FEL paint peeling

[kiotiken]

Yesterday was the first time I noticed the paint peeling off the dump cylinders of the FEL. It looks like a bunch of stone chips but it's obviously not. One side is much worse than the other, but it's starting on both sides. I poked around the rest of the tractor and don't see any other areas for concern, but I'm not going to be impressed if this continues to spread.

 

[unimog_jason]

A body and paint guy would probably give you the best info, but a body and paint guy once pointed out to me if the metal isn't perfectly smooth and clean a little spec of dirt will poke through the paint skin when the paint is curing and moisture can work it's way through the hole in the paint around the dirt and start working on the metal from under the paint and cause something similar to what you're seeing.

Another option would be something was splashed on the bare steel before the paint was applied and it's been working on the steel under the paint.

Jason

 

[northcreek2624]

Yesterday was the first time I noticed the paint peeling off the dump cylinders of the FEL. It looks like a bunch of stone chips but it's obviously not. One side is much worse than the other, but it's starting on both sides. I poked around the rest of the tractor and don't see any other areas for concern, but I'm not going to be impressed if this continues to spread.

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FWIW/If it were me I would be satisfied to have a good working FEL and tractor. Hey,it's a tractor not a sports car. Once you overfill the bucket with gravel and it comes over the top you will have real stone chips anyway.....Mike.

 

[Coyote machine]

Is it evident only on the cylinders and not the crossmember? It looks to me like blistering as a result of defective prep of the metal below the paint. Can you get some more pics where it looks like blisters- close ups if possible?

 

[rockshaft]

Looks exactly like the paint coming off my homemade quick attach. All i did was wipe down the steel and use rattle can paint. I would be really unhappy if a factory surface had similar results.

 

[grsthegreat]

dont you hate when something like that happens. some people say..hay,m its only a tractor. i dont

its a major investment, and i like it to look good. I wash and wax my tractor. I dont have any paint issues with mine. hopefully your won't escalate to anything worse. I guess you can slightly sane and respray that area?

I had a 1998 Ford Bronco that a purchased brand new from the dealer. pearl black and a beauty. The entire hood spiderweb cracked within 1 year. Ford reluctantly...after alot of back and forth bickering --- agreed to repaint the rig.

I sold it after i got it back. was pissed off royally. A bad paint job can happen to any item i guess is all im saying. Im sure Kioti would not do anything to bad paint. Im not sure any tractor warranty even covers the paint.

 

[kiotiken]

Thanks guys, I feel better getting some responses that match how I feel. CM, I will get a few more close ups with a real camera, those were just from my phone after I jumped off the tractor and noticed it. It might take until the weekend, two kids start gymnastics tonight.

 

[murphy1244]

Looks like painted over rust but CM is right, need better pics.

 

[Gary Fowler]

It looks like under layer rusting. It could be from sand particles that weren't cleaned, oil mist might have gotten on it after cleaning and prior to painting or it could just be bad prep that had rust on it when painted and it continued to blister. Whatever the cause it looks like you have some pinholes in the paint that is allowing moisture to get under the paint and form rust blisters. You are going to have to sand that down to bare metal to remove all the rust and pitting then prime and repaint. It may not be as pretty or as hard as the powder coating when finished but it will stop the rust. You could remove them and take them to a powder coater for repair also but I don't know how hot the oven is when they bake them If it gets too hot, it may damage the internal seals of the cylinder.

 

[bullet20]

mine also is flaking off like crazy and mine sits in a garage,not in the weather

 

[kiotiken]

Not sure what happened the first time I tried posting these, I'll give it another shot. I managed to get out and take a few close ups tonight.

 

[strum456]

This is a common problem with a lot of equipment. What we see in those photos is a result of:

1. Improper metal prep
2. Failure to use primer
3. Use of inferior paint products (most likely alkyd enamel).

With the epoxies and polyurethanes available today, I have a hard time trying to come up with reasons why so many manufacturers continue to use paint technologies of the past. The obvious reason is cost. If I was given the option to spend $1000 more on a $30000 tractor to ensure that it doesn't rust away, it would be a no-brainer.

 

[Coyote machine]

Not sure what happened the first time I tried posting these, I'll give it another shot. I managed to get out and take a few close ups tonight.

