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ORS
03-14-2008 05:00:24
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Re: Painting two tractors... in reply to DaveS, 03-13-2008 13:59:40
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hey Dave, Good luck getting a straight answer on this one. There are so many variables to take into consideration. 1) a friend may only be a friend until they receive the bill. If you do the job for little or nothing, you then open the door for them to reap the reward ($ale of the tractor). 2) The local body shops up here charge $50.00 an hour. A good friend of mine runs a body shop and charged a dealer 250.00 to re-paint a very small new Kubota hood (it had a 3 inch scratch in it). 3) It also depends on the quality of your bodywork and paint. Can your end results be flaw free with a mirror finish. I have seen so-called new paint jobs where the finish goes from a dry sand paper look to a run to a glossy area. That won't cut it when you go to get paid. 4) Cover your a**. What type of paint products are you putting on the tractor. Local implement paint will not leave any room for error. If you should get a run or other mistake with this paint it means a re-shoot. A 2 stage or B/C allows you to color sand and buff. It will cost a little more but the insurance is worth it. You have to charge enough to a least cover the materials twice. If the customer is not satisfied and you have to re-do it you don't want to take it out of your pocket. Dave I have done restorations on all models fords,Allis,Deere,Moline, etc. I have found it very hard to squeeze money out of a farmer, but when they see the results, they cannot believe the finished product. I have now took on newer and much bigger tractors 150-300 hp. I do the painting for dealers and jockeys. I only do the sheet metal, fiberglass and plastic body panels. It seems to be a bit more profitable. If you do the job you will find yourself shaving of hours or forgeting how many you put in. If you take for example a 4020 hood it will take you a minimum of 10 hours to prep,sand and paint it if done correctly. I remove all the sheet metal,lights, wiring, steering wheel,etc. It all takes time. I would say that 60 hours would be an under-estimate to do it right. figure about $200.00-250.00 for quality materials and go from there. What is your labor worth, are you a run-sag-to gloss painter or are you a mirror finish painter. What does your friend make per/hour at his or her job. THE ONLY FRIENDS I HAVE ARE FROM BEFORE 8AM AND AFTER 6PM.
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