Orange 2 Paint Fade Testing

[Cavalry]

Like many of us here my tractor suffers from factory paint (orange 2) that was fading right off the dealer's lot. I run a buffer across everything yearly, just to freshen it up, but at some point I will run out of paint and it will need to be repainted. I wanted to test the fade resistance of Kubota bulk paint (quart/gallon) to see if it was any better than what was applied in the factory.
I sprayed 3 coats to a coupon, The only deviation I had was the addition of hardener and a smidge of reducer to get it to a viscosity I liked.
I have access to a lab with a weatherometer, otherwise known as an accelerated weathering test chamber. Unfortunately, my lab only uses the UV portion of the test and is not set up to test the humidity/water droplet part of the test. I may revisit this in the future with a complete test.
There is not an iron clad time frame of UV I exposed the coupon to due to location and latitude differences, but its roughly the equivalent of 2 years.
Overall I would give it a 9/10. There was a small amount of fade that I tried to capture on the outer edge that was covered during the test, but overall still had great reflectivity.

 

[jkrubi12]

It seems to me that Kubota orange differs slightly between Japan & Georgia.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

yes, paints will be different. see that all the time with cars and trucks as there isn't just ONE paint making facility for a company. Paints are 'locally' made,saves on shipping costs, HAZMAT fees,storage, etc.
even when the local auto paint shop makes paint to the mfr's spec (or scanned) ,it is off a wee bit..maybe 1 less squirt , different sized metallics, extra drip from the spigot...... water born paint is different than 'old skool' paint..... and shooting wiht a $600 does a far better job than a HF $29.95 special !

 

[Pawnee]

The tractor market sure has changed.

 

[Cavalry]

It seems to me that Kubota orange differs slightly between Japan & Georgia.

Ha! It varies panel to panel on my tractor. The fenders might match each other, every other piece is its own hue, some close, some not so much. Minus the cowl, it gets a break for being plastic, the loader is the worst, not even close to the machine.

 

[Biker1mike]

Did not want to pay big bucks for dealer paint so my tractor does have some AC orange.
Slow down the rust and keep working

 

[fried1765]

Like many of us here my tractor suffers from factory paint (orange 2) that was fading right off the dealer's lot. I run a buffer across everything yearly, just to freshen it up, but at some point I will run out of paint and it will need to be repainted. I wanted to test the fade resistance of Kubota bulk paint (quart/gallon) to see if it was any better than what was applied in the factory.
I sprayed 3 coats to a coupon, The only deviation I had was the addition of hardener and a smidge of reducer to get it to a viscosity I liked.
I have access to a lab with a weatherometer, otherwise known as an accelerated weathering test chamber. Unfortunately, my lab only uses the UV portion of the test and is not set up to test the humidity/water droplet part of the test. I may revisit this in the future with a complete test.
There is not an iron clad time frame of UV I exposed the coupon to due to location and latitude differences, but its roughly the equivalent of 2 years.
Overall I would give it a 9/10. There was a small amount of fade that I tried to capture on the outer edge that was covered during the test, but overall still had great reflectivity.

In 2018, I purchased my 251 hour 2006 L48TLB.

It had lived outside since the day it was born.
Paint was faded, and there was some inside fender seam rust.
I sandblasted the seams, used OSPHO on bare metal, and repainted the wheels and fenders, with perfect match orange 2 Valspar (reduced) machinery enamel and hardener.

I compounded the hood, as well as the hoe sticks.
Tractor now always lives inside, and continues to look great.
I used my high quality Binks gun, but my technique was obviously not perfect.
I do have some orange peel.

Resprayed the console gray, and blackened all the hoses.
Machine looks close to new.

 

[torch]

The tractor market sure has changed.

I blame Oliver Wendell Douglas and his wife, Lisa.

 

[Pawnee]

I blame Oliver Wendell Douglas and his wife, Lisa.

Haha, even though I used to watch that I still had to look it up.

i think it was more the pandemic than anything else.

 

[Elliott in GA]

Well, my paint (tractor, loader, mowers and etc.) still looks brand new at the 1.5+ year mark. Everything is stored in an open sided shed with 12 foot legs; it all gets some morning and afternoon sun. However, I will confess that I wash and wax everything twice a year. Not to the level of a car - just wash with a solution of dawn and a rag. Afterwards, I use Griot's spray on ceramic wax (wipe on, wipe off). The whole wash and wax process takes about 45 minutes for the tractor and loader. I do not think 1.5 hours a year is too much time to take care of an expensive piece of equipment. FWIW, before I washed and waxed it, I refreshed the gravel drive. I have now moved and spread over 100 tons of gravel plus all of the mowing and grappling in less than 2 years - so it is not a toy.

 

[fried1765]

Well, my paint (tractor, loader, mowers and etc.) still looks brand new at the 1.5+ year mark. Everything is stored in an open sided shed with 12 foot legs; it all gets some morning and afternoon sun. However, I will confess that I wash and wax everything twice a year. Not to the level of a car - just wash with a solution of dawn and a rag. Afterwards, I use Griot's spray on ceramic wax (wipe on, wipe off). The whole wash and wax process takes about 45 minutes for the tractor and loader. I do not think 1.5 hours a year is too much time to take care of an expensive piece of equipment. FWIW, before I washed and waxed it, I refreshed the gravel drive. I have now moved and spread over 100 tons of gravel plus all of the mowing and grappling in less than 2 years - so it is not a toy.

You might consider backing in for 6 months, and going in forward for 6 months.
Will make any fading essentially equal.

