Oldest Paint Job That YOU Restored? Rattle Can Or Gun?

[CADplans]

This issue of rattle can versus compressor and gun comes up frequently.

So, MY question is;

How long do expect the paint to last?

Is 5 years an expected life for a paint job? In that case, rattle can would be perfect. (Maybe not? )

If a longer life is expected, is the compressor and gun actually going to give better results?

I keep moving towards more expensive paint, and I wonder if it is a waste of money.

My latest effort was done with acrylic enamel and hardener, I will not know the results for 10 years.

Do you have a pic of something you painted that is 10+ years old that is a success,,,,,, or a failure?

[vartz04]

I think this is going to vary greatly depending on how you take care of your machines. I rattle canned my 104 but it sleeps in a garage and gets washed regularly so I wouldn't be surprised If that paint job lasts a long time... On the other hand if you paint it then leave it outside in the sun all year I'd guess even if you shot it with a gun I'd doubt it look great after 5 years.

Also depends on how you use the machine. If it's a worker and rolling through brush and snow blowing on salted surfaces vs. A tractor that mows the grass on a open lot once a week thepaint is ggoing to hold up differently.

[J-Mech]

I can't find any pics of something 10 yrs old or older. I will try though because I don't believe this debate will go far if we can find some old pics. I have painted a lot of equipment, and I can absolutely attest that the difference is in the paint. Expensive paint LASTS. Period. I worked for a farmer right out of high school. He painted two of his tractors the same year. One was a flunky (IH M), and the other was a good work tractor IH 1086). He used cheap paint on the M and Centari on the 1086. They had been painted 10yrs before I went to work for them. The M was faded and almost pink, and 1086 looked like it had recently been painted.

I do have pics of something I painted. I painted this loader and tractor for a customer. Why it is still in my possession is a LONG story, so lets leave it with, it's not paid and I assume it's mine now. He wanted it painted with Van Sickle paint, so that's what we did. I painted both 6 maybe 7 yrs ago. The loader sits outside, and has since I painted it. The tractor sits in a corner in the shop. Other than being dusty, the tractor doesn't look bad. The loader however.......

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I painted a rear blade for a tractor about 3 or 4 years ago. I don't have a pic of it cause it isn't here, but I will try to get one. I painted it with Centari for the black, and I believe I used Nason for the Red. It still looks like I just painted it. The black isn't even worn off the moldboard and we grade with it! It wore it off on the lower maybe 1/4-1/3 and that's it. I try to get a pic.

[fpatd]

I have noticed cheap paints don't hold up ! Rattle can or gun , but i go buy rule of thumb if you paint it , & take care of it wax it & garage it the paint job will last longer, cheap paint job or not the results show in the attention to detail from prep to finish !

[OldAndInTheWay]

I just finished the majority of the paint work on my 1450 today so I will time it and get back to you when it needs it again.

[Muzzy]

I've been painting with rattle cans and gun shot paint for years. They both have their place but, rattle can paint does'nt hold up nearly as good. It fades fast even with wax and is alot softer even when it's completley cured. I think of rattlecan finishes as light duty and better suited for interior applications. The upside is that you don't need a bunch of equiptment and there is'nt any cleanup as with guns. The downside is that you don't get as good a finish in terms of gloss and build up and you can't use hardener.

[cadzag72]

my 72 was re-painted 20 years ago with Tru-Value "X-O-Rust" paint with a spray gun. it was a heavy paint job, because we were going to be using it as a mower at my family's beach house and we wanted it to be able to survive the salty environment. here's how it looks now, having never been washed.



the paint has held up pretty well, despite being dirty. the deck was not painted at that time, and it dod not hold up as well as you can see by the large patch panel (one of many). This was painted by my father.

[johncub7172]

Quite so! The paint seems to have held up near salt water at best. That reminded me of when I lived near Seattle. Had it all in my head I would find a nice '69 Mustang. Nope. Even by the salt water the old iron can rust out! What's more important, is that you have a great advantage by not having to heckle with a rusted/rusty piece of equipment! Got to love the platform of the IH Cub Cadet like these. Makes it real easy to up-grade to a larger engine! My daughter liked my tractors too, but now she's 16 and has teenager syndrome!

[bocephus1991]

I think it all boils down to how you take care of your equipment. If it sites outside alot use the automotive paint. If you keep it in a barn/garage every night wash it and wax it regularly you can use the cheaper paint.Red does oxidize and fade worse than other paints I think too. I have also seen alot of IH tractors that look pink from fading. Clear coating makes a big difference too,I know one guy on here that uses vansickle and clear coats it. I used vansickle on my 1200 I wash regular and wax it a couple times a year and keep it in a heated garage so it looks fine. Paint is like alot of things,you have to take care of it,was and wax. Imagine if you never changed your oil ,what kind of shape your engine would be in.

[hdsdcouple]

I have to also agree, can or gun get good quality paint. and always double check you surfaces before you do any painting. even something as simple as moving a piece after you have it prepped for painting can cause problems. oil from your fingers is just as bad as oil from your motor in a can of paints' eye. a extra few min. of prep can make a good paint job great.

I will be over here banging my head against the wall if you need me.