Rust on Bobcat CT230

[samandmax]

I almost bought a Ct450 bobcat, but could not find one without rust. In the seams on top of the hood, cat emblem on front of hood, and under fenders. Alot of it is where one piece of metal is spot welded to another and you cant get rid of it, only temp. fix whats showing on top. BobCat has had many complaints about this. They say they are going to sandblast the metal before they paint. I dont know when they are going to start. I decided I didnt want to be repairing rust every year, and went with a different manufacturer. One dealer said they would take care of it,but why spend that amount of money and start off with a problem that I cant get rid of.

 

[IslandTractor]

Most of the photos show surface rust on wear spots or where paint has been scraped off forks and hitches etc. That is perfectly normal for farm equipment and really isn't worth worrying about unless you are entering your tractor in some sort of concours show.

The rust on the sheet metal inside the engine compartment is presumably related to sitting outside for a year or more. I don't recall seeing any on my two Kioti tractors from the same factory as yours but then again I kept both in a barn.

I would personally not do anything but keep an eye on the surface rusted body panels. So long as you are not splashing salt on the tractor and leaving it in the rain year round it is only a mild cosmetic issue. I wonder if we Kioti owners don't see such rust because of the orange body panel color while the Bobcat white accentuates the rust. In any case rest assured that we don't hear complaints of Kioti's falling apart for any reason and certainly not rust.

 

[azop]

The hour meter had 2 hours on it

 

[powergod1]

With only two hours on it I would really question if they the loader and draw bar where pulled from something else

 

[IslandTractor]

With only two hours on it I would really question if they the loader and draw bar where pulled from something else

Those things can easily be scratched up during installation or testing/demo after assembly. We are talking about a tractor not a Porche after all. It is a tool not barnyard jewelry. The black paint on forks and hitches is not designed to survive after the first actual use.

 

[Gittyup]

I agree with IT, it's a tractor not an automobile, and most can easily happen from attaching/detaching a part just one time. However, the rust on the edges of the white painted sheet metal faying surfaces is bothersome. Over time it will certainly grow, and it shouldn't happen in the first place if primed and painted properly. I'd want those areas touched up with POR-15 or the like and repainted. Still not likely to get it all without disassembly and proper painting. And a dealer isn't likely to do that.

Paint is one area where Daedong needs to do better. On my Kioti, the paint looks good, finish is smooth and shiny, but it is very thin. Doesn't take much to rub through it. In contrast, my John Deere has really thick paint. You can scratch it pretty deep without even going all the way through. I'd guess the paint thickness on the JD is at least 4 times that on my Kioti.

 

[Sprocket]

Looks to me like the battery is leaking from the seam near the top....I removed my battery and painted that area with truck bed liner spray.

 

[powergod]

I agree its not a car, but new is new. and you should receive it as such

 

[lilranch2001]

Looks to me like the battery is leaking from the seam near the top....I removed my battery and painted that area with truck bed liner spray.

I agree, the battery compartment was the pic that concerned me the most.
Mine is an 09 and my battery compartment does not look anywhere close to as bad as that, and I have 160 hours on it

 

[troutsqueezer]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, just a question, What is a "Bandwagon" in your parts? Here in Ky, we have a saying that if something is good, everybody likes to "jump on the bandwagon" to be a part of it. Ken Sweet

Ken, the bandwagon would be one and the same for both of us. The problem is by the time the bandwagon gets around to you so you can hop on it, the money's already been made or people are already occupying the ground floor of the new company. The ship has already sailed..so to speak.

-Trout