First time with Opti-Coat

Durallymax

Durallymax

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Had our new Fendt and the tanker both cleaned up for some service so I decided to try out the Opti-Coat on the Fendt to see how well it holds up. We just got it in September so the paint is in pretty good shape but had enough scratches and such. Fendt is kind of the Mercedes of Tractors. Made in Germany and with the typical German attitude. unlike the rest of our tractors they use some pretty high quality paints. Apparently they use a clear coat also which is unheard of with other brands. I wasn't quite sure if they did until I fubared the paint removing a sticker with an eraser wheel (never should've on fiberglass). So I got to wet sand out that mess and the whole time it was obviously clear coat material.

It was already pressure washed so I just washed it with Ultima waterless wash and the clayed it.

I polished the paint using Menzerna FG400 with my Flex PE14 rotary on an orange CCS pad. (I like German stuff) Worked very well, I initially tried using PF2500 on my 3401 Flex but the clear is apparently very hard and that didn't even make a dent in anything.

Then stripped it with Menzerna Top Inspection and started applying the Opti-Coat. The side panels can be removed which helps a lot and I also remove the badges to make life easier. They are fastened on with clips versus glue/tape. The Fendt IFS allows you to deflate it so it can kneel to you for easier access as well. After the first panel's trial I learned quickly how much was too much or not enough and it went fairly smooth afterwards, but it sure does take a lot of time, patience and attention to detail. Didn't have time to do the cab and fenders as usual, but plan to in the future. I also appliced OC to the badges and the hood ornament.



Before




after pressure washing.




My Fubar, wet sanding.



After FG400



In the right light you can still see the blemishs somewhat but this part of the tractor is usually hidden and not in direct light anyways.



After opti-coat













Thanks for looking.
 
Nice work! I love seeing corrections done to other than vehicles!
 
Just02896 said:
Nice work! I love seeing corrections done to other than vehicles!
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Thanks, some people like Mustangs, Vettes, MB's etc and treat them like their kids, my obsession has always been the Fendt's and finally after 10 years we got one.

A lot of people don't care to keep them nice, but I think its worth it. They cost more than most Lambos or Ferraris so why wouldn't you.

Someday I wouldn't mind ordering one in their Steel Blue "design line" package, but the added price tag is a little steep, beautiful though. They offer black, fir green and black cherry as well. They will also custom paint them almost any color you want for a fee.




Cleaned up the inside too with some 1Z cockpit. Don't have a before picture though.

Anybody have any good tips on cleaning touch screens? I use sprayway glass cleaner which meets the criteria of what Fendt wants you to clean it with but the issue I am having seems to actually be peoples fingers abrading the matte finish away. Where people touch most often it is very shiny and the sun glares off of it at times. I'd like to put a screen protector for a tablet on it but I want to address this issue first if possible. I'm thinking there isn't a way to restore the matte finish though.




 
Durallymax said:
Thanks, some people like Mustangs, Vettes, MB's etc and treat them like their kids, my obsession has always been the Fendt's and finally after 10 years we got one.

A lot of people don't care to keep them nice, but I think its worth it. They cost more than most Lambos or Ferraris so why wouldn't you.

Someday I wouldn't mind ordering one in their Steel Blue "design line" package, but the added price tag is a little steep, beautiful though. They offer black, fir green and black cherry as well. They will also custom paint them almost any color you want for a fee.




Cleaned up the inside too with some 1Z cockpit. Don't have a before picture though.

Anybody have any good tips on cleaning touch screens? I use sprayway glass cleaner which meets the criteria of what Fendt wants you to clean it with but the issue I am having seems to actually be peoples fingers abrading the matte finish away. Where people touch most often it is very shiny and the sun glares off of it at times. I'd like to put a screen protector for a tablet on it but I want to address this issue first if possible. I'm thinking there isn't a way to restore the matte finish though.




Click to expand...

I agree! I never understood why people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment and then neglect it from day one! As far as touchscreen panels go, I'm not sure whether the shiney areas are wear spots or organic deposits that can be cleaned off. Very good question though! Hopefully someone with more knowledge on the subject will chime in soon!
 
I think they are wear spots that can't be fixed.

Fendt lists a screen protection film in the parts list. I'll have to see if this has it on it.
 
Very nice work Vinny! That tractor looks great and has some stout protection on it now.

I'm with you, I love German quality products
 
Looks nice.

What kind of work do you use the tractor for?

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dsg03gt said:
Looks nice.

What kind of work do you use the tractor for?

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
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Everything any anything. Fendts really shine on the road. Lots of safety features and comfort. IFS, air ride cab, air brakes with stability control and ABS and many other thjngs. Hauling manure and forage are its two main jobs. Probably spend nearly 75% of its time on the road.





FivePoint.0 said:
How much do those go for?

Nice job!


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MSRP is 400k but actual price is around 270k.
 
I'm not familiar with spray way glass cleaner but in general you do not want to use glass cleaner on any type of screen. You can make a vinegar and water solution and clean with a microfiber cloth very gently but I would recommend getting a LCD TV screen cleaner with microfiber to clean the touch screen. It all depends on the type of touchscreen being used, resistive or capacitive. Definitely get a screen protector for it.

I think you might have found a niche market that no-one thinks about due to the shear size but once you think about the cost of one of those it makes since to take care of it. Fun post, thanks!
 
Sprayway is fine according to their specs because it's ammonia free. Plus we always have a can of it in the cab with a microfiber.

I do have some LCD screen cleaner as well. I can try that next time.


When you think about it, there's less paint on most tractors than even a compact car, it's just a little trickier to work on due to the size. Plus they start out a lot dirtier and often are much more abused. Many all still use single stage paint though so unlike a clear coated car you can really impress yourself and/or the owner.

I do a few for other people from time to time but not much because I just don't have the time really. Or I guess you could say I get bored doing the same thing so I don't make time and move on to the next thing. We've got enough equipment to keep me busy any time I get the urge.

Here's one I did recently that had single stage. FG400 is a godsend for the stuff I do. I use tufbuf wool pads on this stuff. I have some 3m twisted wool which is a bit more agressive but I like working with the tufbuf better and it sheds way less.

20131015_195246_zpsdc2df68c.jpg


20131015_203314_zpsb61aac2d.jpg




Most farmers just try using wax spreader arm jigglers with some turtle wax from the store so when you roll in with a rotary and some good products they're easily amazed.


There's a lot of farmers obsessed with the paint on their tractors but hardly any will do anything more than put a coat of wax on them in the winter. Many dont even do that. Yet even more think you have to keep it inside all the time because the factory paint is sacred and can't be fixed lol. It really helps the resale value.
 
Nice job. Now just some foam and a power washer will keep that monster clean.
 
Just put our new one in. Pretty nice. Computer and controls are hidden so workers don't mess with settings.

20131107_131451_zpse1f7f0cb.jpg
 
Farming sure has changed since my family got out of it in the early '70's. We had a Farmall tractor similar to this one.
104_w505.jpg

Then again <160 acres of soy beans or corn didn't warrant the investment of a larger tractor.

BTW: Great work on your Fendt. :props:
 
Now this is something we don't see that often, rare at all. Good job.
 
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