IH 2150... Primer? Tips? Help!

I have decided to use the Tractor Supply IH red for my Snapper lawn mower. I have had a lot of testimonials on Ih 2150 and its durability. What made me decide on it is I hit a deer about a month ago and had $4000 worth of damage to my truck. The shop owner and I got to talking Farmalls (both have F504's) and he told me the the IH 2150 (stuff at the tractor place) was good stuff. He said it will last longer than the NAPA MS paint... I thought, WOW!

So now I am going IH 2150. Can I use Valspar hardener, I have 3 unopened cans? Do I need to prime? If so what is compatible? What to use for reducer or does the IH dealer have this? It ment alot to me when a paint and body shop owner recommended the OEM paint over PPG, DUPONT, Ect.

Thanks guys,

Charles

There are many kinds of paint. If they have not changed it, 2150 is an "acrylic modified" alkyd enamel, meaning that it is basically the old fading alkyd enamel (Tractor Supply, etc) with added acrylic properties, notably UV inhibitors -- I am not a paint chemist. PPG and likely DuPont, MS/NAPA also make acrylic modified version of alkyd enamel. It is good paint, but will not be "better" than PPG's, etc more expensive lines. Bear in mind that it has an orange tint. As for primer, use epoxy, I use PPG Omni MP 170 which is better and more expensive than the primer IH sells -- it will cost more than 2150. If you want a smooth finish, you need a sandable surfacer over the epoxy, at least on the sheet metal. Use the reducer sold by CaseIH, use the hardener sold by CaseIH (they may say they have never heard of it, but it used to be available). Your Valspar hardener is probably the same thing, provided it is still good, they do have an unopened shelf life. Remember that if you use hardener you need supplied air. I am excluding B-maniac and Glennster from this statement -- Don't believe everything a body shop person tells you. 2150 is a low to mid-line paint, that is probably ok for most tractors. Higher dollar paint, particularly the urethanes are considerably better.

I've got a 1940 H that I painted with Case-IH 2150 10 years ago. I did not use any hardener, and when I wash away the dust and dirt it looks as good now as when it was first painted. The tractor IS working tractor.

Yes, 2150 starting 4 or 5 years ago is quite durable. I"d have no problems putting it ahead of some other paints that cost more. However you must relize what it is. My huge problem with IH 2150 and IH primer is consistent quality. I"ve had some real rotten cans! Some are great and some are crap. I"ve had terible luck with the last few cans of primer. IH primer cures painfully slow sometimes, way longer than the label states even in great weather. One can I opened was almost all solids! Quite honestly the best cheap primer I"ve found is Rustoliam BARE metal. That cheap stuff lays down nice, fills rough surfaces, and sands great. I"ve talked to a couple of other guys and they were complaining about the recent quality of 2150 too. One told me the only way he could get some to lay down decent was to dump in a boat load of hardner. I"ve ben too busy to paint anything recently, but when I get caught up this summer, it WON"T be with any IH product until they get there quality control up to speck.

Thanks RustyFarmall, I have been leaning towards the Ih 2150 despite its "orange tint". I have many testimonies from others with it and for the money I think it is the best option for a "working tractor". Interesting you said no hardener. Will it be as durable as with hardener? I planned to use hardener to improve its properties.

I am receptive for more IH 2150 info... I can get it localy, 60 miles south, and 70 miles north of me. I have some Martin Senior Cat Yellow Industrial paint I have yet to apply to my Mott flail mower. Would one think that would be better?

Charles

i am kind of suprised that the body shop told you the case i-h paint was better then something from dupont, ppg ect. unless he was looking at it from a cost standpoint, ease of application, and least hazardous. the automotive paints are definitely a better quality, however the cost increases exponentially. i've shot the cheap tsc type paint, the ih paint, and highlines. my least favorite was the case i-h, i was not happy with the results. i used it on a farmall b, paint lasted a couple years and started coming off. just plain poor adhesion. it reminded me of shooting dulux enamel from those thrilling days of yesteryear, when you hot-potted the enamel before you painted. another option you may consider is an industrial coating. when i worked in a fab shop, i used an industrial paint by devoe coatings for structural steel. basically an alkyd industrial exterior paint, for tanks, pipes, catwalks ect, that always were exposed to the elements. not real pricey, 40-60 dollars a gallon, thinned with mineral spirits. you can go to an ici glidden/dulux paint store in your area, (not a big box store) and check out thier industrial lines. sherwin williams stores also have an industrial paint line. the store can tint to get a close color to what you are looking for, but you need to bring them a sample. many of the stores have a color scanner. here is a link to show you the product
devoe coatings

