The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop John Milliman, report on tractor paint please

John, if my memory is correct(?) I think you painted some stuff with tractor paint and you have been watching to see how it performed. How is it going, how long has it been, how how ....
lets us know chief.

Yeah...what he said.

Alvin,

I'll stick this in John's mail box. I'm not sure if he would have seen this. He's got a busy day at work today. Tomorrow should be better.

Peg

Alvin,

If that was the rattlecan John Deere Yellow I painted the underside of the dump mechanism on my F-350, it's only been two months but it's holding up well.

If it was the Zero-Rust I did the spring shackles and u-bolts with on my '49 4400 rear axle, that's been five years and it's still looking like I just did it.

Is that what you were wanting the report on?

r,
John

John,
Did you do a lot of prep work b4 applying the tractor paint? Trying to get an idea of what may or may not have to be done b4 using tractor paint.

Thanks John, I knew you were doing "something". I was at tractor supply the other day getting me some more blating nozzles and took a look at their paint. Here they have a pretty good selection and a friend of mine has used it on several vehicles with good luck....and its been a couple years already. I am "considering" if for my panel as it will be a daily driver. I guess I want decided till I see how the rest of it goes...it all goes REALLY well I may spring for basecoat/clearcoat but thats a lot of clams.

Hellow folks, I have restored many many farm tractors over the past twenty five yrs. plus and have used the tractor paint with hardner. I will only buy the tractor paint from the farm equipment dealers rather than the tractor supply source. The paint from the supply stores seems to be a little less quailty paint and tends to fade and turn color and fade over time. Also this paint may not always be a ture color match. In other words buy the Deere paint from the John Deere dealer and IHC paint form the IHC dealer an so on. It's more money but much better longer lasting quality paint. Adding paint hardner will imporve the gloss and hold its color for years to come. As always a good clean smooth suface with primer adds to the results desired. I also get and use the paint reducer where I buy the paint from. One additional .......... make sure you used a good respirator when spraying with paint hardner. The stuff is much like airplane hardner and hard on a persons lungs.

Alvin,
I'm an advocate for tractor paint. I've used on many items, furniture,trailers,kids bike,my 4t6 and my daily Chev driver. It holds up fairly well. Agree with above as to using hardener. All paints have there places and uses. I've used acrylics,laquers and BC/CC. For everyday use I see no problem using tractor paints. Preparation is the key to any paint job. Pics below of 4t6 paint and daily driver. By no means am I an expert just my opinion.
Dan
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2750634870071274430qzyNpf
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2750634870071274430qzyNpf

Sorry........daily driver below. Dan
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/559901287gWcsuc

Thanks guys for your experience, opinions and pictures. I just can't see paying the high dollar for paint that is going on a DRIVER and will be getting dinged and banged up. The guy who painted my 37 says he can do it, and has used tractor paint, with good results. I am leaning toward some sort of orange (allis-chalmers?) but not sure yet. Someone listed a link a while back to a site for Acrylic Paint that I have in my favorites that has a bigger selection. If I can find the web address perhaps someone can let me know if they have used any of it. There is an "orange/copper color that I like.

http://www.paintforcars.com/acrylic_enamel_paint.html
I thought of a "matching color foe fenders/boards. So does anyone know about the link above or experience with it??? I also understand about quality being with the original tractor place.

Every time this subject comes up I feel left out, like I'm not in the inner circle and like it's some thing that you guys are keeping your own little secret.
When you guys use the term "Tractor Paint" do you mean paint from "Tractor Supply" or paint from the tractor dealer or paint the same shade as that used for a tractor or is there a paint that is specifically made for tractors, like house paint or automobile paint or does it say tractor paint on the can or, (tales a breath) are you just using it in the generic sense? It seems so unspecific that it just leaves me wondering what you mean.
This seems to be bantered around like the term nine bolt, ten bolt rear end! To some it means the number in the housing cover and to some it means the number of bolts in the ring gear. Again, it there seems to be nothing specific to the uninitiated.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,
John Deere "tractor" paint is nothing more then synetic enamel paint.
Not something I would to paint anything with IMO.

Ive sprayed enough JD paint to know the results...Eric

Denny, perhaps we should be saying "Implement" paint I understand your confusing and get confused myself. Most are talking about the paint at Tractor Supply which is generally colors that are true tractor colors the same as from a tractor dealership...or at least close. when I looked at the Tractor Supply last week I was just checking it out after having a conversation with my body man. They do have "other" colors and what I saw was made by ValSpar which has been in business for 60 years.
My body man doesn't say its the greatest think since sliced bread but does say he can get a darn good looking job out of it for a lot less than going clear/base coat. He knows me and how I'm subject to drive close to a gravel truck! That said I started this to see how John Miliman's had held up. I persoanlly have not decided. Heck, I may even get my body man to help me some and do it myself. I'll figure it out about 2 days before I need to paint it!!!!

If that's the case, and it’s paint from TSC your talking about I see that it is only available in 25 colors. I went to the Tractor Supply Co. (TSC) web site and you’re correct, it is “Valspar Tractor & Implement Premium Heavy-Duty Enamel Paint” that they listed on their site. No prices listed.
I don’t have much to add or comment on concerning “Tractor Paint” because I’ve never used that paint nor have I been in a TSC store. I was just curious as to what you all were discussing since I hear the term “Tractor Paint” used pretty often. It does appear to me that it’s probably the same type of Implement Enamel that is sold by Blain’s Farm & Fleet, Ace Hardware, TruValue, Menards, Home Depot or any of the hardware stores. I don’t know what makes an enamel “Heavy-Duty” unless it is a polyurethane.

