Tiller Repainting KK Tiller suggestions

[PeterK]

I picked up my KK TG48 tiller from TSC today (for my BX24) after ordering it during my local TSC opening sale (10%off). Man, this thing is heavy, it's really a beast. But it's also in a beast's clothing. The paint is horrible, very thick as well as soft and looks like they tossed sand over the unit before spraying.

So my question to those that repainted their KK implements, is what did you use to strip off the old paint?

I thought that I might as well repaint before I add gear oil and grease. I think that the paint is soft enough to maybe scrape off, blasting soft paint using just bounces off. There are even drips hanging off the bottom edge that I can pick off with bare hands! Maybe a combination of scraping, then a good automotive stripper? As far as the tines, they're probably going to strip down to bare metals after tilling anyway.

So what does anyone suggest? Thanks!

Pete

 

[Baby Grand]

That "finish" will be good and hard by around mid August. What's your hurry? You got the silica fortified paint - it doesn't wax well, but it does resist scratching better....

... seriously, I was kind of surprised how bad the paint looked on my tiller when I unloaded it. That feeling changed when I saw how well the tiller works. As someone on here said (my appologies to who ever said this because I'm about to get it all twisted) "it lives in the dirt - don't worry about the paint job". That was really good advice.

-Jim

 

[greenmule]

Well,other than looks[and once you get grease and dirt all over it you won't see paint],it will probably be 40 years before the bad paint will cause enough rust to harm anything as far as tiller tilling anyways.

If I was buying something new and the paint job was bad enough to cause me to repaint it before I ever used it even,pretty sure I wouldn't have bought it to begin with.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I have repainted almost all my KK atachments. I hated the KK yellow.I just painted over the factory paint with rustolium tractor and implement paint. It takes about 2 days for the paint to dry but so far it has held up for about 3 years.
Bill

 

[allen in texas]

I don't like yellow. The KK paint was yucky. But like an old ugly girl, you get used to her if she sets a good table and is good to you at night.

My tiller sets a good table and is good to me.

I got used to the paint job.

 

[phyxer]

No advice for you on repainting your KK tiller. I do however agree with the others that fail to see a need to repaint ground engaging implements! I think the wear and tear and ugliness add character and make them look tougher!

Troy

 

[PeterK]

Thanks for the advice. I like to take care of my stuff after all I paid hard earned bucks to get it and want it to last. But I need to get tilling so I will let nature strip the tines and underneath. Then I will strip the baby poop yellow off the top.

I gently ran a paint scraper across a couple of spots and the paint just fell off in flakes. Some of it was already falling off due to poor prep before they dipped the monkey's tail in the paint bucket and unleashed him in the paint booth (It's really THAT bad.)

Thanks again. - Pete

 

[LBrown59]

No advice for you on repainting your KK tiller. I do however agree with the others that fail to see a need to repaint ground engaging implements! I think the wear and tear and ugliness add character and make them look tougher!

Troy

I'm glad my KK tiller don't have added character !

 

[PA hayseed]

I picked up a KK 6' tiller last weekend, due to the year same as cash deal. The paint sucks, it came off around all the plugs as soon as I went to fill it with gear oil. Like it has been said here, it's really not the paint, it was the prep work.

I would have to have alot of free time, or copious amounts of spare cash, before I repainted it. The rust will determine when it gets painted.

I tilled two gardens, and a little more paint came off. At this rate, It will be bare by the end of summer.

 

[phyxer]

I'm glad my KK tiller don't have added character !

Use it and it will eventually gain some charcter! I didn't buy mine to be a "barn queen"

Troy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

That "finish" will be good and hard by around mid August. What's your hurry? You got the silica fortified paint - it doesn't wax well, but it does resist scratching better....

... seriously, I was kind of surprised how bad the paint looked on my tiller when I unloaded it. That feeling changed when I saw how well the tiller works. As someone on here said (my appologies to who ever said this because I'm about to get it all twisted) "it lives in the dirt - don't worry about the paint job". That was really good advice.

-Jim

That paraphrased quote mighta been from me.... I've been known to say that same thing about my KKII tiller. It's 8 years old, battered, scratched, dirt covered, and still kickin'! I'm tossing around the idea of bead blasting it, then priming and painting it this summer. Or maybe not. I've got several gallons of "OSHA saftey orange" along with 2 gallons of Massey Ferguson red that needs to be used up, so toss a quarter in the air and heads is orange, tails is red.....

 

[heehaw]

you folks buying new kk tillers: tighten the bolts around the gear drive: i've bought 3 of these tillers over the years and all 3 had loose bolts in the cover over the gear drive.
heehaw

 

[Baby Grand]

So that was you, FWJ? I kind of thought it was. That was good advice then and it's still true.

My KKII got a lot of use this weekend tilling-in brush hogged grape, rose and bittersweet vines from my field reclamation and apple tree tree liberation project. The soil in that area fades from a nice sandy loam to a heavy clay and once I had the clutch set right she did a beautiful job. Next a few big flower beds for The Plant Manager out in the hay field. Last job was till up some topsoil and dump it by my neighbor's wall for his raised bed gardens. I owed him a solid for watching our place a few months ago.

The paint is the same as when I bought it.

-Jim

 

[jinman]

you folks buying new kk tillers: tighten the bolts around the gear drive: i've bought 3 of these tillers over the years and all 3 had loose bolts in the cover over the gear drive.
heehaw

Make that the 4th one. Mine also had loose bolts. Adjusting the slip clutch is also a must-do item as Baby Grand suggested.