Paint for Loader Bucket

I used POR 15 on the inside of my 850's fenders to protect it from any future rust. Though it takes some time to prep, it went on very easy. I brushed it on and it smoothed out nicely. It covers nicely and they recommend two thin coats. You need to be careful about re-sealing the container as once it is opened and if any paint spilled on the can lip, once you put the lid on its there for good. Durability seems to be good as I discovered a small dent and hit it with a body hammer to bring it back is shape. It didn't phase the POR 15. The info sheet says that it is sensitive to sunlight and should be top-coated. They make a product called "Top-Coat" which you can put over the POR 15 anytime after it has dried. The "Top Coat" will accept any primer and then you can top coat it. Or you can hit the window for spraying a dusting of primer over the POR 15 and when it dies come back with another coat of primer. Check out the POR15 web site. They give some good tips on using it. Hope this helps.

I don't think adding a hardener would significantly add to the longevity of the paint film in a bucket that is used for anything other than hay or some such light duty service. Rocks and dirt are going to damage it as easily as ever. I once painted a snowplow in polyurethane hoping to get better life out of the paint. Plowing a gravel road in winter scraped that off just like any other paint. Tractor buckets and snowplows can be a brutal service for any type of paint to survive for long.

I painted my tractor snowblower this past fall and decided to try out POR15 as a base for a couple of reasons. One, as a rust encapsulator and two, as a good undercoat as far as mechanical abrasion is concerned. I haven't had an opportunity to use it at all yet so I don't have any results. I think the POR15 is going to be about as bullet proof as you can get from a home-applied product. I also used it to paint the inside of a tractor rim when replacing a rear tire. It seems to be pretty tough stuff - better than any hardened paint that I have used. I am impressed with the ease of brushing it. I can say I have never brushed a paint that flowed out as well as the POR15. It's a moisture-cured isocyanate even though it is a one-part paint. So it's nasty to breathe. It would be safer to brush than to spray but I am not going to say it's "safe", even for brushing, w/o fresh air breathing equipment.

My limited experience with POR15 indicates that it is somewhat tricky to use, especially if you are going to topcoat it with another paint. It also has special, two step, prep requirements using POR's own prep materials. It is fairly slow drying (compared to automotive paints), is very sensitive to timing between coats and for topcoating. It has no UV inhibitors in it so it is also sensitive to prolonged exposure to sunlight unless topcoated with something else. It is very black as you can see here:

I don't know, but suspect it would turn grayish after much exposure to sunlight. I really don't expect it to hold up indefinitely in the snowblower discharge chute. I'am hoping it will at least prolong the inevitable exposure to rust in that area. If I were going to paint a tractor bucket, I'd consider that POR15 is probably about the best that you can do regarding a paint film holding up for long, particularly in areas that see the most abrasion.

Rod