Paint Question for AC720

I only use PPG single stage. It sprays smooth and I’m not sure why but I’ve had really good luck spraying it right from the beginning when I had very little experience. Nothing fancy, Harbor Freight HPLV spray gun, the purple one. Less than $20. My buddy has a farmers paint booth, closed in a 12x30 part of his hay shed. Concrete floor, OSB walls painted white with angle lighting about 8’ off the floor. On one end there are 2-20”x20” fresh air vents with a filter. At the other end is a double fan sucking air/paint fumes out. I usually wear a white paper paint suit and dual filter paint respirator also sold at Harbor Freight. Always make sure the room is clean and I spray the floor with water to prevent any dust from getting in the paint when I’m spraying. Good prep work is necessary to get a nice job. The paint job will only turn out as good the hard work that you put into it. I sand blast all my sheet metal, also the entire tractor years ago outside until I started using a air powered needle scaler. Works great on cast, the frame and wheels. Do not use on sheet metal! I do all my own body work if possible, but a really good friend of mine(ACMutt)helps me when I need it. He has also given me painting advice over the years. Started painting my own tractors and garden tractors about 12 years ago. Patience is key, my 190XT, and my D17 Diesel were12 month projects including repairs. I repair, rebuild, or replace anything that needs it. I like to take them to events to show but they get worked on the farm as well. Especially during hay season.

How do you spray upside down?
I always seem to miss or have a thin patch when I paint under the tractors…

Honestly, lay down on my back. Also on my knees when I come up from the bottom of the tractor at an angle. Just have to angle the paint gun anyway possible to get paint where you need it. Not easy to do at times. The last picture was of some of my 190 parts, just showing how parts get hung. That picture was 9 years ago, since then, new fans have been moved to the end of the room instead of the side.

Edited by AC720Man - 31 Jul 2025 at 11:12pm

Again, really nice work.  For the record, could you provide the PPG paint code or product number for the PO2 paint?  I think the color is spot on in all of your pictures.  Do you use hardener with it?

First off, according to my PPG dealer, some pigments that make up PO2 orange are not available anymore. Not sure if that’s correct so I took a part off my XT that was PPG PO2 from 2018. Computer scanned and they came up with Range Rover red. Personally I think it needs more orange tint to it but it has grown on me.p

Edited by AC720Man - 01 Aug 2025 at 9:03pm

Thanks for the paint information.  I get overwhelmed reading about the myriad of paint formulations and choices, so it's good to have a solid recommendation for something that has worked for them.  I guess the only question is if the color of the new formulation would look too reddish on a full tractor, compared to the pictures of your older restorations.  I would think a difference in color on a smaller part wouldn't be noticeable, whereas a full tractor color might really jump out at you.  I wonder if anyone on the forum has tried the PPG "Range Rover Red" on an entire tractor, and how they liked it?

This is what it looks like, you be the judge if you like it. You won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t like it.

Thanks again for the information.  It does look a little reddish, but is still a vibrant, great looking color.  Now I've got a lot of work ahead of me to strip and prep the tractor for new paint.