Best coating or product to paint plow

[johnnymag3 2,515]

Power washed all the paint off, now down to a solid metal plow. What do you guys suggest to paint it with, also what primer? Its a Snow Plow....

 

thanks...................john

Edited December 13, 2020 by johnnymag3

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Grandpa just brushed used motor oil on all the ground engaging equipment.  Even kept a 5 gal bucket with oiled sand for his shovels.

 

Perhaps I misunderstood.  If you are wanting to paint the entire plow I suggest Rustoleum 769 primer and then whatever decent brand of topcoat enamel.  Rustoleum again if you want.  You could acid etch but I'm not sure I'd bother IF you use Rustoleum 769 as directed.

Edited December 13, 2020 by DennisThornton
Added thoughts on paint

[peter lena 8,583]

agree with Dennis and his grandpa on the brush on oil coating , if you want to paint it a rust oleum  red color to match you tractor , that's good , but simple  oil coating or lubricant spray  will keep it slick and stop rust . while you are there , do a lubrication service to that steering quadrant , (  if you want to  ) should rotate with little effort , pete 

[johnnymag3 2,515]

I have no paint on the plow at all....It is suggested to use a zinc primer.....then paint

 

Any ideas???

 

Pivot area always gets proper lubrication  

[8ntruck 6,991]

I like the bucket of oiled sand for garden tool maintenance idea.

 

Think I'll set one up.

[ebinmaine 67,309]

I've been out of the paint business for quite awhile so I'm not sure about the "hardness" of modern auto paint. 

I do know it cures harder and faster than any spray can I'm aware of. 

 

Here we don't have a spray gun so everything is done with cans. 

 

If it's a plow you're going to use it'll be a question for someone with more experience as to how much money a proper paint job would cost vs the longevity of the surface comparing spray paint. 

 

We have a gravel yard so plow paint gets scraped off very quickly. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

52 minutes ago, johnnymag3 said:

I have no paint on the plow at all....It is suggested to use a zinc primer.....then paint

 

Any ideas???

 

Pivot area always gets proper lubrication  

See above.  I have used and seen decade old results of using Rustoleum 769.  Hard to beat!  Spray or can but follow directions especially about the temps.

[Achto 27,509]

2 hours ago, johnnymag3 said:

Power washed all the paint off, now down to a solid metal plow. What do you guys suggest to paint it with, also what primer?

 

If you are talking about a snow or dozer plow. I would not suggest oiling it. I would prime it with some self etching primer and paint it with a gloss red of your choice. If you don't want to paint it red then any gloss paint will work. This will help to keep snow from sticking to the plow.

 

If you are talking about a mold board plow for turning dirt in the garden, then I would just grease the surface. Paint is not a good thing on a mold board plow.

 

 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

I replied, edited my reply, posted again and now for the 4 attempt at the keyboard and I still don't quite know what the question is.  However...

To me a plow is a moldboard dirt plow unless snow is mentioned.  Certainly no need to paint the moldboard, grease or oil but oil is easier and most have access to some used.  The rest of the metal, whether snow or dirt plow should be cleaned, primed and painted.  Clean is ALWAYS paramount as is some primer and I have thought for years that Rustoleum 769 is hard to beat for hard equipment.  I'd do different on sheet metal but that's another topic.

[johnnymag3 2,515]

7 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

If you are talking about a snow or dozer plow. I would not suggest oiling it. I would prime it with some self etching primer and paint it with a gloss red of your choice. If you don't want to paint it red then any gloss paint will work. This will help to keep snow from sticking to the plow.

 

If you are talking about a mold board plow for turning dirt in the garden, then I would just grease the surface. Paint is not a good thing on a mold board plow.

 

 

It Is a snow plow blade, and I do want it Red....wondering about zinc rich self etching primer?

 

[johnnymag3 2,515]

Just now, DennisThornton said:

I replied, edited my reply, posted again and now for the 4 attempt at the keyboard and I still don't quite know what the question is.  However...

To me a plow is a moldboard dirt plow unless snow is mentioned.  Certainly no need to paint the moldboard, grease or oil but oil is easier and most have access to some used.  The rest of the metal, whether snow or dirt plow should be cleaned, primed and painted.  Clean is ALWAYS paramount as is some primer and I have thought for years that Rustoleum 769 is hard to beat for hard equipment.  I'd do different on sheet metal but that's another topic.

It is a snow plow.....took it to bare metal....has some surface rust, was Red, its a Wheel Horse plow.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

2 minutes ago, johnnymag3 said:

It Is a snow plow blade, and I do want it Red....wondering about zinc rich self etching primer?

 

There are newer primers than what I've mentioned but I'd still use the old tested, tried and proven.  I can show you a wheelbarrow that was wire brushed and primed over thirty years ago, never top coated and never stored inside and still not rusted other than where rocks have scratched down to bare metal.  I'm amazed everytime I use it!

[Achto 27,509]

7 minutes ago, johnnymag3 said:

wondering about zinc rich self etching primer?