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WOW! KK, I think they painted those cylinders in the South Korean Sea, literally UNDERWATER.:thumbdown:
Bogus! That tractor needs two new cylinders, now. I wouldn't bother with doing anything with them but getting your dealer to replace them. Rust as bad as that and as extensive as it is will be hard if not impossible to fix and last.
Powdercoating might work if they were taken apart and stripped down and reassembled after- heat would cook the seals, as suggested by Gary. Not worth the effort and that is just another reason it's under warranty- MANUFACTURING DEFECT!!
Oh, I almost forgot- it's just a tractor, man, so no worries
Call dealer, send him the later pics- get new cylinders.
Sorry for your trouble- it sux...

 

[kiotiken]

Well, new cylinders was my first thought as well but the problem isn't limited to the cylinders alone. I tried to post about 8 pics last night put it didn't work. The pics I didn't retry showed the end of the loader arms close to the pins on either side doing the same thing. I did call my dealer and sent him the link to this post (hey Jim), so I'll wait to see what can be done about it.

From the parts that are affected and the pattern of the rust on the front of the FEL, it really seems like the tractor was sitting waiting for paint and somebody drove by on a cart and splashed it with dirty water or something. Standing in front of the tractor, the right side is much worse than the left side but they're both rusting in a splash pattern.

 

[k0ua]

Well, new cylinders was my first thought as well but the problem isn't limited to the cylinders alone. I tried to post about 8 pics last night put it didn't work. The pics I didn't retry showed the end of the loader arms close to the pins on either side doing the same thing. I did call my dealer and sent him the link to this post (hey Jim), so I'll wait to see what can be done about it.

From the parts that are affected and the pattern of the rust on the front of the FEL, it really seems like the tractor was sitting waiting for paint and somebody drove by on a cart and splashed it with dirty water or something. Standing in front of the tractor, the right side is much worse than the left side but they're both rusting in a splash pattern.

That is what I was thinking too, that there was something on the metal that was painted over. It would be interesting to take your pocket knife to the edges of one of those blister areas and pop some more paint off of the edge of the blister and look at the metal and see if it is clean or if it too is rusted already.. In other words, is it just a splash or is the problem more widespread under the paint. And if you are not able to pop the paint off at all, perhaps that would tell us that it is adhered properly, and lend more credence to the splash contamination theory.

James K0UA

 

[kiotiken]

That is what I was thinking too, that there was something on the metal that was painted over. It would be interesting to take your pocket knife to the edges of one of those blister areas and pop some more paint off of the edge of the blister and look at the metal and see if it is clean or if it too is rusted already.. In other words, is it just a splash or is the problem more widespread under the paint. And if you are not able to pop the paint off at all, perhaps that would tell us that it is adhered properly, and lend more credence to the splash contamination theory.

James K0UA

The thought of it not being a splash type issue scares me, not sure I'm ready to face that possibility. I'll let my dealer have a look at it first, but it's a good idea, I guess I want to know if the entire machine's going to look like that after a year. Dealing with paint issues under warranty doesn't seem like an easy thing to do. I've never had the experience, but have read a lot of bad stories of people who have.

 

[kco]

The thought of it not being a splash type issue scares me, not sure I'm ready to face that possibility. I'll let my dealer have a look at it first, but it's a good idea, I guess I want to know if the entire machine's going to look like that after a year. Dealing with paint issues under warranty doesn't seem like an easy thing to do. I've never had the experience, but have read a lot of bad stories of people who have.

I think the tractor will be fine. The loaders are likely manufactured and painted separate from the tractors.

 

[HereticWild]

Mine looks fine after one winter other than scrapes and such in the bucket from snow/gravel.

BTW, do you guys re-paint your bucket's every year?

BTW2 - hey KCO - Hi from another Kioti owner in Armstron BC!

 

[kco]

Mine looks fine after one winter other than scrapes and such in the bucket from snow/gravel.

BTW, do you guys re-paint your bucket's every year?

BTW2 - hey KCO - Hi from another Kioti owner in Armstron BC!

Same here....my loader is much more beat up than KiotiKen's, but it's all self-inflicted.

Good to see another from the area HereticWild. Although my address is Armstrong I'm actually straight west of Enderby on Wolfgang Rd.

 

[kiotiken]

Same here....my loader is much more beat up than KiotiKen's, but it's all self-inflicted.

Good to see another from the area HereticWild. Although my address is Armstrong I'm actually straight west of Enderby on Wolfgang Rd.

Hey now, that's almost name calling!!!!!:laughing: I'm a little surprised how well the bucket has held up (paint wise). I've hauled lots of gravel, done lots of soil and a bit of digging. I now have 100 hours and it'll be one year old sometime in April. That's less than I put on my CK 30 the first year I had it (135) but not that much less, and it's bucket didn't have much paint left on it.