kioti upkeep

[PA hayseed]

my DK45 se hst is getting older now, anyone here try to repaint their tractors? What do you do with the sun bleached plastic? I'd like to keep this thing around for awhile longer, but it is starting to rust all over, seat is cracking, seatbelt broke, plastic compartment covers are broke, etc. ONly big issues are that the front gears have gone out twice.

I've been grinding down an attachment every year and repainting, just have the tractor and bucket left to do. I can wait another year for the PHD, not much there to repaint.

although some might see this as sacrilege, I don't care what color I paint the tractor, so long as it isn't piss yellow. I won't pay additional money for "kioti" paint.

 

[ritcheyvs]

Chevy engine red/orange is a good match to Kioti orange on my 2006 DH45s. It sounds like you need to park your machine in the shade. Sunlight is what eats plastic parts and dulls the paint. Polysulfide paints (like POR-15) are very tough and seal rust but won't survive UV so a top coat is required. If you use polysulfide, wear gloves and only use disposable brushes and drop cloths. I can't comment on the gears.

 

[k0ua]

Rustoleum Lobster Red is very very close. Man you need to get that thing out of the sun. Mine is several years old and looks brand new. But kept indoors all but about 5 months.

 

[PA hayseed]

Thank you for the tips on the paint colors. Parking the tractor in the shade won't work for me. I did have it in a shady spot, but apparently that was too close to the road because someone was stealing the diesel fuel out of it. Now it gets parked in the field, so when they go to steal the fuel they give me plenty of lead time. I had it in the garage for awhile, until I bought a convertible car. I would love to build another pole building to put all my stuff in, but it isn't in the cards right now.

 

[o2batsea]

For fading plastic it's hard to beat 303 aerospace protectant.

 

[Patches]

Thank you for the tips on the paint colors. Parking the tractor in the shade won't work for me. I did have it in a shady spot, but apparently that was too close to the road because someone was stealing the diesel fuel out of it. Now it gets parked in the field, so when they go to steal the fuel they give me plenty of lead time. I had it in the garage for awhile, until I bought a convertible car. I would love to build another pole building to put all my stuff in, but it isn't in the cards right now.

Is that (leed time) or (led time)?

 

[sdef]

Mine is a 2013 model and I use a large car cover. This has worked pretty well and some folks comment it looks like new- which it does not to me. The point is the car cover does a good job of keeping the sun off of it. All of the plastic is in excellent condition and paint fade is minimal if any.

I just had a 40 x 40 x 12 barn built and put the tractor in it now, which is really awesome. BTW: If you go this route you will need a capped piece of PVC pipe to slide over the bucket level indicator so it does not poke a hole in the cover, along with a piece of plywood to go over the ROPS that is unpinned and laying flat, to keep the cover and water from falling through the opening.

 

[cabin kioti]

Would aggre on the Philadelphia Pittsburgh thing.I live in north central pa Sullivan county. Only one traffic light in the whole county. My CK30 HST is a 2005 that I bought new. Always kept in the barn and it still looks like new. It has 1200 hours on it. I always waxed it two times a year. I used chevy orange engine paint to touch up and it was pretty close. Hope this helps.

 

[ritcheyvs]

There's no reason a tractor shouldn't outlive the original owner. But the keys to longevity are protection from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, ventilation, scheduled maintenance, and some cleaning (especially caked mud). Any kind of roof is fine (I use a lean-to on an old tobacco barn). A Fabric covers is OK if it drains (no puddles) and allows good ventilation but it can be a lot of effort.

 

[UpstateSC_Papi]

I noticed last night on my ROPS a very small spot (1/8" or less) that had no paint, appears to be the start of rust. Guessing it was dinged in assembly / transport / whatever. What color / type of paint is good for the ROPS?

Thanks!!