Applying Bulk Fluid Film

[eagle107]

Hi Everyone,

I bought the Fluid Film 5 Gallon Undercoating Kit from Kells Port Products (unfortunately, I did not know there was a 15% for TBN members). I just finished applying the product on my Woods mower, Scag Tiger Cat mower, new Boomer 3040 and Meteor snowblower. I tried various methods applying the Fluid Film: roller, paint brush, the undercoating gun from Kells and air sprayer. Through trial and error, I found the best method for me to apply the material was using the $20.00 Campbell Hausfeld pressure-feed spray gun that you can pick up at your local Tractor Supply Store. The Kells undercoating gun is nice but it sprays too much material. I found using the pressure-feed spray gun was prefect as it sprayed just the right amount of material on the surface of the tractor and could get to those hard to reach areas. So if anyone is looking to spray down their equipment with a bulk supply of Fluid Film, I think the air sprayer is the way to go. I also purchased a Vaper 19419 Spot Spray Non-Aerosol Sprayer (the red sprayer below) that also seems to work if you need to spray things around the house or equipment in remote places.

 

[creekbend]

Thanks for posting. I gained some insight. Very informative.:thumbsup:

 

[avc8130]

What was wrong with the sprayer provided in the kit? I just got the kit in a day ago and haven't gotten a chance to play with it yet.
ac

 

[mrutkaus]

I use probably a similar old cheap undercoating gun and in hot weather you would have to reduce pressure or it sprays too much. Of course in cold weather it doesn't spray at all. A lot depends on temperature of the fluid film and the air pressure. In general it works very well for me. I have tried a standard paint spray gun unsuccessfully.

Mike

PS it's a great hand lotion, too!

 

[eagle107]

What was wrong with the sprayer provided in the kit? I just got the kit in a day ago and haven't gotten a chance to play with it yet.
ac

When I sprayed the material, it was around 50 degrees. The undercoating gun, for me, sprayed very heavy droplets which then I had to use a roller to spread. When I switched to the pressure-feed spray gun, I was able to get a nice mist spray that covered very well. I did not do much to tweak the undercoating spray gun. I believe there is a nut on the back of the gun that can adjust the spray; I just did not have the time to play with the adjustment.

 

[like2wheel]

You're causing some confusion here, you're talking about a pressure feed spray gun, but showing a picture of a siphon feed gun.

 

[eagle107]

You're causing some confusion here, you're talking about a pressure feed spray gun, but showing a picture of a siphon feed gun.

No, this is a pressure feed spray gun. The problem is the spray gun types look similar, so you could think this is a siphon spray gun while it is really a pressure feed spray gun or even a general purpose spray gun.

In addition, below is another link to Campbell & Hausfeld website showing that this spray gun is a pressure feed design. When I was at Tractor Supply, they only carried the pressure spray gun and not the general purpose spray gun.

http://www.chpower.com/productdetail/pressure-feed-spray-gun_dh380000av
Campbell Hausfeld Pressure-Feed Spray Gun - 3301552 | Tractor Supply Company

Below is what I found doing research, speaking to my tractor dealer and tractor dealer's mechanic about spraying bulk Fluid Film. Hopefully this helps others like it helped me.

Traditionally, a pressure feed spray gun can spray low to high viscosity materials such as Fluid Film, while a siphon feed gun can only spray low to medium viscosity materials, which is why you can have issues spraying Fluid Film with a siphon spray gun. However, some siphon spray guns today can spray heavier materials. Then you have a general purpose spray gun that can change between a pressure feed spray gun to a siphon spray gun. The tractor dealer's mechanic recommended using a pressure feed spray gun when applying Fluid Film in its bulk form and it seemed to work fine for me.

Below is a website that explains the different types of spray guns.
Choosing Right Spray Gun at Build.com

 

[GPintheMitten]

I've noticed several threads mentioning Fluid Film. I'm considering trying it on my snowblower which I just repainted. How often do you apply it? I saw in FAQ, it says you may have to apply it every time you use the snowblower. That sounds pretty expensive.

 

[Dargo]

Gosh, don't let the guys over on the "spray it with diesel fuel" read this thread! :laughing:

My dad thinks Fluid Film really stinks. I don't mind the smell and don't think of it as a stink. It sure does work well though.

 

[Dargo]

I've noticed several threads mentioning Fluid Film. I'm considering trying it on my snowblower which I just repainted. How often do you apply it? I saw in FAQ, it says you may have to apply it every time you use the snowblower. That sounds pretty expensive.

I don't have a blower, but on a 10' blade, spraying it once will keep snow and stuff from sticking to it for a good 8 hours of plowing.

 

[eagle107]

I've noticed several threads mentioning Fluid Film. I'm considering trying it on my snowblower which I just repainted. How often do you apply it? I saw in FAQ, it says you may have to apply it every time you use the snowblower. That sounds pretty expensive.

To be honest, I really do not know. This is the first year I will be using it myself. I hear it works good on the blower, but I never really had issues with snow sticking in or on my blower since I had a Meteor snowblower and with a tractor with 35HP and over. I am using it to protect the equipment from the road salt that gets pushed into the driveway by the plows and get dragged up from the cars. I have always used motor oil, but I think this stuff will have better staying power hearing that it is suppose bond more to the metal using wool-wax. As for expense, it is more money, but I bought a 5 gallon pal and only used less than a gallon to spray down my equipment. Based on this, I should have the pal for 5 years before I have to replace it, which is ~$32.00 a year.