I use Meguiars liquid gold on mine. It gives a nice shine. Someone posted on here before about using a clay bar treatment that really did look awesome.
If you have a bunch of low hanging branch scratches like I get wax is not an option, I don't bother with wax. But I like to do a Turtle Wax "Scratch and Swirl Remover" treatment every so often on my GX. A wet sheeps wool buffer in a low speed drill motor gives a good job on all but the deepest scratches. Even those will look acceptable after a while with some extra attention. As said before, "Wax?" It's plastic afterall and wax won't keep sun damage fading from happening. However, with wax it does bead up nicely when a beer spills on it.
It's not plastic (well, I mean the base part is), it's either single stage paint or (if it's a newer model) paint&clearcoat.
If it's the later you're 'lucky' because it's relatively easy to work with. if it's the former (like my 95ish gt275), it's still workable, just going to take longer/heavier cutting compounds - supposedly it's Imron, one of the first realllllllllllly tough/durable paints.
Also, it's no sun damage, it's oxidization, same as any single stage - w/o clear on it it oxidizes, no fighting that, other than to wax it and give it a quick polish once a year, just like any single stage car.
A wool buffing pad on a drill .... ouch, I'd hate to see what yours looks like under inspection (e.g., hallogen) lighting. Anyways, be careful with the drill - you have a very high chance of burning the paint because of the heat it can generate.
Well My STX Hood is plastic and has no paint at all so with rubbing compound and coarse to fine then was it will look like new. again experience and talking to the dealer no paint on newer jd hoods
Don't know what the break point is, but a dealer up north of the cheezeline once told me that the tractors on the high end of the JD line have hoods that are painted. The lower end have hoods that are molded in their final color. I don't have any idea if this is true or not, but supposedly he would not store the X7XXX tractors outside since they have painted hoods.
I know the hood on a 9530 John Deere is not painted it is grren plastic just like the botton of the line Lawn tractor.So is the side panels on a Top of the line $300.000+ combine.
The trick to waxing them with out scratches is to apply the wax with a sponge applicator and wipe the wax off before it dries to a haze.
That's the best laugh I've had in a long time!:ROF Ever since my first lawnmower with an engine on it I can't remember having concours lighting anyplace I've ever mowed or blowed snow... The above method works for Zenoy (or whatever JD is calling their plastic these days) to keep it nice enough to trade in or sell sometime down the road. However I guess I would not put it up against a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 or restored Auburn Speedster... except for mulching leaves.
My stx is a 1993 and I just re did the hood last week Looks as shiny as it did new was very scratched and something left lots of marks on it so I know it is just plastic not paint
How do you know though it's plastic and not paint - you said above you used an automotive rubbing compound, so if it were single stage stage it would have had similar results.......
+1 Pledge - it gets milky at first, but let it sit for a minute or so, and then it's just amazing! Cleaner and polish in one, plus it smells really good. At motorcycle speeds, I'm not worried about stinging insects, but on a tractor, it might be of some concern.
+1 Plexus - I use it on our bikes as well. Windshields need a good treatment next spring. Three-stage kit is great for removing the deeper scratches.
I'm a big fan of Insulator Wax for all vehicles. The new (to me) JD will likely get a good coat of it this week.
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