 

If you are using spray cans Rust-Oleum makes a self etching primer that can be used under most enamel paints of any brand. I use self etching primer on all bare metal before top coating with filler primer or paint.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rust-Oleum-Self-Etching-Primer/16816075?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1799&&adid=22222222227009593847&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=56793235848&wl4=pla-80064112368&wl5=9019452&wl6=&wl7=1028137&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=16816075&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAiAlNf-BRB_EiwA2osbxXwGFMK6nXFVqofDPhd1-aIcm-6QskSfekOUBEnIWnoNm72n1s5hjBoCDWAQAvD_BwE

 

If you are using a spray gun then most automotive paint jobbers will sell some type of self etching primer.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by Achto

[Zeek 2,286]

You could try this snow plow paint if spraying.

Or you could try this paint if you are brushing it.

[rjg854 11,351]

@Zeek

I'm sure he would want RED paint 

[Zeek 2,286]

3 minutes ago, rjg854 said:

@Zeek

I'm sure he would want RED paint 

True, I had truck snow plow in my head  . . . 

Edited December 13, 2020 by Zeek

[JoeM 7,871]

Talk about old guy stuff, I mean tried and true, seen a fella had be bottom of his mower deck coated with marine grade polyurethane. I would say the stuff was several coats thick. Almost like he poured it on, slick as a baby behind. Worn a little. Always wanted to try it but backed up when I seen the price. I think he got it at work. 

[953 nut 55,099]

Not sure what brand paint Howard used but I like it.                         

 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

18 hours ago, Achto said:

 

If you are using spray cans Rust-Oleum makes a self etching primer that can be used under most enamel paints of any brand. I use self etching primer on all bare metal before top coating with filler primer or paint.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rust-Oleum-Self-Etching-Primer/16816075?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1799&&adid=22222222227009593847&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=56793235848&wl4=pla-80064112368&wl5=9019452&wl6=&wl7=1028137&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=16816075&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAiAlNf-BRB_EiwA2osbxXwGFMK6nXFVqofDPhd1-aIcm-6QskSfekOUBEnIWnoNm72n1s5hjBoCDWAQAvD_BwE

 

If you are using a spray gun then most automotive paint jobbers will sell some type of self etching primer.

 

 

We sold that and had customer requests at the hardware store I used to work at.  Obvious from my comments I'm a fan of Rustoleum and I have no doubt that it's a good product.  BUT

Some primers are for absolute pristine rust free acid etched metals.  Some are for absolute pristine rust free but not acid etched metals.  Rustoleum 769 is for rusty metals:

"769 is intended for sound rusted steel only. Do not use 769 on clean or abrasive clean steel."  

I have many examples where it was used on clean metal and all are fine after decades of outdoor exposure so I'm not sure why the above suggestions from Rustoleum but they should be noted.  769 doesn't need completely rust free metals or any special treatments other than remove loose rust.

"Use on rusted steel surfaces where only minimal surface preparation (scraping and wire brushing) is practical."

 

So I suppose the "take away" is 769 on somewhat rusted metal and Self Etching on rust free metal.

[C-85 681]

When I worked at a new car/truck/heavy truck dealers body shop, we used Dupont Imron paints for industrial usage.  Municipal trucks like dump truck bodies and plows were often specked out to use Imron when painting,  It was super expensive but lasted.  I remember that some of us didn't wear a paint mask using some of the other paints, but we always did when spraying Imron, because it was known to be extra hazardous.

 

C-85

 

[oilwell1415 563]

Anybody ever tried a ceramic coating on high wear areas of their implements?

[ebinmaine 67,309]

6 minutes ago, oilwell1415 said:

Anybody ever tried a ceramic coating on high wear areas of their implements?

Can that be done DIY or is that a professional only thing?

[oilwell1415 563]

32 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Can that be done DIY or is that a professional only thing?

You can do it DIY.  I'm not sure if it would be worth it or not, just curious.  You can wear the paint off a blade in a matter of a few minutes to a few hours of steady use depending on what you're pushing.  If you really wanted it to look nice and didn't use it all that often ceramic coating may keep it looking nice for a lot longer than paint, especially if you only use it for snow.

[ebinmaine 67,309]

1 hour ago, oilwell1415 said:

You can wear the paint off a blade in a matter of a few minutes

I been known to do that. 

That's why I was curious about the ceramic coating. 

[RandyLittrell 3,877]

11 hours ago, C-85 said:

When I worked at a new car/truck/heavy truck dealers body shop, we used Dupont Imron paints for industrial usage.  Municipal trucks like dump truck bodies and plows were often specked out to use Imron when painting,  It was super expensive but lasted.  I remember that some of us didn't wear a paint mask using some of the other paints, but we always did when spraying Imron, because it was known to be extra hazardous.

 

C-85

 

 

 

I'm a big fan of Imron, like you, I worked in a body shop when young and painted a whole fleet of concrete trucks. 4 hours of spraying for the Variprime and 4 hours for color per truck. I was damn tired at the end of those days! 

 

Imron is expensive but easy to spray I think. 

 

Absolutely wear a respirator with any paint you choose to spray. You can buy cheap disposible ones still I think, and your health will thank you later! 

 

 

 

Randy