Why leaded paint?

Buster57 · Sep 6, 2004

Why do tractors and attachments use leaded paint? Why does the paint tend to fade faster then regular auto paint?
Question has been bugging me.
Thank you!

mark777 · Sep 6, 2004

Buster57,I think I can offer some explinations:

Although lead based paints offer a economical, durable, and industrial finish for equipment, it is considerbly less desirable and has the unsafe stigma on almost all other applications. Toxins (ingested or systemic) are very dangerous. I think many imports get away with this as they assume babies aren't going to chew on your tractor and attachments. As there are no ultra violet (UV) protection in these paints, they fade quickly

Newer finishes (20 years to present) consist of oil based, acrylics based and urethane based and use cataylized additives (hardners). Drying time (in spray booth) can be slowed down and sped up using chemical thinners called reducers. Most finishes recently (last 10 years) utilize clear coating as the standard in auto/aircraft and now some ag equipment. Goes on fast, saturated with UV screeners and hard as a rock But they are very costly.
Example is BPS enamels today sell for 8 bucks a quart and 9 bucks if you elect to use hardner - available at your local TSC. Good strong paint (fading starts in the first week)
One quart of PPG urethane for my customers' motorcycle is $86.20, No reducers, hardners, clears - JUST PAINT.
And BTW as dangerous and more dangerous in application. The finish product has no risidual toxins as they are encapsulated under the clear. Slightly careless painters die all the time.
Apoligize for the lengthy reply, but want you to get a good start if considering a repaint. Regards, Mark

r0GuE · Sep 6, 2004

WHOA!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I'm certainly not a tree hugger, but I am stunned at the possibility that I have a tractor, or rear blade etc that may have lead based paint. Is this really true? I use Kubota and Woods. I just don't see the point in taking chances simply to save $100 on the cost of a $10,000 tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

mark777 · Sep 6, 2004

Sorry, I would like to amend that lead base paint is all but outlawed. Federal Regulations do not permit lead based paint on demostic and imports. Small Loop Hole: Manufacturers on some items do sell NOS (new old stock) sheetmetal and painted parts (lead based). Big Loop Hole Containerised used imports.....(and God I love 'em) buyers are more at risk.

Kicker?? Our government and state projects utilize (often) this paint for via ducts, bridges etc. and can be "got" from friends and neighbours. Your tractor, My MF and most all are baked enamel-durable and fairly harmless finishes. We are safe with what we currently have in the last 8-10 years.

I have a few Yanmars and one is (was) lead based. A reliable source (credentialed nerd) good guy did the tests - similar to over the counter house paint tests but much more complicated (duration, gravity and toxisity) He did this for free, otherwise I would have remained skeptical.

I am not the authority on lead based. Very confident on finishes in the past 25 years though. Maybe someone will jump in and correct me? Thats great too. BTW and LOL I'll hug a tree until it's in my way and down she goes. Regards, Mark

RonR · Sep 6, 2004

For what it's worth, the domestic ag manufactures back in the 1975 timeframe shifted from using lead based paint. My memory is it was an environmental issue dealing with potential harm to the factory painters, plus the disposal issues of dealing with residue of lead paint, such as in the filters--which would become hazardous waste.......................

Don't think there was much direct concern over the consumer. More concern over the cost to mess with lead paint.........

My two cents.

Ron

Junkman · Sep 6, 2004

I can sleep easy now. For a short while, I thought that I was going to either stop chewing on my tooth bar or I was going to die of lead paint poisoning. I hope that I don't ever come back as a turtle in LA, because they die of lead poisoning all the time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

r0GuE · Sep 7, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I can sleep easy now. For a short while, I thought that I was going to either stop chewing on my tooth bar or I was going to die of lead paint poisoning. )</font>

I've caught my 2 year old chewing on sidewalk chalk. Nothing would surprise me. I don't think I ever did stuff like that, but then again, I grew up in the early 70's when lead based paint was everywhere,... so if I did,... I probably wouldn't remember! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

RonR · Sep 7, 2004

Two yr olds chew on EVERYTHING!

Our daughter at that age was helping me work on something. I looked around and she had a 9/16 box blade in her mouth like a lolipop..................

Enjoy them; they aren't little long.
Ron

Dargo · Sep 7, 2004

RonR, I have 5 kids and, yes, they do chew on everything. The problem is, although I'm well into my fourty somethings, I've stuck my finger into my mouth at a less than appropriate time last week with my 4 year old watching. I was cleaning the dreaded stinking grass out from under my mower deck (you know, the kind that is wet when you mow it and two days later stinks up your whole barn) when I mashed one of my fingers doing so. Being that I couldn't launch into a four letter word tirade, I yiped and jammed my finger into my mouth. Yuck! That moldy, mildewy stinking grass tasts just like you think it would. Nasty. When I was spitting out what I could outside and explaining to my 4 year old to keep his fingers out of his mouth, I noticed one of my dogs off in the distance fertilizing my yard. Yum, that made the foul taste in my mouth even better when I thought about it. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

To the lead based paint. I've painted numerous auto's over the last few decades and, to my knowledge, since I've been involved beginning in the very early 70's, there has been no lead in automotive paints in recent decades. In some red colors, there is actually gold used in their foumulas, but no lead that I'm aware of.

Fading is reduced only by the paint having UV inhibitors used in their formulation. This is an added cost to the paint. Not all paint uses UV inhibitors in their formulation. Clear coat is simply paint without pigment. And, yes, at times it most certainly does include UV inhibitors. I recently had some candy apple red paint mixed up for a guy, and it ended up costing almost $150 for a quart. Therefore, when painting an entire fleet of tractors or implements, you bet that the cost of the paint comes into consideration!

I can't comment on the taste of lead based paint, because I don't recall off hand eating any, but I can tell you that I've inadvertantly gotten plenty of automotive paint into my nose and mouth. It all tasts pretty well the same; crappy, with a certain chemical after taste. I don't recommend it at all. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif