In the middle 2000s I spoke to a land rover engineer at a show, I asked him why LR chassis were not galvanised, his reply was cost, at the time I was making up steelwork and sending to be galvanised, it was working out cheaper to galvanise than painting steel. He did not like what I said, and on LR scale the cost would be cheaper still. Proves the paint they used must have been like water, with the way defender rusts.
Why is paintwork so poor?
- Thread starter Steevo
- Start date
- Location
- south norfolk
At the end of the day manufacturers don’t want stuff to last otherwise they won’t sell replacements.
Nick...
Nick...
ollie989898
Member
To be honest LR don't really give a stuff about their existing customers with brand new vehicles, much less anyone with a 5+ year old one.
- Location
- pembrokeshire
paint isnt as good as it used to be because they took the lead out of it plus the fact that steel isnt what it used tobe we have some steel left over from a second hand shed that was rebuilt here thirty years ago also a new shed that was built the year after the old shed is fine the leftover steel is fine the new shed uprights have rotted through holes you can stick your fist through the old shed was primed with re lead the bane of my life ia powder coating one scratch and it comes off in sheets who ever thought that was a good idea i can also remember the seventies when they said use atcost or crendon it will last forever what a load of bull that was, now all the concrete posts are blowing then there is the issue of timber it makes me wonder if its worth doing anything
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
Well put - galvanise may cost a little more on day 1 but it's a darn sight cheaper and tidier than having to do maintenance later which then involves stripping down, cleaning, repainting etc.
Do it once, do it right.
It actually worked out cheaper to galvanize steel than paint it. A lot of people now are putting new chassis's on defenders, all galvanised of coarse. So they should last for years now.
Have a front press the same.
Really is a shame as it’s all well made stuff only for it to be let down by the paint job. The green paint seems to be a lot worse than the red.
Long history of it too. The flexicoil rollers that preceded NRH rusted terribly too.
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
It's a sad job when machines get let down by the paintwork. If every machine ends up rusty time after time it's bound to have an effect on whether people choose to buy them. THere are plenty of alternative manufacturers around for many things e.g. cultivation kit, trailers etc. so farmers can afford to be choosy.
I would think it's bound to not only ruin repeat sales, but also farmers telling other farmers, or seeing kit at a farm sale, the word soon spreads.
Marshall certainly had a name for it at one point.....and they've now fought back and looked to defy that reputation!
It's easy to gain a bad reputation and not easy to shake it off.
Dave6170
Member
- Location
- Watten, caithness
I told dealer it was poor and nrh sent up paint. 5 litres of green!
I told dealer it was poor and nrh sent up paint. 5 litres of green!
Straight from the Charlie Marshall book of customer relations.
Earlier editions were to sod off, or go into his wallet and give you a fiver to buy your own pot of paint
If they could sort their paint job out the way Marshall have I am sure they would sell far more machines than they currently do.
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
I told dealer it was poor and nrh sent up paint. 5 litres of green!
That's a fat lot of good!!
Dave6170
Member
- Location
- Watten, caithness
It is a shame because they are so well built and they do a good job.
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
Straight from the Charlie Marshall book of customer relations.
Earlier editions were to sod off, or go into his wallet and give you a fiver to buy your own pot of paint
If they could sort their paint job out the way Marshall have I am sure they would sell far more machines than they currently do.
Exactly this!! Marshall are a perfect example - the Skoda of the farm machinery paint world! One the butt of all jokes, now the opposite is true.
A machine is 100x easier and cheaper to paint at the factory when it can easily be shotblasted, lifted up and turned around, they have all the kit in a spray booth. At this stage the machine is in pieces, doesn't have any hoses, mounts, tyres or other coloured paint to mask up etc.
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
The real question becomes....would you buy another?
I'm sorry to say but I really don't think I would.
Yet had the paint been a quality job, I'd had gone straight back to them for repeat business.
- Location
- pembrokeshire
one of the problems we have in these parts is new kit is left out at the dealers and knocked about, when it arrives scratched and rusty they get very pissy if you complain,we are by the sea and any bare metal is soon rusty we wash down and oil spray and store inside but still the salt can get to it
When you spend your hard earned cash on kit that has crap paint it certainly makes you think hard about giving repeat business.
The paint on our Stewart trailer is sh!t.
Mr Stewart must have done his customer relationship training at the Charlie Marshall school of ignorance!
Suffice to say we have bought four new trailers since our Stewart, none of them with a Stewart sticker!
The paint on our Stewart trailer is sh!t.
Mr Stewart must have done his customer relationship training at the Charlie Marshall school of ignorance!
Suffice to say we have bought four new trailers since our Stewart, none of them with a Stewart sticker!
- Location
- East Lincs
I worked for one manufacturer where there was a machine which came back 3 times to be repainted under warranty - that was when they were using a wet paint system. They have since switched to powder coating for an improved finish.
I've also worked for another manufacturer where they would have subcontract fabrications come in and then sit outside gathering rust for a few weeks. They would then go through the shotblaster and be painted/powder coated. Sometimes they don't help themselves perhaps.
I've also worked for another manufacturer where they would have subcontract fabrications come in and then sit outside gathering rust for a few weeks. They would then go through the shotblaster and be painted/powder coated. Sometimes they don't help themselves perhaps.
CORK
Member
- Location
- East Cork, Ireland
For a premium brand, the paint on Fendt steps seems to be useless.
Being a bit ocd I got them shot blasted and dipped.
I’ll treat them and spray them grey over Christmas, should be a longer term job (or at least look better)
Being a bit ocd I got them shot blasted and dipped.
I’ll treat them and spray them grey over Christmas, should be a longer term job (or at least look better)