I will say for comparison sake, that so far this year I have used PPG’s DBU/DIU base for the interior, it goes on semi gloss and needs a reactive reducer and has short pot life. I’ve also used the “DAR Polyurethane Acrylic Enamel” which needs a catalyst, special reducers, has no pot life and goes on with a very high gloss. Both of these previously mentioned paints are very expensive running around $50 to $70 a quart plus the reducers and or catalyst.
And I’ve also used PPG’s CPC-ALK200 (moderately expensive) “Acrylic Modified Alkyd Enamel” you can shoot it straight from the can with no special catalyst or reducer needed. I’m not terribly impressed with the gloss of the ALK200.
Next I would like to try PPG’s Omni, which is available in AE (Acrylic Enamel) or AU (Acrylic Urethane) and is supposed to be the (least expensive) what ever that means. I would expect the PPG Acrylic Enamel to be competitive with the hard ware store Implement Enamel.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny, the paint at the TSC that I have been talking about is $50 a gallon counting the hardner.
Has anyone reading this checked out the web address someone here mentioned? It is probably about the same stuff but has more color choices. I also wonder what the difference is when that make claims like "heavy duty". Perhaps I need to got check out the 800 number!!!
Oh well, time will tell....

If it is the Trinity Paint Co. Paints I purchased a kit a couple years ago and I believe the paint was old. Had a terrible time with it. Didn't want to flow. My neighbor a auto painter by trade tried, went and got a one of his guns, still had problems. I ended up with paint that looked like you thru sand in. Could only figure that paint was old. The price was right and I thought it was a great deal which it was dollar wise but I wasnt't satisfied with the product. Maybe others had a better experience and I'm not bad mouthing them as we all know there are a multitude of things that could or do go wrong. As always my opinion.
Dan

For the same amount of money you can get OMNI, nason, kirker etc single stage urethane that will outlast ANY tractor paint.

Last I knew JD paint was made by valspar and its a synetic enamel.

shoot, OMNI single stage is cheaper than tractor paint at my jobber

So we got; Synthetic enamel, Acrylic Enamel, Alkyd Enamel, Urethane Enamel, Polyurethane Enamel, Oil based Enamel and what have I left out, plain ol' Enamel?
For god sake you have to be a bloody chemist in order to make an intelligent choice now days.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

well i look at it like this.a cheap paint job is just that.a cheap paint job and should be expected to perform accordingly. i have chose to go with jd blitz black. not a total flat,but more of a satin black.yeah its not a two-part catalizedepoxiratedsuperdooperbaseclear,which is fine with me.i'm not painting an easter egg and dont need a host of pastel, every color in the rainbow array of colors.obviously its not for every body.gal of paint,gal of buff primer(which they recomend) gal of reducer and the hardner is a little over $100.00.this works for me.its also sold in rattlecans so touch up for the oops are a no brainer. i understand some peoples need for a show car finish . i just sayin i aint one of them..........dave

Well synetic and alkyd are one in the same product.
Urethane is just plain old urethane no enamel to it.
You do have polyurethane but thats just in the clearcoats. Polys are your highsolids "euro" style clears typically.

From the bottom of the barrel workin up you have:
Lacquer
Synetic enamel
Acrylic enamel
Urethene

Whoa, fellas! Didn't mean to start a fuss here.

The paint I used on the underside of my platform dumper was a rattle can John Deere yellow and green. It was just what I had laying around when I needed to spray something on the bare metal. I forget who the brand was.

But it seems that the most important step is the prep. Most especially the primer.

For nearly 20 years now, I've had excellent results (for quick work) with the NAPA/Permatex "Rust Treatment" primer that "destroys rust on contact." The item number is 765-1671. It's awesome stuff and everything I've primed with it is still good. I even use it on clean, sand blasted metal.

If you do good prep work, I think you could brush on latex paint and have good results.

But that's just me. And I am NOT a knowledgeable expert or a professional (by any stretch of a Crank-addicted imagination). I've just done two trucks and a car and I know what has worked for me.

If you don't care what it looks like, but just want something to stand up to years of use, I say POR it or use the NAPA rust primer and your favorite rattle can paint -- good and thick.

If you DO care what it looks like, don't ask me!

John

Don't worry John, I can read print but I can also read between the lines :p You leave no doubt where you stand on the issue and I promise I will be careful from now on about starting a thread with YOUR name in the topic line

Hey come on guys, I don't read any stress into this thread, taint no name callin goin on here yet.
I myself have learned a bunch from this one. I think these discussions, like any discussion worth it's salt, often times drifts away from the original subject and evolves into something a little off what was originally intended. One simple question can often lead into a lively discussion if you simply let loose of the reins. One reply leads to another question, which leads to another reply etc., etc.
The most unproductive and uninteresting threads to me are those with a one line question with a one word reply, now just what can you glean anything from that?

At the very least, I now know what "Tractor Paint" is, I think!! Hell, I'm still painting everything with Rust-Oleum!! Enamel, of some sort!!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chev4t6:
[QB] Alvin,
I'm an advocate for tractor paint. What kinds/brands did you like to use? Did you use the stuff with hardener? Thanks for more detail on the tractor paint!

I used Massey Ferguson Red from tractor supply on my 2 Ton, at the time it was $22 a gallon, we didn't use the hardener. And even with $44 primer under it the whole thing (Not counting my labor) was right at $100 and I have about half a gallon left. This was ment to be a quick paint job to seal the truck from the elements and make it look a little better. And we ended up doing much more than I intended and it looks great, Would have been nice to do a second coat, as there's a few thin spots in it. But that's due to my own poor painting technique and not the paints fault. Also we did my paint job in about 2 days so I kinda hurried some of it.
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