resistant. I think urethane is going to be my paint of choice until the next best comes out.

If you're spraying the 1960's Synthetic Enamel (Synthol/Dulux) from TSC/DEERE/etal, you better use a hardener, and a fresh-air respirator if you do, and, you'll still be disappointed at the amount of sun-fade that will occur. MHO.

third party image

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Mike M

05-07-2008 12:15:16




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to F-I-T, 05-07-2008 10:14:36  
Have you had to repaint the 855's green yet ? The ones I have seen the factory powder coat comes off in sheets.



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F-I-T

05-07-2008 13:05:48




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to Mike M, 05-07-2008 12:15:16  
Yup. The powder coat is a disaster down here in Florida. It crazes from the sun and heat, then gets a line started from a scratch, then moisture gets under that, and starts rust. Then the sun comes up on it and the moisture turns to steam and lifts it in sheets, a little each time. I have to grit blast it off where it still adheres, then treat with phosphating, then epoxy prime and paint/clear.

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coltond202

05-07-2008 09:10:02




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 Re: Best Paint for old tractors in reply to alabamafrog, 05-07-2008 08:29:33  
The paint at JD is good stuff, pricy but it looks awsome in my opinion.



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