Why Does Kubota Orange Paint Fade So Fast?

[Utopia Texas]

Is it just me? Why do Kubota products orange paint appear to fade so fast? I keep all my equipment in a barn and have no problems but two of my neighbors have Orange tractors that have turned a orangey pink color. I was at the local dealership yesterday looking at a 0 hours 2016 B2650 with cab and the fenders are already partially white and dulled out. A B2650 with cab will be my first Kubota buy and I assume I'll have to be more careful than usual with the paint.
Thanks....

 

[3Ts]

I've been told (and have observed) that the red pigment is the most likely to fade unless you get the really high quality pigment which is also $$$$$$$. Some of the colors on cars have an additional cost, red is usually one of those, because of that.

 

[Ortimber]

Yep, ours fade badly as well. My dad bought a new M125 a few years back and it looks terrible. The UV stabilizers don't seem to be working properly.

 

[BAP]

Most all tractors of all brands fade over time. Kubota shows more because of the color. One reason is tractors don't have the quality of paint that is used on cars and trucks. They don't use clear coat to protect the paint and keep the shine.

 

[Utopia Texas]

The rear fenders on the B2650 Cab are only about 4" wide and look to be molded plastic where the orange color is blended into the plastic and not painted. I was dissapointed at how chalky white they had become for a newer tractor. I suppose someone could mask off the area and actually paint the fenders but I told the salesman I would never buy something this new that looked this used. I went to another dealership and ordered one I was promised was comming directly from the assembly line....

 

[Oldoak]

Appears Kubota went to using cheaper paint at some point in time. My 19 year old L4200 doesn't look near as bad as being described here. It's not like new, but it still has some shine to the paint.

 

[RaydaKub]

What I don't understand is how the front rims can look new and the rear rims are barely orange. The rest looks halfway in between.

 

[TMGT]

What I don't understand is how the front rims can look new and the rear rims are barely orange. The rest looks halfway in between.

Kubota sources a lot of wheels from vender's and their paint isn't always the same quality as the tractor. Certain ones are worse then others.

I'm suprised at the failing color on the new B, I wonder if they washed it with somthing they shouldn't have? I haven't noticed any problems with the tractors at my local dealerships.

 

[CalG]

Sunshine in the early morning and late afternoon is filled with lovely , warm, yellows oranges and reds,
The sun being what it is, and with power beyond comprehension HATES competition, even for for the color of it's light energy and even from something as lowly as a farm tractor.

So..

The sun SUCKS the brilliance of the original Kubota paint right off the metal surface and brings it back to it's self, the sun, where it belongs.

And that is why, Kubota paint fades while John Deere green stays bright and shiny year after year.;

 

[Fallon]

The brighter the color the easier it is to destroy the pigment. Not sure the molecular reasoning behind it, but bright cors like neons always fade way faster than darker ones.

 

[davesl708]

I have notice only a slight fading in my 03 BX. I do apply car wax to it to make it easier to clean. Less dirt sticks to it. The wax does have UV blocking.

 

[rustyshakelford]

It's nothing new about their paint fading. The surprising thing to me is how many customers are fine with getting a OOS tractor that has been sitting outside uncovered for several months or longer. My old 5055 had several interior pieces faded that I saw after the fact. For the new tractor, it was ordered. Didn't want any leftover stock that had been cooked and it stays in the shop unless it's being used

Brett

 

[rustydollar]

Cadmium was banned for use as a paint pigment, to us common folk.

All the information on Cadmium - Pigments

Cadmium Pigments

Cadmium pigments are stable inorganic colouring agents which can be produced in a range of brilliant shades of yellow, orange, red and maroon. Their greatest use is in plastics but they also have significant application in ceramics, glasses and specialist paints.

Modern day Cadmium pigments are carefully engineered products manufactured in regulated chemical plants with full Health and Safety and Environmental permits under responsible care management. They are calcined to a high temperature to convert to the stable hexagonal form before then undergoing a series of further processes resulting in highly stable pigment grade products with controlled particle size, surface area and surface treatment to ensure they are not only correct for colour but also meet extremely low solubility limits.

 

[California]

Off-topic, kinda related:

Caltrans used Omaha Orange, similar to Kubota orange, for decades. A cost effectiveness study found this custom color is more expensive to manufacture and is not used on any OEM equipment so everything ordered by Caltrans got custom-painted at additional cost before delivery. Plus it fades.

That study recommended a change in specifications to ordering new equipment in plain OEM white with added vinyl decals or striping as needed. Photo - source (2010). That's the custom rig for the statewide bridge inspection crew, including divers. Note the boat being towed. A more recent white pickup is in the background.