My D2 is in good working order but the paint is faded. I don't really want to tear it all apart to blast it. Has anybody blasted a fully assembled tractor and tried to paint it? Did it turn out well? Thanks for the help!!

If it ain't rusty you should not need to blast it. A good cleaning and sanding would work. If you can leave the factory paint the better off you are.
Terry

How do you sand and clean all the nooks and crannies without blasting?

With my D4 7U, I power washed everything untill everything that was oily or was loose, was clean. I then sanded the roughness smooth to give me a smooth paint job. I applied 3 coats of Caterpillar highway yellow with great results. See the attached photos. No sand blasting was done.

Thanks for all the info!

I use a wet soda blaster with my hot water pressure washer, it cleans things up nicely and takes off most loose paint. Then in hard to sand areas I use scotch brite to de gloss the old paint. When repainting, be sure to use the proper respirator. Any paint with a hardner is dangerous, not immediatly, but the long term effects are miserable.

You all have the right idea. Unless there is problems with your old paint a real good cleaning to get rid of all the dirt and grease, A sand blaster will not get rid of this stuff also as it will make one big grease ball. The presure washer works good, or steam. Do not over do it. Make sure it is clean, clean, clean, and the old paint is sanded to give the new paint and primer something to adhear to. The urethanes with harders are bad to breath in. They attack the membranes in your lungs. Slica sand is just as bad. ALWAYS wear a mask and protection on your skin.
Terry

I agree, nobody wants trash bags for lungs!

"tw" wrote:

(snipped)If you can leave the factory paint the better off you are.
Terry

best deal I found on paint was actually at my Cat dealer, $27.33/gal for new Cat yellow..solvent based enamel.The VOC restrictions in my state(MD)have outlawed most solvent base enamels from purchase.From what I hear,the restrictions will only get tighter as time goes on.The Cat paint has higher VOC's than most stuff that was banned,I guess they haven't caught up with Cat yet.If you have any painting to do of your machine,you might want to get a stock now..

Magnet paints makes a paint you can put over rust,after its been cleaned.Spray it on the rust spots,let dry & spray Cat yellow over the top of it.They also make adhesion promtors you can spray on where you cant get into sand.
Joe