Hardener will allow it to "flow out" better, to a certain degree and it will certainly dry faster. It will not improve its properties or make it more resistant to chips and scratches, but it will improve resistance to gasoline, AFTER it is fully cured, which may be a few months. Some say hardened paint chips easier. Hardener is best used in the paints that require it, that is, they will not cure without it. Usually the urethanes. It is not necessary for alkyd and acrylic enamels. The quality of your paint job depends on your skill, not the hardener. As to the MS paint, all companies make different qualities of paint. Go to their web site, look it up, and it will tell you what it is. "Cat yellow" could be anything from alkyd enamel to polyurethane.

CNKS, the "Cat Yellow" I bought was an alkyd enamel, $50/gal plus hardener and reducer. Cost me about $85 for the supplies to shoot 1 gallon.

Glennster, He was not saying the IH was a superior paint. He was stating his personal evperience painting tractors was it was the best value for a working tractor. Of course auto paints are higher quality and more durable. I think he was saying it was better than TISCO and TSC.

I have a Sherwin Williams and NAPA localy. I know of one shop that shoots Dupont, one Martin Senour, and most shoot PPG. I do not know where the paint comes from, local or shipped in. Natchitoches has about 18,000 population. To the south is Alexandria/Pineville pop 75,000, and to the north Shreveport/Bossier City pop +120,000. I know they have paint suppliers there.

I may check with the Sherwin Williams store and see what they have. NAPA is a viable option but our NAPA is a independent owned franchise and is usually higher priced than a regular NAPA. I want to paint this tractor this spring/summer for <$500 supplies.

Charles

"CNKS, the "Cat Yellow" I bought was an alkyd enamel, $50/gal plus hardener and reducer. Cost me about $85 for the supplies to shoot 1 gallon."

In that case, I would put 2150 several steps above the Cat Yellow. Don't know if IH sells a yellow or not. Probably not in stock. If that is what you want, call Carter and Grunewald in WI. CaseIH dealer that does mail order, they will be familiar with the kinds of paint Valspar sells to CaseIH, local dealers probably won't know. But, since I don't use CaseIH paint, I had not heard of the below problems that others are having with it. So, if it was mine and I didn't want to spend a lot of money, I would just have one of your dealers mix you some acrylic enamel in whatever color you want.

The Cat Yellow was a Martin Senior Industrial Coating. I bought it for a Mott Flail Mower. Sorry I did not specify, I am not painting my F504 Cat Yellow! It is a alkyd enamel and if it looked good and holds up I thought about using it for the tractor as well just in IH Red. The CNH IH Red is a Modified Arcrylic Enamel, correct?

The guy at our NAPA did give me the spill on paints that they have the IH Red in. They have Crossfire and a high-end Urathane. The Urathane was about $250/gal + hardener and reducer. Their epoxy primer is $200/gal + hardener. I think that is pretty steep even for auto paint. I have heard of people on here talking about $100/gal or so epoxy. Even POR-15 is cheaper. I'd like to paint it for < $500. I already have the silver for the rims, the < $500 is for the cast and sheetmetal.

Charles

The CNH red is or at least used to be a Acrylic modified ALKYD enamel, that is it is an alkyd enamel with some acrylic properties. Although there is a variation in brands and specific formulations, along with wide price variations, from worst to best paints go from alkyd enamel, acrylic modified alkyd enamel, acrylic enamel, acrylic urethane, polyurethane. The industrial alkyd Cat yellow is probably more durable than the straight alkyd, and less durable than the cheapest urethane you can buy (someone that knows can correct me). I have not priced paints in a couple of years, but DuPont Nason/PPG Omni/NAPA and the less expensive lines of Martin Senour all should be cheaper than the prices you have.