Dull paint

[Silveradobernardo]

All new to me , just purchased a 3130 from a 90 year old man who kept in in fine running shape except pair is a bit dull . Looking for any suggestions on a cleaner or wax please . New to this site also .

 

[Elliott in GA]

Although some will ridicule you, you need to treat the paint the same you would for old style car paint (tractor paint is just paint, no clearcoat over base).

Griot's Garage and Autogeek websites have informational/instructional videos on how to renew finishes. You probably will need to remove a layer of oxidation with a random orbital buffer (easier and better) or by hand (harder and not as even) with a polishing compound, and then you can apply a wax to protect the finish and increase the glow. If the paint is not in terrible shape, you may be able to do everything with a One Step (polish/wax - far superior to the old cleaner waxes). I am partial to Griot's products.

I wash and wax my tractor every 6 months, and I use Griot's Ceramic 3 in 1 wax (spray on, wipe off). So, I either spend just 3 hours a year protecting my tractor's and implements' paint or waste 3 hours a year of my time - depending on your viewpoint. In any case, my tractor's paint is in good condition.

 

[BensBX]

Elliot's advice is spot on. Obviously tractors are going to be dirty a lot of the time and that's a given. I agree though if your tractor looks nice it goes in tandem with the probability it has been well maintained and kept up overall. I bought my tractor new in 09 and have used the H out of it and it has some scratches, etc but it gets washed and a coat of wax and kept garaged when not in use. It still looks amazingly good and when it outlasts me and goes up for sale it will bring someone more bucks. Keep it shiny and keep that side up.

 

[fried1765]

Elliot's advice is spot on. Obviously tractors are going to be dirty a lot of the time and that's a given. I agree though if your tractor looks nice it goes in tandem with the probability it has been well maintained and kept up overall. I bought my tractor new in 09 and have used the H out of it and it has some scratches, etc but it gets washed and a coat of wax and kept garaged when not in use. It still looks amazingly good and when it outlasts me and goes up for sale it will bring someone more bucks. Keep it shiny and keep that side up.

If I had bought my 2006 L48 TLB new in 2019 it would likely still appear to be new.
Didn't buy new though, so spent some time doing "fluff & buff" to a, then stored outside, 251 hour 13 year old tractor.
It may now be the best kept 17 year old L48 TLB alive.
Repainted wheels, blackened hoses, replaced seat, compounded most other stuff, and waxed it all.
Looks really sharp.
She lives inside!

I have a 1989 1,100 hour 32HP Shibaura 1920 Ford TL that I use much more frequently,...... she has had a full repaint, and she lives inside also, right alongside her larger/younger Japanese cousin, Kubota!

 

[The Evil Twin]

While it is more work, I would try to clay bar the paint before going orbital and compound. Try it in a small area first.

 

[matt-m]

I also encourage the clay bar step. It's kind of wild what it will pick up. Here's a recent example from a section of a freshly washed 'clean' hood. Doing this before the orbital helps reduce rubbing abrasives around in the paint.

 

[Elliott in GA]

If you are going to clay the finish, you may find it is more effective and easier to use Synthetic Clay.

Brilliant Finish™ Synthetic Clay

Synthetic clay provides faster removal of stubbornly entrenched paint contaminants, improved durability, and cleans more cars than traditional clay bars.

www.griotsgarage.com

You will also need a suitable liquid, which can be a high quality wash and wax mix.

 

[cthomas]

My tractor is going for the used look and robocop paint shine.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I've tried a variety of methods over the years but I keep going back to washing, then polishing compound using orbital machine, washing again, then waxing

But recently I substituted Turtle Wax Seal and Shine ICE for my Meguirs paste wax.

I like the Seal and Shine stuff.