 

[Gene Blister]

Haha, even though I used to watch that I still had to look it up.


More than a few of our “peer group” (Boomers) teased me when we bought our fixer upper in North Idaho. They called it “The Haney Place.”

“What are you going to do with that,” they asked.

”I’m gonna live there! And farm it!”

Every spring I still watch the little green sprouts shoosting up to the sun and the sky.
Once in a while, there’s the faint echo of a piccolo.

 

[Steve Neul]

Like many of us here my tractor suffers from factory paint (orange 2) that was fading right off the dealer's lot. I run a buffer across everything yearly, just to freshen it up, but at some point I will run out of paint and it will need to be repainted. I wanted to test the fade resistance of Kubota bulk paint (quart/gallon) to see if it was any better than what was applied in the factory.
I sprayed 3 coats to a coupon, The only deviation I had was the addition of hardener and a smidge of reducer to get it to a viscosity I liked.
I have access to a lab with a weatherometer, otherwise known as an accelerated weathering test chamber. Unfortunately, my lab only uses the UV portion of the test and is not set up to test the humidity/water droplet part of the test. I may revisit this in the future with a complete test.
There is not an iron clad time frame of UV I exposed the coupon to due to location and latitude differences, but its roughly the equivalent of 2 years.
Overall I would give it a 9/10. There was a small amount of fade that I tried to capture on the outer edge that was covered during the test, but overall still had great reflectivity.

The problem with the orange paint is the red pigment in it. The color red is the most prone to fade. Your best bet is to paint over it with an automotive acrylic enamel. An automotive paint would be more colorfast. Not knowing what kind of paint Kubota used try it out on a small spot to see if the paint will lift before you get too far into it. It may take a complete refinish where you take it down to bare metal to paint.

 

[Cavalry]

The problem with the orange paint is the red pigment in it. The color red is the most prone to fade. Your best bet is to paint over it with an automotive acrylic enamel. An automotive paint would be more colorfast. Not knowing what kind of paint Kubota used try it out on a small spot to see if the paint will lift before you get too far into it. It may take a complete refinish where you take it down to bare metal to paint.

Yes you are correct about the color fastness of red. My personal opinion is Kubota just didn't care about the paint as it took years before it was supposedly remedied. There certainly is paint that will defend better against the elements, they did not apply it.
I had zero luck at my automotive paint supplier or friends at two body shops getting a code for Kubota orange. Sure they can computer match it but IMO that gets you about 90-95% of the way there, the rest must be done by eye. And at that point what are they matching it to? My machine is at least 4 different colors, maybe more.
This project stemmed from another on a machine I painted. Painting my tractor is a backshelf plan, I was just trying to get a plan for the future and thought others here might be interested in an option other than sorting through the rattle can section at home depot.

 

[Cavalry]

The tractor market sure has changed.

When I'm not waxing and detailing my tractor in a carpeted, climate controlled garage, I use it outside. Just last week I brought a bucket load of mulch to the edge of the paved driveway, but I didn't want to drive across the grass, way too risky. Someday I hope to brave enough to put it in 4wd and scratch the paint off the bucket.

 

[mdhughes]

Cavalry,
I too use my tractor and it has been through the snow and mud, but I want it to look good at the same time as I plan on keeping it a long time. I have used Rust-Oleum shaker can to touch up the platform and a couple other places and find it a really close match. I see that Tractor Supply sells it in gallon and quart cans. I wonder if it would hold as good or better than the Kubota paint?

 

[Cavalry]

Cavalry,
I too use my tractor and it has been through the snow and mud, but I want it to look good at the same time as I plan on keeping it a long time. I have used Rust-Oleum shaker can to touch up the platform and a couple other places and find it a really close match. I see that Tractor Supply sells it in gallon and quart cans. I wonder if it would hold as good or better than the Kubota paint?

I feel the same way. It was a large investment, I want to keep it nice.

I have not tried TSC paint (Majic brand I believe) in a couple years, It looked good after spraying, but it was pretty terrible as far as not fading.

 

[fried1765]

IMHO

Cavalry,
I too use my tractor and it has been through the snow and mud, but I want it to look good at the same time as I plan on keeping it a long time. I have used Rust-Oleum shaker can to touch up the platform and a couple other places and find it a really close match. I see that Tractor Supply sells it in gallon and quart cans. I wonder if it would hold as good or better than the Kubota paint?

IMHO Tractor Supply Majic paint is 100% cheap junk!

 

[mdhughes]

I have not tried TSC paint (Majic brand I believe) in a couple years, It looked good after spraying, but it was pretty terrible as far as not fading.

I don't know about the TSC paint, I was talking about Rust-Oleum Kubota Orange.

 

[Elliott in GA]

When I'm not waxing and detailing my tractor in a carpeted, climate controlled garage, I use it outside. Just last week I brought a bucket load of mulch to the edge of the paved driveway, but I didn't want to drive across the grass, way too risky. Someday I hope to brave enough to put it in 4wd and scratch the paint off the bucket. View attachment 91231

I leveled 3 spots (32x32, 12x12 and 15x30 feet) using my LX. I had about a 1-2 foot slope on each, and the ground is hard, red Georgia clay with lots of rocks (fist to football+ size). I always tried to do the work when the ground was damp - not wet from rain.

What really surprised me was that no matter how much of the red clay was stuck to the tire treads and sidewalls, it would all nearly disappear within a couple of hours of mowing the field later in the week. My tires are clean and black, and I have never even hosed them off.